So there I was playing my Nintendo DS
Getting fed up, I decided to look on the trusty internet for any solutions. There were the standard responses, of course: too bad, get it replaced; open it up and solder a new button to the board; etc. But I stumbled on this low-tech gem on the GameSpot forums (from user SonOfTheSky05):
…The contacts inside could just be dirty. There are some Youtube videos of people cleaning it out with water and a Q-tip. I just had that problem but 15 minutes ago and found a really quick and easy fix that worked for me. Take your lips and form a perfect seal around the L button and then blow a few times. It blows the dust out from inside where you can’t normally reach (damn tri-wing screws). It’s kind of like the theory behind blowing in old school NES games. I swear this is no joke, it worked for me surprisingly (least technically involved troubleshooting I’ve ever had to do…I was SO surprised). I hope this helps!
Sounds stupid, right? Well, I was desperate. And it’s not like I had anything to lose by trying. I looked around and made sure no one would see me mouthing the corners of my DS. Then I gave both shoulder buttons a good couple of blows each. I didn’t expect much, but to my surprise, the solution actually worked! It was unbelievable! I was convinced that the buttons soldered onto the board had broken loose and that I’d be better off just getting a new DS entirely.
Anyway, there you have it. It wasn’t my idea, but it’s an amazingly simple fix that I couldn’t help but share.
worked a charm. thx
Another success. Just tried it and completely resolved my problem.
Some thoughts:
If you have these symptoms, this trick will probably work:
-Your shoulder buttons work sometimes, but not always.
-You may have to press the button very firmly in order to get it to register.
If one of your shoulder buttons has been completely non-functional for a long period of time, it is likely that you have a more serious problem that requires getting your hands on a tri-wing screwdriver (because trust me, I’ve tried other tools and you NEED the special screwdriver).
If you often carry your DS in a pocket or other area where it is laying vertically, the L & R buttons can easily pick up small debris.
my dint work you need alot of air compressor with hose put it as close to the shoulder button then i will work remeber dont used gas station air pump
This was a great post that saved me 50$ thanks.
Wow! It worked! I had even previously tried using a can of air, but to no avail. Just be careful not to get any spit in the shoulder button while you’re blowing. That would just make things worse.
WOW I AM FREAKIN SO SURPRISED BY THIS. I’ve had this problem for an upwards of 3-4 months and it’s been pissing me off slowly but surely, luckily I never really had games that used the L button much (R button is fine) but now that I do need it, I decided to try this right before I posted this message and it worked PERFECTLY. I’m sitting here like making out with my ds and it worked!! all it needs is some love!
It’s work perfectly! Try it now! Hopefully you didn’t hammer your L button or something before doing this though…
OMG this L button just PISSED me off today and it hasn’t been working properly so i dedcided to look up how to fix it on the internet and stumbled upon this website and after blowing in it IT WORKS OMG THE BUTTON WORKS THX SOO MUCH
Me too! I had this problem for so long and stopped playing my ds because of it! Now I am so happy!
im so happy right now its been playing up like the guy described and i was think of hammering it and taking it apart anything that works and i was about to hammer it thought hey have 1 quick look on the internet see if its a problem and kept saying buy a new one weild it again then i saw this it sounded crazy but id do anything not to hammer it then blow it try OMFG it works thx dudes this was so useful like noor ahmed said all it needs is a little love :p
it worked tyyyyyyy!!!!!1
OMG
I’m completely speechless.
I’ve broke my head finding a triangle screwdriver and took the entire thing apart, i’ve not been able to do anything, parts were too small inside, not a thing worked.
I’ve tried this with little hope, AND I WORKED!!!
Thanks a bunch guys!!
i can also say this worked for me as well! i have a couple weeks left on my warranty and a few dents in my top screen… i might send it out, not like i dont have another ds in the house =D
Worked for me, too. Thanks!! I might buy one of those compressed air cans to help in the future
THANKS MAN!!!! 85$ to repair my ds for this???? but theres a problem….the thing with NES games, yah, that was proven to destroy your game forever and screw up the insides.
Wow, this solution is amazing! I was read to take my DS apart but then I came across this, who knew something so simple would work so well!!
Holy shit.
My ds is on the fritz – the right shoulder that houses the led broke off, glue won’t place it back so it’s held on by duct tape. Basically, I have to physically hold the top screen up at whatever angle I want it so I need a new one anyways. But I was going to wait until after E3 to see if they were going to announce a new model or not.
