Awesome vid helped me clean the dust out of my Wii U and polish the housing shell up. Only issue I ran into was my screwdriver was too fat to reach the screws under the disc drive. I found if you unscrew the four little black screws on the side of the disc drive you can take it off the brackets, and then go and get the four bracket pieces off without it in the way.
The Wii U, the last game console to use really odd and unique hardware at its core. Modern consoles nowadays are just X86 machines (or in the case of Nintendo’s Switch, a machine running on a fairly standard ARM SoC)
I feel like technologies are converging as companies are moving away from proprietary and towards universal. For example, Apple using Type C connectors and more serviceable products.
well powerpc isn‘yt that odd was used for xbox 360 and the ps3 cell architecture is based on ppc also the old macs used ppc before they went to intel but using some similar or almost identical architectures makes backwards compatibility much easier wiiu is basically a wii on steroids which is a gamecube on steroids thats why gamecube games run so good on a hacked wiiu, because they’re not emulated by software
Ohhh so that's what you were taking apart on Instagram. I couldn't come up with a good guess. This was pretty clear to follow. Nintendo consoles are getting more and more complex to take apart. I remember taking my Wii apart and that was a nightmare. I ruined the casing unfortunately. It was my first time opening a console but I have gotten better at it since then.
Christmas day, no tri-wing screwdriver. New copy of Just-dance. Was able to force the small tri-screws with jeweller's screwdriver. Drilled out the two large ones until the heads were gone. Once open, removed the stubs with pliers. Cleaned everything. I cleaned DVD lense with a fine paint brush. Good as new. On assembly relaced weird screws with normal ones scavenged from another device. Screws must be drilled at lowest RPM. I alternated between bit sizes small to create pilot and large to remove the head. Thanks for your video. It helps a lot to see how it comes apart first.
Wow. I cleaned my vents from the outside as they were caked in dust. Really hope the inside is not too dusty. I might one day open it but at the moment using an anti static brush I was able to de-dust the vents. I really don't want a dead console from heat.
Everyone who owns a wiiU in 2024: first verify your cmos battery has voltage. If you don’t, you’ll need to recover the NAND, which is hard. Plug the console in and let it get a FULL CHARGE. Replace the cmos battery and tear your console apart, and clean it. It will last decades if you do this every 5 years.
Hello, recently acquired a used Wii U, however did not inform me that the console was with damaged SD reader. I've been looking at some sites and found the part to replace at a very low price, I'd like to know if I need to take any extra care or if it requires something different from a welding process of a new common card reader. Unfortunately I didn't find any guide or tutorial on the process. Thank you!
There is only one board and the SD card reader is part of the board so I don't know how you were able to find a replacement unless it's just the reader component. You'll need a hot air rework station, but you might be able to replace it with just a soldering iron. Be careful of small components on the board.
Todays consoles are actually easier to take apart. Go back a few years and try the older NES and SuperNES consoles. Good luck finding gamebit drivers, only found them on Amazon.
Thanks. I tried to follow the iFixit teardown guide, but that one is very incomplete. Yours is very good and very detailed. Thanks to this guide I managed to remove the bonusgame that came with my WiiU from the disk drive and now have a working WiiU and a copy of Lego Batman The Videogame. Yes, the WiiU definitely isn't able to play DS games. Never leave kids alone with anything with a slot.
You're welcome. I love a happy ending. Unforunately, ifixit doesn't have a video for the Wii U teardown. Pictures only tell half the story. You could have ended that last sentence after "anything." 😂
@@ImmodderNation True, I could have ended that last sentence there. Just got another evidence of that today. Little brother + silver PS4 Slim + sandpaper really aren't a good combination. I got that PS4 really cheap, but the case looks terrible. I'll get some decals, hopefully that covers it.
@@ImmodderNation I could, but I'm selling the PS4 off. I hope to get around 120 to 130 Euros for it, in decent condition it would probably bring around 150 Euros. So it's not really worth it for me, considering a broken PS4 Slim costs up to 90 Euros these days.
I bought my kids a wii u. Love it, will get them the switch for Christmas, I'm sold on this form factor One question, the drive won't read all.discs and stops reading for multi layer games like Zelda. I've replaced the drive with 2 replacements, still no luck. Ideas?
You may not know about repairing a Wii U but I’ve had a problem with mine It seems like mine doesn’t take in power to the console so I took it apart and the power port was loose and it eventually fell off What do you think I should do?
Just got access to my Wii U back after like 6 years and noticed the fan was pretty loud. Checked this to see what would be involved in opening it up and giving it a good clean and replacing the thermal paste but yikes I can’t believe the fan is that small. Granted the only other fans I’ve had to mess with were PS4 and PS5 sooo
The heatsink does most of the work here. The fan just moves the air. Also the Wii U uses a thermal pad, not paste, so I hope your thermals haven't changed for the worst.
I have a broken Wii U and they asked too much to repair it. I wonder if is it possibile to swap the cases? Mine is in fairly good shape, with few scratches and I would like to salvage it, so that I can swap it with that of a console that works but looks more roughed up.
@@ImmodderNation Thanks. I'm only scared about removing the rubber screw covers, since I've seen nobody sells replacements for those, and I'm afraid they'll get deformed when I remove them.
I'm buildig a 3 in one console I ripped all the Microsoft screws out... chalnge complete. Good vid verry infomative I now know where the Wii monther board will go in my pc
I have a wii u. The gamepad will not connect to it, and nothing shows on the tv. Could a bluetooth module fix this or is it something else? I appreciate any help 🙏
Doodle how did you say excited last screw and twist need mango or ponch it was stick naw imposible to take it out all parts fine just got cleaned lucky next time past thermal thank you
My Wii U is not getting power. I’m 100% sure that it’s not the power cord, as I’ve tested multiple on my console and used a multimeter with all of the power cords to make sure they’re not all bad. The indicator light on the front of the system does not show any signs of life. I’m hesitant to open up my Wii U completely without knowing what the issue could be. Is there a common problem that I could fix when inside? That way I can be prepared. Thanks in advance!
