Hardware MicroSD Card Reader's Connector Pins Broken?

[SpyKid]

Hello, I don't know where this belongs so I hope it is in the right section.
Since a few days I had this issue with my Nintendo Switch where playing the games would just crash and popping up the error "MicroSD card was removed" here and there, coming more often. Mostly when I had the thumb in the location where the MicroSD card reader is. It's not the SD cards fault since I tried multiple and they all work on other devices so that's not the case. Must be hardware-related.

So I bought a replacement part from a third-party, and installed it, but now it's not reading the MicroSD's at all anymore, and it's happening with both, the old original and the replacement part now. So I took a closer look at the mother board. I see that there are 3 "pins" or whatever the golden parts on the connector are, are missing, and they appear to be stuck inside my original card reader.

I will attach a photo of that (you can see my spudger pointing at said pins). Now my question is: What can I do to fix this and be able to read SD cards again? Sucks because that's where basically all of my games are stored. My friend already suggested that the entire mother board has to be replaced, but wouldn't that make me lose all my save data? (On games that are actually stored on the system, that is). And if it comes to that, would I be better off buying a replacement part on my own, and have a friend replace it, or send it to Nintendo, with having the fees + shipment, potential high repairing costs, and at the risk of definitely losing my save data? (since they will just send you a brand new one in return in those cases, I've heard). By the way, I still have 3 weeks of warranty left on this console.

I have absolute zero knowledge when it comes to hardware, and even less when it comes to soldiering. Hopefully some experienced people can tell me what to do here.

 

[masagrator]

Solder new port. I had the same issue and soldering new port was the only option. And it sucks because there are no spare parts produced for this. You need a Switch donor.

 

[mitcha]

take a look here , was having the same issue.
you have to solder like the diagram , i soldered only one pin and kept the original card reader

https://gbatemp.net/threads/problem...endo-switch-mother-board.552215/#post-8867689

 

[Agilato]

I had this challenge yesterday (2 pins were missing after water damage).
Problem that there is 4 other plastic connectors on the same side and u can't use hot-air reworking station because you mostly will melt them.

In you case Looks like traces are good and connector aren't damaged, so you have 2 ways to fix it:
1) Slowly heat up all board from behind and replace connector(i use this method all the time to replace LCD connector), very risky without actual practice because if you will over heat this side of the board it starts delaminate.
2) You need new, used or similar by pin-size connector, take pins out and put on place of missing one, use thin soldering tip and flux to make sure you will not melt connector itself.

Turned out that is actually pretty easy and risk free fix if you have just a bit soldering skills and patience to put pins in (in my case 3 flew away)

 

[SpyKid]

The problem is I don't even know where to get a replacement part from. Do I need one spare for the whole main board? Or where do I take the pins from that are to be soldiered into? I bought a replacement part but these sites that offer them are really sketchy. I was scammed, they didn't even sent me a part that belongs to the Nintendo Switch it was just some plastic case, even though they offered a full main board.

 

[mitcha]

don't rush , just read.

https://gbatemp.net/threads/sd-card-port-issue.521485/

https://gbatemp.net/threads/nintendo-switch-sd-card-part-ripped-off.549827/

https://gbatemp.net/threads/about-the-microsd-card-connector.523130/