Then, tonight, my L button just stopped working and I started freaking out about having to buy a new one. I am completley surprised by the fact that this worked. @_@
now I can go back to my ds playing, woo
THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH
o.O
dude
genious XD
however its spelt >.>
i’ve had my L button not fucntioning for half a year now -.- and my R started messing up, but thank god it works now after just blowing :\ no matter how dirty that sounds XD
thank you ^^
=]
Thanks for this fix! I had the same exact problem with my R button, and blowing on it worked for several months, but maybe I’m running out of spit after years of NES playing. Just dabbed a couple drops of water on a Q tip, lifted up the R button, touched the contact, and it works now! My NES games still work after almost two decades of blowing in them; it seems more like a problem caused by the lock-out chip and corroding connectors in the unit that keeps games from working. I use a game genie when I play NES games now, as it defeats the lockout and games work a LOT more frequently. Thanks so much again!
JESUS CHRIST, I AM SO HAPPY. I had the same problem and my warranty ran out I even sent my ds in when I had the warranty to get it fixed and i saw the q tip vids and I tried that but it didn’t work and just before I thought it was a hopeless cause I found this!!!! Anyway thanks, I know you didn’t come up with it but the fact that you put it up for people to see was a great help! This may sound really gay but you have to blow into everything nintendo makes in order to get them to work, ITS NOT JUST CARTRAGES ANYMORE! BUT THANKS SO MUCH!
Wonderful. Greatest trick ever.
haha wow, I was thinking it had something to do with my R4 and it was just a bit of dirt XD. thanks a lot for the find man =D
Wow. I was really skeptical at first but after a few seconds of blowing everything seems to be working fine. This is such an easy fix. Thanks a lot.
it acctualy worked i thought it was because my little sister droped it
Thanks for the fix, worked like a charm.
Thx a lot your my hero ^^’
thnx bro, got a smash bros. # so we could play? send it to me at ninjawarrior21891@yahoo.com
Nice! SO SO HAPPY! You saved me $130. Consider yourself a hero.
I am very excited i had my ds lite since it lauched 2 years ago because my phat ds broke prior to it and 2 days ago my L button lost full sensitivity i found it tried the blowing trick and now it works 100% i can not thank you very much i was about to lose faith in my dslite you are truely a hero.
Holy Crap it worked! I have doubts that blowing will not fix the problem but it did. Even the L button started working like it got no problems. I don’t have any money to pay nintendo $75 to fix my DS. I’m so relieved that I didn’t get to smash my DS before trying out this method.
THANK YOU! Worked PERFECTLY!
O”MG THIS CRAP ACTUALY WRKED! oh yea and for a more fun fix bash the button on ur desk till it wrks again! ( am not liable for damages to you, otheres, your ds or your dog or what evey else you hurt and or brake through out the prosses)
holy shit it worked and i just set up a fedex pickup to have my DS sent to nintendo. now it works perfect.
where’s the donate button?
I tried this thinking that everything you guys were talking about was a fluke. “It won’t workfor me… This is stupid.” I thought this to myself. Then I gave in and tried it and proceeded to laugh incredibly loud waking up the neighbors when it fixed everything.
That was pretty much my reaction, except I was in my office when it happened.
HELL YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it worked thanx
Dude i never knew that all it took was some lovin’ i need to try this with other things that are broken
The problem occured while my partner was playing Mario Kart on it and I was thinking “oh man, what has she done?” but this fixed it right away! Thank you so much for posting this!
Perfect Fix!!!
Worked like a charm
wow! cant believe it worked thanks
My 10 year old son got a huge grin on his face and ran to tell his brother after he did this and it worked. Thanks for the post!
OMG ITS A MIRACLE!!!! Thanks a bunch I thought I’d need a new DS it was pissing me off a bunch cause I couldn’t drift in Mario Kart
Thanks, worked like a charm
I was just about ready to shell out the nearly $90 repair fee too! And now my DS and I are closer than ever! (side effects may including cuddling after)
HOLY SHIT IT WORKS! Its not that my ‘L’ button wasn’t responding but i had to press hard for it to work. so i blew into the side of the ‘L’ button or the front but it only helped a bit. peckies don’ t work you gotta french kiss it baby! Now i have only 1 problem to find a solution to. my touchscreen’s center is pretty scratched (sometimes it relfects kinda rainbowy colours where the patch of scratches is) now some pixels in the center wont respond to the stylus (instead they just make the ones around them respond). Is there a way to make the touch screen respond correctly again in the center. like a liquid filling in the scratches or i dunno im desperate here. It keeps messing up when i play trauma center because of the stupid middle it responds as if i jerked the stylus to the side a bit. Really pissing me off. Also having trouble playing metroid prime hunters and gourmet chef, etc.