I don't think I can help you with technical support. When the unit is plugged in does the red light come on? If not and you're sure the power supply works, the unit will have to be taken apart.
If you found the exact same flash or memory controller I don't see why it couldn't be replaced. If you're trying to upgrade, I don't think its going to work. Any sort of repair work, I recommend taking your console to a professional.
Maybe you can help me out here. I have a Wii U that my brother gave me. It worked for awhile, but then it started freezing up. Right now, it freezes whatever you happen to be doing about 10 seconds in. You could be waiting to clear a dialog box, switching users, or loading a game. Whatever you happen to be doing, that's where it freezes. I've already replaced the power supply and the thermal pad, cleaned it, made sure the fan was working, and now I don't know what to try next. Any suggestions?
hey so i dropped my wii u a few years back and don’t remember how badly, recently remembered i had it and tried to start it up, the lights are lit up and i know the power supply is good, but when i press the on button nothing happens, same with the eject button, any help is amazing thank you
Nice video. Man I've been looking everywhere but i see no one has ever tried to attempt what I've been wanting to do. Since the Harmony Hub is defunct and no longer in production, I can't control my wii or wii u via voice command. So I thought to myself why don't i wire up a wifi relay switch, like the one from Shelly and then take the wires connecting it and solder it to the area on eitiher a wii u remote pcb board or the wii console's pcb board near the area that has the power button. That way when a command is sent via wifi to the Shelly it will send a relay signal to simulate a button press, thus turning the Wii U on. I've seen no tutorials on trying to attempt this. However I have no clue how the structure of the wii u's console or any of it's remote's pcb board works. So I'm not sure I could get it to work the same way as if I used a wifi relay switch on a garage door opener. I wish there we videos on this because it frustrates me to no end.
The Wii U uses a momentary switch to power on the console, which is different from a latching switch, like a light switch for example. I don't know which terminals you would have to connect to to simulate a button press on the front of the console. I would look at a Broadlink RM4 Pro or something similar. It does some of the things the Harmony Hub did. There may be newer or better options, but RM4 Pro works with IFTTT automation software, so that might be the direction you want to go.
@@ImmodderNation broadlink doesn't work. The wii, wii u and Nintendo switch remote controllers use a Bluetooth signal on a particular bandwidth to power them on via computer controller. They do not use radio frequency or wifi. I have a broadlink rm4 pro and trust me I can't program remote commands from the controllers. Hence why I would need either to hardwire to the consoles a wifi circuit switch to a negative and positive terminal (at least in theory) but you know game consoles do these weird proprietary things to consoles. By the way, how does a momentary switch function? By the way the wii remotes do have IR but the IR receiver is not connected to where the power on and off circuitry is. I belief the IR (infrared) is used solely for motion movement. As for the Wii U not sure if the big remote with the screen has a built in IR blaster. And the switch, well, different technology.
After watching this I realized there's nothing I could do on my SD card not being read unless I push and hold it in further using its spring mechanism.
You could try removing it and bending the the plastic pins in carefully. It's plastic so it's going to retain whatever shape its already in unless you really bend it. But you're very likely to break it.
Quick question: I recently tried to open my Wii U and when I put it back together, it had stopped working entirely, like it wasn't even turning on. Any clue what could cause this? I know there is a lot, but I believe to have done everything correct, all connections, well connected and everything like that. Is there any way I damaged something in a way to make it stop working?
While trying to put everything back together after making sure the disc drive is fine, I noticed that the connection from the front of the console (I assume it to be what allows things like the power button to work) had been damaged and I can't reconnect it. Would that be another reason it's not turning on? Even if I use another way to turn it on like the gamepad, I mean.
OK, here's a little problem I got, and maybe you can help me out. I wanted to replace my optical drive, because the old one got retired. The new one arrived soon, and I got a 160-1402 error, which apparently meant I had to switch the board from the old optical drive into the new one. So I had to tear the machine down again (luckily I had not reassembled the whole wii-u yet). While doing so, the little lever on the connector on the side came off. The one you put the flatcable in on the side for the on/off switch. I really handled it gently; no yanking or rough treatment. The connector itself was still OK, but I couldn't get the flatcable in and secure it anymore. After a long evening of cursing, because mainly I didn't how to or if I could get it back, I came to this video. Do you (or anyone else) know how to fix this. Or if not, can anyone point to another solution? TIA
So I recently opened up the disk drive to clean in hopes of getting a fat stack of good games to maybe finally work....(disc read errors on certain games my system doesn't like I guess) I must have offset a spring lever or something because now, after powering back up it. I get a a blue light like it wants to work (also game pad is responsive with the quick menu) but if I try to eject/load main menu/play game it begins the flashing red led. Any kind of advice or direction would be greatly greatly appreciated. BTW super impressed with your previous replies, honestly thought I'd hit the end so literally any help is gonna keep this console from a frustrated violent end. Thanks
Depends upon how much time you want to spend troubleshooting. I'd check eBay for a backup drive to install Incase things go south. I haven't explored the inside of the drive so your guess is as good as mine. Maybe you can try the new drive and see if that gets it working.
It's soldered to the board. I recommend a hot air station like the 858D or you can try a soldering iron. I have videos on how to use both. Look for videos on replacing surface mount components like usb ports. It's not easy.
