Wii U Stuck on Logo

[ChefVortivask]

Hello everyone,

First time poster here. I decided to make this post since I am having issues with my Wii U. Currently, my Wii U will not boot up to the main menu. It stays stuck on the Wii U logo indefinitely.

There are a few things to note about my console. The console is the black 32 gb model. I believe it was bought during the 2012 holiday season (release) as we were expecting to play Pikmin 3 before it got delayed. The system has never been modded in any fashion. It was not the most heavily played console, and I can't even give a good estimate of when it was last used (at least more than 3 years).

I have already tried doing the UDPIH, however it does not seem to be working. When using the second recovery menu, I get a white screen with some blue lines (see attached image). I believe this is similar to what @fadafwet described in his post. I was able to get the logs from the system, which I have attached to this post. Any idea what the issue may be and how to fix it? Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[SDIO]

I think for the DLC you got an code that you redeemed in your account. So you probably have to ask your brother for the password to sign in, if the code wa sredeemed in his account.

 

[ChefVortivask]

Alright two months later and I finally was able to sit down with my brother and figure out his account information. He's not very good keeping track of passwords and such, so I had to work with him to get everything straightened out. Anyways, I was able to sign in to his account and redownload the DLC content we had purchased. With that done, I believe it is time to close up the Wii U, so I'll have to decide between keeping de_Fuse or using ISFShax. Any suggestions on which one I should go with?

 

[SDIO]

both would work, but I guess ISFShax would be easier, as you don't have to worry how to mount the pico properly. But with defuse you have the ultimativce brick protection. If you keep defuse, I would recommend you install the latest defuse firmware on the pico.

 

[ChefVortivask]

I think I’ll try to keep de_Fuse then. I saw a picture on a wiki page that showed the pico secured on the motherboard. I’ll do a test fit to see if I’ll be able to close it. I’ll shorten the wires too. As for the voltage and ground wires, I’m guessing I can just use the appropriate test pads. Will magnet wire work for these connections, or do I need to use a lower gauge?

I’ll also remove the 3V3 wire for the NAND-AID just to get it out of the way since the NAND-AID isn’t being used.

 

[ChefVortivask]

Based on the wiki, it looks like my magnet wire should work for voltage and GND (here is the link to the wiki so we're all on the same page). I'm also looking at where it's mounted and it seems really close to a screw hole so I don't know if that'll be an issue or not.

 

[Lazr1026]

heh, i didn't even realize how close the pico was to that screw hole!
I didn't plan to close that system at all, but i would move it away as the bottom shield will come in contact with the pico.
Nothing uses those pins but will be a pita to secure the bottom shield.

 

[ChefVortivask]

So that was your picture? Interesting. So is it possible to mount the pico somewhere underneath and still be able to secure the bottom shield? I'll obviously test spots before cleaning up the wires and mounting the pico, but should that general area work?

 

[Lazr1026]

yeah that was mine. I've put together systems with de_Fuse still installed, and they closed fine. tbh anywhere that isnt too close to the mounting holes is fine, i've even put the pico next to the wifi module once:

Or you could secure it on the topside and use the debug vias next to the 1v inductor and the EXI/RST vias next to the SMC and RTC

 

[ChefVortivask]

Thank you for the pictures. That actually helps a lot and it's nice to know a top mount if possible. Is there solder mask on those vias?

Based on that first picture, it looks like that area should work. Just curious though, it looks like there isn't a wire soldered to the pad for power. How is the pico getting power in that case? Is it connected somewhere else?

 

[SDIO]

also consider what type of glue or tape you use and how it ages. You don't want the pico to come lose in a few years and short something out

 

[Lazr1026]

the vias have a bit of soldermask yeah. you should scratch them before tinning them, if you go that route.

I don't actually remember what i did about power in the first pic. The pico was being powered by the PC. but maybe I hooked up 3v3 after..?

Post automatically merged: Oct 17, 2024

ohhh wait. 3v3 is going to the VSYS pin

 

[ChefVortivask]

also consider what type of glue or tape you use and how it ages

I have double sided tape that should hold for a long time. I can't say with 100% certainty that it'll never fail, but I have a sign hanging off a door using the stuff and it's held for years just fine. As long as it makes good contact, it should hold up, but if anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear it. I'll also do some insulation with kapton tape out of an abundance of caution.

3v3 is going to the VSYS pin

Which pin is that exactly? Is it shown in the picture you provided?

 

[Lazr1026]

Which pin is that exactly? Is it shown in the picture you provided?

yeah its shown in the picture (wire to TP122). its the pin right below VBUS (in the top right corner by the USB port)

 

[ChefVortivask]

yeah its shown in the picture (wire to TP122). its the pin right below VBUS (in the top right corner by the USB port)

I’m looking at the picture again, and I just wanted to ask if that was a small length of wire running across the pads on the pico for TP48 and 176 (the ones that need to be bridged). I just have a big solder blob between them, but it looks like I might have to change that since it might prevent the pico from laying flat against the board.

 

[Lazr1026]

I just saw this, and yeah, i stripped a large section at the end of the wire (super easy to do with magwire!) and then to wherever it needed to go.

 

[ChefVortivask]

It’s all good. I’ve mounted and wired up the pico. Actually had to did it twice since it was hitting one of those raised areas on the metal plate, but now it works. Only issue though is once I secure the plate on, the Wii U won’t turn on. It just stays on a solid red light. I believe that’s indicative of a GND short. It looks like the micro USB port of the pico is making contact with the metal plate. Would that be an issue? I can always insulate with kapton tape.

 

[SDIO]

The outer metal of the connector is gnd, so it shouldn't be a problem if it touches gnd

 

[ChefVortivask]

That’s what I thought, and I even checked it with my multimeter to confirm it. Other than that though, I’m not sure that the issue could be. Is there any chance the test pads could be touching that plate? I’m not sure how close that plate actually gets to the board.

Post automatically merged: Oct 26, 2024

I’m looking at it right now, and I don’t think there’s any way that the plate can touch those pads the way they are right now.

Post automatically merged: Oct 26, 2024

Update: it looks like I fixed it, at least for now. I looked at it and realized that the one corner of the pico that has the wire coming from it was somewhat close the the screw hole and could have been making slight contact with the plate there. I put kapton tape on the plate and it works fine now.

 

[Lazr1026]

ah yeah, thats RESET. pulling it low will absolutely make it not boot

 

[ChefVortivask]

Meant to make this post earlier, but I kept forgetting to.

I ended up moving the pico to another location because once I tightened all the screws for the metal plate, it wasn't working again. I assume there was pressure being put on the corner of the pico which probably isn't good. After moving it again, it worked just fine. Last Sunday I finished it up and put the Wii U back together. It works fine now. Assuming nothing else goes wrong, I believe this project is done.

I want to thank everyone who helped me on this project. It started some time ago and I appreciate the patience and help of everyone along the way, especially @SDIO. I don't think I can properly convey my appreciation through words alone. Everyone on this forum has been awesome and I'm glad to be a part of it.