Featured

Featured Guide

Difficulty

Difficult

Steps

13

Time Required

                          10 - 30 minutes

Sections

5

  • Rear Cover
  • 3 steps
  • Battery
  • 2 steps
  • Motherboard Assembly
  • 4 steps
  • Input Board
  • 2 steps
  • Motherboard
  • 2 steps

Flags

1

This guide has been found to be exceptionally cool by the iFixit staff.

  • BackDualShock 3

  • Full Screen

  • Options

  • History

  • Save to Favorites

  • Download PDF

  • Edit

  • Translate

  • Get Shareable Link

  • Embed This Guide

  • Notify Me of Changes

  • Stop Notifications

Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Rear Cover
  • Remove the five 7.2 mm Phillips screws securing the rear cover to the controller.

Remove the five 7.2 mm Phillips screws securing the rear cover to the controller.

1024

Step 2

  • Press on the rear cover between the analog sticks and slightly lift the lower edge of it away from the rest of the controller.

Press on the rear cover between the analog sticks and slightly lift the lower edge of it away from the rest of the controller.

Step 3

  • Push the rear cover slightly toward the top edge of the controller to clear the front edge of the #2 triggers.
  • Pull the rear cover away from the rest of the controller, being careful not to pop off the #2 triggers.
  • If you happen to accidentally pop off the trigger buttons, we have a trigger button guide to reattach them.

Push the rear cover slightly toward the top edge of the controller to clear the front edge of the #2 triggers.

Pull the rear cover away from the rest of the controller, being careful not to pop off the #2 triggers.

If you happen to accidentally pop off the trigger buttons, we have a trigger button guide to reattach them.

Step 4

              Battery
  • Lift the battery off the motherboard for enough clearance to access the battery connector.

Lift the battery off the motherboard for enough clearance to access the battery connector.

Step 5

  • Carefully pull the battery connector away from its socket on the motherboard.
  • It may be helpful to use a pair of tweezers or pliers to grab the battery connector when you disconnect it for the first time. Only pull on the connector. Do not try to remove by pulling on the red and black wires.

Carefully pull the battery connector away from its socket on the motherboard.

It may be helpful to use a pair of tweezers or pliers to grab the battery connector when you disconnect it for the first time. Only pull on the connector. Do not try to remove by pulling on the red and black wires.

Step 6

              Motherboard Assembly
  • Remove the single 7.2 mm Phillips screw securing the motherboard to the front cover.

Remove the single 7.2 mm Phillips screw securing the motherboard to the front cover.

Step 7

  • Slide the trigger button retainers slightly away from the front cover.
  • Remove the #1 button on both sides.

Slide the trigger button retainers slightly away from the front cover.

Remove the #1 button on both sides.

Step 8

  • Pull the vibration motor retainers away from the front cover to dislodge the motherboard assembly.

Pull the vibration motor retainers away from the front cover to dislodge the motherboard assembly.

Step 9

  • Remove the motherboard assembly from the front cover.
  • When removing the motherboard assembly, try not to tilt the front cover upside down as the buttons and their covers may fall out.

Remove the motherboard assembly from the front cover.

When removing the motherboard assembly, try not to tilt the front cover upside down as the buttons and their covers may fall out.

Step 10

              Input Board
  • Carefully push the two vibration motors out of the input board frame.

Carefully push the two vibration motors out of the input board frame.

Step 11

  • Lift the input board assembly off the motherboard.

Lift the input board assembly off the motherboard.

Step 12

              Motherboard
  • Pull both analog stick covers straight up off their joystick posts attached to the motherboard.

Pull both analog stick covers straight up off their joystick posts attached to the motherboard.

Step 13

  • Use a soldering iron to de-solder both vibration motor wires from the motherboard.
  • Don’t have too much experience with soldering? Check out our soldering guide for detailed instructions.
  • The positive (red) wire connects nearest the top of the motherboard.
  • When soldering on circuit boards, be sure not to overheat the connection as permanent damage may result.

Use a soldering iron to de-solder both vibration motor wires from the motherboard.

Don’t have too much experience with soldering? Check out our soldering guide for detailed instructions.

The positive (red) wire connects nearest the top of the motherboard.

When soldering on circuit boards, be sure not to overheat the connection as permanent damage may result.

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

Cancel: I did not complete this guide.

                                                                                      37 other people completed this guide.

Author

                                      with 5 other contributors 


                    Andrew Bookholt

575,478 Reputation

                                      618 Guides authored                  



                       Badges:
                       47







                                                        +44 more badges

Tom - Dec 30, 2014

Reply

Where can we buy one of these motherboards ?

Demon - Apr 2, 2019

I’m looking for one myself. I can’t find one online.

Marco - Oct 21, 2015

Reply

Do i have to take the vibration motors off?What if i have a replacement motherboard with vibration motors already on,can i just replace it with that one?

P.S.-Pretty new to fixing these remotes so i apologize if my questions may sound stupid.

Blake Hannan - Oct 27, 2016

Ricky Canales - Oct 27, 2015

Reply

I have a dual shock 3 and my son accidentally drooled on it and it won’t turn or anything, I had it brand new for 3 weeks, what do u think it is? Input board? Motherboard?