Repair of an iPhone USB cable with a damaged sheath—before the damage affects the internal wires.

ID: 162873

Description:

Restoration – Repair of a USB power cable – IPHONE, in this case, the cable has a broken or cracked protective sheath and some strands of the mesh. The internal wires are in good condition, so it is worth repairing – reinforcing it before one of the internal wires breaks.
Although these cables are quite inexpensive nowadays, it's always satisfying for any repair enthusiast to be able to repair them themselves and extend the cable's lifespan.

Step 1: Reinforce the damaged area with instant-drying glue to prevent further twisting.

Step 2: To reinforce the cable, we will use heat shrink tubing, or electronic heat shrink tubing (it has a different name in each country), of the appropriate size and color that we have or that we like best.
We must choose the size closest and closest to the size of the small connector, otherwise the tube will be too loose and will not shrink with the heat to the size of the cable.

Step 3: Since the heat shrink tubing is the same size as the connector, to allow the connector to be inserted through it, we proceed to widen it slightly using scissors or flat-nose pliers. Once widened, we have a few seconds to insert it before it returns to its original size.
Video example of widening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEqFT52u...

Once the tube has been widened, we have about 30 seconds to insert the connector through it before it shrinks back to its original state.
We will prepare the hot air gun or a powerful hair dryer or a lighter to heat the tube so that it shrinks permanently; by applying heat, the new shape is permanent.

In this case, I use a hot air blower to shrink the tube; we will apply the heat about 3 or 4 cm from the tube.

As we apply hot air, we rotate the cable so that the heat is transmitted evenly across the entire surface of the tube.
Example video of how to heat cables: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBbvUR0y...

Once the heat shrink tubing was installed, I noticed that the plastic housing of the connector was cracked. I'm not sure if it was already cracked or if it happened when I applied heat (next time, to avoid these doubts, I'll inspect the cable more thoroughly and take photos of both sides). So, I proceeded to apply glue to fix it.
Once the glue has dried after a few minutes, we will place another piece of heat shrink tubing; if possible, we will not widen it or we will only do so at one end to insert it, as tightly as possible.

We will heat the heat shrink tubing just as we did in the previous repair.
If you don't have a hot air blower, you can use a lighter, BUT BE VERY CAREFUL, THE FLAME CANNOT TOUCH THE TUBE, you must keep it 2 or 3 cm away from the tube, IF IT TOUCHES IT, IT WILL STAIN IT, burning it, darkening it.

Once the cable restoration was complete, I noticed that the contacts of the flat connector were darkened and dirty. I proceeded to clean them with an eraser, leaving them shiny.
After cleaning with the rubber, we can remove the rubber residue with a hard toothbrush.

And finally, in my case, I have a USB cable tester (available on Aliexpress), which allows you to quickly and easily check, by connecting the input and output, whether a USB-X cable is in good condition or has any broken or partially broken internal wires.

A very simple restoration/repair using inexpensive and readily available materials, which can be used for many other similar repairs.
But above all, I hope you enjoy the repairs; repairing is a hobby, a pastime, a pleasure. If you don't enjoy it, you won't do it with passion to make it perfect.
Other similar repairs: USB Cable

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