Introduction
Use this guide to replace your DSi's dual cameras and their shared ribbon cable.
Step 1 Battery
The screws remain captive to the battery cover.
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.
Step 2
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
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
Six 5.2 mm Phillips screws.
Remove the following screws securing the lower case to the body of the DSi:
Six 5.2 mm Phillips screws.
One 2.7 mm Phillips screw.
Step 5
Carefully run the spudger along the edge of the outer casing, creating an opening between the body and the casing.
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
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.
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 with the flat edge of a screwdriver.
once the cable, highlighted in the orange box, 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.
Step 8
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.
Step 10
Lower touchscreen cable
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
Make sure you are flipping up the retaining flap, '''not''' the socket itself.
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
Make sure you are flipping up the retaining flap, '''not''' the socket itself.
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.
Step 13
With the tip of a spudger, Pry the microphone antenna up off its socket on the motherboard.
Step 14
Three longer screws.
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
Use your fingernail or the edge of a plastic opening tool to carefully flip up the upper LCD ribbon cable retaining flap.
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.
Step 16 Lower LCD Assembly
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.
Step 18
Remove the four Phillips screws securing the rear bezel to the front bezel.
Step 19
The rear bezel will move only about 2 mm.
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.
Step 21
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
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
Do not completely separate both halves yet. There are several ribbon cables that remain threaded through both panels.
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
The microphone will likely pop out of its housing, so it is probably easier to completely remove it at this point.
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
Remove the steel hinge tube.
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.
Step 27
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.
Step 28
Lift the Wi-Fi antenna board straight up and remove it from the DSi.
De-route the Wi-Fi antenna cable from its channel in the front bezel.
Lift the Wi-Fi antenna board straight up and remove it from the DSi.
Step 29
Lift the right speaker and set it on top of the upper LCD.
Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the right speaker straight up and out of its housing in the front upper panel.
Lift the right speaker and set it on top of the upper LCD.
Step 30
De-route the left speaker cables from underneath the upper LCD.
In the same manner as previously described, remove the left speaker.
De-route the left speaker cables from underneath the upper LCD.
Lay the left speaker on top of the upper LCD.
Step 31
Loosen the adhesive by running the spudger along the perimeter of the upper LCD.
Cautiously wedge the flat end of spudger underneath the upper LCD.
Loosen the adhesive by running the spudger along the perimeter of the upper LCD.
Lift the upper LCD by its upper right corner and remove it from the front upper panel.
Step 32
If you have never soldered before, we have a [guide|750|guide] that makes it easy.
Desolder the speakers from the upper LCD by heating up the solder joints with a soldering iron and simultaneously using a pair of tweezers to pull the speaker wires away from the logic board.
If you have never soldered before, we have a guide that makes it easy.
Author
Walter Galan
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