ByteRot :: Game Boy Color Speaker Replacement

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Game Boy Color Speaker Replacement

Device	Game Boy Color
Difficulty	Moderate
Time	10 - 15 minutes
Steps	6

This guide is by Finn Dooley on iFixit and is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0. ByteRot mirrors it for non-commercial preservation: formatting changed and photos resized for old browsers; full-size photos and the text are on the FTP in /DOCS/REPAIR. Original guide >>

The speakers on the device may become dirty or damaged by dust and dirt, requiring a cleaning or replacement. This guide will show you how to do both.

Tools: Soldering Iron; Tri-point Y1 Screwdriver; Phillips #0 Screwdriver

Step 1 :: Battery

• NOTE: Remove any games in the system before beginning.
• Press up on the battery holder tab on the back to lift it up and remove it

Step 2 :: Removing the back shell

• Using a Y1 screwdriver, remove the six screws on the back of the device.

Step 3 :: Removing the motherboard

• REMINDER: When reassembling, make sure to align the power switch with the corresponding piece of plastic inside the shell. If not aligned it will stop you from screwing it back together and will break if force is applied.
• NOTE: Don't yet unsolder the speaker, as you'll be unable to remove it until the motherboard comes off.
• Remove the 3 PH0 Phillips screws near the bottom of the device.

Step 4 :: Display Ribbon Cable

• Push up on the two dark grey pieces of plastic on the display ribbon cable bracket.
• Make sure they are in a position similar to the one in the second image. Then they are fully extended.
• CAUTION: Be very careful pushing on these as they are fragile and will break easily. If they do, the display cable will no longer be as secure and could have a bad connection.

Step 5

• Using a spudger, screwdriver or other long thin object, gently pull the ribbon cable out of the bracket.

Step 6 :: Speaker

• If the speaker is simply dirty, clean it and the speaker holes in the case. Then, reassemble it and test the speakers. If they still don't work then continue on.
• Once you've removed the motherboard, you are now free to desolder the speaker wires and replace it with a new one.
• NOTE: Make sure to keep the same polarity as the original, as otherwise it may sound a bit different. However, it likely doesn't matter and won't damage anything if the polarity is reversed.

Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

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