I know this isn't Wii specific... more Gamecube and quite a few might know this already but I just discovered it today!
With SSBB in the horizon and that my friends and I want to keep using our Wavebirds but over the years the C-sticks and B-buttons aren't working as well as they used too. Also, Nintendo has stopped shipping them to stores and a first party replacement will run you nearly $50-$70 on ebay, so I came up with a half-assed solution.
I had a pile of wired GC controllers sitting in my electronic box collecting dust, 9 of them to be exact... and 7 wavebirds that needed fixing.
So the process was - (going to refer to the wired controller as the GC controller from here on out)
The C-Stick
-------------
1) I opened up the Wavebird and the GC controller and made sure that the two circuit boards could be successfully transplanted. For those of you who don't know, the C-stick is actually a separate circuit board that is attached to the main board of the controller.
2) The GC's controller's C-stick is connected by a female/male 4 wire adapter. It connects the smaller circuit board of the C-stick to the main board. I desoldered the female end from the main board of the GC controller.
3) I then desoldered the C-stick from the wavebird. It is connected by a 4 wire ribbon rather than the male/female adapter.
4) I then resoldered the female end of the GC controller's adapter to the mainboard on the wavebird. Now I will be able to transplant any C-stick circuit board to the wavebird without any soldering in the future. Just take the controllers apart, unplug the C-stick from the GC controller and plug it into the wavebird.
5) I pieced it back together and it was working like new. No more sticky movements or missed smash attacks due too a worn out C-stick.
For those of you who are not comfortable with desoldering, you can just cut the wires that lead from the GC controller's C-stick to the main board somewhere in the middle. Do the same with the ribbon on the wavebird. Match up the wires, solder them and seal them with a bit of hot glue.
The B button
--------------
You might have a sticky B-button that works sometimes or will suddenly stop working when you're holding it to charge an attack. The thing is the rubber pad under the buttons doesn't get pushed straight down, it usually gets pushed down and towards your palm. This causes the rubber pad to get wedged under the C-stick and it doesn't make contact like it did when it was new.
1) Clean all the rubber pads with an alcohol swab. There should be one for the D-pad, start button and A/B/X/Y buttons.
2) Reset all of the rubber pads except the ones on the A/B/X/Y buttons.
3) Now replace the rubber pad for the A/B/X/Y buttons.
4) You will notice 2 little bumps on the corners of the round edges on the B/X/Y buttons. With a touch of super glue or contact cement (a dab on the tip of a toothpick) glue the OUTSIDE edges of the rubber bumps to the plastic encasing the buttons. Do not glue INSIDE, on the BOTTOM or TOP of the rubber pad. Only on the outside edges. You only want enough glue that the rubber pad will not move and you can easily remove it later with a bit of solvent. A pin prick of glue at the most.
5) Fit the controller back together and play on.
Hope that helps some of the less tinker savvy people out there!
I'll probably post some pictures and redo this guide as after rereading it is a bit confusing....
With SSBB in the horizon and that my friends and I want to keep using our Wavebirds but over the years the C-sticks and B-buttons aren't working as well as they used too. Also, Nintendo has stopped shipping them to stores and a first party replacement will run you nearly $50-$70 on ebay, so I came up with a half-assed solution.
I had a pile of wired GC controllers sitting in my electronic box collecting dust, 9 of them to be exact... and 7 wavebirds that needed fixing.
So the process was - (going to refer to the wired controller as the GC controller from here on out)
The C-Stick
-------------
1) I opened up the Wavebird and the GC controller and made sure that the two circuit boards could be successfully transplanted. For those of you who don't know, the C-stick is actually a separate circuit board that is attached to the main board of the controller.
2) The GC's controller's C-stick is connected by a female/male 4 wire adapter. It connects the smaller circuit board of the C-stick to the main board. I desoldered the female end from the main board of the GC controller.
3) I then desoldered the C-stick from the wavebird. It is connected by a 4 wire ribbon rather than the male/female adapter.
4) I then resoldered the female end of the GC controller's adapter to the mainboard on the wavebird. Now I will be able to transplant any C-stick circuit board to the wavebird without any soldering in the future. Just take the controllers apart, unplug the C-stick from the GC controller and plug it into the wavebird.
5) I pieced it back together and it was working like new. No more sticky movements or missed smash attacks due too a worn out C-stick.
For those of you who are not comfortable with desoldering, you can just cut the wires that lead from the GC controller's C-stick to the main board somewhere in the middle. Do the same with the ribbon on the wavebird. Match up the wires, solder them and seal them with a bit of hot glue.
The B button
--------------
You might have a sticky B-button that works sometimes or will suddenly stop working when you're holding it to charge an attack. The thing is the rubber pad under the buttons doesn't get pushed straight down, it usually gets pushed down and towards your palm. This causes the rubber pad to get wedged under the C-stick and it doesn't make contact like it did when it was new.
1) Clean all the rubber pads with an alcohol swab. There should be one for the D-pad, start button and A/B/X/Y buttons.
2) Reset all of the rubber pads except the ones on the A/B/X/Y buttons.
3) Now replace the rubber pad for the A/B/X/Y buttons.
4) You will notice 2 little bumps on the corners of the round edges on the B/X/Y buttons. With a touch of super glue or contact cement (a dab on the tip of a toothpick) glue the OUTSIDE edges of the rubber bumps to the plastic encasing the buttons. Do not glue INSIDE, on the BOTTOM or TOP of the rubber pad. Only on the outside edges. You only want enough glue that the rubber pad will not move and you can easily remove it later with a bit of solvent. A pin prick of glue at the most.
5) Fit the controller back together and play on.
Hope that helps some of the less tinker savvy people out there!
I'll probably post some pictures and redo this guide as after rereading it is a bit confusing....
