Hardware [Question] Bricked n3ds: No blue light, no screen flashing, just charging indicator

[Ofdas23]

Hello,

My 3DS’s screens aren’t flashing at all, just like the blue light. At first I thought I have the wrong Luma payload on my micro sd, but I tried everything to find the correct payload of Luma, but nothing changed. I have a compatible ntrboot flashed flash card and a magnet, but I can’t use ntrboot to unbrick. I have a nand backup, that’s why I tried to hard mod my n3ds but my n3ds nor my computer won’t react to anything. My n3ds seems like to be completely dead (NOT because of the hardmod, the hardmod went well, I think. My n3ds was like that before the hardmod as well). Well, it’s not completely dead, just the charging indicator works. The rest isn’t working, no popping sound, no blue light at all, no screen flashing at all, just the charging indicator... But why? I mean the other moment it had blue light+flashing screen but then poof it stopped working in any way. My n3ds is 100% hard bricked, but why is it like that? And how can I unbrick it? Thank you all in advance! Could my device be MCU bricked (I think no)?

P.S.: I don’t have any water damages or drop damages.
My n3ds got bricked after removing B9S CFW with a godmode9 payload.

 

[TurdPooCharger]

Did you ever connected the [n3DS] to the [USB-SD card cable] directly to your Macbook? IE, did you forget to use your Anker card reader? Your symptoms sound like a fried NAND.

 

[Ofdas23]

Did you ever connected the [n3DS] to the [USB-SD card cable] directly to your Macbook? IE, did you forget to use your Anker card reader? Your symptoms sound like a fried NAND.

Yes, I did connected it directly to my MacBook, also tried it on an iMac, the same result. Oh and I didn’t forget to use my Anker card reader.

 

[Ofdas23]

Did you ever connected the [n3DS] to the [USB-SD card cable] directly to your Macbook? IE, did you forget to use your Anker card reader? Your symptoms sound like a fried NAND.

May I ask you, what is a fried NAND? Is there a way to fix it?

 

[TurdPooCharger]

May I ask you, what is a fried NAND? Is there a way to fix it?

The (CTR)NAND is the 3DS equivalent of a computer's main/master hard drive. I don't believe it needs to be explained why a fried NAND is a bad thing..

It's technically possible to fix this by swapping or substituting the onboard NAND for an SD card as was performed by Al3x_10m (Alexandru Moldoveanu):

• [r/3dshacks] Best Hardmods for New 3DS XL?
  • see the discussion chain started by MathewPKfan2001.

It should go without saying this isn't a trivial procedure.

Even if you were to physically remove the onboard NAND found on the 3DS motherboard, it is also possible to boot the 3DS with an EmuNAND / RedNAND (emulated / redirected) setup on a SD card through the SD card slot reader. EmuNAND is something like those bootable USB pen drives you'll commonly see testing and installing desktop Linux. You can try testing an EmuNAND by creating one with 3DS Multi EmuNAND Creator.

Either methods of fixing your 3DS is doable so long as your Bootloader is intact, which is the 3DS equivalent of a computer motherboard's BIOS.

The problem is you might have fried more than the NAND if the n3DS can't even turn on and interact with you in any meaning full way.

Ie, no signs of life. These are missing:

• GodMode9 (Start)
  
• Luma3DS configuration (Select)
  
• Recovery Mode [A+R+L+Up(DPad)]
  
• bootrom blue screens of death

 

[Ofdas23]

The (CTR)NAND is the 3DS equivalent of a computer's main/master hard drive. I don't believe it needs to be explained why a fried NAND is a bad thing..

It's technically possible to fix this by swapping or substituting the onboard NAND for an SD card as was performed by Al3x_10m (Alexandru Moldoveanu):

• [r/3dshacks] Best Hardmods for New 3DS XL?
  • see the discussion chain started by MathewPKfan2001.

It should go without saying this isn't a trivial procedure.

Even if you were to physically remove the onboard NAND found on the 3DS motherboard, it is also possible to boot the 3DS with an EmuNAND / RedNAND (emulated / redirected) setup on a SD card through the SD card slot reader. EmuNAND is something like those bootable USB pen drives you'll commonly see testing and installing desktop Linux. You can try testing an EmuNAND by creating one with 3DS Multi EmuNAND Creator.

