Introduction: Fix + Repair Nintendo Wii Broken Power / Reset / Sync / Eject Button (s)
WARNING - If you are not proficient at soldering you could DESTROY your Wii. If your Wii is under warranty, send it back to Nintendo. If your Wii is out of warrenty, you've come to the right place.
Understand you take full responsibility if you break your Wii.
Purpose:
This tutorial will describe how to fix your Nintendo Wii's front panel buttons (Power, Reset, Sync, and Eject). If your buttons on the Wii don't "click" when you push them and you have to push extremely hard to get them to work or the button(s) don't work at all, this is how to fix your Wii system without having to send it to Nintendo.
Problem Cause(s):
If the Wii falls or some how the buttons suffer a hard impact trauma it can either:
A. Jam the button in the case
B. Break/damage the tacticle button(s) on the motherboard
Cost (Savings):
It will cost you $75 + shipping to get Nintendo to fix this issue. It will cost you $0.00 to $0.78 per button + shipping to fix it yourself.
Difficulty:
8.5 / 10
You must be good at soldering. If you are not, try to see if your buttons are jamed. Follow this guide up until step 6. If you find your button(s) is broken, find someone that can fix it for you or send it to Nintendo.
Step 1: Step 1: Tools, Supplies, Parts Needed
Required:
- Soldering Iron ( I recommend a 15 Watt iron so that you don't get things too hot )
- Solder
- .032 Rosin-Core Solder
- Desoldering Braid
- Flux
- Soldering Iron tip cleaner
- Tri-wing Screw Driver (usually have to purchase these online)
- 1/8" Philips Screw Driver
- Needle Nose Pliers
- Helping Hands w/ Magnifier (used to hold things in place while you solder)
- Twezers
Suggested but not required:
- Scotch Tape
- 3/64" flat head screw driver
- Tooth Picks
Step 2: Step 2: SMD Tactile Push Button(s)
Well it was hard to identify these buttons and luck did come into play.
I took my Wii all apart to find the issue causing my eject button to not work properly and discovered the SMD tactile button on the Wii to acutally be broken. There was not the "click" in the button any longer and it had to be pressed extremely hard in order to register with the Wii as a button push.
I searched Google and could not find anything to identify the part number for these buttons, so I searched Google images for tactile buttons and eventually found one that looked almost identical to the button in question. I copied the model number from the picture and looked on Mouser.com for the button. Sure enough I found two buttons with the same specs and one happend to be the exact button used in the Wii.
The SMD Tactile Push Button:
Manufacturer Part Number: SKRTLAE010
if ordering from Mouser.com the part number is: 688-SKRTLA
Cost: $0.78 each I would recommend ordering a few incase you loose them or mess up. These are tiny!!
Step 3: Step 3: Bottom of Wii Screws
These images were borrowed from the internet. I take no credit for these images or instructions, but they demonstrate how to take apart the Wii. I have only added what screws are where. This helps when putting the Wii back together.
I recommend getting a piece of paper and taping each set of screws to the paper as you remove them and then writing above them which step they were removed. This will also help you from losing the screws. This is good common practice when taking anything apart.
Step 3:
When the Wii is on, go into the system menu and turn off WiiConnect24, otherwise you may have some problems when you remove the system battery and some screws. Now turn the console off and remove all the cables.
On the bottom of the Wii there are 6 screws that need to be removed one of which being attached to the battery holder. 3 are hidden under square stickers and 1 is hidden under one of the rubber feet. Use the 3/64" flat head screw driver to pop off the stickers / rubber feet.
- Under the rubber foot is a small black Phillips head screw, to the right on the top row the next two screws are silver and are Phillips head screws
- The bottom left screw (and the only one visible w/o removing stickers) is a Phillips head screw and it also is the battery holder. Remove the holder and the battery.
- Behind the battery door is a small Tri-Wing screw
- To the right on the boom row under another square sticker is a Tri-Wing screw.
NOTE: Make sure not to loose the stickers / rubber feet. The stickers really don't matter and are only cosmetic. The Rubber feet are more important and help to steady your console.
Step 4: Step 4: Side of Wii Screws
Step 4:
On the side of the Wii there are 4 screws to remove.
On the left side there are two Silver Tri-Wing screws hidden under the rubber feet. On the right hand side there are two Black Tri-Wing screws hidden under the rectangle stickers. Remove all 4.
NOTE: Make sure not to loose the stickers / rubber feet. The stickers really don't matter and are only cosmetic. The Rubber feet are more important and help to steady your console.
Step 5: Step 5: Screws Under Gamecube Doors
Step 5:
Now on the top of the Wii open both of the gamecube doors. There are 3 TINY black Phillips head screws. NOTE: The screw to the far right is longer than the other two. Remove all 3 screws.
Step 6: Step 6: Remove the Wii Faceplate / Access the Buttons
Step 6:
Remove the Wii flaceplate SLOWLY. A black and red wired connector still joins the faceplate to the Wii motherboard. Using your needle nose pliers and/or the 3/64" Flat head screwdriver, pry free the connector from the motherboard socket.
Now you have partial access to the Plastic buttons on the faceplate and the SMD buttons on the Wii motherboard. ( I told you they were tiny!)
