Hacking DS Lite Water Damage?

[MakerNekoMizuki]

A small bit of water got onto my DS Lite and now it won't start.
It's way past the warranty so how do I fix it without having to spend money?

 

[Joey90]

where did the water get spilt onto, and what happens when you try to turn it on?

 

[MakerNekoMizuki]

where did the water get spilt onto, and what happens when you try to turn it on?

It fell onto it when I was putting it away right before I closed it so some got right onto the top and some got near the top (near the battery charger slot).

The touch screen looks kind of weird so maybe water got into there.


And absolutely nothing happens when I try to start it up.

 

[Dteyn]

I made a lengthy thread about my friend's water damaged DS Lite here:

http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=151743

My first recommendation is to completely disassemble the DS Lite (using a tri-wing screwdriver and this YouTube video as a guide) and let it air dry for 2-3 days, then try re-assembling it and see if it powers up. You may need to charge the battery first before it'll turn on.

Also if the charging or power light doesn't come on at all, your F1 or F2 fuse on the mainboard may be blown. In that case you will need to bridge or replace the fuse according to this YouTube video.

If your DS powers on for a split second and one of the screens flash (like my friends water damaged DS lite), you will need to replace the screen that does not flash. For my buddy's water damaged DS Lite that fell in the toilet, all that needed to be replaced was the bottom LCD and touch screen, total cost about $15 CDN. So much cheaper than buying a new one or having Nintendo repair it (even under warranty they don't cover water damage).

I hope this helps!

 

[MakerNekoMizuki]

Is there some way to open it without that screwdriver? Like some other screwdriver?

 

[wchill]

I'd just recommend buying a triwing from DX. They're not even a dollar there.

 

[Frederica Bernkastel]

Well, you'd need a triwing.
If you can't repair it, send it to "ConsoleDoctor.co.uk" they're excellent, cheaper and WAYYYYY faster than nintendo.

 

[PettingZoo]

I wouldn't really disassemble it myself If I were you, though if you're confident then do so, if not get a nerdy friend to do it for you lol.

 

[BakuFunn]

try leaving it to dry for a day or two.

my ds phat got gatorade all over and in it. after using the mistake of turning it on, it didnt work for a day or two. i let it dry, the bottom screen was messed up. no, after like a few months, all the gatorade evaporated and it's fine. but then again, i have a lite now.

first rule of thumb when you get water into a gadget - DONT TURN IT ON
let it dry for a day, then try.

 

[MakerNekoMizuki]

So pretty much the best way to fix it is just to let it sit for a while?


And BTW, it's not that I'm not confident, it's that I don't have the screwdriver and can't order online.

 

[Dteyn]

The only other thing that might work is the smallest size flat screwdriver from a mini-screwdriver set similar to this:

If you have one like this that fits into one of the three "wings" in the screw head, you could try very carefully rotating the screwdriver to unscrew the four tri-wing screws that you need to remove to get into the DS Lite. Be very careful if you decide to try this though, if you strip the screws then you'll have no way of getting in whatsoever.

I'm assuming the reason you can't order online is you don't have a credit card? If so you could try setting up PayPal to use your bank account, if that's not an option then it may be worthwhile asking a friend or family member with a credit card to order the triwing screwdriver from DX for you, it's only $0.85 (free shipping) so I'm sure you could convince someone to order it for you if you give them $1 cash.

 

[MakerNekoMizuki]

The only other thing that might work is the smallest size flat screwdriver from a mini-screwdriver set similar to this:

If you have one like this that fits into one of the three "wings" in the screw head, you could try very carefully rotating the screwdriver to unscrew the four tri-wing screws that you need to remove to get into the DS Lite. Be very careful if you decide to try this though, if you strip the screws then you'll have no way of getting in whatsoever.

I'm assuming the reason you can't order online is you don't have a credit card? If so you could try setting up PayPal to use your bank account, if that's not an option then it may be worthwhile asking a friend or family member with a credit card to order the triwing screwdriver from DX for you, it's only $0.85 (free shipping) so I'm sure you could convince someone to order it for you if you give them $1 cash.

I have one of those but how would I go about getting it done? Thought about that but kind of nervous about messing up.
how tight are the DS screws?

So there are no stores I could go to that sell the triwing screwdrivers?

 

[Jimen]

You might be able to find them in hardware or electronics stores, but they're rather rare compared to other types of screwdriver. In fact, that seems to be one of the major reasons tri-wing screws are often used in electronics - it discourages casual fooling around, since people are a lot less likely to open up the device and start fooling around with the insides if they have to go that far out of their way just to get the right screwdriver.

 

[MakerNekoMizuki]

Well can it dry out and start working without me having to open it?

 

[Diviance]

try putting it on a heater for a day or 2

 

[BlueStar]

And absolutely nothing happens when I try to start it up.

First thing would be NOT to try and turn it on until you're sure it's completely dried out, but it seems that advice has come too late.

 

[MakerNekoMizuki]

And absolutely nothing happens when I try to start it up.

First thing would be NOT to try and turn it on until you're sure it's completely dried out, but it seems that advice has come too late.

Why? how do I know if it works if I don't try to turn it on? And that was like an huor after I got it wet when I tried turning it on.

 

[BlueStar]

And absolutely nothing happens when I try to start it up.

First thing would be NOT to try and turn it on until you're sure it's completely dried out, but it seems that advice has come too late.

Why? how do I know if it works if I don't try to turn it on? And that was like an huor after I got it wet when I tried turning it on.

Because you could short things inside it and do permanent damage. If there's water in something the last thing you want to do is try and put power through it. A mate of mine got his DS soaking wet when a water bottle leaked in his bag and left it to dry near a radiator for a week, turned it on and it was fine.

 

[MakerNekoMizuki]

So what you're saying is I fried the damn thing when this could have been avoidable despite the water?

 

[BlueStar]

So what you're saying is I fried the damn thing when this could have been avoidable despite the water?

Not necessarily, but it's possible. Leave it for a few days somewhere warm and dry and try it again.