I Bought a BROKEN 3DS XL From eBay - It Came in Pieces!

[@philvt101]

Getting 3DS cables through the barrel hinge is absolutely the most maddening job in all of video game hardware repair. I've literally been on the verge of tears learning how to do this efficiently. After much practice, I've found the method that works best for me is to push a bobby pin through the barrel, wind the cables up in the bobby pin and then pull them through.

[@Tronicsfix]

Yes, agreed! That seems like a good method.

[@Superzesh101]

That sounds like a really good method! I can't believe that they thought putting ribbon cables through a hinge was a good idea. Could've just used cables or something!!

[@user-uk7uu9us1w]

I laid them out flat and rolled them up tight in a label and pulled the tube of the label through the hinge

[@lioneldelorme7481]

We're talking about Nintendo here. The same company who thought glue was a good idea to hold ribbon cables for the Virtual Boy.

[@msmalice]

Thanks for the info and good call, I'm gonna try that next time. These are such a pain to work on, any little tips help.

[@rayclark9643]

Great Job Steve! This 3DS XL is an engineering nightmare...imagine having to assemble these all day long yikes😵‍💫!!!

[@Tronicsfix]

I've fixed a number of them back in the day and they actually get pretty easy to do once you do it enough times!

[@aroundtheblockwithbrock4799]

Imagine doing the same thing but on the new 3ds model lol more parts 😂

[@robertkennedy8503]

They probably have specially made jigs to facilitate the assembly.

[@DrBobGaming1]

I knew that Disney was big into Nintendo, but I didn't think they had their own "version" of the 3DS XL. That's pretty cool to look at something that is "special edition".

[@Tronicsfix]

Yes, this is a cool one. I love the special editions

[@Unstable23]

ok 9

[@guardianbeardizer6361]

Yeah, I know for sure when that 3DS was the newest one, my ex-brother in law took his family there to Disney World & he came back with one of them. He said they were about $100 more than normal ones but he wanted it to add to his collection

[@JustAMoky]

as someone who repairs Nintendo Ds's for a living i died inside a little bit when you were putting those ribbon cables in wrong other than that fantastic repair!

[@N3KO_79]

The most thing i admire of you Steve is your patience

[@Tronicsfix]

Lol, I've been working on that for a lot of years!

[@oogieboogie232]

I feel for you, it was nerve-wracking just dealing with the single display ribbon cable trying to fix a GB Advance SP 😅. This looks like a nightmare

[@Tronicsfix]

The first few I fixed a long time ago were a complete nightmare. After you do it a few times it's not as bad but still not fun.

[@UltimateTechHub]

You have way more patience with ribbon cables than I could ever have! Such a delicate and difficult process. Plus my fingers are too big!! Lol

[@Tronicsfix]

Yes, the ribbon cables take a lot of patience!

[@awilliams1701]

that's nothing compared to the patience required to fix the fan on my 3d printer. I ripped the cable off of it when I was replacing the hot end that I accidentally shorted. Since I didn't want to wait another week to get a replacement part from prague I decided to try to fix it. (I afraid of that shorted hot end. I won't touch it) It has 3 teeny tiny wires. My wirestrippers didn't have the ability to do jack to it because of how small they were. I basically bit the ends off. lol Then after nearly 10 minutes of fighting this small cable I got it soldered on. So I go to do the next one.....and my soldering iron desolders the first one. I probably spent an hour on it, but hey it's been over a month and it's still working great!! (and so is the replacement hot end)

[@awilliams1701]

but yeah I'd rather install 3ds cables than do that again. lol

[@olesmokey6357]

that top screen ribbon cable was my nemesis when working at a repair shop, there's just no "easy" way of doing it lol

[@TheAlienwarewolf]

Watching you futz around with those ribbon cables almost gave me a PANIC ATTACK!

[@CRIMSONDANTE]

I love the fact you are showing off NorhtBridge Fix Better than Factory T-Shirt. Spreading the love and respect.

[@shadowfrost44]

Thank you so much for repairing a 3ds these are in super high demand! Keep up the great work!!

