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Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

20

Time Required

                          30 minutes - 1 hour

Sections

7

  • Battery
  • 2 steps
  • Lower Case
  • 4 steps
  • Trigger Buttons
  • 1 step
  • Wi-Fi Board
  • 3 steps
  • Motherboard
  • 6 steps
  • Lower LCD Assembly
  • 1 step
  • Touchscreen
  • 3 steps

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Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Battery
  • Unscrew the Phillips screw securing the battery cover to the lower case.
  • The screw remains captive to the battery cover.
  • Pry the battery cover upward with a spudger or fingernail, and lift out of the lower case.

Unscrew the Phillips screw securing the battery cover to the lower case.

The screw remains captive to the battery cover.

Pry the battery cover upward with a spudger or fingernail, and lift out of the lower case.

1024

Step 2

  • Wedge the edge of a spudger in between the side of the battery and the lower case housing and pry upward to dislodge the battery.
  • Remove the battery from the DS Lite.

Wedge the edge of a spudger in between the side of the battery and the lower case housing and pry upward to dislodge the battery.

Remove the battery from the DS Lite.

Step 3

              Lower Case
  • Use the tip of a spudger to pry both rubber feet off the DS Lite.

Use the tip of a spudger to pry both rubber feet off the DS Lite.

Step 4

  • Remove the following screws securing the lower case to the body of the DS Lite:
  • Two 4.3 mm gold Phillips screws
  • One 3.9 mm black Tri-Wing screw
  • One 3.3 mm silver Phillips screw
  • Three 5.5 mm silver Tri-Wing screws

Remove the following screws securing the lower case to the body of the DS Lite:

Two 4.3 mm gold Phillips screws

One 3.9 mm black Tri-Wing screw

One 3.3 mm silver Phillips screw

Three 5.5 mm silver Tri-Wing screws

Step 5

  • Remove the cover from the Game Pak slot before continuing.
  • Insert the edge of a spudger in between the lower and upper case near the top right corner of the DS Lite.
  • Carefully run the spudger along the right edge of the DS Lite, creating an opening in the process.
  • Continue running the spudger along the backside of the DS Lite until the majority of the lower case has been separated from the upper case.

Remove the cover from the Game Pak slot before continuing.

Insert the edge of a spudger in between the lower and upper case near the top right corner of the DS Lite.

Carefully run the spudger along the right edge of the DS Lite, creating an opening in the process.

Continue running the spudger along the backside of the DS Lite until the majority of the lower case has been separated from the upper case.

Step 6

  • Lift the lower case away from the rest of the DS Lite.
  • Pull carefully. Some units are sealed with adhesive, and pulling too hard can damage the power switch.
  • When re-assembling, make sure that power switch and volume sliders are properly aligned with the switches on the motherboard.

Lift the lower case away from the rest of the DS Lite.

Pull carefully. Some units are sealed with adhesive, and pulling too hard can damage the power switch.

When re-assembling, make sure that power switch and volume sliders are properly aligned with the switches on the motherboard.

Step 7

              Trigger Buttons
  • Lift both trigger buttons out of the DS Lite.
  • The trigger buttons are held in very loosely by small metal pegs and springs. Don’t lose track of these pieces.
  • The second picture shows the correct configuration of the trigger assembly for reassembly purposes.

Lift both trigger buttons out of the DS Lite.

The trigger buttons are held in very loosely by small metal pegs and springs. Don’t lose track of these pieces.

The second picture shows the correct configuration of the trigger assembly for reassembly purposes.

Step 8

              Wi-Fi Board
  • Use the flat edge of a spudger to pry the Wi-Fi antenna connector straight up from its socket on the Wi-Fi board.

Use the flat edge of a spudger to pry the Wi-Fi antenna connector straight up from its socket on the Wi-Fi board.

Step 9

  • Use the flat edge of a spudger to pry the Wi-Fi board connector straight up from its socket on the motherboard.

Use the flat edge of a spudger to pry the Wi-Fi board connector straight up from its socket on the motherboard.

Step 10

  • Use the flat edge of a spudger to separate the right edge of the Wi-Fi board from the motherboard.
  • The Wi-Fi board is secured to the motherboard with a layer of adhesive.
  • Remove the Wi-Fi board from the DS Lite.

Use the flat edge of a spudger to separate the right edge of the Wi-Fi board from the motherboard.

The Wi-Fi board is secured to the motherboard with a layer of adhesive.

Remove the Wi-Fi board from the DS Lite.

Step 11

              Motherboard
  • Use the flat edge of a spudger to pry the microphone connector straight up from its socket on the motherboard.

Use the flat edge of a spudger to pry the microphone connector straight up from its socket on the motherboard.

Step 12

  • In the following steps you must pull the antenna cable between the DS Lite game cartridge reader and motherboard. Pull slowly and stop when you feel resistance to avoid damaging the cable or motherboard.
  • Position the antenna cable with its connector facing up and away from the motherboard using a spudger to hold it down lightly in the gap between chips on the motherboard.
  • Slowly and carefully pull the antenna cable until the cable connector is under the DS Lite game cartridge reader.
  • Continue pulling the cable until the cable connector comes out from under the game cartridge reader on the right side.
  • When reassembling and attempting to feed the antenna cable back under the game cartridge reader, the cable may kink or become difficult to feed through. If so, try feeding a piece of thread through first; then, tie the thread to one end of the cable connector and pull it through, guiding it past any obstructions.

