Nintendo DSi XL Upper Display Assembly Replacement

Passo 1

Remove the two Phillips screws securing the battery cover to the back of the handheld console.
Lift the battery cover off the back of the DSi XL.

rust/white powder built up on a screw and can’t unscrew it

Eco -

Passo 3

Remove the four rubber screw covers on the lower case by prying them up with a push pin.

Passo 4

Remove the following seven Phillips screws that secure the lower case to the rest of the DSi XL:
Four silver 5.3 mm screws
Two black 5.3 mm screws
One black 2.5 mm screw

Passo 5

Turn the DSi XL over, and open the display.
Insert a spudger between the upper and lower case at the bottom left corner of the DSi.
Slide the spudger along the bottom edge of the upper case to release the latches securing the upper case to the lower case.

Passo 6

Close the display and turn the DSi XL over.
Lift the lower case from the front edge.
Rotate the lower case away from the DSi.
The lower case cannot be completely removed yet, since it is still connected to the motherboard.

Passo 7

Using a spudger, pry the SD card/right shoulder button connector off its socket.
Pry the volume button/left shoulder button connector off its socket on the motherboard with a spudger.

Passo 8

Lift the Wi-Fi board up off its socket on the motherboard.
Do not attempt to completely remove the Wi-Fi board yet. It is attached to the motherboard by an antenna cable.

Passo 9

Use a spudger to pry the Wi-Fi cable off its socket on the underside of the Wi-Fi board.

Can I use any other tool than a spudger?

Noe - 09/09/20

Passo 10

Use a spudger to pry the microphone cable off the motherboard.
Pry from underneath the cable.

Note that the WiFi board has already been removed here! Including this extra step would be convenient here '-)

Sjoerd Hulshof - 24/09/16

Passo 11

Using the flat end of a spudger, flip up the retaining flap on the camera ribbon ZIF connector.
Use the pointed end of a spudger to pull the camera ribbon from the ZIF connector.

Passo 12

Using the flat end of a spudger, flip up the retaining flap on the touchscreen cable ZIF connector.
With the pointed end of the spudger, pull the touchscreen cable from its connector on the motherboard.

Passo 13

Using the flat end of a spudger, flip up the retaining flap on the backlight cable ZIF connector.
With the pointed end of the spudger, pull the backlight cable from its connector on the motherboard.

Passo 14

Using the flat end of a spudger, flip up the retaining flap on the lower display data cable ZIF connector.
With the pointed end of the spudger, pull the lower display data cable from its connector on the motherboard.

-This is where you can replace the charger port. i may change this comment later from May 21-June 5

Artemy Matveev - 06/05/18

Passo 15

Using the flat end of a spudger, flip up the retaining flap on the ZIF connector for the D-Pad/power button cable.
With the pointed end of the spudger, pull the D-Pad/power button cable from its connector on the motherboard.

Passo 16

Using the flat end of the spudger, pry the battery cable up off its socket on the motherboard.

The battery connectors (socket) on the mother board are extremely fragile, so care should be taken to avoid breaking them.

Other than this, the instructions given are precise and straighforward. I do agree with the other comments about step 20.

Paulette Williams -

Passo 17

Remove the screws securing the motherboard to the upper case:
A single 2.5 mm silver Phillips screw
Four 3.7 mm black Phillips screws

the battery connector was (for me) extremely hard to remove. I broke the socket completely off the board hand had to hard solder it directly back.

Rohan Grant-Dawes - 28/03/17

On Step 17, I only had the 3 black Philips screws on the left to remove.

bfmackin - 29/04/17

Passo 18

Deroute the microphone and antenna cables through the slot in the motherboard.

Passo 19

Rotate the motherboard off the lower case.
The motherboard cannot be completely removed yet. It is still attached by the upper LCD's display data ribbon cable.

Passo 20

Using the flat end of a spudger, flip up the retaining flap on the upper display data cable ZIF connector.
With the pointed end of the spudger, pull the upper display data cable from its connector on the underside of the motherboard.
The motherboard is now free from the upper case.

This step is unnecessary. The ribbon is a total pain in the butt to get back in, and if you dont get it PERFECT, the DS will not even fire back up. Unless it is absolutely necessary to remove it... DON'T !!! ( Personal experience, Everything else was SPOT ON) THANK YOU FOR THE HELP, saved me a lot of $$$

Jerod Cook -

Completed, worked perfectly! I agree with the comment about step 20, completely unnecessary.

ian -

Fantastic! Fixed my daughter's irreplaceable DSi XL - you should see her smiles!! Not sure about step 20 I did this before reading the comments (guess there's a message there). Thanks so much whoever wrote this - you're a legend and you've made a child very happy (and a dad too thereby).

lb9 - 17/06/14

I put mine back together for my daughter with the new bottom screen, but it won't power on. It tries but won't I'm assuming that this ribbon is the cause.

bigdrum1998 - 09/07/16

The instructions are perfect though! Great thing to have these instructions it's a tremendous help! :-)

bigdrum1998 - 09/07/16

YHWH is the god of all knowledge. Put a piece of transparent tape on the ribbon cable to give more leverage to pull the cable up to slide it into the slot. Also turn the motherboard slightly so that you can get it closer to the cable.

Deanna Cortez - 24/12/16

I didn't get mine completely reinserted at first. The symptom I experienced when powering it back on is the power light comes on briefly and the bottom screen light flashes, then they both shut off. No flash from the upper display. Had to try reinserting 3 times before I had it in completely. I agree, DON'T REMOVE if you don't have to.

bfmackin - 29/04/17

DONT follow this step, i missed these comments and removed my cable, it took me almost an hour (I know, way too long, I just couldn't get the cable far enough in to the slot) before the top screen finally worked. Was afraid I destroyed the cable, but it survived luckily enough.

SaakS -

Passo 21

With the console still upside-down, open the DSi XL slightly.
Push the lower display away from the upper case.
Remove the lower display from the DSi XL.

Passo 22

Turn the DSi XL over and open the display.
When re-assembling the device, be sure to re-install the ABXY and Start/Select buttons, as they are likely to fall out once the handheld console is turned over.
Use a pushpin to remove the four plastic screw covers on the front bezel.

Passo 23

Remove the four 3.5 mm silver Phillips screws securing the rear bezel to the front bezel.

Passo 24

Using two hands, gently slide the rear bezel upwards.
The rear bezel will move only about 2 mm.

Passo 25

Insert a spudger into the gap between the front and rear bezel.
Rotate the spudger away from the DSi XL, prying the two bezels apart.

Passo 26

In the same manner as described above, continue prying along the top edge of the front and rear bezels.

Passo 27

Separate the rear bezel from the front bezel.
Do not attempt to completely remove the rear bezel yet. It is still attached to the front bezel by the rear-facing camera.

Passo 28

Using the flat end of a spudger, pry the rear camera off the rear bezel.
Remove the rear bezel.

Passo 29

Remove the Phillips screw holding the metal securing bracket in place.
Lift the metal bracket off the camera.
The bracket cannot be completely removed yet, because is attached to the upper display data cable.

Passo 30

Lift the camera out of its seat on the front bezel.

Passo 31

Grab the LCD and camera cable with one hand, and slowly feed the camera cable and data display cable through the right hinge connecting the upper case and front bezel.
Use your free hand to guide the ends of the cables through the right hinge.
Be careful when feeding the thin ribbon cable through the hole; it will tear easily.

Passo 32

When feeding the camera and upper LCD cables through the right hinge, it is helpful to wrap the cables together with a piece of tape.
Be sure to wrap the cables tight enough to get through the hole, but not so tight as to damage or bend the the connections.