Gaming Resurrecting a Broken DS Lite - Any Help?

[Cloak519]

Hi all

.
My sister has a broken pink DS Lite and she got a DSi as a replacement. I was thinking of naffing the DS Lite and fitting a new shell which seems simple enough as long as I follow instructions carefully.
It has a broken hinge on the right-hand side and the only thing keeping the top of the DS attached to the bottom is the left-hand hinge.
However, when I turn it on, the power LED shows, the bottom screen goes white for a split second and then it shuts down.
It's definitely a hardware fault but I don't know what it's likely to be.
Anyone have any ideas? Is it worth me spending £15 on new housing or is something internal broken beyond repair?
I've got a feeling it might be something to do with the ribbon cable and the motherboard (after Googling)... but there's a replacement on Amazon.
Thanks in advance!
CA5.

 

[XXLANCEXX]

get a new screen for the bottom screen and when putting on a shell be very careful cause those are known to crack the screen if your careless

 

[Cloak519]

Thanks for the reply.
A new screen? Are you sure this is necessary?
EDIT: Also, what if it isn't the bottom screen?

 

[phoenix1234]

ok as u said the bottom screen flashes, this indicates the screen works, it mite well be the ribbon from the top screen to the motherboard is loose, or even the ribbon on the bottom screen, chk all connections, it may also be 1 of the 2 fuses have blown, easy fix is just to solder across the connections, hard fix is to replace the fuse itself, i say hard cos they are so tiny its hard to keep them in position while u solder. the other thing is where the hell are u shoppin for ur cases? u can get them ALOT cheaper than £15. i did try n giv u a couple of sites but they got censored.... 1 even got replaced with shoptemp which DOESNT exist pffft

 

[Cloak519]

Thanks for the reply phoenix!
I'm leaning towards the ribbon cable being loose or broken.
Think I'll give this a try haha.
Cheers!

.

 

[Slyakin]

Hmm... Bottom screen troubles normally either mean a ripped ribbon cable or loose ribbon cable.


I'd just recommend first opening it up and looking to see what's wrong. If it's ripped, you're gonna have to get a new bottom screen. If it's loose, just be gentle and push it back in.

 

[Cloak519]

Thanks Slyakin, I'll open it up and have a mooch.
Cheers!

 

[Slyakin]

Thanks Slyakin, I'll open it up and have a mooch.
Cheers!

No probs! The bottom half of the system is the easiest to open up.

 

[Cloak519]

Sounds promising haha

. Cool avatar btw!

 

[Cloak519]

Thought I'd post a general update for anyone that cares... after tearing it apart, the problem is indeed the ribbon cable. Ordered a new upper screen, should be here in two days... then hopefully, touch wood, I have a working DS Lite (crimson and black).

 

[Deleted_11405]

i have the same, the upper screen hinge broke with the brown ribbon cable, and the bottom screen lights up and shuts down. i still have another broken pink nds lite, which i sometimes use for chargin the spare batteries. i was thinking to get the good part of my white ds lite and place it in my second broken pink ds lite. i had to find the special 3 point screwdriver to open the parts, and i had a converstation with somebody who could help me. that person didnt have the special 3point screwdriver, but was explaining me a thing about the company could have placed an eprom, what means when opening the nds, there''s light on the eeprom so when everything was put together, the memory changed and could never be started up, only the company could do that.(a.p.) could someone tell more of it, if it's true? you got it experient? it could save me a lot of work, and better getting a second had or new one.

 

[Keram]

I don't know what kind of rom it is in the DS, but for EProm being erased by UV light like it is in the sun, it has to be exposed to strong sunlight for a few days if not weeks. For professional erasing on EProms there are special devices that emit the needed uv light. As long as you don't modify the DS in the open sun for a long time, there should nothing happen to the rom.
EEProms are improved EProms as in, they can be erased electrically and not only by uv light (thats what one of the Es in EEProm stands for

)

But still, I've never worked with E(E)PRoms nor modified any DS so better get real clarification, but at least, that's what I know about E(E)Proms.

Edit: Also, what I remembered just right now, the uv light needed to successfully erase EProms is of short wavelength and is carcinogenic (= you can get cancer), the intensity of that uv light in the sun light that reaches earth is not as strong. So yeah, as long as you don't leave the EProm in the open sun for a long while (why should you?

) it should be ok.

 

[Cloak519]

i have the same, the upper screen hinge broke with the brown ribbon cable, and the bottom screen lights up and shuts down. i still have another broken pink nds lite, which i sometimes use for chargin the spare batteries. i was thinking to get the good part of my white ds lite and place it in my second broken pink ds lite. i had to find the special 3 point screwdriver to open the parts, and i had a converstation with somebody who could help me. that person didnt have the special 3point screwdriver, but was explaining me a thing about the company could have placed an eprom, what means when opening the nds, there''s light on the eeprom so when everything was put together, the memory changed and could never be started up, only the company could do that.(a.p.) could someone tell more of it, if it's true? you got it experient? it could save me a lot of work, and better getting a second had or new one.

Hey

.
I'm no tech-expert but that sounds a little... wrong... to me.
There are tons of videos online about how to fix a DS Lite, tons of people have done it, I'm part-way through doing it, and I've never heard anything about this 'EProm' thing.
But then as I say, I'm not a hardware genius.
Anyways, you might want to watch these videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=896S39jB3k0...feature=related (Part 1)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcCmyUBf3gU...feature=related (Part 2)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RWasAiDDMo...feature=related (Part 3)

They give you a clear breakdown of taking apart a DS Lite. Before you attempt anything I recommend watching through them... they were useful to me, although I swear he puts a screw in at the wrong time at some point.

 

[Keram]

It might very well be that the DS uses EPRoms, but just as I explained why, exposing it to normal lighting like in a room should absolutely be of no harm to its internals.
Otherwise, yeah, people wouldn't be replacing party by themselves.

 

[Cloak519]

It might very well be that the DS uses EPRoms, but just as I explained why, exposing it to normal lighting like in a room should absolutely be of no harm to its internals.
Otherwise, yeah, people wouldn't be replacing party by themselves.

Sorry that I appeared to ignore your post... I did read it and you made some valid points.
I mean, there's every possibility that it does, but I personally don't think it's going to interfere with repairing a DSL from home in any way

.

 

[Keram]

No worries, that explanation of mine was rather meant to just explain the roms mooiweer was talking about, that issue with sunlight and why opening the DS should pose no threat to them.

I mean it's not like I pointed out a big myth or unexplored knowledge there, you could read all that up on wikipedia or simply google it, it should be as easy as that.

I also don't believe that its not gonna interfere in any way, just by the fact that there are countless videos and tuts explaining how to do the thing yourself and if this rom and sunlight thing would be an issue, that surely would have been mentioned there.