Hacking New 3DS XL Won't Boot After Hardmod

[Monty Kensicle]

Not sure what's going on with this unit as I've done dozens of 3DSes thus far without incident. But I was tasked with hardmodding a 3DS and hacking it when the most peculiar thing started to happen.

After putting it together it would flash its screens and turn off. Okay, the LCD ribbon cables need reseating so I do that and then the beige tab on the ribbon cable connector attaching the battery board comes off and I have to spend an hour carefully putting that back on.

But after that, I turn the 3DS on the screens light up, then get slightly brighter, then the extra camera for facial recognition blinks red a few times and then the screens go dark and the power LED starts the breathing effect as though it were in sleep mode.

But when I plug in the SD adapter as though I were going the dump the NAND for patching the blue screen comes up with this message.

BOOTROM 8046
ERRCODE: 02F800FE
00000000 00000000
00000400 00000000

Which is what it should be doing right? So it's not a loose ribbon cable or a bad fuse as I first suspected as I wouldn't be able to get the error screen.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your time.

 

[Anime__knight]

From what I've seen, this means your 3ds is bricked. I'm unsure if you can fix this kind of brick, but it would be worth looking into.

 

[Monty Kensicle]

From what I've seen, this means your 3ds is bricked. I'm unsure if you can fix this kind of brick, but it would be worth looking into.

How the Hell did it brick?! I did nothing to the 3DS outside of the 4 wires for the Hard mod.

 

[Anime__knight]

How the Hell did it brick?! I did nothing to the 3DS outside of the 4 wires for the Hard mod.

https://gbatemp.net/threads/list-of-possible-ways-to-brick-your-3ds-2ds-n3ds.425677/ try looking through here to see if something is there. Harmodding is mostly a delicate process

 

[Monty Kensicle]

https://gbatemp.net/threads/list-of-possible-ways-to-brick-your-3ds-2ds-n3ds.425677/ try looking through here to see if something is there. Harmodding is mostly a delicate process

With all due respect, I know what I'm doing, I've done this before and I'm not going at it with a pickaxe.

 

[Anime__knight]

With all due respect, I know what I'm doing, I've done this before and I'm not going at it with a pickaxe.

That's fine, it might just be a one off thing but this means you may have done something else. I'm not too knowledgeable with hardmods and if you've done it before that's fine, but it does seem to be a brick that is probably not recoverable. You do seem talented with harmodding and I respect that but it might just be a slight chance.

 

[Monty Kensicle]

That's fine, it might just be a one off thing but this means you may have done something else. I'm not too knowledgeable with hardmods and if you've done it before that's fine, but it does seem to be a brick that is probably not recoverable. You do seem talented with harmodding and I respect that but it might just be a slight chance.

Unfortunately the only thing that page you shared has to say about Hard mods is "hurr durr, if you're too stupid to solder don't do hard mods!" I never tried to hook it up to the computer and or write to the NAND.

 

[Anime__knight]

View attachment 90336
Unfortunately the only thing that page you shared has to say about Hard mods is "hurr durr, if you're too stupid to solder don't do hard mods!" I never tried to hook it up to the computer and or write to the NAND.

Right well sorry I couldn't be of much help but I am like 90% sure it is bricked and most likely unrecoverable

 

[GerbilSoft]

and then the screens go dark and the power LED starts the breathing effect as though it were in sleep mode.

Check the lid sensor. Make sure there's no magnets anywhere near it.

 

[proflayton123]

@gamesquest1 @vb_encryption_vb

 

[Byokugen]

Try shorter wires that go to your sd card(or adapter) had the same problem

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

When I trimmed the wires, no problem

 

[Monty Kensicle]

Check the lid sensor. Make sure there's no magnets anywhere near it.

Uh, what do you mean? The lid is always open, I never had to even unscrew the boards with the lid sensors in them when I modded the 3DS and I am not near anything magnetic when I try to turn it on.

Try shorter wires that go to your sd card(or adapter) had the same problem

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

When I trimmed the wires, no problem

How short are you talking about? I have them ending in header pins directly off the right side of the board as soon as there's clearance to do so.

Though now that I look at it, the Ground wire could be shorter.

EDIT: Shortened wires. No change

 

[Byokugen]

Do you get that error code when you try to boot the 3ds? Without inserting sd.card into a reader?

 

[gamesquest1]

Yeah looks like sleep mode is being triggered (what you describe happening is exactly what happens if you power on the system with a magnet in the lid sensor spot), if you have another n3ds at hand see if swapping the board over has the same effect, also look at the ribbon cable that runs from the small power board is in correct and look for any wonky pins

 

[Ryccardo]

But when I plug in the SD adapter as though I were going the dump the NAND for patching the blue screen comes up with this message.

BOOTROM 8046
ERRCODE: 02F800FE
00000000 00000000
00000400 00000000

This is perfectly normal as long as it only happens with an SD drive connected

As for the standby issue, the only obvious cause is indeed the reed switch... (maybe you accidentally hit it with your iron? it shouldn't be that close to the pins, though)
If all else fails, just remove it and live without standby? At least you don't need it to pass initial setup

 

[Monty Kensicle]

This is perfectly normal as long as it only happens with an SD drive connected

As for the standby issue, the only obvious cause is indeed the reed switch... (maybe you accidentally hit it with your iron? it shouldn't be that close to the pins, though)
If all else fails, just remove it and live without standby? At least you don't need it to pass initial setup

Yes, only with the SD adapter in a SD card reader does that screen appear. Where is the reed switch? I thought those lived on the daughter boards on either side and their location corresponds to the magnets in the spears on the top screen. I never even unscrewed those boards. As far as I know the iron only touched the needed pads on the main board and one of the ground legs of the cartridge port. Should I try getting ground from elsewhere?

 

[gamesquest1]

This is perfectly normal as long as it only happens with an SD drive connected

As for the standby issue, the only obvious cause is indeed the reed switch... (maybe you accidentally hit it with your iron? it shouldn't be that close to the pins, though)
If all else fails, just remove it and live without standby? At least you don't need it to pass initial setup

See I fixed a console with a similar issue, with the n3ds the lid sensor is on the daughterboard, in the case of the one I kinda fixed the owner had tried to hard mod it themselves and bent a pin in the connector, short of soldering a new one (which tbh I couldn't be bothered doing) I managed to bend it back but it snapped off, so ultimately the 3ds worked but without any power led.....but it was better than being dead XD

 

[vb_encryption_vb]

I bet the clk is trashed or lifted.

 

[Monty Kensicle]

I bet the clk is trashed or lifted.

Does it look okay to you?

 

[Monty Kensicle]

Do you get that error code when you try to boot the 3ds? Without inserting sd.card into a reader?

Only when I insert the SD adpter into a card reader do I get the error message.

See I fixed a console with a similar issue, with the n3ds the lid sensor is on the daughterboard, in the case of the one I kinda fixed the owner had tried to hard mod it themselves and bent a pin in the connector, short of soldering a new one (which tbh I couldn't be bothered doing) I managed to bend it back but it snapped off, so ultimately the 3ds worked but without any power led.....but it was better than being dead XD

http://s41.photobucket.com/user/Monty_Kensicle/media/KIMG0007_zpsvf6pue2k.jpg.html
http://s41.photobucket.com/user/Monty_Kensicle/media/KIMG0006_zpsmxvnxo1j.jpg.html

Here's the connector for my daughter board, I can't see anything wrong but you might have better eyes than me.