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Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement

What you need

  1. Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement, Battery Cover Removal: step 1, image 1 of 2 Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement, Battery Cover Removal: step 1, image 2 of 2
    • Unscrew the two Phillips screws securing the battery cover to the lower case.

    • The screws remain captive to the battery cover.

    • Grasp the battery cover and lift it out of the lower case.

    • If it's difficult to grasp, lightly tap the opposite side of the device.

  2. Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement, Taking out the Battery: step 2, image 1 of 2 Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement, Taking out the Battery: step 2, image 2 of 2
    • Using a spudger tool (or your fingernail), lift up the battery from the top.

    • The liquid damage indicator sits underneath the battery. Pry gently, or you may damage the indicator.

    • There's a small tab on the top of the battery to make removal easier.

    • Grasp the battery and remove it from the DSi.

    This is also where the water damage indicator is located, if that's important

    [REDACTED] - Reply

  3. Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement, Lower Case Assembly: step 3, image 1 of 2 Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement, Lower Case Assembly: step 3, image 2 of 2
    • Two screws are hidden underneath two rubber feet highlighted in red.

    • Use the tip of a spudger to pry the rubber feet out of the lower case.

    One of the feet did break on me, tweezers came in handy for picking it out

    Willie Narvaez - Reply

    I unfolded and sharpened a paperclip. You can use that to stab and hook the rubber without tearing it, as the rubber is thick enough to reseal when reinserted.

    Keegan Andersen -

    Nasty, broke my spudger and the feet in this step.

    TimedIn - Reply

  4. Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement: step 4, image 1 of 1
    • Remove the following screws securing the lower case to the body of the DSi:

    • Six 5.2 mm Phillips #00 screws.

    • One 2.7 mm Phillips #00 screw.

    Impossible d'enlever les vises… trop serré! comment faire?

    evrobert03 - Reply

    i can't get the screw by the gamecard slot out, PH#00 is too small and PH#0 is too big

    Iblowup - Reply

    same problem here. maybe try a JIS?

    darth mango -

  5. Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement: step 5, image 1 of 3 Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement: step 5, image 2 of 3 Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement: step 5, image 3 of 3
    • Insert the spudger in between the lower casing and lower panel near the top right corner of the DSi.

    • Carefully run the spudger along the edge of the outer casing, creating an opening between the body and the casing.

    • Continue running the spudger around the body of the DSi until the majority of the lower case has been separated.

  6. Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement: step 6, image 1 of 2 Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement: step 6, image 2 of 2
    • Carefully lift the lower casing from its bottom edge.

    • The lower case is still attached to the motherboard by the volume and SD board cable highlighted in red. Do not try to completely remove the lower case of the DSi yet.

    • Pry the volume and SD board cable up from its socket on the motherboard using a spudger.

    • Once the cable is completely removed, then you may take off the entire outer casing.

  7. Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement, Wi-Fi Board: step 7, image 1 of 1
    • Pull the Wi-Fi board away from the motherboard by its edge closest to the headphone jack.

  8. Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement: step 8, image 1 of 1
    • Pry the Wi-Fi antenna connector straight up from its socket on the Wi-Fi board.

    After reassembling it, I switched my Nintendo DSi xl On and only the blue power light, is on after that it doesn't respond any more, except while charging it blinks

    Phillips - Reply

  9. Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement, Motherboard: step 9, image 1 of 1
    • Use the tip of a spudger to pry the power board connector out of its socket on the motherboard.

    do not pry up! pull to one side so you don't disconnect the clip from the motherboard!

    Lisa - Reply

    Actually Lisa, you are incorrect. If you pull to one side you WILL end up pulling the connector off the motherboard. It is designed so that you ARE MEANT TO pry it upwards out of the connector. All you need to do is use the point or corner of the flat edge of a spudger (or a small flat-headed screwdriver), push it ever so slightly under the middle of the small white plug where there is a small recess in the connector for just this purpose. Prying the plug up in this fashion you should clear the connector with the spudger by prying it up through the recess rather than catching the connector and pulling it off the board.

    James Gravestock -

    how to fix if the clip comes off of the motherboard?? please help!

    jaime - Reply

    Push it back in straight if it is still in one piece.

    Tman Tech -

    If the socket comes off the motherboard along with the connector, what’s the best way to fix it?

    Kimberly Meyer - Reply

    it has to be soldered back on, so if you can't do it yourself, find someone who can (maybe a local repair shop).

    just some mango -

    I already pull it off from board new i have to learn how to weld it back

    Mussa Ding - Reply

  10. Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement: step 10, image 1 of 2 Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement: step 10, image 2 of 2
    • Use your fingernail or the edge of a plastic opening tool to flip up the retaining flap on the following three ZIF sockets:

    • Lower touchscreen cable

    • Lower LCD cable

    • Power board cable

    • Be sure you are prying up on the hinged retaining flaps, not the sockets themselves.

    • After flipping up the locking tabs on all three sockets, use your fingers or a pair of tweezers to gently pull the cables straight out of their sockets.

    I accidentally broke the retaining flap off of the lower touchscreen’s socket. Is it possible to reattach it?

    Thewolfpack23x - Reply

    Mine broke off too. At first I thought it would just pop back in, but when I looked at it under magnification, I can see that a tiny piece of plastic actually snapped off the flap. I think we're farked. Looks like the only way to fix would be to solder on a new cable connector.

    trevorsklar -

    i love and hate flex cables.

    they are flat and awesome, but every single flap for the connectors has broken for me (past experience vent lmao)

    [REDACTED] - Reply

  11. Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement: step 11, image 1 of 2 Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement: step 11, image 2 of 2
    • Use your fingernail or the edge of a plastic opening tool to carefully flip up the touchscreen ribbon cable retaining flap.

