Hacking Insensitive shoulder button (dslite)

[704jaffer]

So my NDS shoulder (L) button has grown to be rather insensitive, and after having taken apart the DS a few times to compressed air clean the button I'm thinking my best option is to insert a small spacer on the button to give it a bit more "push". Anyone have any experience repairing shoulder buttons?

 

[gukid]

I've never repaired a lite, but I did fix a GB Micro and DS Phat having the same problem (L or R button not responsive.)

What I did was open it up, until you can see the little switchbox where the actual button is (there's a tiny button that clicks on top, and this is what the L or R button is pressing onto, you can't actually get into the "box"), I put a bit of paper towel or tissue under one site and spray it out with contact cleaner. NOT WD-40, but find something that is made for cleaning electronic contacts, Radio Shack or whatever should sell something that is safe to use. After you spray a bit in, press the button a bunch of times, and let the "liquid" seep out the other side into the tissue. Maybe do it 3 or 4 more times, and then your button should "come back to life". As in, it'll get more and more responsive as the cleaner breaks down junk that is preventing the button from working.

Okay, so maybe I don't really know the inner workings of HOW it works... but I can say that it has worked perfectly on 2 occasions, so no harm in trying.

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

you wore out the button. you can replace them if you know how to deal with surface mount parts. DX sells replacement L a& R buttons. Take it in for service if possible.

If you don't have skills to do it, don't even try to replace SMT parts.

 

[Om3ga]

Sorry well I had the same problem (with the L butten) and I gave it to nintendo and they fixed it. well kinda they gave me a new ds and well it was nice because of the touch sceen was a bit scratched . but you opend your ds so IdK. i have a dslite.

 

[Tanas]

Open DS, spray button with WD40, fixed!!

 

[704jaffer]

I agree that the button is probably going, for now I "installed" 2 small squares of electrical tape onto the shoulder buttons "X" shaped pusher as spacers. From what I've played so far the button responds quite well now and doesn't need to be deeply compressed to activate.

Thanks for the info about where to get a replacement shoulder button; I didn't know DX carried parts. As for installing it, I've replaced small smd parts before, particularly ds lite power switches, so I should be ok

I won't be trying to send the ds to nintendo, a half white and half black NDS might not look good