Starting with the actual port. Hot air reworking station or soldering iron with knife blade. Flux paste and tweezers. Solder paste to put the new one on.
Good night, I have a problem, my SD card reader doesn't work, I've tried 2 adapters and 2 microSD cards, one 8GB and the other 32GB adapters and cards work normally on my Nintendo DSi XL, could you help me find out what could be happening? I already opened the console and didn't notice anything wrong!
@@tdegelmann No guides. Get a new system. Or trace back the SD card connections on the board to a storage chip and replace that. My guess is that its probably the memory card or adapter and not the sd card slot.
I'm unfortunately experiencing a very dangerous issue: the screws holding the front plate in place refuse to budge, and the screws are starting to strip. Any tips?
There are lots of ways to get stripped screws out. You could try screw grab or super glue. Or Dremel a small notch for a flathead screwdriver. Lots of TH-cam videos on how to do this as well. Good luck
Not sure if anyone will see this but any idea where to start if there is no video output with either the hdmi or av cables it powers on fine and spins up but my tv is getting no video either way.
Have you tried another display to see if that works? Maybe the video output of your display is set wrong? Have you checked your cables with a working console to make sure it works?
You could, but the system would probably not recognize it as its not setup that way. Its expecting 32GB of a specific type of storage and it sees something else could cause the system not to boot.
Hey, I recently bought a broken wii u for 7€ and it seems like it won't boot or display video, The thing is that I found some missing components on the under sinde of the motherboard (where the antenas are) If you still have your wii u taken appart, could you send me a picture of the components and what is written on them? And if you have reassembled it or anything you can just not do it (sorry I dont know how to say that i'm still learning english)
@@manuel0578 Hi grade thermal paste can have heat transfer improvements resulting in lower fan rpm's needed. This potentially could make the system quieter and cooler. Also I am personally an enthusiast overclocker. So I go for every little bit of performance. However the OP thinks this would not make an appreciable difference.
Hello. I am having issue with WiiU and i cannot find solution anywhere. I hope you can help me determine problem. Problem is with motion/gyro controll. It is sometimes laggy and sometimes I have to shake gamepad to get it work. Reseting, recalibrating doesn't help. I'd be thankful if you could tell me which part is faulty. Thanx.
Is there a way to factory reset the system by taking it apart? Stuck on create another user, it will not go back or out of this. Even after turning system off than back on will not go to menus or anything else! I bought this used, can't figure out how to get out of this. Thank you if you or anyone else can help me!
Could you please help me .. here is my issue .. Hi, Problem : Wii-u working fine but no output on led tv through HDMI or component cable .. the console is getting powered and I can play games on the wii-u handheld controller(the controller with built in screen .. its working) I need help regarding Wii-u .. please help me if you can .. 1) well my power supply of wii u is broken so I used computer power supply(used a module which could boost the voltage to 15volts and can handle 6 amps) .. everything worked great for the first 2/3 days 2) Now the problem ,, when i used my wii-u again(few weeks later) .. or couple of days later .. the wii-u console got powered on but .. the hdmi port is not outputting anything on TV ( there is no fault with the HDMI cable and there is no fault with the led TV) and even the component cable is not working .. PS: the console is getting powered from the computer power supply (with module i talked about) and the handeld wii-u controller is working fine(i can see display on it and can play games on it) ..and .. the only thing is HDMI to tv is not working and component cable is also not working .. My guess is some fuse is blown to protect the HDMI ic or some capacitor on the mobo is shorted .. could any1 with hardware mod experience help me please .. i will be really grateful. Regards R
Wii U doesn't have fuses. Nintendo would probably frown on the computer power supply to power the console. I thought the power supply produced 17 v, but could be remembering it wrong. My guess is that the In plane switching power supply from your PC functions differently than the power adapter that comes with the console. Could be it fried the video chip that outputs to the TV. I would check to make sure that your TV is set to the right input for each console and try with a working console to verify. Are you at least getting sound or nothing at all?
Does anybody know what part of WiiU can make no video in spite of CPU is hot, USB power is 5V and no capacitor failed. I disconnected all bus devices but neither hdmi nor rca image.
Yeah but you wouldn't want to take the console apart again to replace thermal paste. It's probably similar to NAS boxes with PWM fans that spin faster or slower at certain temps. You get the same temperature and maybe a fan that spins slower and is not as loud. In other words, I don't think you'll see a significant difference to make it worthwhile.
@@ImmodderNation yeah, I eventually figured it out, and im honestly surprised that the only problems I had was accidentally messing with the ribbon wire which im guessing controlled the power LED and somehow having a single extra screw, great video by the way
you arent telling us what screws are what when actually unscrewing them and the video is too blurry to see the tip of the screws and the screwdriver you are using
Wow this inside is not very intuitive at all. I've torn down the Xbox one and PS4 quite often and after the first time it becomes very simple. Have to take the entire thing apart and heatsink off to get to the WiFi chip in the console, darn 😂
Nintendo is the Apple of video game developers. If you've ever worked on older Nintendo consoles you'll remember gamebit screws. Harder to find bits for those than triwing.
Do you think that the thermal pad or thermal grease on the APU needs to be replaced at some point? I have used my Wii u for 6 years and planned to but watching your video I'm a little hesitant. I have never taken apart any other console except for a broken Xbox 360. Is there a way to clean the vents without tearing it apart?
You would have to take it apart to clean the vents. Otherwise you're just blowing air back into the system. Thermal pad should not need to be replaced. There are also Ifixit guides that have pictures if that helps.
