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Nintendo 3DS XL 2015 Motherboard Replacement

Introduction

The motherboard should only be replaced as a last resort. Be careful removing it!

What you need

  1. Nintendo 3DS XL 2015 Motherboard Replacement, Battery: step 1, image 1 of 1

    • Ensure your device is powered off before proceeding. Failure to do so may result in electrical shock or damage to the device.

    • Place the 3DS upside down. Remove the game card, headphones, charging cable, stylus, or anything else that may be connected to the device.

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  2. Nintendo 3DS XL 2015 Motherboard Replacement: step 2, image 1 of 1

    • Using a JIS #0 screwdriver, loosen the two black screws on the back.

    • The screws are held in place by captive washers and should not be completely removed.

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  3. Nintendo 3DS XL 2015 Motherboard Replacement: step 3, image 1 of 1

    • Once the screws are loosened, pry open the back cover.

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  4. Nintendo 3DS XL 2015 Motherboard Replacement: step 4, image 1 of 1

    • The battery is located on the left hand side of the 3DS - to remove, use the small gap located at the top-middle and pull up with a non metal pointed tool.

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  5. Nintendo 3DS XL 2015 Motherboard Replacement, Motherboard: step 5, image 1 of 1

    • Using a JIS #000 screwdriver, remove the six 6mm screws around the edges of the secondary cover.

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  7. Nintendo 3DS XL 2015 Motherboard Replacement: step 6, image 1 of 2 Nintendo 3DS XL 2015 Motherboard Replacement: step 6, image 2 of 2

    • Using tweezers, carefully pop out the rubber bumpers located at the top side of the 3DS. Removing them will reveal another two 6mm screws. Remove these screws using a JIS #000 as well.

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  8. Nintendo 3DS XL 2015 Motherboard Replacement: step 7, image 1 of 3 Nintendo 3DS XL 2015 Motherboard Replacement: step 7, image 2 of 3 Nintendo 3DS XL 2015 Motherboard Replacement: step 7, image 3 of 3

    • To separate the cover, carefully lift it up and away from the hinges (in order to clear the headphone port), then pivot it towards the hinges to expose the circuit boards.

    • Don't fully remove the cover yet, or you may damage the delicate ribbon cable that still connects it to the motherboard.

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  9. Nintendo 3DS XL 2015 Motherboard Replacement: step 8, image 1 of 1

    • Use a pair of tweezers to lift away the two plugs that latch the L/R/ZL/ZR button ribbons to the motherboard. You can now remove the back cover completely and set it aside.

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  10. Nintendo 3DS XL 2015 Motherboard Replacement: step 9, image 1 of 1

    • Use tweezers to flip up the small, hinged locking flap in order to unlock the ZIF connector securing the circle pad ribbon.

    • Slide the ribbon out of the ZIF connector.

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  11. Nintendo 3DS XL 2015 Motherboard Replacement: step 10, image 1 of 1

    • Using a JIS #000 screwdriver, remove the two 8 mm screws securing the circle pad.

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  12. Nintendo 3DS XL 2015 Motherboard Replacement: step 11, image 1 of 1

    • Lift the circle pad casing upward to remove it. There will be some friction, but it should not require excessive force.

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  13. Nintendo 3DS XL 2015 Motherboard Replacement: step 12, image 1 of 1

    • Locate the gold terminal plug with a red cable at the top left of the motherboard. Using your fingers, carefully pull the plug straight upward to remove.

    • Use a pair of tweezers to disconnect the single ribbon connector.

    • Don't do what we did -- be very careful not to pull on the red cable.

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  14. Nintendo 3DS XL 2015 Motherboard Replacement: step 13, image 1 of 3 Nintendo 3DS XL 2015 Motherboard Replacement: step 13, image 2 of 3 Nintendo 3DS XL 2015 Motherboard Replacement: step 13, image 3 of 3

    • Using tweezers, gently pull the five marked ribbons out of the ZIF connectors along the sides of the motherboard.

    • These ZIF connectors are held in place by friction and do not have locks—lifting the flaps on these connectors will break them! Note that in some models the upper-most connector may have a lock.

    • Three of the ribbon connectors have plastic clamping flaps that cover the ribbon to prevent slippage. Use the tweezers to flip them up before ribbon removal.

    • When reassembling the device, be sure to flip the ZIF clamps back down.

    • While the SD card reader is shown as removed in this photo, it is optional for the removal of the motherboard.

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  15. Nintendo 3DS XL 2015 Motherboard Replacement: step 14, image 1 of 1

    • Using a JIS #000 screwdriver, remove six 4mm screws along the edges of the motherboard.

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  16. Nintendo 3DS XL 2015 Motherboard Replacement: step 15, image 1 of 2 Nintendo 3DS XL 2015 Motherboard Replacement: step 15, image 2 of 2

    • Carefully pivot the motherboard 90 degrees toward the hinges to reveal two more ZIF connectors on the underside of the motherboard.

    • Both have latches that must be flipped up. The left, longer latch is black; the right, shorter one is white. Flip up the flaps, slide the ribbons out and remove the motherboard.

    • Note which way the ribbons slide into their connectors carefully, as they are different.

    Edit
Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

43 other people completed this guide.

Author

with 15 other contributors

BabblingFishes

Member since: 04/01/2015

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Team

Cal Poly, Team 24-4, Lancaster Spring 2015 Member of Cal Poly, Team 24-4, Lancaster Spring 2015

CPSU-LANCASTER-S15S24G4

4 Members

20 Guides authored

11 Comments

Could someone point out where the fuses in the motherboard are hidden?

emaN - Reply

With some digging, I managed to find this on the GBAtemp forums , which host a community of 3DS modders:

https://gbatemp.net/threads/screwed-up-p...

Seems like no one's quite sure, but it could be a start. Unfortunately, the N3DS components are largely small black boxes with no labeling.

If you have a multimeter, it might help to test some of these mystery boxes.

BabblingFishes -

Question: Seeing as how you pulled the red cable in the photos, how was that fixed? Asking for a friend.

Mijii - Reply

We...never fixed that actually, as we didn't have the tools for it and the device had been loaned to us specifically for tearing down.

I don't know if iFixit themselves ever did anything with it, but I would imagine soldering the frayed end of the cable back onto the plug would work. (Here's a guide on that: http://www.instructables.com/id/Solderin... )

BabblingFishes -

what version is this on?

isaa sy - Reply

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