[@Talmiior]

I have two 3DS XLs that pop off just like that! You've just solved my issue, now I just need to go fix it. Thanks!!

[@Tronicsfix]

Glad this helped! It can be a number of things but it usually has to do with the ribbon cables

[@leeartlee915]

It makes me so happy to see you working on Nintendo handhelds again. More please!

[@FlaccidGnome]

I love all these different collector pieces. Love seeing stuff like this saved from landfills.

[@Tronicsfix]

Me too! Apparently I can't resist buying these special editions. They're just so cool!

[@donnyfinney9389]

How is this comment a day old

[@FlaccidGnome]

@@donnyfinney9389 Channel Members get the Videos early.

[@donnyfinney9389]

@@FlaccidGnome oh ok

[@jerryspann8713]

I saw a video with someone digging a "Game Boy" out of a landfill cover in brown mud. When he supposedly "fixed" it, it looked brandnew.

[@SevenNumber7]

The 3ds is truly a nightmare to work on. I worked on a original one and getting the cables wrapped around and through the little hole is just beyond frustrating. I finally get it back together and the 3ds just does not power on. Reconnected all the cables many times with same results. Soo close to giving up and throwing it, then I find one of the cables was upside down. Flip it over and it powered right up!!

[@bigdawghoss9871]

Currently doing some handheld refurb on a psp 3000. Re shell and some deep cleaning w/ UMD drive replacement. This kind of work takes such great patience. It's so very rewarding when it all comes together. Ya definitely inspired me, dude! Glad my workbench is finally getting some use.

[@Tronicsfix]

That's awesome! Love PSP's. Glad you're trying to save one.

[@bigdawghoss9871]

​@@Tronicsfix Thanks! Love em too. Such a great handheld :)

[@Narzaeris]

Love the Northridgefix shirt! A nice subtle shoutout

[@VideoGameRestoration]

You have no idea how relived I am to see that everyone has trouble with those stupid ribbons 🤣

[@Tronicsfix]

Ha, ha, they're the worst!

[@burgerkingfootlettuce15]

The 3DS systems have a mad ridiculous amount of ribbon cables which is why it’s tricky to repair the system itself. The cables are so easy to have tears and other problems. Rolling them up into the hinges is definitely the hardest part.

[@Tronicsfix]

Yep, they had a huge problem with the ribbon cables getting torn.

[@DeepThought420]

I've said it before and I'll say it again you're a true Superhero to all us gamers! 🎉👏🥳 Thanks for the awesome video!

[@Tronicsfix]

My pleasure! Thanks for watching

[@hawkfeather6802]

3ds' have sooo many ribbon cables crammed into that one hinge! Nice work putting it all back together.

[@abandapart82]

You have the patience of a saint my dood! I would have thrown that thing across the room during the ribbon cable through the hinge part. Great job!

[@lordsofkobol7385]

The hinge gave me flashback from the original ds. I'm steering clear of 3ds XL fixes. I think one time I spent a whole evening carefully replacing the shell on an original ds. The hinge on them was tricky enough.

[@Jay_kaying]

It's nice to see you getting additional sponsors! I enjoy your videos, keep them coming! :)

[@lbdjthethird1240]

WHY IS THIS STUFF SO FREAKING FASCINATING!?!?!? Great work, my friend. Love your channel.

[@gordonjeffrey231076]

My God Steve, that was nerve-wracking. Those damn ribbon cables. Great job 👍👍👍

[@GiovanneTorres]

Great video Steve! Loved the better than factory t-shirt hahahaha

[@jimmyk.9437]

Omg. Reminds me of repairing Motorola razr's back in the day with the hinge ribbon cables! So glad flip phones got weeded out pretty much. Another great video!

[@Spartan122S]

You always keep impressing me with these videos Steve! Always blessing my Fridays!

[@Tronicsfix]

Glad you like them!

[@HKRXPRS]

There is nothing better than sitting out under the verandah on a stormy autumn evening, sipping a nice glass of Brandy and watching the sky light up.

[@lukehyoshy]

I was sweating along with you on 10:15. Thanks for the amazing content!

