Introduction
This guide takes you through the process of installing the motherboard.
Step 1 Case Separation
Power off and remove the memory card.
Using a Phillips #00 screwdriver, remove the four 6.4mm screws on the back casing.
Step 2
Using your fingernail or a spudger, pry open the accessory port cover on the top of the device.
Using a Phillips #00 screwdriver, remove the two 5.4mm screws hidden beneath the accessory port cover.
Step 3
Remove the two 5.4mm Phillips #00 screws on the bottom of the device near the charging port.
Step 4
Beginning at the sides of the device, use a plastic opening tool to separate the front and rear cases.
Continue working your way around the device gently prying it open.
There are still wires holding the front and rear cases together. You may damage the connections if you yank the cases completely apart.
Step 5
Gently separate the two cases, minding the battery and the touch screen controller connectors holding the two cases together.
Step 6
Using a spudger, free the touch screen controller flex cable by gently prying up the connection.
Step 7
Free the battery cable by gently prying up on the connection with a spudger.
Step 8
Separate the front and rear cases.
Step 9 Wireless Card
Using the pointy end of the spudger, disconnect the three antenna cable connectors on top of the wireless card.
Deroute the antenna cables so that they are out of the wireless card casing. Rest the wires out of the way.
Step 10
Hook the spudger beneath the tab on the wireless card casing and release the tab.
Peel up and remove the wireless card casing.
Step 11
Remove the two 4.4mm Phillips #00 screws on the wireless card.
The wireless card will naturally pop out at an angle.
Pull out the wireless card.
Step 12 Right Shoulder Button
Pry up the right shoulder button casing with a spudger and set it aside.
Step 13
Remove the translucent, plastic right shoulder button cover.
Step 14
Release the right shoulder button flex cable socket by using a spudger to gently pry open the tab.
Using tweezers, slide the flex cable out of the socket.
Step 15
Using a spudger, gently peel up the right shoulder button from the light adhesive connecting it to casing.
Step 16 Right Button Board
Using the pointy end of a spudger, detach the antenna cable on the right button board.
Remove the antenna cable.
Step 17
Using a spudger, pry up and release the ZIF socket on the right button board.
Gently pull the flex cable out of the socket. Rest the flex cable out of the way.
Step 18
Release the tab on the small flex cable socket by prying up the tab with a spudger.
Using tweezers, gently pull the flex cable out of the socket. Rest the flex cable out of the way.
Step 19
Remove the two 5.0mm Phillips #00 screws from the metal bracket securing the right button board to the motherboard.
Remove the metal bracket, using a spudger as necessary to lift it out.
Step 20
Use a spudger to free the right button board by prying up from the bottom right corner of board.
Gently lift the right button board out.
Step 21 Left Shoulder Button
Pry up the left shoulder button casing with a spudger.
Remove the left shoulder button casing.
Step 22
Remove the translucent, plastic left shoulder button cover.
Step 23
Release the left shoulder button flex cable socket by using a spudger to pry open the tab.
Be careful to not break off this small black tab!
Using tweezers, slide the flex cable out of the socket. Do not pull on the black tab! Instead, pull the thin flex cable away from the connector (to the left in this image).
Step 24
Using a spudger, gently peel up the left shoulder button from the light adhesive connecting it to casing.
Step 25 Left Button Board
Using a spudger, lift and release the tab on the ZIF socket sitting on the SIM card reader.
Carefully pull the flex cable out of the ZIF socket, and rest it out of the way.
Step 26
Use a spudger to release the tab between the SIM card reader and the back casing assembly.
Lift the SIM card reader off the back casing assembly.
Step 27
Release the plastic tab on the small flex cable socket by prying it up with a spudger.
Using tweezers, gently remove the small flex cable from the socket, and rest it out of the way.
Step 28
Use a spudger to lift up the tab on the large ZIF socket.
Gently pull the flex cable out of the ZIF socket, and rest it out of the way.
Step 29
Disconnect the white Wi-Fi antenna cable with a spudger.
Remove the Wi-Fi antenna cable.
Step 30
Using a Phillips #00 screwdriver, remove the six screws on the two metal brackets:
Two 5.0mm, blue screws on the L-bracket securing the upper left button board to the motherboard.
Four 5.0mm, blue screws on the square bracket securing the lower left button board to the motherboard.
Step 31
Starting from the upper left corner, use a spudger to pry up and remove the left button board.
Step 32 Motherboard
Using the pointy end of a spudger, pry up and release the GPS antenna cable from the motherboard.
Remove the GPS antenna cable.
Step 33
Release the camera flex cable socket by prying up on the tab with a spudger.
Step 34
Using a spudger, gently pry up on the camera.
Work your way under the camera and along the camera flex cable, using the spudger to peel away the adhesive, freeing the camera.
Step 35
Carefully lift and remove the camera, sliding the flex cable out of the open connector socket.
Step 36
Using a Phillips #00 screwdriver, remove the 6.3mm screw beneath the camera.
Lift and remove the metal camera bracket.
Step 37
With the help of a spudger, lift and release the tab on the blue flex cable socket.
Step 38
Using tweezers, gently pull the blue power flex cable out of the socket; rest it out of the way.
Step 39
Using a Phillips #00 screwdriver, remove the two pink, 4.4mm screws securing the motherboard.
Step 40
Gently peel the rubber tab of the game port cover off the plastic casing pins.
Remove the game port cover.
Step 41
Gently peel the rubber tab of the accessory port cover off the plastic casing pins.
Step 42
Starting at the upper right hand corner, use a spudger to gently lift the motherboard out of the casing assembly.
The motherboard is still attached to the casing by a connector on the back of the motherboard. Do not pull the motherboard all the way out, or you may damage the connector.
Step 43
Lift the motherboard out and identify the OLED connector still attaching the motherboard to the casing.
Holding the Vita on its side, use a spudger to gently pry off the OLED connector from the motherboard.
Be sure to hold the motherboard while you release the connector as this will free the motherboard. If you are not holding the motherboard, it will fall.
Step 44
Completely separate the motherboard from the case. Remove the case.
Step 45
Starting at the right side, gently lift and remove the black casing that once held the camera.
Step 46
Using a spudger, release the tab on the ZIF connector located above the two screw posts where the wireless card once was.
Step 47
Gently pull the flex cable out of the ZIF connector, and remove it.
Step 48
Release the tab on the large ZIF connector on the right side of the motherboard by lifting the tab with a spudger.
Step 49
Gently pull the flex cable out of the ZIF connector, and remove it.
Step 50
Using a spudger, release the small ZIF connector on the right side of the motherboard.
Step 51
Gently pull the flex cable out of the small ZIF connector, and remove it.
Step 52
Flip the motherboard over.
With the help of a spudger, pry up and release the tab of the rear camera flex cable connector.
Step 53
Gently pull the rear camera out of the connector and remove it.
Step 54
The motherboard remains.
Author
Brittany McCrigler
Member since: 03/05/2012
72,171 Reputation
403 Guides authored