@@ImmodderNation I didn't do it on purpose, the photos didn't show what kind of output it had. But I ordered another & I know it's right this time, so all I have to do is install it & put my Wii U back together. Thanks for your guide.
Awesome vid helped me clean the dust out of my Wii U and polish the housing shell up. Only issue I ran into was my screwdriver was too fat to reach the screws under the disc drive. I found if you unscrew the four little black screws on the side of the disc drive you can take it off the brackets, and then go and get the four bracket pieces off without it in the way.
I'm glad it worked out for you.
The Wii U, the last game console to use really odd and unique hardware at its core. Modern consoles nowadays are just X86 machines (or in the case of Nintendo’s Switch, a machine running on a fairly standard ARM SoC)
I feel like technologies are converging as companies are moving away from proprietary and towards universal. For example, Apple using Type C connectors and more serviceable products.
Good point. The Wii U is most likely the last console to load data natively off the disks to play. Every console now has a mandatory download.
well powerpc isn‘yt that odd
was used for xbox 360 and the ps3 cell architecture is based on ppc
also the old macs used ppc before they went to intel
but using some similar or almost identical architectures makes backwards compatibility much easier
wiiu is basically a wii on steroids which is a gamecube on steroids
thats why gamecube games run so good on a hacked wiiu, because they’re not emulated by software
Ohhh so that's what you were taking apart on Instagram. I couldn't come up with a good guess. This was pretty clear to follow. Nintendo consoles are getting more and more complex to take apart. I remember taking my Wii apart and that was a nightmare. I ruined the casing unfortunately. It was my first time opening a console but I have gotten better at it since then.
Wii is harder to take apart than Wii U I believe. Wii U has more screws though.
Christmas day, no tri-wing screwdriver. New copy of Just-dance.
Was able to force the small tri-screws with jeweller's screwdriver. Drilled out the two large ones until the heads were gone. Once open, removed the stubs with pliers. Cleaned everything. I cleaned DVD lense with a fine paint brush. Good as new. On assembly relaced weird screws with normal ones scavenged from another device.
Screws must be drilled at lowest RPM. I alternated between bit sizes small to create pilot and large to remove the head.
Thanks for your video. It helps a lot to see how it comes apart first.
Hopefully a new tri wing screwdriver or ifixit kit is on its way so you don't have to drill the heads off of the screws again.
Thanks.
Merry Christmas.
@@adrianroggeband1901 You too!
Wow. I cleaned my vents from the outside as they were caked in dust. Really hope the inside is not too dusty. I might one day open it but at the moment using an anti static brush I was able to de-dust the vents.
I really don't want a dead console from heat.
There's a massive heat sink, as long as the fan keeps moving air it should be ok.
I needed this video so I can open it up since my baby brother would put the microsd inside the console and give me the adapter. Thanks!
Probably one of the reasons Nintendo isn't doing disc drives anymore.
Crazy to think that so many amazing gaming memories were made inside of a plastic box of wires and boards.
Same can be said for movies and TV shows.
Everyone who owns a wiiU in 2024: first verify your cmos battery has voltage. If you don’t, you’ll need to recover the NAND, which is hard. Plug the console in and let it get a FULL CHARGE. Replace the cmos battery and tear your console apart, and clean it. It will last decades if you do this every 5 years.
What color antenna is the gamepad receiver
Wonderfully detailed and right to the point! Thanks for making this
Thank you for the compliment, Jason!
Hello, recently acquired a used Wii U, however did not inform me that the console was with damaged SD reader. I've been looking at some sites and found the part to replace at a very low price, I'd like to know if I need to take any extra care or if it requires something different from a welding process of a new common card reader.
Unfortunately I didn't find any guide or tutorial on the process.
Thank you!
There is only one board and the SD card reader is part of the board so I don't know how you were able to find a replacement unless it's just the reader component. You'll need a hot air rework station, but you might be able to replace it with just a soldering iron. Be careful of small components on the board.
The level of effort required to get into this thing is next level, three different screw sizes along with tri-wing screws... insanity lol
Todays consoles are actually easier to take apart. Go back a few years and try the older NES and SuperNES consoles. Good luck finding gamebit drivers, only found them on Amazon.
Bro doesn't know about the long screw console gen (gc,Xbox,PS2)
Thanks. I tried to follow the iFixit teardown guide, but that one is very incomplete. Yours is very good and very detailed. Thanks to this guide I managed to remove the bonusgame that came with my WiiU from the disk drive and now have a working WiiU and a copy of Lego Batman The Videogame. Yes, the WiiU definitely isn't able to play DS games. Never leave kids alone with anything with a slot.
You're welcome. I love a happy ending. Unforunately, ifixit doesn't have a video for the Wii U teardown. Pictures only tell half the story.
You could have ended that last sentence after "anything." 😂
@@ImmodderNation True, I could have ended that last sentence there. Just got another evidence of that today. Little brother + silver PS4 Slim + sandpaper really aren't a good combination. I got that PS4 really cheap, but the case looks terrible. I'll get some decals, hopefully that covers it.
@@MyRegardsToTheDodo You could also buy a system "for parts" and reuse the case for your system.
@@ImmodderNation I could, but I'm selling the PS4 off. I hope to get around 120 to 130 Euros for it, in decent condition it would probably bring around 150 Euros. So it's not really worth it for me, considering a broken PS4 Slim costs up to 90 Euros these days.
I bought my kids a wii u. Love it, will get them the switch for Christmas, I'm sold on this form factor
One question, the drive won't read all.discs and stops reading for multi layer games like Zelda. I've replaced the drive with 2 replacements, still no luck. Ideas?
