Nintendo Switch Left Joy Con Sensor Rail Replacement

Written By: Craig Lloyd

Comments: 104

Nintendo Switch Left Joy Con Sensor Rail Replacement

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

30 minutes - 1 hour

Introduction

Follow this guide to replace a broken or faulty left Joy Con sensor rail on the Nintendo Switch game console.

The Switch uses JIS screws, but you can use a Phillips screwdriver in a pinch. Be very careful not to strip the screws. iFixit's Phillips bits are designed to be cross-compatible with JIS-style screws.

Note: When you remove the shield plate, you’ll need to replace the thermal compound between the plate and the heatsink. Since normal thermal paste isn’t designed to bridge large gaps, the closest replacement is K5 Pro viscous thermal paste.

Note: This guide, and the part we sell, are compatible with the original Nintendo Switch model released in 2017, as well as the newer refreshed model released in 2019 (model numbers HAC-001 and HAC-001(-01), respectively).

Tools

Parts

Nintendo Switch Left Joy-Con Sensor Rail

Step 1

Before you begin this repair, make sure the device is completely powered off.
Press and hold down the small round button on the back of the Joy Con controller.
While you hold down the button, slide the controller upward.

Kann ich diese Anleitung auch für die OLED anwenden? Habe im INet sonst leider nichts brauchbares gefunden.

Ina Barz -

backup all your sd card data i had to format mine after this tutorial and lost all my game data

JustForThisComment?ComeOn -

Step 2

Continue sliding the Joy Con upward until it's completely removed from the console.
Repeat this same process for the other Joy Con.

Step 3

Use a Y00 screwdriver to remove the four 6.3 mm-long screws securing the rear panel.
Throughout this repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from.

Had to use a Y0 from my kit - the Y00 was too small to get a grip on the screw.

cday - 05/06/21

I also had a much easier time with Y0 versus Y00. Y00 felt like it was starting to strip the first screw I tried to remove.

Joe -

My screws took a little coaxing before they were all ready to come out of the back plate, but I remedied this by turning the screwdriver as little as possible with each turn. Use almost no pressure, except for at the very beginning of each screw’s first turn.

nin10doh -

I think my screws are stripped, any way to get them out?

Banjomanperson -

I hear that using a rubber band can help? Not 100% sure on that though.

Pifase -

My top 2 screws are stripped, one into triangle, the other circle, rather than triangle spokes.

AndrewDaPro -

This happened when I replaced the micro-sd card slot, which turned out to have replaced the broken one with another one that turns out to be broken. I need to fix the fact that when I reapplied the back cover, the vent was misaligned.

AndrewDaPro -

I had huge problems removing the bottom two screws. I continued with the next steps and lifted the plastic shell as much as possible while using the screwdriver and it became an ease.

JustForThisComment?ComeOn -

y0 works best. Press HARD at beginning then ease off to finish.

J LWsMommy -

Step 4

Use a JIS 000 driver or an official iFixit PH 000 driver to remove the following screws securing the rear panel:
One 2.5 mm-long screw on the top edge of the device
Two 2.5 mm-long screws on the bottom edge of the device
To prevent these tight screws from stripping, apply firm downward force, work slowly and try another JIS 000 or PH 000 driver if the screws won't come out.

Hey guys, I tried removing the upper screw and it won't go out(neither will it go in) any tips how to fix this?

Thanks

Nemysis - 27/03/21

The screw boss might be stripped out. Has the device been taken apart before? If you can unscrew it a little bit to get the screw to peek out, maybe try and grab it with some pliers as a last-ditch effort.

