Repairing a Nintendo DS That Is Not Charging

Introduction

If your Nintendo DS Lite (DSL) has no charge light and the battery doesn't charge, the EM10 power supply filter on the motherboard may be faulty. This guide will help you locate, test, and replace the filter. Replacement EM10 filters can be found online for a small cost. Be aware that removing or bypassing the EM10 filter may leave the motherboard unprotected against power supply noise. Proceed with caution.

Tools Required:

• Phillips #00 Screwdriver
• iFixit Opening Tools
• Push Pin
• Solder
• Soldering Iron
• Spudger
• Tri-wing Screwdriver
• Tweezers

Parts Required:

• EM10 filter

Step 1 - Battery Removal

Unscrew the Phillips screw securing the battery cover to the lower case. This screw remains captive to the battery cover.

Use a spudger or fingernail to pry the battery cover upward and lift it out of the lower case.

Step 2 - Battery Removal Continued

Wedge the edge of a spudger between the side of the battery and the lower case housing. Pry upward to dislodge the battery.

Remove the battery from the DS Lite.

Step 3 - Lower Case Separation

Use the tip of a spudger to pry both rubber feet off the DS Lite.

Step 4 - Unscrewing the Lower Case

Remove the following screws securing the lower case to the body of the DS Lite:

• Two 4.3 mm gold Phillips screws
• One 3.9 mm black Tri-Wing screw
• One 3.3 mm silver Phillips screw
• Three 5.5 mm silver Tri-Wing screws

Step 5 - Opening the DS Lite

Insert the edge of a spudger between the lower and upper case near the top right corner of the DS Lite.

Carefully run the spudger along the right edge of the DS Lite, creating an opening.

Continue running the spudger along the backside of the DS Lite until the majority of the lower case has been separated from the upper case.

Step 6 - Separating the Lower Case

Lift the lower case away from the rest of the DS Lite. Pull carefully, as some units are sealed with adhesive, and pulling too hard can damage the power switch.

Step 7 - Trigger Buttons

Lift both trigger buttons out of the DS Lite. The trigger buttons are held loosely by small metal pegs and springs; be careful not to lose these pieces. The second image shows the correct configuration of the trigger assembly for reassembly.

Step 8 - Wi-Fi Board Disconnection

Use the flat edge of a spudger to pry the Wi-Fi antenna connector straight up from its socket on the Wi-Fi board.

Step 9 - Wi-Fi Board Connector Removal

Use the flat edge of a spudger to pry the Wi-Fi board connector straight up from its socket on the motherboard.

Step 10 - Wi-Fi Board Removal

Use the flat edge of a spudger to separate the right edge of the Wi-Fi board from the motherboard. The Wi-Fi board is secured to the motherboard with a layer of adhesive.

Remove the Wi-Fi board from the DS Lite.

Step 11 - Motherboard Microphone Connector

Use the flat edge of a spudger to pry the microphone connector straight up from its socket on the motherboard.

Step 12 - Antenna Cable Handling

In the following steps, you will need to pull the antenna cable between the DS Lite game cartridge reader and the motherboard. Pull slowly and stop when you feel resistance to avoid damaging the cable or motherboard.

Position the antenna cable with its connector facing up and away from the motherboard, using a spudger to hold it down lightly in the gap between chips on the motherboard.

Slowly and carefully pull the antenna cable until the cable connector is under the DS Lite game cartridge reader.

Continue pulling the cable until the cable connector comes out from under the game cartridge reader on the right side.

When reassembling and feeding the antenna cable back under the game cartridge reader, the cable may kink or become difficult to feed. If so, try feeding a piece of thread through first, then tie the thread to one end of the cable connector and pull it through, guiding it past any obstructions.

Step 13 - Touchscreen Ribbon Cable

Use your fingernail or the edge of a spudger to carefully flip up the touchscreen ribbon cable retaining flap. Ensure you are flipping 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 14 - Motherboard Screws

Remove the two 3.4 mm Phillips screws securing the motherboard to the upper case.

Step 15 - Motherboard Separation

Open the display enough to use your finger to push the front edge of the motherboard up and away from the upper case. Do not try to remove the motherboard, as it is still connected to the upper display via the upper LCD ribbon cable.

Step 16 - Motherboard and LCD Separation

Use your fingernail or the flat edge of a spudger to carefully flip up the upper LCD ribbon cable retaining flap. Ensure you are flipping the retaining flap, not the socket itself.

Pull the motherboard away from the DS Lite to separate the upper LCD ribbon cable from its socket on the motherboard.

Remove the motherboard from the DS Lite.

Now, open the retaining flap for the lower LCD screen in the same way and separate the lower LCD screen from the motherboard.

Step 17 - Identifying the EM10 Filter

The EM10 charging filter is located next to the power connector on the motherboard.

If the filter is missing or obviously broken, proceed to Step 18.

Use a multimeter to test the EM10 filter. Measure the resistance between each of the yellow solder pads, and then between each of the cyan solder pads. If everything is functioning correctly, you should have close to 0 Ohms between each set of pads. There should be NO connection between the cyan pads and yellow pads. If the filter fails either test, it needs to be replaced.

Step 18 - Replacing the EM10 Filter

Remove the faulty EM10 filter. Use a soldering iron to melt the solder and gently lift off the filter with tweezers or pliers, being careful not to pull the copper tracks off the motherboard.

A replacement EM10 filter is available [link to replacement part]. Solder the new EM10 filter into place, ensuring correct orientation. If required, check the new filter with a multimeter to confirm before installing.

Alternate method: Bridge the solder pads that correspond with each set of pads – yellow to yellow and cyan to cyan. Bypassing the EM10 filter may affect system performance and is not recommended.

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