It's possible you had two bad drives
Lmao WiiU games were just $60 trials for games that would cost the same on switch
I think they should just use standard screws to take it easier for you because we all have to clean the dust out from time to time
Tri wing is to discourage people from opening their consoles. You can, but it takes effort.
I need to do this cause my disc drive ain't working so I might find this helpful
Probably need new disk drive
my dust mesh in the cd slit in the front is falling apart. can i just undo the face plate 2 screws to get to it?
No you need to remove the side panels to get to the screws that hold the front face.
There's one important step you forgot to mention when taking the faceplate off there's a ribbon that needs to be detached from the side.
I forget that part every time. Don't tear the cable!
You may not know about repairing a Wii U but I’ve had a problem with mine
It seems like mine doesn’t take in power to the console so I took it apart and the power port was loose and it eventually fell off
What do you think I should do?
Resolder a new one. It's likely the solder pads came off with it. You'll need to scratch the PCB to get to the power contacts again.
Just got access to my Wii U back after like 6 years and noticed the fan was pretty loud. Checked this to see what would be involved in opening it up and giving it a good clean and replacing the thermal paste but yikes I can’t believe the fan is that small. Granted the only other fans I’ve had to mess with were PS4 and PS5 sooo
The heatsink does most of the work here. The fan just moves the air. Also the Wii U uses a thermal pad, not paste, so I hope your thermals haven't changed for the worst.
I have a broken Wii U and they asked too much to repair it. I wonder if is it possibile to swap the cases?
Mine is in fairly good shape, with few scratches and I would like to salvage it, so that I can swap it with that of a console that works but looks more roughed up.
Yeah once you get all the screws out the case comes off easily
@@ImmodderNation Thanks. I'm only scared about removing the rubber screw covers, since I've seen nobody sells replacements for those, and I'm afraid they'll get deformed when I remove them.
Use a straight pin or small blade precision screwdriver.
I like electronics held together by philips. Like the wii mini and nes
I thought the NES was held together with Gamebit screws. Maybe that was before they were concerned about people taking the consoles apart.
I'm buildig a 3 in one console I ripped all the Microsoft screws out... chalnge complete. Good vid verry infomative I now know where the Wii monther board will go in my pc
The motherboard is not all that different from the Wii. I can see why it's called the Wii U. Glad you enjoyed the video.
Thank you! My Wii U was very dusty and overheating. This helped a lot!
Here, take my miniscule algorithm boosting comment and like! B)
Your miniscule algorithm boosting comment is appreciated here.
I have a wii u. The gamepad will not connect to it, and nothing shows on the tv. Could a bluetooth module fix this or is it something else? I appreciate any help 🙏
You might have a bricked Wii U. There are more detailed guides on GBAtemp forums.
1:39 I almost expected to see GameCube controller ports.
Maybe you will in the next video. *Whistles to self walking away*
I can't think of a way to repair my wiiu's SD slot, I think I have to resold a new one but I can't find any online for less than 60$ 💀
There might be some electronic for less than $60 that uses the SD card port. Desoldering off that.
Thanks I have a disc stuck bc my sis smashed the gamepad screen
As an only child, I don't understand the pain of a sibling.
Doodle how did you say excited last screw and twist need mango or ponch it was stick naw imposible to take it out all parts fine just got cleaned lucky next time past thermal thank you
...Was there a question in there?
My Wii U is not getting power. I’m 100% sure that it’s not the power cord, as I’ve tested multiple on my console and used a multimeter with all of the power cords to make sure they’re not all bad. The indicator light on the front of the system does not show any signs of life. I’m hesitant to open up my Wii U completely without knowing what the issue could be. Is there a common problem that I could fix when inside? That way I can be prepared. Thanks in advance!
I don't think I can help you with technical support. When the unit is plugged in does the red light come on? If not and you're sure the power supply works, the unit will have to be taken apart.
Great video. Can the eMMC 8 GB NAND Flash/Memory Controller be replaced or would I need to replace the whole motherboard?
If you found the exact same flash or memory controller I don't see why it couldn't be replaced. If you're trying to upgrade, I don't think its going to work.
Any sort of repair work, I recommend taking your console to a professional.
Maybe you can help me out here. I have a Wii U that my brother gave me. It worked for awhile, but then it started freezing up. Right now, it freezes whatever you happen to be doing about 10 seconds in. You could be waiting to clear a dialog box, switching users, or loading a game. Whatever you happen to be doing, that's where it freezes. I've already replaced the power supply and the thermal pad, cleaned it, made sure the fan was working, and now I don't know what to try next. Any suggestions?
Could be bad chips or cracked solder joints. Maybe try reflowing the solder on the board first. Other than that, sounds like its DOA.
hey so i dropped my wii u a few years back and don’t remember how badly, recently remembered i had it and tried to start it up, the lights are lit up and i know the power supply is good, but when i press the on button nothing happens, same with the eject button, any help is amazing thank you
You should hear the disk drive initialize. If you don't you may have a bad disk drive.
Do you happen to know why my Wii U game console wont connect to my TV even though The connections with HDMI seem to be okay and working?
Your console could default back to analog.
Nice video. Man I've been looking everywhere but i see no one has ever tried to attempt what I've been wanting to do. Since the Harmony Hub is defunct and no longer in production, I can't control my wii or wii u via voice command. So I thought to myself why don't i wire up a wifi relay switch, like the one from Shelly and then take the wires connecting it and solder it to the area on eitiher a wii u remote pcb board or the wii console's pcb board near the area that has the power button. That way when a command is sent via wifi to the Shelly it will send a relay signal to simulate a button press, thus turning the Wii U on. I've seen no tutorials on trying to attempt this. However I have no clue how the structure of the wii u's console or any of it's remote's pcb board works. So I'm not sure I could get it to work the same way as if I used a wifi relay switch on a garage door opener. I wish there we videos on this because it frustrates me to no end.
