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[Labrys]

This evening I went to open my 3DS, and much to my sadness and anger I was greeted with this:

I dunno what cause it, but it's like, mountains of different values of light all over the screen, more prevalent on the right side. I tried playing a game (SSB) to see if it would kick it out of it but it just got worse, sending a section of the lightest layer up in a straight line. The darker outside bit also got darker and started circling more around the outside edges.

The obvious thing to do here is call Nintendo, but I'm not sure if it's still under warranty or if this problem is coverable under warranty. What I'm most curious about is what it is, exactly. Is it the backlight bleeding or something different?

With ORAS and other various games I play daily simply going without a 3DS until next year when the New 3DS is launched is out of the question, so I'll probably be purchasing a 2DS if I can't get this repaired cheaply.

 

[Shun]

Like did you sit on your 3DS or get water damage cause that's what it looks like.

Stress on the screen could cause something like that to happen.

 

[MatrixMan.EXE]

Did you accidentally apply any amount of pressure on that part of the 3DS XL at all? That's likely the reason.

 

[Labrys]

Did you accidentally apply any amount of pressure on that part of the 3DS XL at all? That's likely the reason.

I wiped down the top screen with a glasses cloth earlier in the day but it didn't show that at all afterward, or at least didn't show any I noticed.

If this was from me cleaning the top screen I am such a fucking idiot.

 

[Mockingbird]

I wiped down the top screen with a glasses cloth earlier in the day but it didn't show that at all afterward, or at least didn't show any I noticed.

If this was from me cleaning the top screen I am such a fucking idiot.

That wouldn't be it unless you pressed down super hard on it (like trying to break it), I would assume.

 

[Snarfington]

I wiped down the top screen with a glasses cloth earlier in the day but it didn't show that at all afterward, or at least didn't show any I noticed.

If this was from me cleaning the top screen I am such a fucking idiot.

Yeah, unless you're the Hulk that's not true. If it broke just from a quick cloth wipe then the hardware must have been faulty. But I doubt it was that. Seems like some kind of pressure damage.

Definitely an RMA situation. If it's not covered under warranty then you'll need to pay, stick with it or just get a new system. Simple as that.

Spoiler

I mean you could probably try to replace the screen but I have no idea if that's even possible

 

[Hero of Legend]

Yeah I use screen cleaner what whatnot and never had anything like this in the slightest. You must've done something you didn't realize like add excessive pressure or water damage (though that would be more like a submerge or something big and not just rain unless you were careless).

Though severe water damage would likely prevent the thing from even turning on.

 

[Labrys]

That wouldn't be it unless you pressed down super hard on it (like trying to break it), I would assume.

I always try to be gentle with my electronics, I do tend to exert my strength with other things though. Would it be pressure from both sides or just one?

I'm trying to think about any other damage it could have gotten. I was at work today after I finished playing/cleaned screen and I set it on my desk and it was on my desk when I got home. I don't remember touching it at all before tonight.

 

[Infernal Monkey]

Looks like moisture trapped under the screen.

 

[Labrys]

Well, thought I'd give a quick update, I contacted nintendo and they said it sounds like what you guys thought, pressure or water damage. They wanted $140 to fix it, so I just said never mind and I got a 2DS today. It came with Mario Kart so I traded in my Mario Kart so it ended up being around $100, less than the quote they gave me.

Thank you all for the help, though, I appreciate it. Knowing me I probably damaged it without noticing, or something.

 

[casiopao]

Well, thought I'd give a quick update, I contacted nintendo and they said it sounds like what you guys thought, pressure or water damage. They wanted $140 to fix it, so I just said never mind and I got a 2DS today. It came with Mario Kart so I traded in my Mario Kart so it ended up being around $100, less than the quote they gave me.

Thank you all for the help, though, I appreciate it. Knowing me I probably damaged it without noticing, or something.

Sorry for ur damage there.T_T at least, u still have 2DS to help u play ur games and of course upcoming games. (ORAS baby.)

