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Nintendo 3DS XL broken ribbon cable, only turns on at 90 degrees

Hey guys,

So, I dug out my Nintendo 3DS XL and wanted to repair it. It had always been the case that it only worked at a 90-degree angle — as soon as you tilted the screen, it would shut off. Now that I’ve picked it up again, only the blue LED turned on briefly, and then the device shut off. When I removed and reinserted the SD card, the 3DS powered on again, but only at a 90-degree angle (just like before). So I did a teardown to search for the issue. When I reassembled it, one of the ribbon cables tore (see photo 3/4). I thought the cable belonged to the upper screen, so I bought a new display (and I also assumed the cable had already been damaged beforehand, and I had just made the tear worse). Now that I was about to replace the display, I realized that the damaged cable doesn’t belong to the screen at all — it actually connects to the camera.

Before I go ahead and replace the screen — which is for sure not an easy task — here’s my question: Is the torn ribbon cable for the camera the reason why my 3DS only works at a 90-degree angle? (The 3DS still powers on at 90 degrees, but much less frequently than before the cable tore. I also noticed that the photo app no longer launches.)

Or should the 3DS still turn on at any angle even with a torn camera cable, and there’s no connection between the two issues?

The first two photos show the ribbon cable from my old screen, front and back. Do you see any damage or issue there?

I would really appreciate your answers! Thanks in advance for your effort and help!

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Hi!

Okay, that kind of issue is basically caused by the top screen it's cable.

I would replace that screen and the camera as well (as this one is broken now). The camera is also there where the upper screen is, right? So replacing them both is the best way to do it.

It is very hard to repair it... But worth it!

Please let us know if you have any more questions!

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Hey, thank you very much for your advice.

So I replaced the upper screen today and when I turn the device on, I still only get the blue LED, but then the device shuts down. So I assume the issue is not coming from the upper screen. Is it possible that the broken camera ribbon cable is the cause?

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Well try replacing the top 3d slider assembly. I had an old 3DS with a snapped 3d slider cable; it refuses to turn on and showed a blue LED. However, when I replaced the 3D slider flex cable, it booted into the system and worked. Right now that would be the most possible fix since you've eliminated the screen, and for my 3DS even if the camera is disconnected the device would still boot. That camera cable isn't looking so nice though. You'll want to replace it if you want the camera to function.

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Yes, this can definitely caused by the camera ribbon cable. If one of the ribbon cables failed, it could cause that issue. So in your case, yes please replace the camera ribbon cable! Thanks!

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