Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

35

Time Required

                          45 minutes - 2 hours

Sections

7

  • Back Panel
  • 8 steps
  • Shield Plate
  • 2 steps
  • Nintendo Switch Lite Battery Disconnection
  • 3 steps
  • Heat Sink
  • 3 steps
  • Game Card Reader and Headphone Jack
  • 3 steps
  • Motherboard Assembly
  • 14 steps
  • Right Joystick
  • 2 steps

Flags

0

  • BackNintendo Switch Lite

  • Full Screen

  • Options

  • History

  • Save to Favorites

  • Download PDF

  • Edit

  • Translate

  • Get Shareable Link

  • Embed This Guide

  • Notify Me of Changes

  • Stop Notifications

Introduction

The Switch Lite 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: This procedure requires removing the shield plate and heat sink. The thermal paste will need to be cleaned off of both components—as well as the CPU—and reapplied before reinstalling the shield plate and heat sink.

What you need

Step 1

              Remove the back panel screws
  • Before beginning this repair, make sure that the device is completely turned off.
  • Use a Y00 screwdriver to remove the four 6.3 mm-long screws securing the back panel.
  • Throughout this repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from.

Before beginning this repair, make sure that the device is completely turned off.

Use a Y00 screwdriver to remove the four 6.3 mm-long screws securing the back panel.

Throughout this repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from.

1024

Step 2

              Remove the top and bottom back panel screws
  • Use a JIS 000 driver or an official iFixit PH 000 driver to remove the following screws securing the back panel:
  • Two 3.6 mm-long screws on the top of the device
  • Two 3.6 mm-long screws on the bottom of the device
  • To prevent these tight screws from stripping, apply firm downward force, work slowly and try a different screwdriver if the screws won’t come out.

Use a JIS 000 driver or an official iFixit PH 000 driver to remove the following screws securing the back panel:

Two 3.6 mm-long screws on the top of the device

Two 3.6 mm-long screws on the bottom of the device

To prevent these tight screws from stripping, apply firm downward force, work slowly and try a different screwdriver if the screws won’t come out.

Step 3

              Release the clips securing the back panel
  • Insert an opening tool into the left speaker grille on the bottom of the device.
  • Twist the opening tool to release the clips securing the back panel.
  • Avoid inserting the opening tool further than required to prevent damage to the speaker module.

Insert an opening tool into the left speaker grille on the bottom of the device.

Twist the opening tool to release the clips securing the back panel.

Avoid inserting the opening tool further than required to prevent damage to the speaker module.

Step 4

              Continue releasing the clips around the device
  • Slide the opening tool around the bottom-left corner to release the clips on the left side of the device.

Slide the opening tool around the bottom-left corner to release the clips on the left side of the device.

Step 5

              Twist to release the clips
  • Insert an opening tool into the right speaker grille on the bottom of the device.
  • Twist the opening tool to release the clips.
  • Avoid inserting the opening tool further than required to prevent damage to the speaker module.

Insert an opening tool into the right speaker grille on the bottom of the device.

Twist the opening tool to release the clips.

Step 6

              Slide and pry around the corners
  • Slide and pry the opening tool around the bottom-right corner to release the clips on the right side of the device.

Slide and pry the opening tool around the bottom-right corner to release the clips on the right side of the device.

Step 7

  • Continue sliding and prying the opening tool along the gap on the top of the device to release the clips.

Continue sliding and prying the opening tool along the gap on the top of the device to release the clips.

Step 8

              Remove the back panel
  • Lift the bottom edge of the back panel, opening it like a book.
  • Remove the back panel.

Lift the bottom edge of the back panel, opening it like a book.

Remove the back panel.

Step 9

              Remove the shield plate
  • Use a JIS 000 driver or an official iFixit PH 000 driver to remove the following four screws:
  • Three 3.1 mm screws
  • One 4.5 mm screw

Use a JIS 000 driver or an official iFixit PH 000 driver to remove the following four screws:

Three 3.1 mm screws

One 4.5 mm screw

Step 10

  • Use a spudger or your fingers to lift the shield plate up and out of the device.
  • You may feel a bit of resistance. This is normal, since the shield plate is slightly bonded to the heat sink with thermal paste.
  • Remove the shield plate.
  • Clean off the old thermal paste from the shield plate and heat sink using isopropyl alcohol and a microfiber cloth. Apply new thermal paste to the heat sink before reassembly.