In the following steps you must pull the antenna cable between the DS Lite game cartridge reader and motherboard. Pull slowly and stop when you feel resistance to avoid damaging the cable or motherboard.

Position the antenna cable with its connector facing up and away from the motherboard using a spudger to hold it down lightly in the gap between chips on the motherboard.

Slowly and carefully pull the antenna cable until the cable connector is under the DS Lite game cartridge reader.

Continue pulling the cable until the cable connector comes out from under the game cartridge reader on the right side.

When reassembling and attempting to feed the antenna cable back under the game cartridge reader, the cable may kink or become difficult to feed through. If so, try feeding a piece of thread through first; then, tie the thread to one end of the cable connector and pull it through, guiding it past any obstructions.

Step 13

  • Use your fingernail or the edge of a spudger 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.

Use your fingernail or the edge of a spudger 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.

Step 14

  • Remove the two 3.4 mm Phillips screws securing the motherboard to the upper case.

Remove the two 3.4 mm Phillips screws securing the motherboard to the upper case.

Step 15

  • Open the display enough to use your finger to push the front edge of the motherboard up and away from the upper case.
  • Do not try to remove the motherboard, as it is still connected to the upper display via the upper LCD ribbon cable.

Open the display enough to use your finger to push the front edge of the motherboard up and away from the upper case.

Do not try to remove the motherboard, as it is still connected to the upper display via the upper LCD ribbon cable.

Step 16

  • Use your fingernail or the flat edge of a spudger to carefully flip up the upper LCD ribbon cable retaining flap.
  • Make sure you are flipping up the retaining flap, not the socket itself.
  • Pull the motherboard away from the DS Lite to separate the upper LCD ribbon cable from its socket on the motherboard.
  • Remove the motherboard from the DS Lite.
  • Now you may open the retaining flap for the lower LCD screen in the same way and separate the lower LCD screen from the motherboard.

Use your fingernail or the flat edge of a spudger to carefully flip up the upper LCD ribbon cable retaining flap.

Pull the motherboard away from the DS Lite to separate the upper LCD ribbon cable from its socket on the motherboard.

Remove the motherboard from the DS Lite.

Now you may open the retaining flap for the lower LCD screen in the same way and separate the lower LCD screen from the motherboard.

Step 17

              Lower LCD Assembly
  • Use your fingernail or the edge of a plastic opening tool to carefully flip up the lower LCD ribbon cable retaining flap.
  • Make sure you are flipping up the retaining flap, not the socket itself.
  • Pull the lower LCD assembly straight away to separate the lower LCD ribbon cable from its socket on the motherboard.
  • Remove the lower LCD assembly from the motherboard.
  • When reinstalling lower LCD, ensure it has insulation on the back to prevent a short circuit with the motherboard.

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

Pull the lower LCD assembly straight away to separate the lower LCD ribbon cable from its socket on the motherboard.

Remove the lower LCD assembly from the motherboard.

When reinstalling lower LCD, ensure it has insulation on the back to prevent a short circuit with the motherboard.

Step 18

              Touchscreen
  • Insert a plastic opening tool between the touchscreen and top right corner of the display.
  • Slide the opening tool down the right side of the display to free the edge of the touchscreen.

Insert a plastic opening tool between the touchscreen and top right corner of the display.

Slide the opening tool down the right side of the display to free the edge of the touchscreen.

Step 19

  • Continue sliding the plastic opening tool along the bottom and up the left edges of the LCD to separate the touchscreen from the LCD.

Continue sliding the plastic opening tool along the bottom and up the left edges of the LCD to separate the touchscreen from the LCD.

Step 20

  • Lift the touchscreen away from the LCD.
  • Touchscreen remains.

Lift the touchscreen away from the LCD.

Touchscreen remains.

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

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                    Matthew Newsom

Member since: 01/05/2010

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Kar Wong - Aug 31, 2012

Reply

There is really no reason to disconnect the upper display LCD ribbon cable. It is somewhat difficult to re-attach properly. If not attached properly the DS will not boot. The lower LCD/digitizer assembly can be removed without the need for Step 16.

Michael Strine - Jan 2, 2013

Reply

Fixed My Cousins DS lite touch screen using this guide. Thank You.

Ady - Nov 22, 2014

Reply

Guilhem Gobet - Aug 23, 2018

Reply

When reassembling I’d suggest to pass the antenna (black wire) between the charging port and the small EM10 chip.

I first put this wire under the EM10, I couldnt close the case of the DS. There was a resistance near this spot. I gues it was the antenna wire.

Although, to put the wire under the cartridge slot, under the EM10 is the best spot. If you look under the catrige slot, you can see there is no obstacle there.

lowestseries - Apr 5, 2022

Reply

This guide could have been so much shorter, no need to remove unnecessary components to get to the bottom screen.