Feedback Hardware 3DS won't boot, please help

[newbcat]

Hello, I am very new to hardware and just wandering in the internet for help, my 3ds won't boot up anymore. Device is New 3DS XL with CFW. Was working fine until lately. Forgot to charge it for 2 weeks then when I try to turn it on, blue light/power light appears (no display on screen) then it goes out. Tried to charge the device and charging light is working. After charging light goes out, tried powering the system again, still same issue. Tried multiple times, then comes a time when red light appears on power light when pressing power button (also goes out when power button is released). Tried removing game card, still not booting. Tried removing sd, still not booting. Tried replacing battery with new one, still not booting. Watched and tested fuses, has continuity, still haven't tried reflowing because I still have no heat gun. Tested diodes, red , orange/yellow working but blue very faint light. I am planning on buying power board but am wondering if the blue diode may be the one causing the issue and if I can just replace it? (Because power board so hard to find around my area and the ones online are so expensive). Is the blue diode included in the things 3ds checks before it can boot? Thanks for those who will answer and Godbless

 

[Cranesbill]

Is it modded? Because I had the same issue months ago and all I did was check the files on the sd card, updating godmode9 to the newest release and it went back to normal after a few minutes

 

[newbcat]

Is it modded? Because I had the same issue months ago and all I did was check the files on the sd card, updating godmode9 to the newest release and it went back to normal after a few minutes

Thank you for your suggestion, still having the same issue though. Well, I just ordered another (slightly damaged but still working) unit so I can take the power board and swap it with mine. Hoping it fixes the problem.

 

[Cranesbill]

Thank you for your suggestion, still having the same issue though. Well, I just ordered another (slightly damaged but still working) unit so I can take the power board and swap it with mine. Hoping it fixes the problem.

Ah- uh this is India awkward- literally a day later when I posted that comment, this came in to my FYP, so . . . .

 

[Kwyjor]

Thank you for your suggestion, still having the same issue though.

You didn't answer the question. Is it modded?

Well, I just ordered another (slightly damaged but still working) unit so I can take the power board and swap it with mine. Hoping it fixes the problem.

Replacing the power board has not typically been a solution to a unit that suddenly stops working. But perhaps yours is different.

 

[zekro94]

You didn't answer the question. Is it modded?

Replacing the power board has not typically been a solution to a unit that suddenly stops working. But perhaps yours is different.

Doesn't need to answer something he already stated in the first post

Edit: Anyway, @newbcat does the 3ds light up the screens but you only see black? does it stay like that for 5 seconds? Try powering it on holding A+R+L+Up(DPad) to see if it enters recovery mode atleast

 

[Cranesbill]

Oh so that's what cfw mean, hehe whoops- either way there's already the easy solution

 

[zekro94]

Oh so that's what cfw mean, hehe whoops- either way there's already the easy solution

CFW= Custom firmware, modified, modded
OFW= Official firmware, not modified, not tampered with.
Everyday is an opportunity to learn something

 

[newbcat]

Replacing the power board has not typically been a solution to a unit that suddenly stops working. But perhaps yours is different.

Seems like you're right, the power board from my old unit works on the new unit I ordered.

The issue seems to be the motherboard, because when I swap it to the new unit, it won't boot and no blue light at all.

 

[Kwyjor]

Does it enter recovery mode, as discussed above?

You might get somewhere with an ntrboot flashcart.

 

[newbcat]

Edit: Anyway, @newbcat does the 3ds light up the screens but you only see black? does it stay like that for 5 seconds?

It used to light the power led then turn off with a popping sound but no light on both screens. Then after charging and trying to turn on multiple times, it turned to red at some point, and now no light at all. No light on top and bottom screen, no light on power led.

Post automatically merged: Aug 15, 2024

Now this doesn't solve my question but I'm just gonna put it here in case it might help someone in the future.

