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Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement

What you need

  1. Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement, Back Cover: step 1, image 1 of 1
    • Unscrew the four Phillips #00 screws along the top of the back cover.

    • The screws are held in place by locking washers, and will not come out of the back cover.

    • The comments section is full of unlucky souls who will tell you that the screws here through step 4 will strip incredibly easily. Press down fairly hard, and go slow.

  2. Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement: step 2, image 1 of 2 Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement: step 2, image 2 of 2
    • Hold the device in one hand and turn it over.

    • Grab the top edge of the back cover with your opposite hand so that the cover does not fall back into place.

    • Flip the 3DS over again so that the back cover is facing up.

    • Pull the back cover up and away from the rest of the device to remove it.

  3. Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement, Battery: step 3, image 1 of 3 Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement, Battery: step 3, image 2 of 3 Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement, Battery: step 3, image 3 of 3
    • Insert a plastic opening tool into the notch in the lower case above the battery.

    • Pry the battery up with the plastic opening tool.

    • Grab the top edge of the battery and lift it out of the lower case.

  4. Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement, Lower Case: step 4, image 1 of 1
    • Remove the nine 6.3 mm black Phillips screws from the lower case.

    • These screws will strip very easily unless you use the correct size bit. Apply pressure to the screws while turning to avoid stripping them.

    • Remove the 2.4 mm silver Phillips screw above the game cartridge slot.

  5. Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement: step 5, image 1 of 3 Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement: step 5, image 2 of 3 Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement: step 5, image 3 of 3
    • Lift the bottom edge of the lower case off the rest of the 3DS.

    • There are still two ribbon cables connecting the mother board to the case, so be sure not to pull the lower case all the way off.

    • Use a plastic opening tool to pry the shoulder button ribbon cables off their sockets on the motherboard.

    • Remove the lower case from the device.

  6. Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement, Circle Pad Joystick: step 6, image 1 of 1
    • Remove the two 7.7 mm Phillips screws securing the back of the Circle Pad to the motherboard.

  7. Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement: step 7, image 1 of 3 Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement: step 7, image 2 of 3 Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement: step 7, image 3 of 3
    • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the back of the Circle Pad off the motherboard.

    • Lift the Circle Pad joystick off the motherboard and lay it on its back so that the ribbon cable connector is accessible.

  8. Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement: step 8, image 1 of 3 Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement: step 8, image 2 of 3 Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement: step 8, image 3 of 3
    • Use the flat end of a spudger or your fingernail to flip up the retaining flap on the Circle Pad ribbon cable ZIF socket.

    • Be sure you are prying up on the hinged retaining flap, not the socket itself.

    • Lift the Circle Pad joystick off the motherboard.

  9. Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement: step 9, image 1 of 2 Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement: step 9, image 2 of 2
    • To decrease the chance of losing it during repairs, you may want to remove the two thin pads underneath the Circle Pad joystick.

    • Use a spudger or screwdriver to lift the pads up and remove them from the device.

  10. Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement, SD Board: step 10, image 1 of 1
    • Remove the two 4.5 mm Phillips screws securing the SD board to the motherboard.

  11. Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement: step 11, image 1 of 2 Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement: step 11, image 2 of 2
    • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the SD board ribbon cable connector off its socket on the motherboard.

  12. Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement: step 12, image 1 of 3 Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement: step 12, image 2 of 3 Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement: step 12, image 3 of 3
    • Insert the flat end of a spudger between the SD board and the motherboard.

    • Pry up slowly to loosen the SD board from the RF shield underneath it. If you pry too quickly, you may tear the shield or break its solder points.

    • Run the spudger along the sides of the SD board to free it from the adhesive holding it in place.

    • Once completely freed, lift the SD board straight off the motherboard.

  13. Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement, Wi-Fi Board: step 13, image 1 of 2 Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement, Wi-Fi Board: step 13, image 2 of 2
    • Slide the flat end of a spudger under the corner of the Wi-Fi board, and lift it away from the motherboard.

    • The Wi-Fi antenna cable is still connected to the Wi-Fi board, so you cannot completely remove the Wi-Fi board yet.

  14. Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement: step 14, image 1 of 3 Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement: step 14, image 2 of 3 Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement: step 14, image 3 of 3
    • Lift the Wi-Fi board off the motherboard and rotate it so that the bottom side is facing up.

    • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the Wi-Fi antenna cable connector off its socket on the Wi-Fi board.

    • Remove the Wi-Fi board from the device.

  15. Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement, Motherboard Assembly: step 15, image 1 of 2 Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement, Motherboard Assembly: step 15, image 2 of 2
    • Grasp the microphone ribbon cable near the microphone with a pair of tweezers.

    • Pull the microphone straight up out of the upper case.

  16. Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement: step 16, image 1 of 3 Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement: step 16, image 2 of 3 Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement: step 16, image 3 of 3
    • Use the flat end of a spudger or your fingernail to flip up the retaining flap on the speaker assembly ribbon cable ZIF socket.

    • Be sure you are prying up on the hinged retaining flap, NOT the socket itself. Damaging the socket or cable will result in a 3DS that will blink its power LED when you press the power button - and do nothing else.

    • Disconnect the speaker assembly ribbon cable with a pair of tweezers.

  17. Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement: step 17, image 1 of 2 Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement: step 17, image 2 of 2
    • Use the flat end of a spudger or your fingernail to flip up the retaining flap on the camera ribbon cable ZIF socket.

    • Be sure you are prying up on the hinged retaining flap, not the socket itself.

    • When reassembling, note that the gold contacts face toward the motherboard (as opposed to the camera cable's gold contacts facing away).

  18. Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement: step 18, image 1 of 3 Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement: step 18, image 2 of 3 Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement: step 18, image 3 of 3
    • Remove seven Phillips screws securing the motherboard to the upper case:

    • Four 2.5 mm gold screws

    • Two 3.5 mm black screws

    • One 2.5 mm silver screw

    • When you remove this screw the volume slider can fall out.

    • Lift the side of the motherboard that sits along the bottom edge of the 3DS.

  19. Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement: step 19, image 1 of 3 Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement: step 19, image 2 of 3 Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement: step 19, image 3 of 3
    • Continue lifting the motherboard assembly and rotate it until it is resting next to the rest of the device.

    • Use the flat end of a spudger or your fingernail to flip up the retaining flap on the LCD ribbon cable ZIF socket.

    • Be sure you are prying up on the hinged retaining flap, not the socket itself. Damaging the socket or cable will result in a 3DS that won't have a functional top screen.

  20. Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement: step 20, image 1 of 1
    • Remove the motherboard assembly from the rest of the device.

  21. Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement, ABXY Buttons: step 21, image 1 of 1
    • Peel the grey silicone cover off the back of the ABXY buttons.

  22. Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement: step 22, image 1 of 3 Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement: step 22, image 2 of 3 Nintendo 3DS ABXY Buttons Replacement: step 22, image 3 of 3
    • Open the 3DS and orient it so that the back sides of the buttons are facing up.

    • Use your finger to push each button up and lift it out of the upper case.

    • Repeat this procedure for all four ABXY buttons.

    • Each button can only go into one slot in one orientation. Be sure that you are putting each button in the correct slot when reassembling your device.

Conclusion

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

27 other people completed this guide.

David Hodson

Member since: 04/13/10

150,352 Reputation

127 Guides authored

14 Comments

I completed it. And out of the whole process I only stripped one screw. :D Sooo I just unscrewed everything else and tore off the back. Anyway Mission complete!

dumppermen10 - Reply

I got it apart and put it back together. The A and B still don't work however. I've never done anything to this extent before so it's probably my fault. But the problem may also be beyond my repair capabilities. I will likely try again. Also for some reason my sound doesn't work. I suspect it is not the actual speakers but something else instead. Oh well. I'll get a new XL and take better care of it!

leesr388 - Reply

I've come to the conclusion that my a buttons contact has given out due to the fact I have to force it for a response maybe that is what happened to yours

Jordan Loader -

ok. so i managed the tear down as an experiment in seeing if i could do the process without destroying anything and i had complete success! now the problem is finding a replacement for the "select, home, and start" laminate buttons on the front of my 3ds ctr-001. can anyone provide a link? google and amazon are of no help.

William Scott - Reply

I damaged the part of the socket, is there anything I can do to fix it?

Jaden Malcolm - Reply

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