Craig Lloyd - 29/03/21

I have the same problem. The JIS 000 tool works great on the joy con rails per step 5 but refuses to turn the bottom two 2.5 mm screws as in step 4. These bottom screws are noticeably smaller than the screws as in step 5. The JIS 000 does not get down into these screws. Hopefully they haven’t been stripped by the wrong tool. So is there a JIS tool that is smaller than 000? I’m stuck at this point…

david brown - 28/04/21

We used the JIS 3.0mm screwdriver for both top and bottom screws and it worked

Brooklyn Gardner - 07/05/21

Used PH00 to get these out with no problem.

cday - 05/06/21

Fun fact: these screw into little plastic tabs that stick out of the rear panel. Apparently those tabs are fragile and easy to just break off…

Benjamin Fritz -

If the screw is turning but not coming out, the plastic tab that it screws into is probably damaged or broken. You’ll need to try to pry the screw out with tweezers as you unscrew it. It is not the end of the world if you can’t screw these back in during reassembly.

claudio ocano -

My screws came out fine. But they are easily stripped with too much pressure on reassmbly

Jaxon Lee -

this screws are way too fragile and way too small so be careful when taking them off dont use much force and unscrew also one of them fell somewhere and spent 30 mins searching for it

Richard Aguirre -

PH000 will work if you don’t have JIS000. The large IFIXIT kit has both and I lost JIS000. Just be very careful as you can strip the heads when removing or inserting easier.

Shawn Spivey -

One thing that worked pretty well for me with the screws not coming out is slightly prying on the back cover to put them under some tension

Florian Kraupa -

Quick note, these screws are not magnetic. A magnetic screwdriver will hold onto any of the others safely, but you need to be careful not to drop these ones in particular.

Jason Lane -

These would just keep rotating and not come out. What worked was, as Florian Kraupa suggested, i slid a plastic pick just between the 2 shells near the screws to prise it open slightly, then unscrewed and out they came. They're the smallest screws I've ever almost not seen before, so be careful with them.

Susannah Carter -

Step 5

Use a JIS 000 screwdriver or an official iFixit PH 000 driver to remove the two 3.8 mm center screws on the sides of the device (one on each side).

I tried my JIS 000 on Step 5 and was unable to get the screw to budge. It’s partner from the other side came right out with no trouble. Don’t really want to narf up the screw, so I bailed out. Anyone else have this issue?

mrhoyt - 04/03/21

Could just be torqued down a bit more! I’d recommend making sure the driver bit seats nicely into the screw, apply some downward pressure, and slowly twist to try and back it out. Good luck!

Craig Lloyd - 05/03/21

Yeah I’m having this exact issue. Screw stripped and now I’m stuck. Wish I hadn’t even started.

Ryan Quinn - 22/05/21

I did finally get it out- one thing I noticed was some of the screws have blue Loctite on the threads. I guess they figure it’ll get tossed around. This underscores the importance of having the correct tools and making double darn sure you are using the correct size, etc.

mrhoyt - 05/03/21

What worked for me here was a Phillips 000, not a JIS 000

Federico Zivolo - 21/04/21

One of mine is totally stripped. Guess I can’t do anything now.

Nick -

My kit only has two screwdriver heads! The package was open when I received it!

Cynthia Hyland -

I had this issue as well. Screw was irreparably stripped. If you can get every other screw out, just keep applying pressure with a flat head screw driver right above the stripped screw and try to break the plastic piece holding onto the screw. It's a very minor invisible bit of damage that will allow you to continue the repair.

Raymond Garrison -

after getting all the other screws off I just hinged the back part away and it snapped off neatly where the rusted screw is. not the best solution but it worked.

Steve T -

One of my screws was SUPER attached too, but after following a bit noticed the one other in the left that got out nicely, had the plastic tab broken already! So I went ahead and broke the other tab too. So the two side screws are now holding nothing. But I think it will work thanks to the other 4 or 5 screws. Too bad!

carolaclavo -

i managed to get out one screw by putting a bit of paper over it which gave the screwdriver something to grip. The other side just won't budge and gets worse the more i try.

Steve T -

Step 6

Use your finger to flip up the kickstand on the back of the device.
If there's a microSD card in the microSD card slot, remove it now before you continue to the next step.

Don't put your SD card on your magnetic mat.