Use a spudger or your fingers to lift the shield plate up and out of the device.

You may feel a bit of resistance. This is normal, since the shield plate is slightly bonded to the heat sink with thermal paste.

Remove the shield plate.

Clean off the old thermal paste from the shield plate and heat sink using isopropyl alcohol and a microfiber cloth. Apply new thermal paste to the heat sink before reassembly.

Step 11

              Disconnect the battery
  • Use an opening tool or your fingernail to flip up the small, hinged locking flap on the motherboard interconnect cable’s ZIF connector.

Use an opening tool or your fingernail to flip up the small, hinged locking flap on the motherboard interconnect cable’s ZIF connector.

Step 12

  • Use a pair of tweezers to slide the interconnect cable out of its connector on the motherboard.

Use a pair of tweezers to slide the interconnect cable out of its connector on the motherboard.

Step 13

  • Use the point of a spudger to pry the battery connector straight up and out of its socket on the motherboard.

Use the point of a spudger to pry the battery connector straight up and out of its socket on the motherboard.

Step 14

              Remove the heat sink
  • Use the flat end of a spudger or your fingers to carefully peel up the foam that’s lightly adhered to the fan.
  • The foam only needs to be peeled back enough to clear the fan.

Use the flat end of a spudger or your fingers to carefully peel up the foam that’s lightly adhered to the fan.

The foam only needs to be peeled back enough to clear the fan.

Step 15

  • Use a JIS 000 driver or an official iFixit PH 000 driver to remove the three 3 mm screws securing the heat sink to the motherboard.

Use a JIS 000 driver or an official iFixit PH 000 driver to remove the three 3 mm screws securing the heat sink to the motherboard.

Step 16

  • Use a spudger or your fingers to lift the heatsink up and off of the motherboard to remove it.
  • You may feel a bit of resistance. This is normal, since the heat sink is slightly bonded to the CPU with thermal paste.
  • Clean off the old thermal paste from the heat sink and CPU using isopropyl alcohol and a microfiber cloth. Apply new thermal paste to the CPU before reassembly.

Use a spudger or your fingers to lift the heatsink up and off of the motherboard to remove it.

You may feel a bit of resistance. This is normal, since the heat sink is slightly bonded to the CPU with thermal paste.

Clean off the old thermal paste from the heat sink and CPU using isopropyl alcohol and a microfiber cloth. Apply new thermal paste to the CPU before reassembly.

Step 17

              Remove the game card reader and headphone jack
  • Use an opening tool or your fingernail to flip up the small, hinged locking flap on the game card reader cable’s ZIF connector.

Use an opening tool or your fingernail to flip up the small, hinged locking flap on the game card reader cable’s ZIF connector.

Step 18

  • Use a JIS 000 driver or an official iFixit PH 000 driver to remove the seven 3.1 mm screws securing the game card reader and headphone jack.

Use a JIS 000 driver or an official iFixit PH 000 driver to remove the seven 3.1 mm screws securing the game card reader and headphone jack.

Step 19

  • Use a pair of tweezers or your fingers to carefully lift the game card reader and maneuver it to the left to slide the cable out of its connector.
  • Remove the game card reader and headphone jack.

Use a pair of tweezers or your fingers to carefully lift the game card reader and maneuver it to the left to slide the cable out of its connector.

Remove the game card reader and headphone jack.

Step 20

              Remove the right trigger button assembly
  • Use a JIS 000 driver or an official iFixit PH 000 driver to remove the two 4.5 mm screws securing the right trigger button assembly to the motherboard.

Use a JIS 000 driver or an official iFixit PH 000 driver to remove the two 4.5 mm screws securing the right trigger button assembly to the motherboard.

Step 21

  • Remove the right trigger button assembly.

Remove the right trigger button assembly.

Step 22

  • Use a pair of tweezers or your fingers to remove the right trigger button assembly’s rubber pad if it didn’t stay attached to the button assembly.

Use a pair of tweezers or your fingers to remove the right trigger button assembly’s rubber pad if it didn’t stay attached to the button assembly.

Step 23

              Disconnect the antenna cables
  • Use the point of a spudger to pry the black antenna cable straight up out of its socket on the motherboard.
  • Repeat the same process for the white antenna cable.

Use the point of a spudger to pry the black antenna cable straight up out of its socket on the motherboard.

Repeat the same process for the white antenna cable.

