Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

20

Time Required

                          30 minutes - 1 hour

Sections

1

  • Nintendo Switch Left Joy-Con Shell Replacement
  • 20 steps

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Introduction

If your Joy-Con shell is cracked or showing discoloration, you may want to replace it. The Joy-Con shell protects its inner components while also giving it an aesthetic appeal. A damaged shell will eventually damage the inner components and can also make it uncomfortable to play.

When following the steps, be sure not to strip any of the screws or remove any components using too much force. Any small damage can cause your Joy-Con to not work after reassembly.

If you would also like to replace the Right Joy-Con shell, there is a helpful guide on iFixit that can walk you through that process.

What you need

Step 1

              Opening the controller (1/3)
  • Start by unscrewing the four (4) tri-wing (“Y00”)from the back panel. (Optional but recommended): Store them somewhere safe.

Start by unscrewing the four (4) tri-wing (“Y00”)from the back panel. (Optional but recommended): Store them somewhere safe.

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Step 2

              Opening the controller (2/3)
  • Insert an opening pick into the seam at the bottom edge of the controller (opposite the L and ZL buttons).
  • Slowly slide the flat edge of your opening pick up the side of the Joy-Con.

Insert an opening pick into the seam at the bottom edge of the controller (opposite the L and ZL buttons).

Slowly slide the flat edge of your opening pick up the side of the Joy-Con.

Step 3

              Opening the controller (3/3)
  • With the charging rail facing away from you, open the Joy-Con like a laptop.
  • Do not fully remove the back panel yet; there are still two ribbon cables connecting the charging rail to the motherboard.

With the charging rail facing away from you, open the Joy-Con like a laptop.

Do not fully remove the back panel yet; there are still two ribbon cables connecting the charging rail to the motherboard.

Step 4

              Disconnecting the battery
  • Gently pry the battery connector straight up from its socket on the motherboard using a spudger. This will keep the Joy-Con from powering on during the repair.
  • Use caution while working around the vibration motor cable that runs close to the battery connector.

Gently pry the battery connector straight up from its socket on the motherboard using a spudger. This will keep the Joy-Con from powering on during the repair.

Use caution while working around the vibration motor cable that runs close to the battery connector.

Step 5

              Removing the battery
  • Insert a spudger between the battery and the Joy-Con housing.
  • Gently pry out the battery.
  • The battery is lightly taped in place.
  • Be careful not to deform, puncture or damage the battery.

Insert a spudger between the battery and the Joy-Con housing.

Gently pry out the battery.

The battery is lightly taped in place.

Be careful not to deform, puncture or damage the battery.

Step 6

              Removing the battery housing
  • Remove the three (3) 3½mm golden Phillips #00 screws from the midframe.

Remove the three (3) 3½mm golden Phillips #00 screws from the midframe.

Step 7

              Accessing the controller's motherboard
  • Carefully flip the midframe over, away from the motherboard, as if you were turning the page of a book.
  • The ribbon cables are extremely fragile.

Carefully flip the midframe over, away from the motherboard, as if you were turning the page of a book.

The ribbon cables are extremely fragile.

Step 8

              Disconnecting the ribbon cables
  • Use tweezers to flip the ZIF connector lock opposite the cable.
  • The ZL button is locked in place by a small ZIF connector on the motherboard.
  • Use tweezers to gently pull the ZL button flex cable out of its ZIF connector socket. The midframe is now disconnected and can be removed.

Use tweezers to flip the ZIF connector lock opposite the cable.

The ZL button is locked in place by a small ZIF connector on the motherboard.

Use tweezers to gently pull the ZL button flex cable out of its ZIF connector socket. The midframe is now disconnected and can be removed.

Step 9

              Removing the ZL button
  • Unlock the rail’s top ZIF connector and then disconnect the cable.
  • Unlock the rail’s bottom ZIF connector and disconnect the cable. We can now remove the rail from the back frame.
  • Remove the ZL button and its spring.
  • Be careful because the spring tends to fling away.