[@bexualhealing]

Nice to see you sporting the Northridge Fix t-shirt. Like the respect you have for fellow content creators

[@claudioeol]

A new and exiting adventure every Friday, by the way, it´s ingenious what Nintendo do with all those ribbon cables. Thank you man, God Bless

[@Tronicsfix]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@DeadlySerpent]

That was a great fix! I have a broken Xbox one X original that has a broken HDMI. I tried to replace the HDMI with a friend that said he new what he was doing but he didn't and ripped the HDMI off. Would I be able to ship it to you to show how to repair it. You can keep it as last long as you post a video on the repair. I have two of them with the same issue one ripped off the other not.

[@Tronicsfix]

Those are tricky the first few times you do them. Contact me on Twitter, IG, or my website

[@haiirodesuuu4577]

I love Nintendo 3ds! A pleasure to see another one being repaired.

[@Tronicsfix]

Me too! Glad you enjoyed this

[@markharrisllb]

I really look forward to Friday evenings (U.K. time) these days. Great tee shirt, I’m sure Alex will appreciate it.

[@bloocheez3]

I was subconsciously holding my breath while you were fiddling with the ribbon cables. I Frankenstein'ed three 3DS' that were all broken in different ways to make a single functional one and those EFFING ribbon cables....lord.

[@robf228]

I loved your cometeer coffee commercial! You have a great sense of humor and it added a nice touch to the commercial. Unfortunately, I make my own liquid cold brew coffee concentrate, so I am not in the market for the cometeer. If cometeer is cold brewed, then you should notice the absence of acidity. It would be a whole new super taste for you. I also have a recipe on how to make cold brew in "bulk", 1/2 or 1 lb of beans at a time. Let me know if interested.

[@BBer-ut1qc]

Much Love and respect for this tricky repair.

[@CHRISmGROVER]

Great repair video! Thx for the content. Would love to see a repair livestream.

[@Tiritaspongo]

Flawless job, Steve. That screen's hinge is a freakin' nightmare to get those ribbon cables into. Good job, man!

[@SteveGuitarTech]

It was satisfying when all the ribbon cables fit perfectly in that hinge

[@Tronicsfix]

Yes, it's the most difficult part, but also the most satisfying...other than when it starts up!

[@SteveGuitarTech]

@@Tronicsfix 🤣YESSSS SSSSSIIIIRRRR

[@limpfinger12]

One little pin and it's fixed. Crazy something small can cause catastrophe!

[@glados_boatman]

The scary thing is this version is reputed to be the easiest to repair out of the 6 3ds family versions.

[@ankthestar]

It’s always a good day when you make a video

[@marblecornet]

I always hated how tiny these ribbon cables are because right now I'm trying to fix the broken screen on my original 2ds and I couldn't even get the ribbon cables to plug back in

[@Tronicsfix]

That's the most difficult part of these imo

[@xDB8x]

Nice to see the "Better than factory" shirt, feels like a join of two different universes ahah

[@nstern2]

The DS line is of handhelds are the easiest to diagnose problems, but some of the most frustrating to actually fix because of the ribbons.

[@Tronicsfix]

Ha, ha, true!

[@goosenman2]

Oh no - my anxiety spiked when I saw it was a 3D XL - ribbon cable hinge twist!

[@smashICE1]

epic fix, steve, thanks for your constant effort to repair this stuff. maybe you'll host a live stream while repairing things like this? i think it might be awesome! :)

[@robert_roland63]

I never knew this 3DS even existed. Nice job from parts to a working system! That is awesome!

[@johnnysmalls2876]

Awesome fix 😎👍

[@Tronicsfix]

Thanks 👍

[@ChrisEpp]

Loved this video, maybe one day I'll be confident enough to work on these more then I do. I did repair the bumpers on a DS Lite though by cleaning the inside of "button box". Keep up the good work!

[@Tronicsfix]

You should definitely do more repairs on these. We need to save more of them since they don't make them anymore.

[@zrkn1]

I'm blown away by that nightmare assembly. Good job!

[@staples6]

How did you learn how to do these repairs? I’m always fascinated by your work.