Chris Cotter -

Step 7

Use a JIS 000 screwdriver or an official iFixit PH 000 driver to remove the 1.6 mm screw in the kickstand well.
Close the kickstand.

Step 8

Open the game card cartridge flap.
The game card cartridge flap attaches to the other half of the plastic shell, preventing you from completely lifting up the rear panel if it's closed.
Lift the rear panel up from the bottom of the device and remove it.

How to remove micro SD port?

Pull straight up, press back into place when closing back up.

Christopher Hernandez - 02/03/21

This step is missing in this guide. Here are the steps from another guide:

Step 9) Nintendo Switch Right Joy Con Sensor Rail Replacement

Step 10) Nintendo Switch Right Joy Con Sensor Rail Replacement

David -

When I lifted up the back cover, it kind of stuck near the headphone port (even with cartridge slot open). But it wasn't a screw or anything and I kind of carefully pulled and wiggled and the cover came off ok

Doe -

Step 9

Use a JIS 000 screwdriver or an official iFixit PH 000 driver to remove the 3.1 mm screw securing the microSD card reader to the device.

Step 10

Use your fingers or a pair of tweezers to lift the microSD card reader straight up from the device to disconnect and remove it.
During reassembly, make sure the press connector underneath the foam pad is firmly connected to the motherboard. It may help to remove the foam pad before reinstalling the card reader.

Yes. The reverse is not so simple- you can’t see what you’re doing when you attempt to reconnect and it only takes one small error to completely bend the contacts on the connector. Very delicate.

if you very gently remove the foam pad sticker, you can at least see better how it lines up and can feel your way to a degree… then you can stick the pad back in. The pad seems pretty critical in keeping things in place once reassembled.

holmzee - 08/12/19

Definitely agree about not sticking the foam pad back on until the new SD card slot is connected. Saved a lot of headache. Great walkthrough and easy repair!

Jonathan Stachewicz - 06/01/21

Tried several times to replace this SD reader module. As mentioned above, the issue is aligning the connectors together. It appears the foam tape is being used to hold the connection in place. (assuming you can make a viable connection) I am rather surprised at this design. In my experience, mylar ribbon cables like this usually slide into a small PC mounted socket. It appears Nintendo went the cheap route here. This design is prone to failure since it does not enable a positive connection - at least from what I can see.

Bill Little - 28/12/19

Alors je suis en détresse total . Jai cassé les bouches en or sur le connecteur qui est soudé sur la carte mère.. comment changer cette toute petite pièces, oû la trouver . Cela fais 1 mois que je cherche partout. Sans remplacer la carte mère. Merci pour vos réponses

Mike Snow - 23/03/20

I found it easier to connect it without the black foam pad so I could see and than add the foam pad over it. It was super easy and I an I 33 Mom doing this for my son. Was well worth the money for the kit saved us almost 100 bucks

Katherine Harrison - 12/05/20

Had my son follow this guide to fix his own switch where the ad card reader didn't work. And he did. Great instructions!!!! Thanks a million!

William Scott - 04/07/20

The only difficult part of following this guide is connecting the new sd card reader into the poorly designed motherboard connector. Its quite possible the sd card reader that came in the console wasnt broken at all.

The repair kit works just as advertised and even comes with stickers.

Matthias_ Links - 21/10/20

I’m still getting error 2002-2054 even after replacing memory card reader module. Thanks, Nintendo!

Wes Stephenson - 26/12/20

My switch won’t read my microSD card after I reassembled it (error 2016-0641) please help!

Nate Topical - 01/01/21

Tip: Keep the old SD reader piece loosely attached while you line up and gently press the new SD component into the connector on the motherboard. Once the new piece is snug, then carefully remove the old piece keeping the sticky foam in place.

I am a middle-aged mom with absolutely no special tech skills and I easily followed the directions and successfully fixed the broken SD drive. ifixit is the best!