Either methods of fixing your 3DS is doable so long as your Bootloader is intact, which is the 3DS equivalent of a computer motherboard's BIOS.

The problem is you might have fried more than the NAND if the n3DS can't even turn on and interact with you in any meaning full way.

Ie, no signs of life. These are missing:

• GodMode9 (Start)
  
• Luma3DS configuration (Select)
  
• Recovery Mode [A+R+L+Up(DPad)]
  
• bootrom blue screens of death

Thank you very much for your help! I think I fried more than the NAND because I don’t get any blue screen, can’t launch godmode9, no recovery mode and no Luma3DS configuration menu. But how did I manage to fry my console? I mean the other moment it had flashing a flashing upper screen and blue light for one second and without doing anything, it stopped giving any signs of life... So in other words that means my N3ds is just a plate to eat on now, right?
Again, thank you very much for your help and your time you waisted, I appreciate it a lot!

 

[urherenow]

No blue screen? There is 1 other possibility, although remote... you know the switch that you trigger with a magnet for sleep mode? Could be stuck/broken/defective. I wonder if that switch completes or breaks a connection... if it breaks a connection like I think, it can be bypassed.

Of course I’m posting this in a daze and talking out of my a$$ (why is there no shrug emoji here?)

 

[Ofdas23]

No blue screen? There is 1 other possibility, although remote... you know the switch that you trigger with a magnet for sleep mode? Could be stuck/broken/defective. I wonder if that switch completes or breaks a connection... if it breaks a connection like I think, it can be bypassed.

Of course I’m posting this in a daze and talking out of my a$$ (why is there no shrug emoji here?)

Okay, I will open my 3Ds and have a lood at it. I will say you the result!

 

[TurdPooCharger]

... how did I manage to fry my console?

It can be anyone guess at this point. Machines aren't perfect and shit happens. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

... So in other words that means my N3ds is just a plate to eat on now, right?

If you want to use it as it plate, sure why not. There are better uses though. Your n3DS is still valuable piece of electronic that's salvageable if you can find a replacement motherboard. That model is a rarity among the 3DS family.

No blue screen? There is 1 other possibility, although remote... you know the switch that you trigger with a magnet for sleep mode? Could be stuck/broken/defective. I wonder if that switch completes or breaks a connection... if it breaks a connection like I think, it can be bypassed.

Of course I’m posting this in a daze and talking out of my a$$ ‍

Your ass is on point. It CAN be a stuck sleep magnet. @Ofdas23, try messing around the YXBA area with the magnet before ruling out hard brick.

 

[Ofdas23]

It can be anyone guess at this point. Machines aren't perfect and shit happens. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

If you want to use it as it plate, sure why not. There are better uses though. Your n3DS is still valuable piece of electronic that's salvageable if you can find a replacement motherboard. That model is a rarity among the 3DS family.


Your ass is on point. It CAN be a stuck sleep magnet. @Ofdas23, try messing around the YXBA area with the magnet before ruling out hard brick.

Where are the sleep magnets located in the 3DS? I opened my 3ds bit I can’t find any of those magnets.

 

[TurdPooCharger]

Where are the sleep magnets located in the 3DS? I opened my 3ds bit I can’t find any of those magnets.

I'm not sure how the sleep switch looks like, but it's found around the XYBA area where the right speaker lays on when the 3DS is clammed up. You take a strong magnet and sweep around that area to force the switch to come loose if it's stuck in sleep mode.

 

[Ofdas23]

I'm not sure how the sleep switch looks like, but it's found around the XYBA area where the right speaker lays on when the 3DS is clammed up. You take a strong magnet and sweep around that area to force the switch to come loose if it's stuck in sleep mode.

