Stylus prong stuck in iPad

Pyxis

I have been using a stylus with my iPad Air, attaching it to the iPad by inserting the plastic prong it comes with into the headphone socket.

Yesterday, when I went to pull out the stylus, the prong broke just under where the cord is attached to it, leaving the bulk of it stuck in the headphone socket, about 2mm down.

There was nothing I could get a grip with to pull it out, even with some small tweezers.

I tried 'drilling' into it with an auger, hoping to get a grip with the auger and pull it out. All that did was drill into the plastic prong, but didn't remove it.

Now I don't know if I've made things worse or better.

Should I keep trying to 'drill' it out with the auger, or would that ruin the headphone connection?

I really need to be able to use the socket for attaching an amplifier for an activity I organise for a group.

Can anyone help please?

Syman

if it is plastic, heat up a needle then carefully insert into the "prong". allow to cool, hopefully you can then pull out the prong.

Pyxis

The trouble is, that since I used the auger, theres's now just a hole into the remains of the prong.

I'm tempted to continue 'drilling' into it, to disintegrate it, possibly, but don't know if I'm just pushing it further in, or ripping any electronic connections.

grumpycrab

Other ways to get audio out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMxFhKpyEGw

Pyxis

grumpycrab wrote: »

Other ways to get audio out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMxFhKpyEGw

That was interesting, as it says you can use the lightening connector.

However, it didn't tell me what sort of cable I need, if I am to use the lightening connector to connect the iPad to an amplifier or headphones.

Any ideas?

(Sorry to be dense, but I just don't know!)

Pyxis

Just to recap........

I took it to an IT repair shop, who said they'd have to open it up and replace the headphone connector part.

Am taking it tomorrow. It will cost over £100.

I've asked around, and apparently these stylus prongs getting stuck is very common.

Wish I'd known that, as I'd never have used it.

I keep my iPad in a case that has an automatic shut-off thing when you shut it. Great, except there's no pen/stylus pocket.:(
(Given the exalted price of these cases, you'd think there'd be one.)
Hence why I used the headphone socket.

Ah well, very expensive mistake.

Just hope the repair goes ok. :eek:

Moneymaker

Push the tips of a pair of needle-nose tweezers into the hole.
Push a thin flat-blade screwdriver or nail file into the tweezers to force the points apart so they grip the plastic.
Withdraw.

If the tweezer points don't grip, bend them outwards slightly with pliers and try again.

Kernel_Sanders

If Moneymaker's tip doesn't work, maybe ( as a last resort) you could superglue some sort of prong to the remains, although I can see it would be difficult to avoid the sides of the cavity.

bluesnake

Do like moneymaker's method. A photo would be good.

remove the battery

Get some bluetack, putty etc. roll it into a thin sausage

get an earbud cut off the buds and stick the shaft in the jack hole as far down as it will go -2mm. leave about 10mm or so sticking out. this will hopefully stop the glue to spread when the pin touches the sides. If the shaft of the bud wobbles secure it with a bit of that bluetack worm

with a pin head mix a small portion of 2 part epoxy resin and put a decent dollop on the pin head the slide this down the centre hole shaft of the earbuds, do it in away and enough times that the glue touches both the jack head and the pinhead which is pressed onto the head of the jack.

leave the glued pinhead touching the jackhead and let it cure. add a but more bluetack to stop the pin from moving while it sets for a few hours.

with pliers grip both the plastic sleeve and pin and gently pull

&&&&

another way is with a steady hand and a 0.8mm drill and a dremel make a hole. Then apply superglue to that drill and quickly put it into the hole. After it has set and gently pull

Pyxis

Thanks people.

If I hadn't already tried to 'drill' it out with an auger, those methods might have worked.
As it is, the remains if the prong are a long way down and probably wedged too tight, and I think the auger has probably damaged the electronic connections.

If I try anything else, I am scared I will make things a whole lot worse.

I will have to grit my teeth, take it to the IT place tomorrow,and pay up.


There will not be a next time! No more stylus prongs in headphone sockets for me.

buglawton

Does the drilling you did mean that the prong remains are now further down than the original 2mm in you mentioned? Or is there still the outside shell of it there, starting 2mm down? If there's a shell, similar to previous idea, cut a toothpick in half, insert blunt end with tip covered in epoxy resin, wait to set, pull out. Be careful not to use too much glue as it could result in just gluing the prong remains in harder.