Wende David - 29/01/21

Ah good! i have more confidence now in doing it once you said you're a middle age mom with no experience

Mohammad Hosein Yavari -

I missed this bit about reconnecting the SD card reader under the foam pad and didn’t realise until my son pointed out a data storage problem?. All fixed in about 5 minutes taking advice from the replacing the SD card reader fix, especially removing the foam pad from the connector to better see and feel what you’re doing. All sorted!

Stuart Farquharson-Roberts - 28/03/21

Awesome guide! Very easy to do with the supplied kit

cravenkeo khamone - 13/05/21

Tank you very much, and by tank I mean M1 Abrams, jokes apart easy and simple to follow

Elia Veschi -

Thanks for the guide, I was struggling to find a solution, replaced more sd cards, before I stumbled upon this post. The Switch of my children works flawless again!

Robert Morvai - 25/08/21

Doesn’t work! I have spent 4 hours and $26 on a tiny screwdriver and some stickers.. I just gave up and replaced the Switch instead.

I even contacted a local shop to have them fix it and they told me it really isn’t possible. Thanks for taking my money Ifixit!

J.R. Wood -

This helped me to reseat my SD card reader ribbon cable. I was getting the 2016-0641 error and no card work. A drop had dislodged the cable partially. And yes remove the foam pad gently to properly connect the cable. You can reuse the foam pad.

Kris Morey -

For anyone who ends up bending the pins like I did while trying to reseat the microSD card reader…

I suggest gently placing very thin tweezers (like the curved ones in the Pro Tool Kit) in the gap and very, very gently pressing them back into alignment. Took a little effort but I was able to realign them enough to sit it in place and have it later working after reassembling the console.

Yakarot Sennin - 13/01/22

Anyone have a suggestion where I can purchase replacement foam for this sticker?

Rob M -

When reassembling, note the alignment pins in the left and bottom notches before tightening the screw

Jason Lane -

Super gemakkelijk te installeren met behulp van deze zeer duidelijke handleiding (met dank aan de vertalers!)

Wel even goed opletten op de aansluiting op het moederbord is zeer fragiel.

R de Bruijne -

It is key to remember most out of the box issues with the SD card reader, do not require a replacement part and can be solved with disconnecting then re-connecting the reader at the motherboard.

Only when a simple re-seating at the connector doesn't work should you buy the replacement part.

Jonathon Sinclair -

I bought the kit and followed the directions. I plucked the black rubber foam off with a pair of eyelash tweezers. Putting the tiny screws back in place also was made easier using the tweezers. As for placing the SD card in place I think I got a bit lucky. I lined it up and gently pressed until it simply went into place. I do believe being gentle is the key there. But it went in and I put it back together. The deconstructing and reconstructing is what took the longest for me at least. I turned it on to verify it worked and then unpowered the unit and inserted the card. The system recognized and update right away and did it and then recognized the card! Just what I need for 20 something dollars. Son is happy and back to gaming.

Albert Baker -

Thank you for postingthis fix. The original sd card reader had come unplugged from the motherboard, so replacement reader will be a spare.

Anybody found a way to ensure the sd reader stays in place?

Craig Thwaites -

It was my first time repairing a Switch and the fan replacement wasn't too hard, but unfortunately I think there should be a better warning about the SD card connector because I damaged it while trying to put it back in. I couldn't hear any click and it didn't seem to stay put and I think I ended up applying to much force and damaging the pins.

Serge Huber -

What are the foam black squares called and where can I get a replacement for one?

Marcus -

It’s called Foam tape

Alberto -

What is the error code 404 for

Alberto -

Step 11

Use a JIS 000 screwdriver or an official iFixit PH 000 driver to remove the six 3 mm screws securing the shield plate to the device.

Some models have a small board in the lower left beneath the kickstand which accepts SD cards. This will have to be carefully removed with its connections popped out, then replaced after.

Draque Thompson -

Yeah, that “small board” is the microSD Card reader chip, which was covered literally one step ago. All models have a microSD Card reader, that’s how game data is stored…

nin10doh - 12/12/21

Step 12

Use your fingers or a pair of tweezers to peel back the piece of foam on the top edge of the device near the fan exhaust port.
If the foam doesn't easily peel away, don't force it as it might end up tearing. Carefully peel at different spots to pull back the foam.