The Wii U uses a momentary switch to power on the console, which is different from a latching switch, like a light switch for example. I don't know which terminals you would have to connect to to simulate a button press on the front of the console.
I would look at a Broadlink RM4 Pro or something similar. It does some of the things the Harmony Hub did. There may be newer or better options, but RM4 Pro works with IFTTT automation software, so that might be the direction you want to go.
@@ImmodderNation broadlink doesn't work. The wii, wii u and Nintendo switch remote controllers use a Bluetooth signal on a particular bandwidth to power them on via computer controller. They do not use radio frequency or wifi. I have a broadlink rm4 pro and trust me I can't program remote commands from the controllers. Hence why I would need either to hardwire to the consoles a wifi circuit switch to a negative and positive terminal (at least in theory) but you know game consoles do these weird proprietary things to consoles. By the way, how does a momentary switch function? By the way the wii remotes do have IR but the IR receiver is not connected to where the power on and off circuitry is. I belief the IR (infrared) is used solely for motion movement. As for the Wii U not sure if the big remote with the screen has a built in IR blaster. And the switch, well, different technology.
After watching this I realized there's nothing I could do on my SD card not being read unless I push and hold it in further using its spring mechanism.
Are you sure the SD card is working properly?
@@ImmodderNation yeah, the wiiu is already erratic sometimes it detects the card sometimes it does3
My Wii U SD Card/USB port flap is kinda loose. Any ideas on how to fix it?
You could try removing it and bending the the plastic pins in carefully. It's plastic so it's going to retain whatever shape its already in unless you really bend it. But you're very likely to break it.
Can we use cpu putty to replace cpu pad?
I don't know. You could always try.
Quick question: I recently tried to open my Wii U and when I put it back together, it had stopped working entirely, like it wasn't even turning on. Any clue what could cause this? I know there is a lot, but I believe to have done everything correct, all connections, well connected and everything like that. Is there any way I damaged something in a way to make it stop working?
You could have but chances are likely the disk drive ribbon cable is not connected properly.
@@ImmodderNation That, uh, makes a lot of sense. I always had trouble getting it back in. Thank you, I will test it tomorrow!
Good luck. Report back.
While trying to put everything back together after making sure the disc drive is fine, I noticed that the connection from the front of the console (I assume it to be what allows things like the power button to work) had been damaged and I can't reconnect it. Would that be another reason it's not turning on? Even if I use another way to turn it on like the gamepad, I mean.
The power switch is connected to the front face, so that could have something to do with it. You may need to buy replacement parts.
hi can u do a temperature test for this
Temperature test? What kind of temperature test?
Did nintendo use any thermal paste?
I don't see any after the heat sink was removed.
Thermal pad underneath the heatsink 👍
@@ImmodderNation is it reusable when cleaning out the system? Or do i need to use thermal paste?
Where is the hard drive where is the wiius 8/32 gb storage if there is no hard drive
Silly Minecrafter, it's NAND storage. No spinning disks.
@@ImmodderNation oh
OK, here's a little problem I got, and maybe you can help me out.
I wanted to replace my optical drive, because the old one got retired.
The new one arrived soon, and I got a 160-1402 error, which apparently meant I had to switch the board from the old optical drive into the new one.
So I had to tear the machine down again (luckily I had not reassembled the whole wii-u yet).
While doing so, the little lever on the connector on the side came off. The one you put the flatcable in on the side for the on/off switch. I really handled it gently; no yanking or rough treatment. The connector itself was still OK, but I couldn't get the flatcable in and secure it anymore. After a long evening of cursing, because mainly I didn't how to or if I could get it back, I came to this video.
Do you (or anyone else) know how to fix this. Or if not, can anyone point to another solution?
TIA
Figure out a way to lock that cable in place. Might need to get creative with hot glue.
My Wii U just stopped working.. I think I need to clean it..
Stopped working how?
@@ImmodderNation mine too. It overheats and just shuts down.
Clean out dust in fan?
@@ImmodderNation i tried that with a can of compressed air and it still shut down, so I want to clean it myself by opening it.
Good idea. Does the fan spin at least?
So I recently opened up the disk drive to clean in hopes of getting a fat stack of good games to maybe finally work....(disc read errors on certain games my system doesn't like I guess) I must have offset a spring lever or something because now, after powering back up it. I get a a blue light like it wants to work (also game pad is responsive with the quick menu) but if I try to eject/load main menu/play game it begins the flashing red led. Any kind of advice or direction would be greatly greatly appreciated.
BTW super impressed with your previous replies, honestly thought I'd hit the end so literally any help is gonna keep this console from a frustrated violent end. Thanks
Depends upon how much time you want to spend troubleshooting. I'd check eBay for a backup drive to install Incase things go south.
I haven't explored the inside of the drive so your guess is as good as mine. Maybe you can try the new drive and see if that gets it working.
Id replace the APUs thermal pad with the hitachi hm03 thermal pad
You could. Would that cool it better than stock?
Any specific informations that i should know if i want to replace my broken sd card slot? Never did this before
It's soldered to the board. I recommend a hot air station like the 858D or you can try a soldering iron. I have videos on how to use both. Look for videos on replacing surface mount components like usb ports. It's not easy.
My hdmi port is broken to fix it what would I need?
Starting with the actual port. Hot air reworking station or soldering iron with knife blade. Flux paste and tweezers. Solder paste to put the new one on.
What is the yellow port you plug the ac adapter into called?
Power supply connector?
