Gaming DSi screen fades/flickers - What does it mean?

[zeello]

The screen looks good when I first turn it on, but the screen begins fading right away.. not only that but looking at the screen made me dizzy and nauseous. (it's like the screen was rapidly flickering, too fast for the naked eye to notice, but I could definitely tell that something was off) In any case, the screen would continue to fade slightly more and more, until an error message came up (all black with white text), similar or identical to this one:

(found the image in google search - it is not my system)

For the record, I managed to remove the top screen from my DSi, and got the system to work like this, and everything is fine except for the screen fading problem, which never happened before.

 

[zeello]

EDIT: Attaching a wifi antenna doesn't solve the screen fading problem. (well it was worth a shot)

(Fun fact by the way... the DSi XL wifi antenna works on a DSi.)

 

[zeello]

Ok. I got a replacement top screen (ten bucks!!) so I hooked it up, inserted the battery, and powered on the system.. it works... but the bottom screen still fades! (same problem as before.. it begins to get dimmer and dimmer...)

The top screen works brilliantly... there is a clear difference between the top and bottom screen now.
So it seems like there is something wrong with the bottom screen specifically.

I removed the bottom screen and inspected it, and there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it, or its ribbon cables.

I am considering buying a bottom screen replacement to see if that fixes it.
Maybe I just busted the bottom screen when I tried to cram everything in the bottom half...
That said, speakers and cameras are unattached, so maybe that is causing it.

 

[zeello]

At 7 minutes 0 seconds, he says that the bottom screen needs to be insulated so it doesn't come in contact with the motherboard

This could be the explanation!

Edit: Nevermind.. it seems to have nothing to do with it.

 

[zeello]

Nobody replies... sigh... Well I'm just posting to say that I bought a replacement bottom screen and it still fades! Replacing the bottom screen did nothing! In fact, the fading is much worse on the new screen. (it's a cheaper quality screen I guess)

I have two options:
a) give up... and toss the DSi in the bin
b) buy a replacement bottom screen... again... but this time getting an official version (I was thinking www.nintendorepairshop.com)

In other words, if I buy another screen and it doesn't work then I'd have no choice but to give up.
After all, I have no idea what else I could do about it, short of replacing the motherboard, or starting over with another DSi.
Nobody here knows what causing the bottom screen to fade?

 

[Duo8]

I got this once. It was most likely a connection problem.

 

[zeello]

I got this once. It was most likely a connection problem.

I will try to look closely at the connectors on the motherboard. (the two bottom LCD connectors)
And, if I can think of a way to clean them, maybe I will.

What did you actually do to make the fading go away?

 

[Duo8]

I will try to look closely at the connectors on the motherboard. (the two bottom LCD connectors)
And, if I can think of a way to clean them, maybe I will.

What did you do to fix it?

Yeah... That's the problem. I tried that too, but they looked perfectly normal (at least, to me then).
After a month, I just bring it in for repairs.
Even after the repair, it still occasionally happens (once a month or something).
IIRC Rydian disassembled his DSi once and also got a flickering top screen.

 

[BORTZ]

Is it possible your screens are dying?

 

[zeello]

lol once a month. So it just comes and goes? How curious.

I wonder if maybe temperature is a factor. It's pretty chilly indoors... the metal components are cold to touch. (the back of the top screen is like, ice cold) I could try putting the system near a radiator for a while.

or I could microwave it.. *shot*

Is it possible your screens are dying?

Should I buy a new screen, then? I already did, and the new screen is even worse.
That is why I asked whether I should try again and buy another screen, but this time from nintendorepairshop.com rather than a random ebay seller.

But as I was saying... if 2 different screens have very similar issues on my system then probably nothing is wrong with either screen. The root of the problem should lie elsewhere.

 

[BORTZ]

or I could microwave it.. *shot*

... dont do that.

 

[TwilightWarrior]

it means its time to get a 3ds

 

[SquallSaw]

Hi to OP, there are 3 holes on top of battery slot. left one is screw, and the rest are for screen adjustment (it seems).
For my case, I accidentally "unscrewed" the middle hole and right hole (when fixing the LR buttons). Then my bottom screen flickered and became too bright.
Just turn on the DSi, unlid the battery, then spin the middle hole (for bottom screen IIRC) and top hole (for top screen IIRC). Since you have nothing to lose, how about giving this a try.

 

[Nikokaro]

Congratulations, you have made a great discovery, which will be useful in the future to me and to many other DSi owners; unfortunately I fear that it comes a few years late for the OP...

 

[SoaringWyvern]

Hi to OP, there are 3 holes on top of battery slot. left one is screw, and the rest are for screen adjustment (it seems).
For my case, I accidentally "unscrewed" the middle hole and right hole (when fixing the LR buttons). Then my bottom screen flickered and became too bright.
Just turn on the DSi, unlid the battery, then spin the middle hole (for bottom screen IIRC) and top hole (for top screen IIRC). Since you have nothing to lose, how about giving this a try.

You just saved me SO much stress trying to check ribbon cables and things when I had only turned a screw I shouldnt have. Cheers!

 

[DoomknightOmega]

Im having the same issue with my ds

 

[BerserkLeon]

My screen wasn't fading but it was flickering a bit.
On a Lite there's the SL1 hole you use for FlashMe, then the screw for the top screen then the screw hole for the battery door, then the screw for the bottom screen, then the case screw.

For me turning it to the right a little fixed my flickering issue

 

[mooglazer]

Hi to OP, there are 3 holes on top of battery slot. left one is screw, and the rest are for screen adjustment (it seems).
For my case, I accidentally "unscrewed" the middle hole and right hole (when fixing the LR buttons). Then my bottom screen flickered and became too bright.
Just turn on the DSi, unlid the battery, then spin the middle hole (for bottom screen IIRC) and top hole (for top screen IIRC). Since you have nothing to lose, how about giving this a try.

Was refurbishing a DSi and the bottom screen had strange flickering, almost like a low refresh rate. Adjusting the middle screw a little to the left (just a tiny tiny bit) fixed the issue and the screen is beautiful now. Thank you!