My Switch (bought about two weeks after launch) seems to be missing this foam piece… Was it added later, similar to the foam piece in the left joy-con (to improve connectivity)?

firetech - 05/02/21

It’s possible it was added to newer units! Nintendo slightly updated the internals of the Switch not too long ago.

Craig Lloyd - 05/02/21

My launch Switch also does not have this piece of foam, so it was most likely added later.

Christoph -

Also did not see this in my launch switch.

matthew.raehl -

Me three, no foam.

carolaclavo -

Step 13

Insert a spudger underneath the shield plate along the edge of the device.
Pry up to lift the shield plate and remove it from the device.
You may feel a bit of resistance. This is normal, since the shield plate is slightly bonded to the heat sink with thermal paste.
A thick pink thermal compound bridges the gap between the shield plate and the copper heat sink underneath. This helps prevent the Switch from overheating.
You can reuse the pink thermal compound if you're careful. Keep the compound clean and make sure it makes solid contact between the heat sink and the shield during reassembly.
If you need to replace it, refer to our thermal paste guide to remove the old thermal compound and replace it with an appropriate compound, such as K5 Pro, during reassembly.

How do you know if the thermal paste needs to be replaced?

Youji Hong - 27/08/19

Once you remove a heatsink you must always replace thermal paste even if you had just applied it ( or add a little more) . The reason is that once heat sink is fitted, paste splits around because of pressure and only needed amount will remain. If you remove the heatsink then some paste will move so when installed again there will be spots without paste. Hope this is clear enough. In any case cost of paste is very small compared to work time and value of your equipment…..

MacTek - 15/12/19

When your switch starts to lag and drop FPS, if you play breath of the wild and it starts to slow down in heavy areas like the forest where you get the master sword, can i use artic mx 4 insted of the pink compound?

Diego Soto - 30/08/19

I’d like to know as well if a cpu thermal compound like arctic mx-4 can be used to replace the pink compound

Adam Stillman - 06/09/19

No you shouldn't . It will spill around because it is not viscous enough and then there will be no heat transfer. As suggested by author K5 PRO is the most appropriate compound for such cases.

MacTek - 15/12/19

Arctic is generally only supposed to be used on bigger heat sinks like a personal computer. Its not nearly as thick or gummy compared to K5 PRO, and you should always use something that’s thicker for smaller project like a Switch/phone/tablet.

Shawn Christensen - 20/12/19

Why was this not included in the tools/equipment list? Getting to this step and now I will have to reverse and wait for yet another order to arrive. ? Very frustrated

Amanda Nally - 12/03/21

Hi Amanda,

Thanks for bringing this up. Sorry! We inadvertently left that part out during the guide refresh. I’ll add the necessary info into the step.

Arthur Shi - 12/03/21

To apply new thermal paste, the directions state to use the application method recommended for your specific processor type—vertical line, horizontal line, middle dot, or surface spread.

Which method should be used for the Nintendo Switch processor?

Philip W -

As stated in the comment above, is there a particular method to apply thermal paste to the Switch’s processor? Or as long as you distribute it evenly is enough?

lievjorg -

Is another thermal compound as MX4 or 6 okay as well?

Marceau -

does ifixit not have an appropriate thermal paste for this step?
there is only arctic silver 5 in the kit and i would guess that that should not be used in this case.
if true, the kit is incomplete

Lucas Tigy -

Step 14

Use the point of a spudger to pry the battery connector straight up and out of its socket on the motherboard.

be careful not to pry it off the board entirely

Nathan McKenna -

This was an old switch and the entire thing with the black plastic came off.. Most of the pins aren't there anymore, too.. is there a solution to that? Does soldering work?

Dawn Martin -

it's probably possible, but unless you have experience with microsoldering, you'd probably be better off taking it to a local repair shop

just some mango -

This step just ruined my device… wish there had been a warning of caution here.

