Did I break it?

Hello new user here.
I test the screen outside of my project to validate it worked.
Then I was trying to get the screen into a tight space.
Some of the main ribbon cable got a little crimped, but it still worked.
Now after a slight bend the screen is showing.


It looked like the cable might have been pulled out a bit at an odd angle.

I have tried re-seating the cable many times.
Is this something that i could get working correctly by cleaning the contacts and be gentle, or did I break it.
Thank you.

The tape over the screen end makes it hard to say, but the cable looks a bit crooked at that end?

Here are some pics without the black tape

Hmm. It looks fairly straight, and there are no really obvious kinks in the ribbon, but if it “got” a little crimped and pulled out at a funny angle, you may well have strained / cracked some of the leads somewhere.

I’m assuming you didn’t change anything on the Pi between it working and not? i.e. we’re sure it’s a hardware not a software problem?

Keep in mind that the bit of ribbon cable is also a flexible circuit board. You likely don’t want to flex it in the sections where there are components mounted to it. Don’t bend it anywhere between those two white lines.

I’m pretty much positive this is a hardware issue.
In the pictures above there was no HDMI input.

Another oddity, was the bezel of the display was getting really hot.
A fairly accurate thermometer on my multi-meter recorded over 160 degrees Fahrenheit, and it was only plugged in for a minute or so.

another reading showed over 230 degrees Fahrenheit, but that has not been reproduced.

I’m sorry to say it but I think it is beyond fixing.

The screens are VERY delicate and I got a similar outcome just pulling the plastic cover off one too quickly and at the wrong angle (too vertical). The high temperature probably indicates a short circuit in the screen.

IMHO its a hardware issue. I think the ribbon cable to the display got damaged.

Ok, looks like I’ll need purchase another one.

Hopefully the display board will work.
And this way i can work on the fit a bit better.
I was building Callisto 2 and the fit was a bit tight getting the screen in and that should have been what bent things.

Thank you all for the help.