Introduction
Follow this guide to replace a broken or faulty left Joy Con sensor rail on the Nintendo Switch game console.
The Switch uses JIS screws, but you can use a Phillips screwdriver in a pinch. Be very careful not to strip the screws. iFixit's Phillips bits are designed to be cross-compatible with JIS-style screws.
Note: When you remove the shield plate, you’ll need to replace the thermal compound between the plate and the heatsink. Since normal thermal paste isn’t designed to bridge large gaps, the closest replacement is K5 Pro viscous thermal paste.
Note: This guide, and the part we sell, are compatible with the original Nintendo Switch model released in 2017, as well as the newer refreshed model released in 2019 (model numbers HAC-001 and HAC-001(-01), respectively).
What you need
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Press and hold down the small round button on the back of the Joy Con controller.
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While you hold down the button, slide the controller upward.
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Continue sliding the Joy Con upward until it's completely removed from the console.
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Use a Y00 screwdriver to remove the four 6.3 mm-long screws securing the rear panel.
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Use a JIS 000 driver or an official iFixit PH 000 driver to remove the following screws securing the rear panel:
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One 2.5 mm-long screw on the top edge of the device
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Two 2.5 mm-long screws on the bottom edge of the device
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Use a JIS 000 screwdriver or an official iFixit PH 000 driver to remove the 3.1 mm screw securing the microSD card reader to the device.
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Use a JIS 000 screwdriver or an official iFixit PH 000 driver to remove the six 3 mm screws securing the shield plate to the device.
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Insert a spudger underneath the shield plate along the edge of the device.
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Pry up to lift the shield plate and remove it from the device.
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You can reuse the pink thermal compound if you're careful. Keep the compound clean and make sure it makes solid contact between the heat sink and the shield during reassembly.
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If you need to replace it, refer to our thermal paste guide to remove the old thermal compound and replace it with an appropriate compound, such as K5 Pro, during reassembly.
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Use the point of a spudger to pry the battery connector straight up and out of its socket on the motherboard.
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Use an opening tool, spudger, or your fingernail to flip up the small, hinged locking flap on the Joy Con rail data cable's ZIF connector.
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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 installing.
To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
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 Nintendo Switch Answers community for help.
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 installing.
To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
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 Nintendo Switch Answers community for help.
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58 other people completed this guide.
7 Comments
If this was a neon Switch, this would be the rail that gets attached with the blue or the red joy con?
it would be the Blue joy con
I completed this guide, but the left joy con is still not being detected after the sensor rail was replaced with a sensor rail purchased on this site. The joy con in question will attach and sync with another console, so that leads me to believe it is a fault with the switch console itself. Is there something else that I can replace that would fix this issue?
Depending on where you get your replacement rail, it may not have the silver on the ribbon cable. No worries, as I did this repair 3 months ago (Jan) and had no issues at all.
To get the ribbon cable in place, I recommend first getting the battery wires out of the way, then slightly bending it and sliding it under that section of the Motherboard. If you do it right, the end of the ribbon cable will pop up and that can be slid into place. Took some fiddling but I eventually got it to work!
No matter what, never crease your ribbon cables!
