Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

27

Time Required

Suggest a time??

Sections

6

  • Battery
  • 2 steps
  • Lower Case Assembly
  • 4 steps
  • Wi-Fi Board
  • 2 steps
  • Motherboard
  • 7 steps
  • Lower LCD Assembly
  • 1 step
  • Dual Camera Assembly
  • 11 steps

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Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Battery
  • 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 out of the lower case.

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 out of the lower case.

1024

Step 2

  • Wedge the edge of a spudger in between the top of the battery and its lower case housing and pry upwards to dislodge the battery.
  • Grasp the battery and remove it from the DSi.

Wedge the edge of a spudger in between the top of the battery and its lower case housing and pry upwards to dislodge the battery.

Grasp the battery and remove it from the DSi.

Step 3

              Lower Case Assembly
  • 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.

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.

Step 4

  • 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.

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.

Step 5

  • 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.

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.

Step 6

  • 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.

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.

Step 7

              Wi-Fi Board
  • Pull the Wi-Fi board away from the motherboard by its edge closest to the headphone jack.

Pull the Wi-Fi board away from the motherboard by its edge closest to the headphone jack.

Step 8

  • Pry the Wi-Fi antenna connector straight up from its socket on the Wi-Fi board.

Pry the Wi-Fi antenna connector straight up from its socket on the Wi-Fi board.

Step 9

              Motherboard
  • Use the tip of a spudger to pry the power board connector out of its socket on the motherboard.

Use the tip of a spudger to pry the power board connector out of its socket on the motherboard.

Step 10

  • 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.

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.

Step 11

  • 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.

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.

Step 12

  • 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.

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

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

Step 13

  • With the tip of a spudger, Pry the microphone antenna up off its socket on the motherboard.

With the tip of a spudger, Pry the microphone antenna up off its socket on the motherboard.

Step 14

  • 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.

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.

Step 15

  • 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.

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.

Remove the motherboard from the DSi.

Step 16

              Lower LCD Assembly
  • 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.

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.

Step 17

              Dual Camera Assembly
  • Use a pushpin to remove the four plastic screw covers (highlighted in red) on the front bezel.

Use a pushpin to remove the four plastic screw covers (highlighted in red) on the front bezel.

Step 18

  • Remove the four Phillips screws securing the rear bezel to the front bezel.

Remove the four Phillips screws securing the rear bezel to the front bezel.

Step 19

  • 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.

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.

Step 20

  • De-route the microphone and Wi-Fi antenna cables through the opening located on the bottom DSi’s framework.

De-route the microphone and Wi-Fi antenna cables through the opening located on the bottom DSi’s framework.

Step 21

  • Remove the five Phillips screws securing the power board to the DSi’s framework.
  • Lift and remove the power board from the DSi.

Remove the five Phillips screws securing the power board to the DSi’s framework.

Lift and remove the power board from the DSi.

Step 22

  • 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.

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.

Step 23

  • 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.

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.

Step 24

  • 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.

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.

Step 25

  • 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.

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.

Step 26

  • Pry the front-facing camera straight up out of its housing in the front bezel.

Pry the front-facing camera straight up out of its housing in the front bezel.

Step 27

  • Lift the rear-facing out of its housing in the front bezel.
  • Remove the dual camera cable assembly from the DSi.

Lift the rear-facing out of its housing in the front bezel.

Remove the dual camera cable assembly from the DSi.

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

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                    Andrew Bookholt

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jaime - Sep 18, 2013

Reply

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

Will Stein - Dec 3, 2020

Reply

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

Elijah - Mar 29, 2022

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