# Kindle 2 USB charging cable loose



## shazmosushi (Feb 11, 2011)

A few months ago I noticed my Kindle 2 unable to charge without placing pressure on the USB cable to attempt connect the pins.

In other words, plugging in the USB cable won't charge the Kindle, sending from data-transfer mode into charging mode and then into user-mode (and back!) at every slight wiggle of the cable. This problem also stops me trying to use the Kindle in bed while charging after ejecting the drive from my PC, it just goes right back to data-transfer mode! I then have to get up and re-eject it.

My warranty will run out in a few months and I threw out my original packaging (which although not required for warranty would make it easier to mail). Also, being in Australia, postage from (and I guess _to_) Amazon takes ages.

This is really frustrating for me. I fear that if I don't do anything soon my warranty will run out (and sooner rather than later) my Kindle won't be able to charge at all - leaving it an expensive paper weight.

Anyone got any ideas?

P.S. This forum stores its passwords in plain-text, it emails you the password you set when you registered! This is apparently dangerous. You are supposed to store users passwords at least as a cryptographic hash, it make it more difficult to find out passwords if a server is compromised (or so I've heard.) Especially on a forum like this. People who use this forum should probably use a single-use throwaway password ;-)


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

shazmosushi said:


> A few months ago I noticed my Kindle 2 unable to charge without placing pressure on the USB cable to attempt connect the pins.


Have you tried another micro USB cable? Perhaps the cable is bad instead of the Kindle.



shazmosushi said:


> People who use this forum should probably use a single-use throwaway password ;-)


It's never a good practice to reuse passwords. I _highly_ recommend 1Password for strong password generation and storage.


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## Tiersten (Sep 6, 2010)

shazmosushi said:


> P.S. This forum stores its passwords in plain-text, it emails you the password you set when you registered! This is apparently dangerous. You are supposed to store users passwords at least as a cryptographic hash, it make it more difficult to find out passwords if a server is compromised (or so I've heard.) Especially on a forum like this. People who use this forum should probably use a single-use throwaway password ;-)


It doesn't necessarily mean it is stored in plaintext. It does have your password in the clear during registration because it needs to set it in the database and it also sends you an email at the same time.

Besides, you should still choose a hard to guess password that isn't used anywhere else. Hashes don't protect against people using the dictionary attack.


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## shazmosushi (Feb 11, 2011)

Hey guys,

Sorry for the 6 month delay in my reply. I have continued to use my Kindle and charged it (and transfered files etc) through the cable by placing a small flat highlighter underneath. This way the cable makes a proper connection to the Kindle. It was kind of a pain to make sure I didn't bump it and have the orange charging light flicker (and have the Kindle go back to regular mode, then to transfer mode and back)

Anyway my Kindle fine in every other respect until about last week when the screen broke (happened in my backpack I think). I've since got a replacement (and am just about to package my old Kindle to send back to Amazon)

Luckily enough they sent a new USB charging cable which happens to fit snugly into both my old Kindle and my replacement Kindle! Also the old cable does in fact cause the same "loose connection" problem when used with my new Kindle. So it was the USB cable, rather than my Kindle 2 that was causing the problem.

I'm not quite sure why the new cable fits so well compared to the old. The differences I can see are: The new cable has the USB logo physically engraved on the USB and microUSB ends, while the old one has the logo printed on it ink on both ends. The new cable is also thinner in the cable part itself. I can also see 4 vertical lines on the top of the microUSB connector of the new cable, the old cable is solid metal on the microUSB connector. I think the problem of the cable must have been a known problem (even if only a small percentage end up with a loose cable) and Amazon has fixed it in new shipments.

Well I can FINALLY charge my kindle while lying in bed without it going into transfer mode every 3 seconds.


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## Morf (Nov 18, 2010)

I've seen other people reporting problems with the shielding on the USB cable cracking, so it may be that this is another reason they swapped supplier.

There again, I also remember a thread where somebody said they put the cable in their mouth while doing something else and it tasted horrible... several other people checked and reported the same thing, so maybe they swapped supplier for this reason...

They may have had a visit from the good taste police!  

I'll get my coat...


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