Phone guy -

You can use a spudger to hold down the black plastic side of this connector that is supposed to stay attached to the motherboard while using the pointy spudger as shown in order to reduce any chance of pulling the socket off the motherboard.

Brian Edgin -

Step 15

Use an opening tool, spudger, or your fingernail to flip up the small, hinged locking flap on the Joy Con rail data cable's ZIF connector.

Here is where I'm stuck. I think I have bent the prongs on the zif connector. I can't find a picture of this specific one to make sure I still have all the prongs, where can I go for this?

Cindy Thai -

Step 16

Use a pair of tweezers to slide the Joy Con rail data cable out of its connector on the motherboard.

Step 17

Use your fingers or a pair of tweezers to lift the battery connector up and out of the way of the Joy Con rail's data cable.

Step 18

Use your fingers or a pair of tweezers to lift the battery connector up and out of the way of the Joy Con rail's data cable.

Step 19

Use a JIS 000 screwdriver or an official iFixit PH 000 driver to remove the four 3.7 mm screws securing the left Joy Con rail to the frame of the device.
These screws are torqued down and can be difficult to remove. To prevent them from stripping, apply firm downward force, work slowly and try a different screwdriver if the screws won't come out.

2 of the screws woint budge whats should i do ??

Tim Lelieveld -

Step 20

Remove the left Joy Con sensor rail from the device.

Is the silver section on the ribbon of the rail, close to where it locks in, important? My replacement part I bought doesn't have one, and I can't find anything specified about it anywhere.

Angel Lawson -

Hello, Angel! That silver section has the adhesive to hold the ribbon cable in place, but it’s not a crucial component. If you can plug in the ribbon cable and the rail works just fine, then that’s probably good enough!

Craig Lloyd -

I didn’t this and now my Nintendo won’t turn on at all or show a charge sign everything was working before can you please help me on what you recommend doing the battery is clicked in perfectly. I was just changing the left joy con sensor

Jeremy Gonzalez -

Ce tutoriel est vraiment très bien fait. Un grand merci pour tout cela. Bravo !!!

Fabien MEMHELD -

Conclusion

Compare your new replacement part to the original part. You may need to transfer remaining components or remove adhesive backings from the new part before installing.

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

Take your e-waste to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.

Repair didn’t go as planned? Try some basic troubleshooting, or ask our Nintendo Switch Answers community for help.

Author

Craig Lloyd

Member since: 10/02/16

35240 Reputation

7 comments

If this was a neon Switch, this would be the rail that gets attached with the blue or the red joy con?

felipemanzur21 - 25/06/19

it would be the Blue joy con

Nick Heilman - 25/06/19

I completed this guide, but the left joy con is still not being detected after the sensor rail was replaced with a sensor rail purchased on this site. The joy con in question will attach and sync with another console, so that leads me to believe it is a fault with the switch console itself. Is there something else that I can replace that would fix this issue?

Sean Douglas - 23/06/20

Depending on where you get your replacement rail, it may not have the silver on the ribbon cable. No worries, as I did this repair 3 months ago (Jan) and had no issues at all.

To get the ribbon cable in place, I recommend first getting the battery wires out of the way, then slightly bending it and sliding it under that section of the Motherboard. If you do it right, the end of the ribbon cable will pop up and that can be slid into place. Took some fiddling but I eventually got it to work!

No matter what, never crease your ribbon cables!

Yakarot Sennin -

I have a joycon where it will disconnect if it is slotted all the way down. I have to push it up about 1mm for it to stay connected. The joycon works perfectly on other Switch consoles. Any idea of what troubleshooting I can try before replacing the whole rail?

Azrael -

I did it but now my Nintendo won’t turn on does that mean I didn’t put the battery connection on right. When I put the charger in it doesn’t show charging or nothing

Jeremy Gonzalez -

And everything was working good before I did it

Jeremy Gonzalez -