Repair Lightning cable

Crap. Your recable has a broken cable? Sure, that's annoying at first - but it's not a big problem! Because recable is a repairable charging cable. With a few simple steps (and a few simple tools) you can easily repair it yourself.

Why is this a good idea? By repairing your charging cable, you are doing something good for the planet. Because you avoid electrical waste and conserve resources. You also don't need to buy a new cable and save money. A win-win situation for you and the environment!

Ready? - Then let's get started!

Difficulty: easy
Time required: 20 - 30 min

What you need

Tools for repairing USB cables with Lightning connector, such as lighter and pliers, overview.
  • Side cutters
  • Combination pliers
  • Cutter knife
  • Lighter
  • heat shrink tube
    (We use a shrinkage ratio of 3:1 with an initial diameter of 9.5 mm. Can be found here ).

Tip: If you are missing one of the tools, you don't have to buy a new one. Instead, borrow it from neighbours, friends or your family. Maybe there is a repair café near you that can help you.

Let's go!

Step 1

Step 1 Repair iPhone Cable, How to Detach Adapter, Close Up
  • Unplug recable from the power supply, disconnect the power supply.
  • Disconnect the Lightning adapter from the Micro-USB connector.

Step 2

Step 2 Repair iPhone cable, How to heat shrink tube cut with cutter knife and remove, close up
  • Carefully cut the heat shrink tube lengthwise with the cutter-knife.
  • Peel the heat shrink tube from the connector housing with your fingers.

Step 3

Step 3 Repair iPhone cable with Micro USB connector, How to unbend strain relief with knife and open clasp, close up
  • Use the cutter-knife to bend open both clips of the strain relief.
  • Run the cutter between the casing fastener.
  • Carefully guide the over side back over the latching lugs.

Step 4

Step 4 Repair iPhone cable with Micro USB connector, How to unbend case and open cutting terminal, close up
  • Carefully bend the metal casing open with your fingers - not too far, otherwise the metal hinge will break. Take off the casing.
  • Open the insulation displacement termination with the cutter by levering the inner part (turquoise) over the catch points.
    Be careful, the plastic breaks quickly!

Step 5

Step 5 Repair iPhone cable with Micro USB connector, How to pull out stranded wires and clip cable, closeup
  • Pull the strands out of the insulation displacement termination.
  • Cut the cable cleanly with the side cutter.

Step 6

Step 6 Repair iPhone cable with Micro USB connector, How to expose cable and fuse braided sleeve , close up
  • Expose the cable with the side cutter to approx. 1.5 cm.
  • Fuse the ends of the braided hose together with the lighter.
    • For the natural fibre braided sleeves, you may need to use a strip of Washitape to secure the braided sleeve against unravelling.

Step 7

Step 7 Repair iPhone cable with Micro USB connector, How to expose and sort stranded wires, closeup
  • Expose the strands over a length of 8 mm.
  • Carefully cut the sheath of the cable all around with the cutter (not too deep!) and pull it off with your fingers.
  • Sort the strands by colour in the following order:
    red (power supply)
    white (data-)
    green (data+)
    black (GND)

Step 8

Step 8 Repair iPhone cable with Micro USB connector, How to insert and fix stranded wires, close up photo.
  • Push the strands into the insulation displacement termination.
    The holes are marked r(red), w(white), g (green) and b (black).
  • Press the insulation displacement termination together with the Combination pliers . Make sure that the cutting clamp sits flush.
  • Now smooth out the braided sleeve on the cable until it reaches the connector.

Step 9

Step 9 iPhone cable repair with Micro USB connector, How to fix case with pliers, close up
  • Place the casing around the insulation displacement termination and close it with your fingers.
  • Press the housing together with the Combination pliers . The latching points close the housing.

Step 10

Step 10 iPhone cable repair with Micro USB connector, how to squeeze case clip, close up
  • Place the stranded wire of the shielding in the strain relief.
  • Press the clamps of the strain relief firmly with the Combination pliers .

Step 11

Step 11 Repair iPhone cable with Micro USB connector, How to heat shrink tube shrink on with lighter, done! Close up
  • Now slip the heat shrink tube over the Micro-USB plug and shrink it with the lighter.
    Do not get too close with the flame. The heat shrink tube will otherwise become sooty. To avoid this, you can also use a heat gun instead of the lighter.
  • Reconnect the Lightning adapter to the Micro-USB connector.

You did it!

By repairing your recable, you have made a small but important contribution to environmental protection. That's great!

Where to put the rubbish

after cable repair, waste separation, what goes in what garbage? yellow garbage can, residual waste, electronic waste, hose, etc., graphics

If something should have broken during the repair, you can find spare parts here.