Step 24

              Disconnect the fan cable
  • Use an opening tool or your fingernail to flip up the small, hinged locking flap on the fan cable’s ZIF connector.

Use an opening tool or your fingernail to flip up the small, hinged locking flap on the fan cable’s ZIF connector.

Step 25

  • Use a pair of tweezers to slide out the fan cable from its connector on the motherboard.

Use a pair of tweezers to slide out the fan cable from its connector on the motherboard.

Step 26

              Disconnect the screen cable
  • Use an opening tool or your fingernail to flip up the small, hinged locking flap on the screen cable’s ZIF connector.

Use an opening tool or your fingernail to flip up the small, hinged locking flap on the screen cable’s ZIF connector.

Step 27

  • Use a pair of tweezers to slide the screen cable out of its connector on the motherboard.

Use a pair of tweezers to slide the screen cable out of its connector on the motherboard.

Step 28

              Disconnect the digitizer cable
  • Use an opening tool or your fingernail to flip up the small, hinged locking flap on the digitizer cable’s ZIF connector.

Use an opening tool or your fingernail to flip up the small, hinged locking flap on the digitizer cable’s ZIF connector.

Step 29

  • Use a pair of tweezers to slide the digitizer cable out of its connector on the motherboard.

Use a pair of tweezers to slide the digitizer cable out of its connector on the motherboard.

Step 30

              Disconnect the right joystick cable
  • Use an opening tool or your fingernail to flip up the small, hinged locking flap on the right joystick cable’s ZIF connector.

Use an opening tool or your fingernail to flip up the small, hinged locking flap on the right joystick cable’s ZIF connector.

Step 31

  • Use a pair of tweezers to slide the right joystick cable out of its connector on the motherboard.

Use a pair of tweezers to slide the right joystick cable out of its connector on the motherboard.

Step 32

              Remove the motherboard assembly
  • Use a JIS 000 driver or an official iFixit PH 000 driver to remove the following six screws securing the motherboard:
  • Three 3.1 mm screws
  • Three 4.5 mm screws

Use a JIS 000 driver or an official iFixit PH 000 driver to remove the following six screws securing the motherboard:

Three 3.1 mm screws

Three 4.5 mm screws

Step 33

  • Insert a spudger in the gap between the frame and the motherboard and lift the motherboard up and out of its recess.
  • Remove the motherboard assembly.

Insert a spudger in the gap between the frame and the motherboard and lift the motherboard up and out of its recess.

Remove the motherboard assembly.

Step 34

              Remove the right joystick
  • Use a JIS 000 driver or an official iFixit PH 000 driver to remove the two 3.5 mm screws securing the joystick.

Use a JIS 000 driver or an official iFixit PH 000 driver to remove the two 3.5 mm screws securing the joystick.

Step 35

  • Use your fingers to remove the joystick.
  • There is a thin black gasket around the hole where the joystick pokes through the frame. Try not to disturb this gasket as you remove the joystick.

Use your fingers to remove the joystick.

There is a thin black gasket around the hole where the joystick pokes through the frame. Try not to disturb this gasket as you remove the joystick.

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 Lite Answers community for help.

Cancel: I did not complete this guide.

                                                                                      38 other people completed this guide.

Author

                                      with 3 other contributors 


                    Craig Lloyd

Member since: 02/10/2016

28,344 Reputation

                                      82 Guides authored                  



                       Badges:
                       41







                                                        +38 more badges

Craig Osman - Jan 30, 2021

Reply

Not for the faint of heart and will take much longer than the indicated time. In the end bring it to a professional, as the battery does NOT come off as indicated. I now have an even more expensive repair as the battery socket came off the motherboard.

Dom Swooz - Feb 21, 2021

Reply

This looked a bit daunting at first, but as you start going you get into a flow and as long as you follow the instructions slowly and carefully you shouldnt have a problem. I would say i finished in the recommended time.

Abelard Snazz - Mar 28, 2021

Reply

Great guide - completed with no issues easily within the recommended time.

henreeg - May 6, 2021

Reply

I did not need to take out the heat sink. It’s a bit difficult. I used this guide and another to replace both buttons.

Daniel Peregrym - May 31, 2021

Reply

Minor orange juice spill on the rights side, cleaned it quick but the home button and joy stick were a little sticky.

Thank god this guide was so clear, made it easy to check the board for stains and clean up the buttons.