[@sirrichel9155]

Great video as always

[@Tronicsfix]

Glad you enjoyed

[@ksredsfan]

No Perfect Amount of Thermal Paste but was still a good video thanks alot Steve

[@mitchv.7492]

I'm exhausted and frustrated just looking at you doing it. Superb work and video! Another one saved because no one except you would repair this for 100$ in POTENTIAL profit...

[@Tronicsfix]

For a limited time, you can get $40 off your first two Cometeer orders when you use my code TRONICS40 at cometeer.com/tronicsfix. If you’ve been wanting to try Cometeer, now is the time! CometeerPartner, @cometeer Check out this video where I try to fix a ZELDA 3DS XL: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rZ-XY39sgquhosk

[@Anthestudios]

Thank you Vince for explaining what you do and explaining how you probe the different contacts. It makes it so I can actually learn from your videos. More people should follow your example!

[@Anthestudios]

I'm sorry! It's Steve of course! Must've gotten all the Steves mixed up. And then there's Voice Over Steve as well!

[@empyreangames1325]

The coffee would taste better if you stir it with a flat head screwdriver instead of a phillips.

[@Tronicsfix]

Lol, now you tell me!

[@Lone-Wolf87]

That is so dificult to put together but you did it like nothing. 👍👍👍👍

[@merriamgraves01]

what do you think about Thermal Grizzly Carbonaut - Carbon Thermal Pad - Non-Adhesive, Flexible and Reusable - Very High Thermal Conductivity - Conducts Electricity for the ps4 pro

[@TwistedSoul172]

When you buy broken stuff, do you ever just send the seller a link to the repair video to show em what was wrong?

[@Tronicsfix]

I haven't done that but it would be funny to do that.

[@MyRegardsToTheDodo]

I personally sometimes tell the sellers what was wrong with their systems, if they seem interested or if they lied to me. Two stories of two different PS4 Pro: PS4 Pro 1 I bought from a young woman, who said she and her husband bought it from a friend and were interested in fixing it, but didn't feel comfortable enough to do so. At home I took it apart and found the fan totally destroyed (it literally exploded, I found fan blades everywhere in the console) and the metal tip of a small paint brush inside the PSU (tip: if you take a PSU apart, use rubber gloves so you don't shock yourself, the caps can hold power for quite a while). Surprisingly the PSU still worked and the console was good except for the destroyed fan (which I replaced with another used one). It seems that the friend they originally bought it from was either stupid or totally stoned (or both) and tried to clean the console with a small paint brush, while it was running. I took photos of what I found and sent them to the seller, she found it quite funny. PS4 Pro 2 was a console I bought from ebay as "unopened", no power, or something like that (quite often that means that the fuse in the PSU is blown, they sometimes seem to go for no obvious reason, insect infections generally aren't a problem here). When I received it in the mail I saw that the warranty seals were missing (which is always a bad sign), so definitely not "unopened". I wanted to take it apart, but only got to the point where I took out the PSU. When I did that I realized that the moron who had opened the console before me had bent the pins on the mainboard that go into the PSU in a way that both pins were now in the same hole on the PSU. I bent one of the pins back, put the PSU back in and it worked. Of course I told the seller. If the sellers are generally nice and are already annoyed that their device is broken I don't tell them, no use in rubbing it in.

[@ronlevin2339]

Those thin ribbon cables are the pain in the ass, so thin, so gentle. I first rip few apart till I knew how to deal with them ( I tested on a totally destroyed boards).

[@ZetsueiTV]

I always thought this kind of work was amazing and maybe I would love to get into it til I see the ribbon cables. Patience is always a issue for me and I would 100% rip them nonstop. Huge respect for how you carefully manage them!

[@Tronicsfix]

You can do it! Just take some practice

[@mtshark7]

Nicely done Steve!

[@natevaughn2307]

Good video.The touch screen on my Zelda 3D XL doesn't register touches and the charging port is messed up. I thought about trying to fix it myself , haven't gotten there yet. After seeing the fun you had with the ribbon cables, probably not anytime soon.

[@Tronicsfix]

I might be interested in buying it from you if you want to sell it. You can contact me on Twitter or IG or the contact form on my website if you want to sell it.