    • Make sure you are flipping up the retaining flap, not the socket itself.

    • Use the tip of a spudger to pull the touchscreen ribbon cable straight out of its socket.

    When I was putting mine back together, the flap popped off and when I tried to put it on with a tweezers, it snapped. Any suggestions other than scrap it or use it without the touchscreen? Pictures at https://sites.google.com/site/memesbyluc...

    Lucas Hoekstra (Lucas9810) - Reply

    This little flap is a pain in the butt to get back in! If there is any way to bypass the removal of this, my advise is to do it!

    Tamara Girodie - Reply

    Adding on: The cable actually ended up breaking as the tweezers I used to put it back in scraped part of the gold ribbon off. Be extremely careful!!!

    Tamara Girodie - Reply

  12. Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement: step 12, image 1 of 2 Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement: step 12, image 2 of 2
    • Use your fingernail or the edge of a plastic opening tool to carefully flip up the dual camera ribbon cable retaining flap.

    • Make sure you are flipping up the retaining flap, not the socket itself.

    • Use the tip of a spudger to pull the dual camera ribbon cable straight out of its socket.

  13. Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement: step 13, image 1 of 1
    • With the tip of a spudger, Pry the microphone antenna up off its socket on the motherboard.

  14. Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement: step 14, image 1 of 1
    • Remove the following four Phillips screws securing the motherboard to the DSi framework.

    • Three longer screws.

    • One short screw.

    • Pull the microphone and Wi-Fi antenna cables out of the notch cut into the motherboard near the headphone jack.

  15. Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement: step 15, image 1 of 3 Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement: step 15, image 2 of 3 Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement: step 15, image 3 of 3
    • Slightly lift the motherboard upwards to reveal the upper LCD ribbon cable above the ABXY buttons .

    • Use your fingernail or the edge of a plastic opening tool to carefully flip up the upper LCD ribbon cable retaining flap.

    • Make sure you are flipping up the retaining flap, not the socket itself.

    • Remove the motherboard from the DSi.

    I actually chose to leave this ribbon cable connected, and had no issues completing the rest of the steps around this. Just be careful not to pull the cable!

    Tamara Girodie - Reply

  16. Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement, Lower LCD Assembly: step 16, image 1 of 2 Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement, Lower LCD Assembly: step 16, image 2 of 2
    • Use the tip of a spudger to pry the metal backing of the lower LCD up from the DSi's framework.

    • Lift the lower LCD assembly out of the DSi.

    It’s not mentioned here, but I found it easiest to just remove the buttons and rubber backings here as well - they will likely just fall out anyway when moving the case around and you may lose them.

    Tplan - Reply

  17. Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement, Dual Camera Assembly: step 17, image 1 of 2 Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement, Dual Camera Assembly: step 17, image 2 of 2
    • Use a pushpin to remove the four plastic screw covers (highlighted in red) on the front bezel.

  18. Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement: step 18, image 1 of 1
    • Remove the four Phillips screws securing the rear bezel to the front bezel.

  19. Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement: step 19, image 1 of 3 Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement: step 19, image 2 of 3 Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement: step 19, image 3 of 3
    • Using two hands, gently slide the rear bezel upwards.

    • The rear bezel will move only about 2 mm.

    • Lift the rear bezel straight up out of the DSi.

  20. Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement: step 20, image 1 of 2 Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement: step 20, image 2 of 2
    • De-route the microphone and Wi-Fi antenna cables through the opening located on the bottom DSi's framework.

  21. Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement: step 21, image 1 of 2 Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement: step 21, image 2 of 2
    • Remove the five Phillips screws securing the power board to the DSi's framework.

    • Lift and remove the power board from the DSi.

  22. Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement: step 22, image 1 of 2 Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement: step 22, image 2 of 2
    • Push the metal hinge pin inward on the D-pad side of the front lower panel with the tip of a spudger.

    • The pin should move about 3 mm and stop. It is not necessary to try to completely remove the pin.

  23. Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement: step 23, image 1 of 3 Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement: step 23, image 2 of 3 Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement: step 23, image 3 of 3
    • Slightly detach the lower and upper halves of the DSi.

    • Do not completely separate both halves yet. There are several ribbon cables that remain threaded through both panels.

    • De-route the upper LCD and dual camera ribbon cables through the slit near the ABXY side of the front lower panel.

    • Separate the lower and upper halves from each other.

  24. Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement: step 24, image 1 of 1
    • Using your fingers, grasp the microphone cable and remove it from the front bezel assembly.

    • The microphone will likely pop out of its housing, so it is probably easier to completely remove it at this point.

    • De-route the Wi-Fi antenna cable through the hinge.

  25. Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement: step 25, image 1 of 2 Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement: step 25, image 2 of 2
    • Tightly coil the display and dual camera ribbon cables enough to push them through the steel hinge tube.

    • Remove the steel hinge tube.

    • Carefully push both coiled ribbon cables through the tube molded into the front upper panel.

  26. Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement: step 26, image 1 of 1
    • Pry the front-facing camera straight up out of its housing in the front bezel.

  27. Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement: step 27, image 1 of 2 Nintendo DSi Dual Camera Assembly Replacement: step 27, image 2 of 2
    • Lift the rear-facing out of its housing in the front bezel.

    • Remove the dual camera cable assembly from the DSi.

Conclusion

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

4 other people completed this guide.

3 Comments

what happened if the pin goes in to far? (step 22)

jaime - Reply

I have a weird question: If I remove the cameras, and reassemble the device without them, will it still work?

Will Stein - Reply

It most likely will. My DSi is missing its camera assembly and works fine. Minus the features of the camera.

Elijah -

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