3DS and 3DS XL "Popping Sound" and Won't Power On

What causes the 3DS or 3DS XL Popping Fault?

Most of the time it is just caused by wear and tear. The ribbon cables for all of the components in the top half of the console run through the hinge. The constant opening and closing of the 3DS can cause the cables to have a little tear in them. The speaker flex cable is the more common cable to tear. 

Something to test before booking this repair in is trying to turn the 3DS or 3DS XL on with it only very slightly open. You may find the system boots up as normal but then as you open it up it makes the popping sound and cuts off. This proves it is the flex cable at fault because it opens up the tear and disrupts the connection. 

If the bottom LCD flashes white before the console turns off it can be a sign that the top LCD cable is at fault. If so you need the 3DS XL Top LCD repair instead.

How do we repair the 3DS and 3DS XL flex cable?

The first thing we do before any repair is test the 3DS or 3DS XL to confirm the fault. There is no way to repair the flex cable other than replacing it. 

This is a particularly tricky job and we wouldn't recommend trying it if you don't have any experience. 

We then have to completly strip the console down so we can swap the faulty flex cable. The 3DS or 3DS XL then goes to our testing bench where we test all repairs prior to dispatch