DualShock 3 Vibration Motors Replacement

Use this guide to access the vibration motors on DualShock 3 controllers. The two vibration motors are slightly different and thus are non-interchangeable.

Author
Andrew Bookholt
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Step 1 Rear Cover

Remove the five 7.2 mm Phillips screws securing the rear cover to the controller.

Step 2

Push the center of the rear cover (between the two analog sticks) and slightly lift the lower edge of it away from the rest of the controller.

Step 3

Push the rear cover slightly toward the top edge of the controller to clear the front edge of the #2 triggers.
Pull the rear cover away from the rest of the controller, being careful not to pop off the #2 triggers.
If you happen to accidentally pop off the trigger buttons, we have a trigger button guide to reattach them.

Step 4 Battery

Lift the battery off the motherboard for enough clearance to access the battery connector.

Step 5

Carefully pull the battery connector away from its socket on the motherboard.
It may be helpful to use a pair of tweezers or pliers to grab the battery connector when you disconnect it for the first time.

Step 6 Vibration Motors

Pull the vibration motor out of its plastic frame, being careful not to strain the wires connecting it to the motherboard.

Step 7

Use a soldering iron to de-solder both vibration motor wires from the motherboard.
Not too much experience with soldering? Check out our soldering guide for detailed instructions.
The positive (red) wire connects nearest the top of the motherboard.
When soldering on circuit boards, be sure not to overheat the connection as permanent damage may result.

Step 8



If desired, repeat this procedure for the other vibration motor.
The two vibration motors are non-interchangeable, as the left motor has more counterweights than the right motor.

Author
Walter Galan
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