Just don't forget to transfer everything to ur 2ds there.

 

[Labrys]

Sorry for ur damage there.T_T at least, u still have 2DS to help u play ur games and of course upcoming games. (ORAS baby.)

Just don't forget to transfer everything to ur 2ds there.

Ah, yeah, I'm actually letting that run right now. A lot of my games are digital so I wanted to get everything transferred over asap.

I actually really like the 2DS so far, it fits really nicely in my hands. I feel like I have a better grip on it too.

 

[ss_lemonade]

At least you can still see the screen. My OG 3ds has been like this for more than a year now:

and applying pressure to the left side of the screen is the only way to fix the colors

 

[mgs2master2]

had this happen to me using one of those Zagg protectors. Idiot used to much liquid. It is some sort of pressure/liquid damage kinda thing.


It got bad to the point where I had to replace my XL

 

[casiopao]

At least you can still see the screen. My OG 3ds has been like this for more than a year now:



and applying pressure to the left side of the screen is the only way to fix the colors

Lol, what did u do to torture ur 3ds there.

 

[DarkLegion]

Can you let us know approximately how long the system transfer takes?

 

[taizuke]

Did you by any reason buy a protective skin for the screens? Cause that's what i did and the instructions said to apply some kind of liquid to glue the skins and the liquid must've seeped into the 3DS cause that's exactly how mine looked.

No amount of drying worked. So, if it's not what i'm saying my guess is some kind of liquid made it's way into your 3DS.

 

[k3rn3ll]

I'm not sure about the design of the 3ds as I have never opened one. But being that I have repaired over a thousand LCD and OLED, I can say the OP has pressure damage and the reason it looks like liquid underneath is a cracked in the display itself and not the glass digitizer over top of it. The second poster with the issue that corrects is most likely a pinched inverter cable that corrects when enough pressure is applied the right way to complete the circuit. Sometimes happens from a faulty cable shorting and burning it's self a bit. But if that is where the cable connects to the screen it could just be coming loose.

Sorry for giving rough estimates but like I said I'm not familiar with the layout of the wires and pports inside the chasis. Just wanted to provide some context as to why these issues could happen. But yeah OP, you need a new screen man for sure

 

[ss_lemonade]

Lol, what did u do to torture ur 3ds there.

Nothing really. I always kept it in a case so I'm really not sure why this happened (I made a thread about it here a year ago).

It's possible though that pressure may be the cause because I would keep some catridges in my case and that would make the 3ds a tight fit in it. I was also using those 360 rubber feet to prevent the top screen from being scratched

 

[fernoca]

Well, thought I'd give a quick update, I contacted nintendo and they said it sounds like what you guys thought, pressure or water damage. They wanted $140 to fix it, so I just said never mind and I got a 2DS today. It came with Mario Kart so I traded in my Mario Kart so it ended up being around $100, less than the quote they gave me.

Thank you all for the help, though, I appreciate it. Knowing me I probably damaged it without noticing, or something.

You could also trade the XL on Gamestop for like $60 after the refurbished-fee for hardware with problems (regular value is around $80).

 

[Labrys]

You could also trade the XL on Gamestop for like $60 after the refurbished-fee for hardware with problems (regular value is around $80).

I called before I went in asking if I could, but they said they didn't take broken 3DS's, but I might try again. Thanks.


Also, the system transfer took approximately 30-45 minutes, I wasn't keeping track but it felt about that long. All my savefiles are still on the system.

Did you by any reason buy a protective skin for the screens? Cause that's what i did and the instructions said to apply some kind of liquid to glue the skins and the liquid must've seeped into the 3DS cause that's exactly how mine looked.

No amount of drying worked. So, if it's not what i'm saying my guess is some kind of liquid made it's way into your 3DS.

I had a screen protecter on about half a year ago; I took it off because it had bubbles that wouldn't go out and they bothered me, but I guess that may have been a factor in all this.