Unlock the rail’s top ZIF connector and then disconnect the cable.

Unlock the rail’s bottom ZIF connector and disconnect the cable. We can now remove the rail from the back frame.

Remove the ZL button and its spring.

Be careful because the spring tends to fling away.

Step 10

              Removing the rail
  • Remove the screw holding the rail in place. Remove the rail from the back frame and set it off to the side.

Remove the screw holding the rail in place. Remove the rail from the back frame and set it off to the side.

Step 11

              Removing the latch button
  • Remove the latch button and set it off to the side.

Remove the latch button and set it off to the side.

Step 12

              Removing the triggers 1/2
  • Depress the latch underneath the trigger using tweezers. Gently pry the trigger off.
  • Make sure to note the position of the two springs under the trigger as they will need to go back in the same spot on the new mid-frame.

Depress the latch underneath the trigger using tweezers. Gently pry the trigger off.

Make sure to note the position of the two springs under the trigger as they will need to go back in the same spot on the new mid-frame.

Step 13

              Removing the triggers 2/2
  • Remove the screw holding the circuit board for the trigger in place.
  • Remove the circuit board.

Remove the screw holding the circuit board for the trigger in place.

Remove the circuit board.

Step 14

              Removing the joystick 1/2
  • Remove the screws holding the joystick in place.
  • Unlock the ZIF connector and remove the ribbon cable using tweezers.

Remove the screws holding the joystick in place.

Unlock the ZIF connector and remove the ribbon cable using tweezers.

Step 15

              Removing the joystick 2/2
  • Remove the joystick.

Remove the joystick.

Step 16

              Removing the motherboard 1/3
  • Remove the screws holding the circuit board (marked by a red circle) for the minus and ZL buttons.
  • Remove the circuit board.

Remove the screws holding the circuit board (marked by a red circle) for the minus and ZL buttons.

Remove the circuit board.

Step 17

              Removing the motherboard 2/3
  • Remove the minus button.
  • There will be a rubber covering over the minus button. Make sure to put it over the minus button during reassembly.

Remove the minus button.

There will be a rubber covering over the minus button. Make sure to put it over the minus button during reassembly.

Step 18

              Removing the motherboard 3/3
  • Remove the screws holding the motherboard in place.

Remove the screws holding the motherboard in place.

Step 19

              Removing the rumble pack
  • Using the spudger, gently pry the rumble pack out of its housing.
  • Remove the rumble pack and the motherboard.

Using the spudger, gently pry the rumble pack out of its housing.

Remove the rumble pack and the motherboard.

Step 20

              Removing the remaining buttons
  • Remove the remaining five buttons from the shell.

Remove the remaining five buttons from the shell.

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

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                    Jose Castro

Member since: 01/16/2020

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                       University of North Texas, Team S1-G12, Raign Spring 2020                        

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                                            5 Guides authored

Fitz Montville - May 28, 2020

Reply

This guide was very helpful! A picture of the latch location on the trigger (step 12) would have been a big help, that step took a minute because I was putting pressure on the wrong spot.

I also noticed that most of the #00 screws were more receptive to a J00 bit. Might be worth noting in the tools section since swapping between them can strip a screw.

Lee Whittaker - Aug 9, 2020

Reply

Used this guide for reference on the tools needed, someone else pointed out to use the J00 bit instead of the P00 and I’ll second that as the fit for the screws was much better, thanks for the guide much appreciated!

energy96 - Oct 12, 2020

Reply

Exactly what I needed! Dropped a set of controllers on a tile flow and the rail popped out and pulled the ribbon cables too. I picked up another iFixit toolkit with some J bits to put it back together. I don’t know why I waited this long to fix it. Charged the controllers overnight and I’m up another set now!

Jeremy Johnson - Dec 26, 2020

Reply

Others above have mentioned that they needed to use a J00 bit instead of P00, but mine did not work with a J00 and was better with a P000

William Doering - Jul 12, 2021

Reply

Small thing. In the tools list, it incorrectly says Y0 while the rest of the post correctly says Y00 for the back screws.