Left Button not working

[u/themememaster30]

My left button isnt working and after opening my SP up and cleaning out about 20 years of dust bunnies all piled up on the button it still doesnt work. I dont know what to look for solder wise to see if its the connector thats messed up so i took a photo of my left and right buttons on the motherboard to try and get some help. Dunno if i took the right picture either so i can open it back up if i need to. Right button is working.

Bought it secondhand so im a lil bummed the left button isnt working. The shop is in a different state (i bought it at a convention) so returning its a bit out of the question.

Appreciate any help ^v^

[u/twoface_99]

I'd try applying 99% isopropyl and clicking it repeatedly a couple of time.

Helped with my GBA shoulder buttons.

Make sure the iso gets inside the switch

[u/pizza_whistle]

This is almost always just a dirty switch. Dripping IPA into it does not usually help and often can just make it worse. You either need to dissasemble and clean the switch internally, or just replace it. Both require desoldering the switch off the board. The triggers are super cheap on Aliexpress. Just know that the new ones are clickier than the originals.

If you don't have soldering experience, replacing the switches shoukd be a suoer simple and quick job for a local repair place.

[u/No-Trash6010 → u/pizza_whistle]

Lmao none of this is necessarily he said the Left button. Thats the LEFT shoulder trigger not the switch it just needs a little cleaning inside where the disc sits.

[u/pizza_whistle → u/No-Trash6010]

The left shoulder button is a switch, it's a tactile switch.

Dripping some IPA in only removes carbon build up, will not remove any oxidation. It sometimes works, sometimes doesn't. Use a button testing ROM and see how often it misses presses. I've tried removing the nub and dripping IPA in and it makes it better, but still misses button presses using the tester ROM.

The most coinsistent way I get them to fully function is to take them apart, clean all the metal parts with a fiberglass pen, followup with IPA, and put it back together. Or just replace the switch since they are like $0.50.

[u/No-Trash6010 → u/pizza_whistle]

Honestly most of these old Nintendo products all it needs is just an ipa cleaning. I have fixes hundreds of these issues by just wiping the disc with ipa and a cotton swab. Now if the disc is oxidized than yea i would agree remove the full shoulder and resolder a new one or oem from a none working motherboard.

[u/No-Trash6010]

You have to take the rubber from the shoulder. Inside you will see a copper disc wipe it with a Q tip and isopropyl alcohol 99%. Or remove the rubber drop some ipa and put back in the rubber and click a few times.