@@ImmodderNation Whenever I look that up I tend to get the gamepad charging port
@@squwooshk someone on eBay called it "Power Supply Outlet Socket Interface Replacement Accessory For Wii U Host"
@@ImmodderNation Is it soldered to the Wii U? Or can you just push it in place?
I wanted to know how you could internally switch console regions is it linked to the processor?
I don't think you can. If you can, I don't know how.
Good night, I have a problem, my SD card reader doesn't work, I've tried 2 adapters and 2 microSD cards, one 8GB and the other 32GB adapters and cards work normally on my Nintendo DSi XL, could you help me find out what could be happening? I already opened the console and didn't notice anything wrong!
Try a regular SD card and see if you have a problem. If not, then the problem is with your adapter. Otherwise you may have a bad system
@@ImmodderNation And if it is a bad system, is there a way to repair it? What tests or repair procedures do you guide me with?
@@tdegelmann No guides. Get a new system. Or trace back the SD card connections on the board to a storage chip and replace that. My guess is that its probably the memory card or adapter and not the sd card slot.
I think you need a blank card and you need to format it in settings
If I wanted to get a new Wii U and swap the internal hard drive how hard is it?
Impossible. Wii U doesn't have an internal hard drive. You didn't watch the video.
@@ImmodderNation I mean I did I just asked this before fully watching it
I'm unfortunately experiencing a very dangerous issue: the screws holding the front plate in place refuse to budge, and the screws are starting to strip. Any tips?
There are lots of ways to get stripped screws out. You could try screw grab or super glue. Or Dremel a small notch for a flathead screwdriver. Lots of TH-cam videos on how to do this as well. Good luck
Having the same problem they just wont come of
PLEASE HELP ME, MY SD CARD IS WEDGED SO FAR IN THE BACK OF THE PORT, PLEASE TELL ME I CAN GET IT BACK
...
Got any tweezers?
Not sure if anyone will see this but any idea where to start if there is no video output with either the hdmi or av cables it powers on fine and spins up but my tv is getting no video either way.
Have you tried another display to see if that works? Maybe the video output of your display is set wrong? Have you checked your cables with a working console to make sure it works?
How do I know if I connected the console dentor cables correctly?
If it turns on.
I'm just kidding. I don't know what dentor cables are.
@@ImmodderNation The white and red ones inside the system.
The antennas? I never disconnected them. I just removed them from the plastic holder.
@@ImmodderNation O.K. Thanks!
Good luck!
Can you solder more RAM?
You could, but the system would probably not recognize it as its not setup that way. Its expecting 32GB of a specific type of storage and it sees something else could cause the system not to boot.
Hey,
I recently bought a broken wii u for 7€ and it seems like it won't boot or display video,
The thing is that I found some missing components on the under sinde of the motherboard (where the antenas are)
If you still have your wii u taken appart, could you send me a picture of the components and what is written on them? And if you have reassembled it or anything you can just not do it (sorry I dont know how to say that i'm still learning english)
guide-images.cdn.ifixit.com/igi/SGtP5B4ockcnTUFA.full
Do you think It'd be worth swapping that thermal pad on the processor for a more highgrade thermal compound?
I got asked this question before. The answer is No, probably not.
For what purpose? The Wii U fan makes noise for you? That’s really the only point to renew the thermal paste.
@@manuel0578 Hi grade thermal paste can have heat transfer improvements resulting in lower fan rpm's needed. This potentially could make the system quieter and cooler. Also I am personally an enthusiast overclocker. So I go for every little bit of performance. However the OP thinks this would not make an appreciable difference.
@@manuel0578 I can't speak for Will, but I think he may be trying to pull more heat away than factory.
Hello. I am having issue with WiiU and i cannot find solution anywhere. I hope you can help me determine problem. Problem is with motion/gyro controll. It is sometimes laggy and sometimes I have to shake gamepad to get it work. Reseting, recalibrating doesn't help. I'd be thankful if you could tell me which part is faulty. Thanx.
Sounds like the problem might be with your controller. Good luck!
What happens when the battery at 1:32 dies
The console can not keep track of time when the battery dies
That's a CMOS battery. Stores things like time like Juan mentioned.
Anyone know the difference between a U with a yellow power port and black, which is newer?
Never seen a black power port in person. From what I've read, black is the newer revision. The optical drive may have been altered in these.
Thanks, I couldn't find any info. I've got 2 with yellow and one black, trying to decide which one to keep.
Keep the one that works
Is there a way to factory reset the system by taking it apart? Stuck on create another user, it will not go back or out of this. Even after turning system off than back on will not go to menus or anything else! I bought this used, can't figure out how to get out of this. Thank you if you or anyone else can help me!
Only though the menu system can you reset everything.
Could you please help me .. here is my issue ..
Hi,
Problem : Wii-u working fine but no output on led tv through HDMI or component cable .. the console is getting powered and I can play games on the wii-u handheld controller(the controller with built in screen .. its working)
I need help regarding Wii-u .. please help me if you can .. 1) well my power supply of wii u is broken so I used computer power supply(used a module which could boost the voltage to 15volts and can handle 6 amps) .. everything worked great for the first 2/3 days
2) Now the problem ,, when i used my wii-u again(few weeks later) .. or couple of days later .. the wii-u console got powered on but .. the hdmi port is not outputting anything on TV ( there is no fault with the HDMI cable and there is no fault with the led TV) and even the component cable is not working ..
PS: the console is getting powered from the computer power supply (with module i talked about) and the handeld wii-u controller is working fine(i can see display on it and can play games on it) ..and .. the only thing is HDMI to tv is not working and component cable is also not working .. My guess is some fuse is blown to protect the HDMI ic or some capacitor on the mobo is shorted .. could any1 with hardware mod experience help me please .. i will be really grateful.
