Hacking DS (phat) Repair revival

[Kirby102]

Yeah... the pictures should explain for itself... [I apologise for the crappy shots, its from my XBLvision camera]

I'm going to order a LCD TFT screen @ DX, and while I'm doing so... I'm going to pick up some other stuff...
Such as a DSphat case (cause my DS is coming to pieces... chipped edges, its hurting my palms)
..and I'm not too sure what will fix this:

It's a small patch on there, and its rough when I slide my stylus/finger on it... it still recognises the touch.
Was wondering if I just need a touchscreen 'screen' or the whole screen and touchscreen itself...

So as a whole, I was just wondering if there should be other factors that I should consider whilst I am going to revive my DS.

Thanks

 

[Pogoplay]

I think you'd be better off buying a new DS lite...

 

[zidane_genome]

What you'll need to get :

DSphat Top Screen
DSphat Touch Screen (not the same as the actual LCD screen)
DSphat Shell replacement
TriWing screwdriver
Small Philips head screwdriver
Tweezers
and most of all PATIENCE!!

Shell replacements : Black, Red, Metallic Blue, White, Silver, Pink.

Top screen repalcement, Bottom LCD, Touch Screen (actual Touch part).

TriWing screwdriver

Now, after you order your parts, and then get them (free shipping!), you'll want to take your time. I repeat, TAKE YOUR TIME.

Take a sheet of paper, a sharpie, and some masking tape. put a strip of masking tape (sticky side UP) across your paper, and tape it down. this is where you'll place your screws so you don't lose them.

Take your time, and remove all the screws of your DS (top and bottom)... first, do the bottom... take out the battery, remove all the screws and remove the bottom. take the L and R buttons out, and make sure you don't lose the springs. Now, take out the 4 screws holding down your motherboard. With a pair of tweezers, flip up the little black tab, and remove the ribbon cables on the bottom right and top left. there will be 2 more VERY small ribbon cables, remove them as well. You'll also see a black wire. That's your WiFi wire. BE CAREFUL, and unsnap it from it's base (with tweezers).

Remove your mother board, and you'll have access to your bottom screen.

Replace the touch screen now.

Remove the 4 screws holding your top screen together. BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL NOW. The speaker wires are VERY fragile! Remove the 2 screws holding the speaker boards down. Now, remove the ribbon cables the same way as the bottom (2 black clips, and one TINY cable). Toss your top screen.

There will be one more screw, the one holding the hinge together. remove that, and you can take the long ribbon cable and wifi wire from the old case.

Be sure to draw pictures of the insides of your DS on the paper, so you can remember where screws go, and how to put it back togeather when your done.

make sure you use the tweezers on the ribbon cables, as they are very fragile, and will snap easily!

Take your time, and do it in a clean room, you dont want hairs and dust stuck inside your screens!

EDIT

Screw the DSlite... the DSphat is so much better! phat FTW!!!!! ROCK ON!!!

PS, I did this myself, and I'm very glad I did the tape for screws and drawings of the insides, helped SO MUCH!

 

[Sir-Fritz]

Is that paint on the top screen?

 

[Heran Bago]

Is that paint on the top screen?

No, the top LCD screen has cracked.

 

[Searinox]

Your touchscreen is unscratched. There is a plastic layer over the touchscreen and that is what you are tapping on. Thelayer can be replaced with any transparent plastic or just removed altogether, provided that you stick it UNDER the screen it will keep its thickness and not sink in. If you're worried about scratching it now that it's directly exposed just buy a set of Hori screen protectors. Here's a link: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.5363 They are for DS Lite but should work on phat with no problem.

Your upper screen is a bit problematic. You have to replace both the screen AND the plastic piece that sits on top of it, and I thinkthose only come with new cases... you can buy a cheap topscreen replacement here: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.3189 You will have to take note of WHERE the speakers are soldered onto your screen and resolder them onto the new one. That's 4 solderings in total(2 for each).

Finnanciarily your best move is to buy a replacement screen. At $15-16 it's a tenth of a DS' cost. Now that I've cut the crap time for the REAL advice: be careful and patient. The DS may take you hours to work out and open. Ribbon cables will be your biggest concern. Fitting the new screen cable through the hinge requires lots of patience and attention. I recomment wrapping its base in paper and tying it with string to pull it through the hinge once you've rolled it, instead of trying to grab it through with tweezers or shove it through from the other side, it is very delicate and I broke mine that way. Also when opening the bottom side BE CAREFUL with the touchscreen ribbon cable which is very small and easily rips out of its clip under the screens' weight. The touchscreen and LCD are stuck together. If that ribon pulls out it might peel and become too thin to be held in by the clip or the whole clip might break off the board at which point you should consider buying a new DS...

Remember, patience is the biggest test the DS puts you through. You might be very good with opening it at first but as time passes and work turns tedious you might feel tempted to just pull on things to get to your goal, that is a no-no. I speak everything from experience. Good luck mate.

 

[Kirby102]

What you'll need to get :

DSphat Top Screen
DSphat Touch Screen (not the same as the actual LCD screen)
DSphat Shell replacement
TriWing screwdriver
Small Philips head screwdriver
Tweezers
and most of all PATIENCE!!

-snip-
PS, I did this myself, and I'm very glad I did the tape for screws and drawings of the insides, helped SO MUCH!
Thanks for the tip

and the variety of choices that I can pick from

But just wondering... some reviews on DX in regarding to the shells... kinda sucking, as some pieces or measurements didn't work? Some bits needed to be borrowed from the OEM DS... would there be any other shells with complete sets? (Hinge barrels also)

QUOTE(Searinox @ Aug 10 2008, 07:21PM) Your touchscreen is unscratched. There is a plastic layer over the touchscreen and that is what you are tapping on. The layer can be replaced with any transparent plastic or just removed altogether, provided that you stick it UNDER the screen it will keep its thickness and not sink in.

Oooh interesting note, I was wondering if I could buy another touch-screen "touch part" and replace it with the scratched one would suffice.
Cause when I slide my stylus on it in some games... that shivering feeling comes to me... and I don't want any damage to the stylus itself

On another note... the outer shell on the top screen... didn't crack. It was just the inside TFT LCD screen itself that cracked... I dunno how that would happen but... :S

Thanks for the quick responses guys

PS: DSphat FTW

 

[Searinox]

You don't need to buy another touchscreen since yours is intact. I don't know where you can get the plastic layer that comes over it. Take note that the plastic, touchscreen, and LCD are all stuck to one another using glue, might be a bit hard prying them apart, use a knife edge and be gentle. I brutalized the hell out of mine, both screens were bending and I thought would break, but remained intact. I don't advise using my method though. XD