No simcard detection in cold conditions

Hi there. In cold weather, my phone does not detect the simcard - so I can still use wifi and most of the functions, but I have no data and no reception.

It was already an issue last year, but this winter I am going to work in Lapland where the temperatures will basically NEVER rise above 0 degrees Celsius, and I need to be available on phone in case my manager needs to get in touch. I am getting anxious about this.

Ideas? Do you have the same issue with your phones?

Hi it maybe that once the phone is in a warm area, given the humidity rises damp will get into the phone. Then when it coems into a low temp the water vapour settels on the SIM contacts.

You could try and a) clean the sim b) coat the contacts with a little non-oxidisable oil ~usually that means mineral oil as in petroleum jelly.

In cold weather, metals shrink slightly, which can negatively impact spring contacts (like pogo pins or parts that are friction fit, such as memory/SIM cards). In the past I’ve used a pin to re-bend some spring contacts in old electronics - usually does the job.

So for the SIM slot, I’d try giving the contacts a clean with isopropyl alcohol and then trying to bend them up a little bit to improve contact. That should render their performance more robust in cold weather. You could also try putting a piece of tape on the non-gold side of the SIM to make it thicker so the friction fit is tighter.

Petroleum jelly and mineral oils will protect electronics from water, but they do attract dust and dirt like nothing else, which can gum up the works and even bridge contacts - I’ve seen it happen. So caveat emptor on that one (and on my advice too, for that matter).

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Subsequent to the warning about using oil that dust will adhere to, ensure you use very little and wipe away as much as you can with damp cloth ~ if you chose to try that :slight_smile:

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