Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

7

Time Required

                          20 minutes - 1 hour

Sections

1

  • Button Flex Board
  • 7 steps

Flags

Member-Contributed Guide

An awesome member of our community made this guide. It is not managed by iFixit staff.

  • BackDualShock 4 CUH-ZCT1

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Introduction

  • Before ordering the replacement part, open up your controller using the teardown guide to determine your motherboard model No. (usually behind the battery tray).I do not have any responsibility for ordering the wrong model. I warned you!

What you need

Step 1

              Opening the enclosure
  • Unscrew these 4 PH0 Screws to open the back cover.
  • Carefully pry around the cover with a spudger. Pull the back part to open the enclosure.
  • Be careful not to pull too far though, because there is a fragile connector connecting the light bar assembly.
  • Disconnect the light bar ribbon cable.

Unscrew these 4 PH0 Screws to open the back cover.

Carefully pry around the cover with a spudger. Pull the back part to open the enclosure.

Be careful not to pull too far though, because there is a fragile connector connecting the light bar assembly.

Disconnect the light bar ribbon cable.

1024

Step 2

              Please note:
  • Note that when opening the case, the following parts might fall off: L2 Trigger, R2 trigger, 2x trigger springs. If they don’t, remove them and keep them in a safe place for later.

Note that when opening the case, the following parts might fall off: L2 Trigger, R2 trigger, 2x trigger springs. If they don’t, remove them and keep them in a safe place for later.

Step 3

              Disconnecting cables
  • Disconnect the battery connector and remove the battery.
  • And the touch bar cable. Push the cable carefully through the small hole in the plastic midframe.

Disconnect the battery connector and remove the battery.

And the touch bar cable. Push the cable carefully through the small hole in the plastic midframe.

Step 4

              Removing the front cover
  • Remove the lonely, PH1 screw holding the motherboard and the midframe.
  • Remove the front cover from the midframe. If it gets stuck, you may need to jiggle the joysticks.
  • Take care while jiggling the sticks and removing the cover, because the vibration motors that are soldered on the board may get detached, which can be very frustrating to reassemble.

Remove the lonely, PH1 screw holding the motherboard and the midframe.

Remove the front cover from the midframe. If it gets stuck, you may need to jiggle the joysticks.

Take care while jiggling the sticks and removing the cover, because the vibration motors that are soldered on the board may get detached, which can be very frustrating to reassemble.

Step 5

              Removing the button board- Part 1
  • Starting from the bottom, carefully remove the board from these 4 latches. It might also get caught on the bottom of the speaker grille.
  • Then, remove the bumper buttons and the contact pads outward from for them and the triggers. A slight force must be applied.
  • The top of your controller should now look like pic. 3 Then, unlatch the board from there as well
  • To be continued…

Starting from the bottom, carefully remove the board from these 4 latches. It might also get caught on the bottom of the speaker grille.

Then, remove the bumper buttons and the contact pads outward from for them and the triggers. A slight force must be applied.

The top of your controller should now look like pic. 3 Then, unlatch the board from there as well

To be continued…

Step 6

              Removing the button board- part 2
  • Now that your controller looks something like pic 1, open the midframe Partially.
  • Again, be careful here, because the vibration motors are hard-soldered on the board.
  • Remove the two more latches on the sides of the contact pins.
  • Pull the board out carefully.

Now that your controller looks something like pic 1, open the midframe Partially.

Again, be careful here, because the vibration motors are hard-soldered on the board.

Remove the two more latches on the sides of the contact pins.

Pull the board out carefully.

Step 7

              That's it! Well... Kinda
  • Get your new button board and follow the steps in reverse order to reassemble your device. If you need help re installing the trigger buttons (trust me, it is hard to do so) follow this guide: PS4 Dualshock 4 trigger reassembly

Get your new button board and follow the steps in reverse order to reassemble your device. If you need help re installing the trigger buttons (trust me, it is hard to do so) follow this guide: PS4 Dualshock 4 trigger reassembly

To reassemble your device, follow this guide: PS4 Dualshock 4 trigger reassembly

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                                                                                      7 other people completed this guide.

Author

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                    Devnol

Member since: 12/01/2018

2,378 Reputation

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Tar Faerhing - Sep 16, 2020

Reply

pieces of $@$*, it uses 00 not 0, you made me buy a useless screwdriver

Devnol - Sep 17, 2020

I am sorry for your experience but a PH0 screwdriver worked just fine for me. If it doesn’t quite work for you, try the rubber band trick: place a thin and wide rubber band on the screw and squish it with the screwdriver. Also, it’s not useless, I have bought so many things calling them that and wouldn’t you know it one day I was so grateful that I had these lying around. Happy repairing Tar!

Alessandro - Jun 15, 2021

Reply

I’ve changed two flex boards from two different sellers, and I keep having a battery drain of about 25mA after i installed them. The battery drain is not present with the original flex board, any ideas?

Alessandro - Jun 15, 2021

Ok no, little update. the battery drain is present even if I disconnect the flex board, the touch connector and the led . It’s something on the main board I think, but I can’t figure out what is it. Is there some insulation that I may have lost when changing the flex board the first time?

Devnol - Jun 15, 2021

That sounds really weird. I don’t remember any insulation on this specific model of controller. I don’t have this anymore as it was a repair for a friend and I also hadn’t noticed or measured such a drain.