Please e-mail me at bloody-assassin@hotmail.com if you have a solution. Thank you
my thoughts when i first read this: bullshit! -_-
my thoughts when i first tried this: holy shit! O.O
My thoughts exactly. It actually works. @_@
Holy shit, it worked! My usual electronic methods of repair failing me (IE: shaking it vigorously until some sort of progress is made), I was willing to try something as silly as blowing into it’s tender innards. And lo and behold, it’s not broken anymore! Thank you, good sir, and bless the internet.
OMFG thanks alot man i dont believe tat shit works. even after readin the comments i wernt hopeful WOW. For ova a year ive been smakin the shit out of my ds in anger the top screen is cracked but tats the last beatin itll eva ghet
=( iv already done the whole blow into the buttons idea…and the ‘l’ button still doesnt work…do you think i should see if it really is just corroded?
yes it really works !
i read this and tryed instantly now i can cheat !!!!
Yaaahoooo!
im from germany so you have to know that my english isnt the best
Wow, i had just put new buttons on my DS Fat, but after seeing this I though, meh… ill try it on my DS lite. (bothe my ds fat and lite had craped out L and R butons) I didn’t expect much, but to my joy IT WORKED!!! I am so amazed that this actually worked that had to tell you all!
Wow, it worked for me too! I had gotten a game that required the R button, but the thing is, it wouldn’t work, so I couldn’t progress any further through the game. But then I tried blowing into the L and R buttons, and they worked again!
Thanks a bunch!
pro greatest tip ever
I’ve tried this when my DS Lite first started showing problems but maybe I’ve done it too much now because it doesn’t work for me anymore. Thankfully, I still have a warrenty so maybe I can just get it fixed properly…
Hi!,
thank God for the internet.
1st time my touch screen was off by a little and nintendo replaced. 2nd time L button and nintendo fixed.
now my R button, I knew nintendo wouldn’t fix it for free again or anything and i did a google search and boom it worked right away.
thank you so much for posting this
WOW!!!!! I thought my ds broke! i used my Action replay to much and all the codes somehow use the L button. so I decided to search on the Internet. You helped ALOT. Thanx!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OMG! Dude I love you!!! I was ready to open my ds in half!!! I was a little unsure this would work but all the comments left of it working made me do it, i just tired it…….It works like a charm thanks alot, had this problem for over a year or two now Ty so much!!
I was wondering why my little boy was playing his sisters Nintendo DS instead of his, it was because the L & R buttons were not working, I also thought that maybe it was because of him dropping it so much. I was reading the comments and thought nah this won’t work blowing into buttons?, and WOOOW! to my amazement it works!!!. Screw sending it in to Nintendo like I was for $75.00 to fix. I bet they did this technique also when they repaired millions or billions sent in with this problem. It makes me wonder if they manufactured the buttons like this to make more cash in the long run weird how they have a lot of refurbished models for sale maybe those refurbished models are those they kept from people who could not afford to pay the repair fees???. I also noticed another wierd thing there is no mention of this technique in there website help forums???, maybe Nintendo delete’s them when posted ???.
You Sir have just won the internet. Please, make good use of it.
This doesn’t work…you might have just said it worked with a lot of different guys but it didn’t work on mine DS -_-.
I’m speechless. I came home today and my l button wasn’t working, except when I pressed exra hard. I tried this and it actually worked. Go figure.
OMG, I thought I had to buy a new DS, but this worked!! I’m so happy right now!! The L button on my DS has been malfunctioning for about 4 months now, and this seriously worked! Thank you so much!!
Well, I have tried this fix, and luckily it did work… but only for a little while; maybe a day. However after a day, it goes back to where you have to just push really hard just to get a response. Help!!!!!!!
THANK YOU! I just got a used DS Lite that arrived with this problem and I was super disappointed – the L wasn’t working at all and the R was all over the map. I gave it some mouth love and now both of them are working pretty much like new.
wow!! i used to flick the corners to loosen the dust,(at the time i didnt know wy it worked)and sometimes that didnt work BUT NOW IM AN OFICIAL DS BLOWER!!!!!
