Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement

Introduction

Use this guide to replace the power button board and the interconnect cable in your Kobo Libra Colour eReader.

If your power button isn't working, but all other functions are working properly, you may need to replace the power button board.

Following this guide will remove your eReader's IP (Ingress Protection) rating, making it susceptible to water damage.

Kobo supports their eReaders with a warranty. If your device is still under warranty, Kobo may be able to help. Before starting a repair, review your warranty information or check support documentation.

What you need

Step 1 Before you begin

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Before you begin: step 1, image 1 of 3

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Before you begin: step 1, image 2 of 3

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Before you begin: step 1, image 3 of 3

Drain your eReader's battery as much as possible before starting your repair. Ideally, it should be fully discharged.
Optionally, to drain the battery faster, navigate to More → Settings → Energy saving and privacy and set Automatically go to sleep after and Automatically power off after to Never.
When working on or near the battery, don't use sharp metal tools to avoid puncturing and shorting the battery.
Unplug all cables and fully shut down your eReader.
Your screen should be black and say Powered off.

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Step 2 Insert an opening pick

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Insert an opening pick: step 2, image 1 of 3

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Insert an opening pick: step 2, image 2 of 3

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Insert an opening pick: step 2, image 3 of 3

Flip your eReader over so the screen is facing down.
Angle an opening pick straight down, and insert its tip under the top right corner of the back cover, near the power button.
Push downward and pry up with the pick until you feel it slide between one of the clips and the frame.
You may have to test a few spots along the corner until the pick slides between one of the clips.

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Step 3 Release the right clips

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Release the right clips: step 3, image 1 of 3

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Release the right clips: step 3, image 2 of 3

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Release the right clips: step 3, image 3 of 3

Slide the pick toward the bottom right corner to release the clips along the right edge.

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Step 4

Angle the pick flat under the back cover and rotate it around the bottom right corner to release its clips.
If you're having trouble, try twisting the pick to lift the corner clips out of their slots.

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Step 5 Release the bottom clips

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Release the bottom clips: step 5, image 1 of 3

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Release the bottom clips: step 5, image 2 of 3

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Release the bottom clips: step 5, image 3 of 3

Slide the pick toward the bottom left corner to release the clips along the bottom edge.

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Step 6 Remove the back cover

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Remove the back cover: step 6, image 1 of 3

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Remove the back cover: step 6, image 2 of 3

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Remove the back cover: step 6, image 3 of 3

At this point, you should be able to grip the back cover and release its remaining clips. If not, slide a pick under the perimeter of the back cover until you can grip an edge.
Grip the right edge of the back cover and lift it away from the eReader to release the remaining clips.
Remove the back cover.
During reassembly, align the back cover over the eReader and press along the perimeter until all its clips snap back into place.

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Step 7 Coating information

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Coating information: step 7, image 1 of 3

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Coating information: step 7, image 2 of 3

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Coating information: step 7, image 3 of 3

The entire surface of the eReader's internals is covered in a thin, plastic-like waterproof coating. Keep the following in mind as you continue disassembly:
While this won't hurt your device, removing the coating compromises the device to potential water damage.
The coating is brittle and can flake into many small pieces. Heating the coating helps, but working with it is still a time-consuming process.
Depending on your repair, you might have to remove the coating from ZIF connectors and their cables.

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Step 8 Disconnect the battery

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Disconnect the battery: step 8, image 1 of 2

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Disconnect the battery: step 8, image 2 of 2

Use a spudger to pry up and disconnect the battery press connector.
Don't pry against the motherboard, as you risk breaking small, surface-mounted components.
Your E-ink screen will continue to say Powered off even after disconnection—this is normal!

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Step 9 Soften the power button board coating

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Soften the power button board coating: step 9, image 1 of 2

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Soften the power button board coating: step 9, image 2 of 2

Heat an iOpener and lay it on the power button board at the top left corner for 90 seconds to soften the coating.
Alternatively, you can use a hair dryer or a heat gun for 30 seconds.

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Step 10 Remove the coating

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Remove the coating: step 10, image 1 of 3

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Remove the coating: step 10, image 2 of 3

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Remove the coating: step 10, image 3 of 3

Use the tip of a spudger to scrape the coating off the ZIF connector's locking tab—enough so you can grab clumps of it with pointed tweezers.

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Step 11

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement: step 11, image 3 of 3

Use pointed tweezers to peel off the coating around the locking tab and its hinge on the ZIF connector.
If the coating becomes too brittle and hard to peel off, reheat the power button board and try again.
This is a meticulous process! Failure to remove enough of the coating could damage the locking tab during disconnection, so take your time!