While looking for the sleep mode magnet, I saw something on a ribbon cable. I think I have a broken ribbon cable (look at the grey ribbon cable, st the second black stripe, there is a little „dot“)

 

[TurdPooCharger]

While looking for the sleep mode magnet, I saw something on a ribbon cable. I think I have a broken ribbon cable (look at the grey ribbon cable, st the second black stripe, there is a little „dot“)

That crumbled looking flex cable leads to the bottom screen digitizer. I found a German YouTube n3DS teardown video with that cable detached at 9min:10sec and that bottom LCD + digitzer assembly removed around 21min:30sec.

• New Nintendo 3DS Zerlegung / Teardown / Disassembly Tutorial
• [ifixit] Nintendo 3DS 2015 Touchscreen Assembly Replacement

If all you need is a replacement digitizer to fix it:

• [Aliexpress] 1X For 3ds 3DS XL Touch Screen Digitizer Bottom Glass Replacement Parts For Nintendo NEW 3DS

Do note that the 3DS systems will refuse to boot if parts aren't communicating with the motherboard; no fail safe. Check your other flex cables for any other signs of damage.

 

[Ofdas23]

Do note that the 3DS systems will refuse to boot if parts aren't communicating with the motherboard; no fail safe. Check your other flex cables for any other signs of damage.

It will refuse, but ntrboot would still work that‘s why I am not 100% sure whether it is a broken ribbon cable. Since I live in Germany, the shipping would take ages.

 

[ghjfdtg]

A 3DS will work fine without a working touchscreen. It's a passive part after all (basically a potentiometer). If it doesn't turn on at all something else is broken.

 

[Ofdas23]

A 3DS will work fine without a working touchscreen. It's a passive part after all (basically a potentiometer). If it doesn't turn on at all something else is broken.

Okay, but what can it be? I am currently looking for a new motherboard because I think my motherboard fried, but it is very hard to find a motherboard for the new Nintendo 3DS...

 

[ghjfdtg]

It sounds to me like something is fried or a blown fuse. Fuses are marked with "FX" where X is a number. There should be 2 of them (one for charging which is clearly not blown and one for the remaining). You can try a multimeter in continuity mode and check them (remove the battery beforehand).

 

[Ofdas23]

It sounds to me like something is fried or a blown fuse. Fuses are marked with "FX" where X is a number. There should be 2 of them (one for charging which is clearly not blown and one for the remaining). You can try a multimeter in continuity mode and check them (remove the battery beforehand).

Okay, thank you! Now I just need a multimeter to check the fuses. Which multimeter I should buy or must it not be a specific one?
Edit: And of course a replacement.

 

[TurdPooCharger]

@Ofdas23, PM sent to you in finding a New 3DS motherboard.

 

[Ofdas23]

The (CTR)NAND is the 3DS equivalent of a computer's main/master hard drive. I don't believe it needs to be explained why a fried NAND is a bad thing..

It's technically possible to fix this by swapping or substituting the onboard NAND for an SD card as was performed by Al3x_10m (Alexandru Moldoveanu):

• [r/3dshacks] Best Hardmods for New 3DS XL?
  • see the discussion chain started by MathewPKfan2001.

It should go without saying this isn't a trivial procedure.

Even if you were to physically remove the onboard NAND found on the 3DS motherboard, it is also possible to boot the 3DS with an EmuNAND / RedNAND (emulated / redirected) setup on a SD card through the SD card slot reader. EmuNAND is something like those bootable USB pen drives you'll commonly see testing and installing desktop Linux. You can try testing an EmuNAND by creating one with 3DS Multi EmuNAND Creator.

Either methods of fixing your 3DS is doable so long as your Bootloader is intact, which is the 3DS equivalent of a computer motherboard's BIOS.

The problem is you might have fried more than the NAND if the n3DS can't even turn on and interact with you in any meaning full way.

Ie, no signs of life. These are missing:

• GodMode9 (Start)
  
• Luma3DS configuration (Select)
  
• Recovery Mode [A+R+L+Up(DPad)]
  
• bootrom blue screens of death

Hello,

I tried this method and created an emuNAND, but my problem is that I don’t know how to boot nand from a microSD cart. I had a look at the discussion chain from MathewPKfan2001 but I didn’t understand anything :/

Do I have to solder again, to use this microSD cart method?