I was trying to replace my switch fan and everything was going fine until the latch for the fan ribbon cable broke off the motherboard. I suck at soldering so can it be taped back on or am i screwed?
If i just put it back together as is and sent it to Nintendo will they refuse to repair it because i tried doing it myself?
Sorry to hear, @Truegamer79. Nintendo might fix it for a price or refuse. But, you can call Nintendo and ask.
I personally would look for a console repair place near you (they might be quicker than Nintendo). Search game stores or computer repair, and check if they offer console repair.
My brother lives in northern VA, and I used estarland to repair my gamecube. They also offer Switch repairs. I recall having a hard time getting a hold of someone on the phone, but that was around the pandemic. I ended up just driving over there. https://www.estarland.com/repair-services
EDIT: Near me, there's a uBreakiFix location, and they offer Switch repairs. Obviously, you can ask gamestop. I'm not sure what else to recommend.
When I searched "computer repair near me" via google maps, I have a local "wireless center" that repairs phones, computers, and when I open their website, they also repair consoles (Nintendo Switch).
I was trying to disconnect the old fan from the clamp thing and the whole clamp just popped off the motherboard. I wasn't about to attempt soldering it back on. Too much skill involved that i Don't have.
Anyway i said to heck with it and put it back together without the fan connected and set up a repair with Nintendo. They said it'll cost 116 dollars but at least they'll do it right.
Good news is it still turns on and works but without a functional fan. I'm probably not gonna risk playing it until it's repaired.
@Truegamer79 I’m asking out of curiosity, so I hope you don’t think I’m somehow blaming you or scolding you, but did you make sure to release the latch before pulling the ribbon cable?
If you did and it still broke perhaps the heat damage was more extensive than one would assume.
@Eel
I was trying to pull up the little flap that holds the cable in place and i must've pushed too hard. The whole connector just slid right off the motherboard like it was already loose. I was so mad. I nearly had it fixed too.
The fan was already broke. Now it's more broke i guess. I'll just let Nintendo fix it like i probably should've in the first place. Damn the luck.
@Truegamer79 it’s possible that Nintendo will replace a little bit more than just the fan, so make sure any important save files are backed up online and remember to remove the SD card
@Eel
Will do! It was my launch switch anyway. It probably needed a refresh. As long as i retain all my eshop purchases and it comes back with a fully functional fan I'm good.
@Truegamer79 Ouch. I've heard of folk breaking off the little flaps on those types of connectors, but not the whole connector coming off the board. Seems quite expensive for the repair though, you could pick up a used one for far less than that and saved even more by selling the broken one for spares - It's a simple fix for someone so you'd sell it fairly easily.
I would've been tempted to try fixing it anyway - it's soldering practice if nothing else and may help improve your skills to confidently fix something similar later down the line. It's currently a Switch board without the connector - worst case it'll be a Switch board with a badly soldered connector 😂
As Eel mentioned, make sure you've got cloud backups of your saves. It's likely they won't repair your Switch and just send you a refurbed one as a replacement so you'll lose anything not backed up.
@Truegamer79 Did nintendo tell you and estimate for how long the turnaround time is for the repair? Definitely update us on how long it takes to get your switch back. I'm very curious.
Before the pandemic, I think Nintendo aimed to get your switch back to you within two weeks of the day you sent it, which I think is respectable. It could probably be less if you live near the repair facility. I don't know if they do all repairs in the Seattle Washington area, or have locations in different regions of the country.
I think over the phone the guy said it could take up to 16 days. That's a little longer than I'd like but at least i do have a gaming museums worth of other systems to play while i wait.
I live in Attica Indiana and the repair center they are sending it to is in New York apparently.
@Truegamer79 download it to a usb drive (and/or your phone) and go to a place that prints stuff (for example an office supplies store or Internet cafe (assuming those still exist somewhere out there!)). Or ask a friend for help.
Well my switch came back in the mail today! Apparently they sent me a brand new one. Figured they would. I heard they usually do that if the repairs are more than just a simple dust off. Kinda sucks i didn't get the same one back but oh well as long as it works.
Yeah i was just checking it out and all my saves are intact and all is well. It's definitely new though. The kickstand is so stiff and the screen looks immaculate. Not a mark on it. My old one was my launch system.
I discovered another problem. Now my downloaded games keep giving me the message checking to see if software can be played. Basically it's forcing me to be online to play any of my eshop games. It never used to do this except when trying to use The Nes and Snes online apps.
How do i fix this? I tried deregistering my switch and then re registering and it still checking if I'm online.
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Topic: Help! I tried to replace my switch fan and i think i messed up.
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