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Step 12 Disconnect the power button board

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Disconnect the power button board: step 12, image 1 of 2

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Disconnect the power button board: step 12, image 2 of 2

Use the tip of a spudger to lift up the locking tab on the ZIF connector.
The locking tab should be nearly vertical when unlocked. If not, remove more coating until the tab can move freely.

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Step 13

The blue pull tab on the interconnect cable is lightly held in place by the coating.
Slide an arm of pointed tweezers under the blue pull tab on the interconnect cable to separate the coating.

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Step 14

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement: step 14, image 3 of 3

Tool used on this step:

Tweezers

$4.99

Buy

Use tweezers, or your fingers, to grip the blue pull tab on the interconnect cable.
You can also use blunt nose tweezers to get a better grip on the pull tab.
Pull the cable away from the ZIF connector slowly and steadily at a level angle to separate the coating and disconnect the cable.
If you're having trouble, try rocking the cable side-to-side while pulling, and reheat when necessary.

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Step 15 Soften the motherboard coating

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Soften the motherboard coating: step 15, image 1 of 2

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Soften the motherboard coating: step 15, image 2 of 2

If you aren't replacing the white interconnect cable skip to this step.
Apply a heated iOpener to the interconnect cable's ZIF connector on the motherboard for 90 seconds to soften the coating.
Alternatively, you can use a hair dryer or a heat gun for 30 seconds.

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Step 16 Remove the coating

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Remove the coating: step 16, image 1 of 3

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Remove the coating: step 16, image 2 of 3

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Remove the coating: step 16, image 3 of 3

Scrape off and remove the coating on the interconnect cable ZIF connector located on the motherboard.

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Step 17 Disconnect the interconnect cable

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Disconnect the interconnect cable: step 17, image 1 of 3

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Disconnect the interconnect cable: step 17, image 2 of 3

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Disconnect the interconnect cable: step 17, image 3 of 3

Use the tip of a spudger to lift up the locking tab on the ZIF connector.
Use tweezers, or your fingers, to grip the blue pull tab on the interconnect cable and disconnect it.
During reassembly:
Inspect the ends of the cable and the ZIF connectors for any remaining coating that could prevent a good connection.
Peel off the coating, heating the cable and the ZIF connector when the coating becomes too brittle.
It doesn't have to look pretty! You just need to remove enough coating to have the cable sit properly in the connector.

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Step 18 Soften the interconnect cable adhesive

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Soften the interconnect cable adhesive: step 18, image 1 of 3

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Soften the interconnect cable adhesive: step 18, image 2 of 3

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Soften the interconnect cable adhesive: step 18, image 3 of 3

Apply a heated iOpener to the top edge of the eReader for 90 seconds to soften the adhesive under the interconnect cable.
Alternatively, you can use a hair dryer or a heat gun for 30 seconds.

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Step 19 Remove the interconnect cable

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Remove the interconnect cable: step 19, image 1 of 3

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Remove the interconnect cable: step 19, image 2 of 3

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Remove the interconnect cable: step 19, image 3 of 3

Hold one end of the interconnect cable and use your other hand to insert the tip of an opening pick underneath it.
Peel the cable away from the frame while sliding the pick in the same direction to separate the adhesive.
Work slowly to avoid creasing or folding cable, and reheat when necessary.
Remove the interconnect cable.

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Step 20 Soften the power button board adhesive

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Soften the power button board adhesive: step 20, image 1 of 1

The power button board is held in place with adhesive and aligned by two pegs in the frame.
Apply a heated iOpener to the power button board for 90 seconds to soften the adhesive underneath.
Alternatively, you can use a hair dryer or a heat gun for 30 seconds.

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Step 21 Remove the power button board

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Remove the power button board: step 21, image 1 of 3

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Remove the power button board: step 21, image 2 of 3

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement, Remove the power button board: step 21, image 3 of 3

Insert the tip of an opening pick under a corner of the power button board.
Slide the pick along the long edge of the power button board to separate its adhesive.

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Step 22

Kobo Libra Colour Power Button Board Replacement: step 22, image 3 of 3

Slide the opening pick under the center of the power button board and pry up separate the remaining adhesive.
Remove the power button board.
During reassembly, follow this guide to replace the adhesive for the power button board and the interconnect cable.

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Conclusion

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

Remember: after repairs, your eReader is no longer IPX8 waterproof.

Compare your new replacement part to the original part—you may need to transfer remaining components or remove adhesive backings from the new part before you install it.

Make sure each of your device's main functions still work, e.g., LED backlight, touch, page-turn buttons, Wi-Fi, etc.

Take your e-waste to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.

Repair didn’t go as planned? Try some basic troubleshooting, or ask our Answers Community for help.