ByteRot :: Cleaning the Controller Buttons

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Cleaning the Controller Buttons

Device	Nintendo 64 Controller
Difficulty	Moderate
Time	40 minutes
Steps	5

This guide is by Jason Gittler 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 >>

You will learn how to take apart the necessary parts of the controller, how to clean the inside, and how certain parts are supposed to aligned or inserted into other parts.

Tools: Phillips #0 Screwdriver; High Content Rubbing Alcohol; Cotton Swabs

Step 1

• Remove the 9 external screws (4.8 mm Phillips head) on the back of the controller.
• Remove the back panel from the controller.

Step 2

• Remove the 3 screws (4.8 mm Phillips head) from the back of the white box.
• Remove the back panel of the joystick box.
• NOTE: There are many small plastic components loose in this box; be careful not to lose these.
• Separate the rubber pads and plastic buttons from the controller.

Step 3

• Using a soft cleaning material, clean the plastic buttons.
• Using a toothpick, clean the pole slot, shown at the right of the Q-Tip.

Step 4

• Using a damp, soft cleaning material, clean the rubber button pads.
• NOTE: To ensure that no electrical damage occurs, ensure that you dry the pieces completely after cleaning them.

Step 5 :: Put it back together

• Reinsert the buttons, ensuring that the rubber, cylindrical pieces protruding from the buttons are lined up with their corresponding circuits.

Conclusion

Follow these steps in reverse order to reassemble your device.

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