TEST TIME:
Now test your buttons by pressing each on the Wii motherboard. Each should give an easy push and give a slight "click" when being pressed. If each button "clicks" and feels the same then your problem is probably the faceplate buttons. Check to see that the face plate buttons are not stuck on something and move freely. If you found they are jammed and now are not, re-assemble the console in reverse order of these steps.
If you found that your faceplate buttons are physically fine and that one (or more) of the SMD buttons on the motherboard are not "clicking" / "pushing" correctly. You will need to continue with this guide and replace the button.
Step 7: Step 7: Remove the Hidden Screws in the Gamecube Area
Step 7:
If you haven't noticed already, the black plate surrounding the Gamecube controller ports and memory card slots is now free. Remove this. This will expose 4 more screws. The top 2 being Silver Tri-Wing screws. The bottom 2 being Phillips head screws. Remove all 4.
Step 8: Step 8: Seperate the Wii Case and Remove the DVD Shield
Step 8:
You have now removed all of the screws that hold the Wii case together.
With gentle effort pull the two hallves of the case apart. One side will still have the guts of the Wii attached. The other will only have a small dust screen for the Wii's fan attached. Lay that piece aside. Now you will see the guts of the Wii. If you are scared now. Stop.
If you are brave enough to continue, Slowly wiggle/pry the silver colored metal shield off of the DVD drive.
Underneath you will find the DVD drive is secured by 4 Phillips head screws. Remove each ( I recommend a magnetic screw driver so the screws don't get lost inside of the DVD drive.)
Step 9: Step 9: Remove the DVD Drive
Step 9:
Gently tilt the DVD drive upward and you will notice the drive is connected to the motherboard by 2 connectors. One is white with multiple wires. This simply unplugs from the drive. The other is a flat cable. There is a latch on the socket that the flat cable connects to. Using your 3/64" screw driver (or a fingernail) flip the latch and remove the flat cable. Set the DVD drive aside.
Step 10: Step 10: Remove Black Plastic Piece
Step 10:
There is now a black plastic piece that covers the various buttons on the motherboard. It is held in place by 3 screws (I don't remember if they were Tri-Wing or Phillips, take note of which. sorry). You have to unscrew each of them and then take out the black plastic. BE CAREFUL. There is a small tiny silver nut which slips into the black plastic. Be sure to not lose this. There is also a black and gray wire which leads to the Wii's WiFi antenna and you have to be careful not to damage it!!
Step 11: Step 11: Buttons Are Visible!
Step 11:
The SMD buttons are now visible on the motherboard. I only needed to fix my eject button so I didn't have to remove any other items from the Wii. If you don't have enough room you may have to remove the shielding on the motherboard. Remember: You are working with HOT tools. Plastic melts. You have been warned. The picture below shows all the shielding removed.
Step 12: Step 12: Examine the Broken SMD Button
Step 12:
Here is the eject button (notice I didn't remove the shielding on my motherboard, again you may have too) You can see the replacement at the bottom left of the image. Notice that the button has two grounding solder spots on the front corners
On the back side of the button on the motherboard you will see 3 solder locations where the button contacts are soldered onto the motherboard.
Step 13: Step 13: the Point of No Return.
Step 13:
Now is where you risk destroying your Wii. Last chance to turn back and stop. You could destroy the traces on your Wii's motherboard and ruin your Wii.
Like a risk? Continue on.
Get your Desoldering Braid and lay it over each spot on the front of the button and with your 15 watt soldering iron (at full heat, just let it sit plugged in for a while so you know it is hot). Heat the Desolder braid at each point on the front of the button until the solder is gone. Now repeat this step at the back 3 connection points. You can also use a pair of tweezers at this point to apply VERY LITTLE pressure so that the switch actually lifts up a bit as you de-solder each connection. Be careful you could destroy the trace. Now that the old/broken button is removed you can see the 5 connection points on the motherboard.
Using a tooth pick, apply some flux to the motherboard over the solder pads. With a clean tip on your soldering iron and just the SMALLEST ammount of solder on the tip gently swipe over each pad on the motherboard to coat with a THIN layer of new solder.
Next using the tweezers or the Helping Hands* tool flip over the new SMD button and again apply a VERY LITTLE ammount of solder to each of the 3 pins on the bottom of the button.
Now place the new button on the motherboard. If you used just a small ammount of solder the tiny little arms on the button will fit into two holes on the Wii motherboard. Also the switch needs to be very closely aligned in the white-box outline on the motherboard. Once in place I held it there using the Helping Hands* tool. This tool is really handy.
Now with a clean tip heat each of the 3 pads on the back of the motherboard/button and the solder on each will flow into each other. Once satisfied with that add two little blobs to the front of the button/pads making sure they flow together at each corner.
If done correctly when you remove the helping hands the button should be sturdy (if you did a good job more so than the other buttons(!!)). Check your points with a magnifying glass to make sure you didn't bridge them together.
Step 14: Step 14: Re-Assembly
Step 14:
Now wipe the sweat from your brow and carefully put your Wii back together following the Disassembly steps backwards. If all went well your Wii will work as good as new! And you have the satisfaction of having fixed your console yourself and saving the $75+ dollars for Nintendo to have fixed your Wii!