[@natevaughn2307]

@@Tronicsfix It may not work properly but for some reason I'm still attached to it . It's something I'd definitely have to think about, thank you.🙂

[@ZackMuffinMan]

I got one of these a few years ago that was broken. Changed the charge port and fixed it! However since it's been like 4 or 5 years the charging port doesn't work sometimes since I got a cheap replacement. Also I noticed that it is missing the little plastic rod things to attach a lanyard to on the corners.

[@Robzvideogamez]

3DS family consoles run without the camera. The screen are the ones that prevent it from turning on.

[@techboy95]

Reminds me of my gamboy advance sp that I literally left outside in the back yard and didn’t find it for at least a week and it had rained. Amazingly the thing continued to work for many years without any trouble.

[@Tronicsfix]

That's amazing!

[@malibuman792004]

Another great video fix.

[@LumenPsycho]

Nice fix. I could feel the anxiety.

[@SolidIncMedia]

The hinges are why I don't really repair the Game Boy Advance SP. I've done about 3 or 4 reshells, and each time the hinges give me so much trouble that I'd have to make a good amount back on the sale for me to touch that.

[@jerryspann8713]

The other bit of bad news was there was no perfect amount of thermal paste application.

[@ClampyStew]

glad you can come across a rare antique and fix it to its former glory!

[@danarepouille1381]

Thanks for another thrill ride!

[@Tronicsfix]

Ha, ha, my pleasure!

[@weniard]

I have ocd and all I can say is: THE PAIN … IT HURTS I hope this 3ds xl is gonna have his forth piece asap. Ps I love your channel

[@lloydizzle33]

What a faff! I couldn’t handle that amount of precision 😅

[@ninjapwnsatlyfe]

Steve always comes in clutch with a legit video and fix

[@ethanwinters184]

Nice job man!!

[@jasongober4678]

Flawless repair A+ my guy

[@MrGetemGone]

Like the video but I got to ask you this after binge watching your videos and doing a lot of thinking I was wondering are you still teaching soldering? As I do a good bit of electrical repairs mostly computers phones and tablets as you mentioned in your earlier videos it's a good skill to learn and I agree 💯

[@Tronicsfix]

Yep: www.gameconsolerepairschool.com

[@justindayside7446]

Man I didn’t think a 3DS repair would be that annoying with all the ribbons cables.

[@UssyMustyYS]

Incredible fix. Great video as usual.

[@steveaustin330]

Great episode, Steve.

[@Tronicsfix]

Hey thanks!

[@HarlotEffect]

Great video indeed, I'd love to see you work on more handhelds.

[@thomasjburns100]

Awesome job!

[@sphinx3r]

Weird for it to be in so many pieces but everything actually being there. If I saw a console in so many pieces, I would absolutely expect for some of the small bits to be missing or broken.

[@MyRegardsToTheDodo]

Well, the screw covers for the top screen were missing, so it wasn't complete.

[@richardbriansmith8562]

Awesome fix tronicsfix Awesome Video tronicsfix

[@TechHug]

We are gonna talk about you stirring that coffee

[@mjc0961]

Nice repair!

[@tleb8111]

Watching this is giving terrible flash back from when I replaces a screen and broken hinge on my son's 3DS

[@Diballan]

Perfection, great fix.

[@mch2007uk]

Did the SD card slot work, steve? Also i need to see that ds with all 4 screw covers on!!!

[@Tronicsfix]

Yes, the SD card worked great

[@birdfish86]

Doing gods work thank you. 👏

[@CarterBirch]

As an electronics repair beginner what type of products would you recommend starting with? Thanks so much for all you content! Keep it up!

[@Tronicsfix]

If it was me I'd actually start with 3DS's

[@voteDC]

It's amazing that for a tiny blob of solder this 3DS would be in landfill.

[@atranfanatic]

I didn't see how you got the screens to come on. I have a blue 3DS XL that powers on, but the screens don't come on at all. Other than that congrats on getting it repaired!

[@chadherzog998]

you need more vids you do good work can we send stuff directly to you to get fixed?