Regards
R
Wii U doesn't have fuses. Nintendo would probably frown on the computer power supply to power the console. I thought the power supply produced 17 v, but could be remembering it wrong. My guess is that the In plane switching power supply from your PC functions differently than the power adapter that comes with the console. Could be it fried the video chip that outputs to the TV. I would check to make sure that your TV is set to the right input for each console and try with a working console to verify. Are you at least getting sound or nothing at all?
Does anybody know what part of WiiU can make no video in spite of CPU is hot, USB power is 5V and no capacitor failed. I disconnected all bus devices but neither hdmi nor rca image.
I would recommend checking GBA forums for help.
@@ImmodderNation there was console GPU manufacturing defect. I found the same one working.
Does the system use thermal paste under the heatsink, or is it a system that doesn't use thermal paste?
If I remember correctly it's an adhesive thermal pad.
@@ImmodderNation could you replace the thermal pad with thermal past instead?
You could, but why?
@@ImmodderNation Well i would assume thermal paste cools better than a pad.
Yeah but you wouldn't want to take the console apart again to replace thermal paste. It's probably similar to NAS boxes with PWM fans that spin faster or slower at certain temps. You get the same temperature and maybe a fan that spins slower and is not as loud. In other words, I don't think you'll see a significant difference to make it worthwhile.
Alright well
How do I put it back together
Watch this video in reverse!
@@ImmodderNation yeah, I eventually figured it out, and im honestly surprised that the only problems I had was accidentally messing with the ribbon wire which im guessing controlled the power LED and somehow having a single extra screw, great video by the way
Thank you. Spare parts get thrown in the trash. Nobody saw that! 😂
Where are the files stored? Is there a hard drive in there?
No hard drive. eMMC soldered to the board. Those are where most of the files are. Rest are SOC.
@@ImmodderNation i dont think i need to ask but its not water proof is it? my house got flooded recently
Nope. Not water proof
I want to put in a pc case so I can liquid cool/overclock
SFF case should work well. It doesn't need much cooling. Good luck overclocking
I cant re connect the front ribbon that powers the power button
Use the handle on the ribbon cable to help you insert it into the connector.
what is the little battery for?
Settings.
@@ImmodderNation so, to return into settings and configure it? And what would happen if its not there?
You'd probably have to reset the date and time every time you turn on the console
@@ImmodderNation ok thanks for that
You're welcome
you arent telling us what screws are what when actually unscrewing them and the video is too blurry to see the tip of the screws and the screwdriver you are using
Get yourself a tri-wing 00x50 and a small phillips. Or just get an iFixit Mako toolkit. Covers everything.
Wow this inside is not very intuitive at all. I've torn down the Xbox one and PS4 quite often and after the first time it becomes very simple.
Have to take the entire thing apart and heatsink off to get to the WiFi chip in the console, darn 😂
Nintendo is the Apple of video game developers. If you've ever worked on older Nintendo consoles you'll remember gamebit screws. Harder to find bits for those than triwing.
i can't slide the compartment out
What compartment? The battery compartment?
aight so basically I looked up this video because I want to mod a wii U shell to house my original wii but make it be cooled WAY better
You'll have to cut the shell if you have gamecube ports on yours. The Wii should fit easily inside. What are you going to do with your Wii U then?
Still nice video tho
Thanks. Hope it helps
Where is the gpu?
Its underneath the headspreader. That big silver cover
@@ImmodderNationweird thats the smallest gpu and cpu nintendo ever created
@@Kage5868 Actually AMD created it.
Cool and good
Thank you! Good luck
Do you think that the thermal pad or thermal grease on the APU needs to be replaced at some point? I have used my Wii u for 6 years and planned to but watching your video I'm a little hesitant. I have never taken apart any other console except for a broken Xbox 360. Is there a way to clean the vents without tearing it apart?
You would have to take it apart to clean the vents. Otherwise you're just blowing air back into the system. Thermal pad should not need to be replaced. There are also Ifixit guides that have pictures if that helps.
@@ImmodderNation cool, thanks for your reply! I think I will stick to your video to tear my Wii u down
You're welcome and good luck!
@@ImmodderNation thanks dude. Good luck with your channel, too
Challenge accepted!
I...what? What challenge?
For the tri bit screws in the beginning of the video
You mentioned how you look at security screws and say challenge accepted, I say the same
It's cool that you responded, thanks!
I published this video so long ago I forgot I was funny.
I think there are more screws than console.
You may be right about that.
This would be helpful if I hadn't ORDERED THE WRONG FAN
Oh no! Why did you do that?
@@ImmodderNation I didn't do it on purpose, the photos didn't show what kind of output it had. But I ordered another & I know it's right this time, so all I have to do is install it & put my Wii U back together. Thanks for your guide.
You're welcome. Glad you cleared up the fan situation.
Some bullshit there is no hard drive that i see of!
In other words i am saying it is bullshit it dont have a hard drive and it is only bios? #dumb.
eMMc is your storage. Those Samsung chips soldered to the board.
i just bought a wii u today for $170 and it smels terrible like ciggaretes🤢🤮
Might want to open it up, air it out, dust it out with compressed air in a can.
Wii u sucked lol, thank god I didnt waste money on this crappy system
Ok, thanks for sharing.
jason born your opinion. But the great memorable games on it begs to differ.
BOTW, Super Mario Maker, Mario Kart 8, just to name a few.
well the "crappy" system got homebrewed so you can emulate non crappy systems
@@CosmicFox2007 I enjoy when people take the time to leave comments to tell me their opinion I don't agree with.