After butchering both 3ds and swapping parts, I managed to reproduce the popping sound using new unit's motherboard, any abxy board from the 2 units, any top screen from the two units, and the bottom screen from the old unit. My guess is another issue is on the lower screen of the old unit. Probably the backlight cable as I learned from this video that if 3ds doesn't detect backlight , it won't boot.



Now, I assembled the working parts and kept the casing of my old unit. Then I managed to mess up the flaps of the mic and the home button with my luck. Now I need to put pressure to those flaps for the mic and home button to work. I'll just manage with those workarounds for now.

I will still try @Cranesbill and @zekro94's suggestions on my old motherboard this weekend and see if it at least show some blue light.

Thank you @Cranesbill, @Kwyjor, and @zekro94 for all your suggestions.

 

[zekro94]

I didn't watch the video but usually popping is because either top screen flex cables or speaker cables are damaged/not seated correctly. Check the flex cables for the top screen to see if there's any damage. I know you said it might be the lowerscreen backlight but still. Also for the flaps, it happened to me too and I used a plastic gun to just stick it down(the ones which use a rod of plastic that gets heated and melts)
Not ideal but still....

 

[CoolMe]

my 3ds won't boot up anymore.

blue light/power light appears (no display on screen) then it goes out.

Have you tried with another sd card reader? It's known to do this exact behavior when it's faulty. If you have another N3DSXL it's worth trying. Just switch the two it's pretty easy.
If it's not that, then faulty camera also know to do this. Tho it's a PITA to change it to be quite honest.

Is it modded? Because I had the same issue months ago and all I did was check the files on the sd card, updating godmode9 to the newest release and it went back to normal after a few minutes

Fwiw, that shouldn't have done anything. Unless you updated Luma3DS too.

 

[Cranesbill]

Fwiw, that shouldn't have done anything. Unless you updated Luma3DS too.

Honest, it worked and my 3DS worked normally after that. I just replaced the old files with the new ones I download

 

[newbcat]

@zekro94 @Kwyjor recovry mode not working

Post automatically merged: Aug 17, 2024

I didn't watch the video but usually popping is because either top screen flex cables or speaker cables are damaged/not seated correctly. Check the flex cables for the top screen to see if there's any damage. I know you said it might be the lowerscreen backlight but still. Also for the flaps, it happened to me too and I used a plastic gun to just stick it down(the ones which use a rod of plastic that gets heated and melts)
Not ideal but still....

Top screen components working fine, flex cables okay.

As for the flaps, hot glue worked. Thanks

Post automatically merged: Aug 17, 2024

Have you tried with another sd card reader? It's known to do this exact behavior when it's faulty. If you have another N3DSXL it's worth trying. Just switch the two it's pretty easy.
If it's not that, then faulty camera also know to do this. Tho it's a PITA to change it to be quite honest.

just to clarify, I need to put my sd card from my old unit to the working one and see if it reads it?

Regarding the camera, it's working.

 

[CoolMe]

just to clarify, I need to put my sd card from my old unit to the working one and see if it reads it?

Sd card reader not the sd card. Has to be from the same 3ds model (N3DSXL).

 

[newbcat]

Sd card reader not the sd card. Has to be from the same 3ds model (N3DSXL).

Tried swapping the sd card reader from the old (broken) motherboard to the new one, new one still boots, I think the reader is just fine.

 

[CoolMe]

Tried swapping the sd card reader from the old (broken) motherboard to the new one, new one still boots, I think the reader is just fine.

You were supposed to swap the opposite way.

 

[newbcat]

You were supposed to swap the opposite way.

Isn't it the same thing either way? If the sd reader is causing the issue on the old motherboard, it should cause the same issue on the new motherboard as well? Or am I missing something important?

 

[CoolMe]

Isn't it the same thing either way? If the sd reader is causing the issue on the old motherboard, it should cause the same issue on the new motherboard as well? Or am I missing something important?

True. But sometimes the sd card reader doesn't go completely dead but might work if the ribbon cable or pins are pressed just the right way for it to function properly..