^^ THANKS A CRAP LOAD AND A HALF!
Wow. I just opened my DS, cleaned the contacts put it together and still unresponsive… This worked amazingly well. It’s insane kudos to whoever came up with this.
You are a legend! Sounded ridiculous but worked like a charm. Thanks for the tip!
omg thank u i had to use my friends ds constantly for the last year because i needed my L/R bottons but they wouldnt work so
TTTTTTTTTHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNKKKKKKKKKKK
YOU!!!!!!!!!!
Oh EM GEEEE!!!! WTFFFF MAN!!! it hella works!!! you my friend, are men among mens
HOLY CRAP. i was reading this article because my ds’ l button stopped working 3 weeks after i got it, which was a year and a half ago. i’ve been thinking about seeling my ds too, and found that my ds with a broken L button is worth $23. i did this little trick and made the value of my ds shoot up to $50! i couldn’t believe it! i didn’t think i really did anything either. Wish nintendo told us about this trick instead of wasting both our times fixing it.
Anyone having R/L button problems, this is your fix without a doubt. My L button hasn’t been responding for around 3 months now, and anyone who’s familiar with Castlevania knows how important being able to backdash is. Simply blowing into the edge of the button and the DS has eliminated the problem, even after desperately bashing the left side of my DS against a table. I was honestly planning on buying a DSi when it came out mainly because of my L button until just now. Thanks for this imformation!
wow…..this is amazing, there’s almost always a simple solution to these kinds of problems, but….wow….never would have thought of that…..and it worked like a charm.
IT WORKED! IT REALY WORKED!
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
I’ve been playing mario kart, new mario bros, march of the minis 2, and tetris! I used it sooo much and then it stopped working. My friend has an original DS and hes like “Haha, DS lite sucks mine still works perfect.” But now I can shove it back in his face that mines still perfect too! ^.^
I LOVE MY DS! (Literaly) :]
~I kissed my DS and I liked it, taste of its fabricated plastic.
HAHAHA!
Wow, Utterly suprised this worked. I tried the brushing thing, and the blowing thing. But apparently, my DS just really wanted me to make out with it.
TLC works every time.
Thanks,
Kent
For a long time my R button hasn’t been working, but luckily I didn’t have games that required it. Then my L button died and that’s when I went serching for some screwdrivers. My sister blows into it as I am reading the comments and she screams and says “It works!” then I started to scream “WHAT?” Thank you!!! You are the best!!! ^^
Thank youuuuuuuuuuuuu soooooo much man it totally work for me.
and i was totally thinking on buying a new ds too.
thanks a lot dude
I had to replace my upper screen on my lite and when I got it back together I noticed my L button wasn’t responding. I tried this method in an attempt to fix the L button and it didn’t work, but I may have caused the L button failure in an atypical mode while repairing the upper screen. I think I’m going to have to replace the internal button switch itself.
WooaaA!
Just in time for Castlevania Order of Ecclesia !!!
I was desperate… I was about to buy a new DS just to play with this game.
Thanks a lot my R button was messed up for about a few months now. I just got the new castlevania game and I need the R button for it. Your Solution helped me out a lot.
awesome, really did work
I was skeptical at first but tried it anyway . . . and it simply worked. Fantastic.
Wow. Never thought lip locking your DS and blowing on it actually worked. My DS L-button has been messing up for a while, but really i think this helped Thx Big time
Love you forever. This totally worked, despite my skepticism.
OMG! you just save me a boring flight tomorrow! i was just happily playing my DS, when all of a sudden my L button stops working. I’ve taken good care of my gear for as long as I can remember (still looks brand new, minus the “broken into” buttons). I can’t believe this trick worked. 2 good blows and it was good to go! THNX!!!!
This is teh most retarded blog entry ever.
At least that’s what I thought, then it worked.
I was completely speechless and shocked. I had a tri wing screwdriver ready to take this beast apart.
Low tech solutions for the fucking win. This guy needs a nobel prize.
Holy shit, it works.
did it and it worked been without the R button for some time
this is frigin awesome ty ty ty ty ty ty ty ty
holy crap i really didnt believe this would work but i was desperate thank god(and you)
omg my ds JUST started to act up after about 6 or so months and while i have screwdrivers that fit the nintendo Y screws… i didnt want to open it. thanks!!! i cant believe it worked. two good blows and it worked like a charm!!!
Woah that is sweet thanks $85 bucks man now to fix my mic
i’m in awe, struggling with this for months now, was going to buy a new nintendo ds, but did a quickle google search. And now its fixed in a matter of seconds to a method i would never thought of doing myself. THANK YOU!
I was getting irritated trying to get a drift boost in Mario Kart…my R button didn’t seem to be working.
But blowing on it like this worked PERFECTLY. Thank you!
Holy crap THANKS SO MUCH I was wondering what I’d have to do to get my R button working again and I found this, tried it a few times and SUCCESS!! KNOW YOUR HERITAGE
Awesome! This tip just saved me £54 repair costs! Thanks for sharing! xx
HOLY CRAP WTFBBQSAUCEWINBOATx1093410397801348031958.
IT ACTUALLY WORKED. Freakin R button was pissing me off. I actually didn’t think this would work but… WTF THANK YOU SO MUCH. NOW I CAN ACTUALLY PLAY GAMES THAT REQUIRE THAT GODDAMN BUTTON.
THANK YOU!
THANK YOU!
THANK YOU!
THANK YOU!
But our princess is in another castle!
Worked like a charm! Who’d have thought all my DS needed was a little love? Literally. The fix worked immediately and hasn’t worn out since! Thank you!
YOU ARE GOD!!!!!1
holy crap, it worked, im amazed at it too becuase i was about to give up on it thanks man because the next step was disasembling the pos and fixing it my self
W00t
f*****g awsome
Works Sweet ive been needing this for a long time
Thank you SO MUCH wooot!!!!! Great find! Thanks for posting!
HOLY SHIT…
my god i’ve had this problem for over 3 years now, even bought a new DS, but all it took was one quick search on google?!
*smacks self for stupidity at buying a new DS*
well my screen’s pretty scratched up too… so it wasn’t a total waste i guess.. lol
anyway, my reactions, like Wackerly said:
my first thought when I read this: oh boy, yeah this’ll work like the other scams I’ve read.
my first thought while trying: my god i shouldn’t be doing this I’ll look like a total idiot…
my first thought after trying it out: HOLY MOTHER-F***ING JESUS IT ACTUALLY WORKS! AWESOME!!!!
…anyway. THANKSSS!!!
OMG!!!
I have had this problem for sooo long!!! And I was Speechless….. This Really WORKS!!! Thank you SOO MUCH!!!
You are so awesome
YYYYAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYY!!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!! This worked great! Me and my bro were having problem with our R buttons for a LONG time and it worked for both. I was ready to open my DS up and create mass chaos in it. THANK YOU!!
Wow……………..I had an action replay i was using, and a lot of the cheats required using the L button, so when it suddenly stopped working o the cheats., i thought “oh shit, the AR screwd up my DS”……….i tried evrything i could think of to fix this, and nothing worked……….i saw this, decided to check it out. I blew on the L button once and now it woks perfectly o_O
Holy crap! I love you! This worked!
Wow, I seriously can’t believe it worked. Thanks man, to you and the guy who originally did this.
It used to work for me, but after awhile, it no longer works. I can blow it however many ways i can (without spitting in it or whatever), and it refuses to work.
Goes to show that Nintendo needs to produce some kind of special Nintendo-Air Duster for every single console. NES: Blow the cartridge, N64: Blow the cartridge, Gamecube: use a fan and hope it starts working, DS blow the buttons, Game Boy Advance slot and hope it works.
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS thanks man it works i owe you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dude, I’m so happy this worked, almost as happy as I am surprised. However, it does make sense with the abuse and filth my DS sustains, major thanks to you and the guy or gal who came up with it.
On a random note, I’m glad to that the old CPR on Nintendo products has returned, ah the nostalgia
wow…… reading this I honeslty thought it wouldn’t work but it worked perfectly omg thank you so much this method needs to be known more because I told my other friends and it worked for them too thanks for helping.
Unreal. I had this same problem with my Game Boy Advance. Wouldn’t you know it, the trick worked for GBA too! Incredible.
You have renewed my son’s confidence in his mother! We checked other web sites that made the same suggestion, but they didn’t describe the technique in an exact way. We then called every game store in town to find a repair shop, and Nintendo. How do you justify $75 (plus shipping) to repair this game? We tried the canned air route. I began to attempt to remove the L button. I settled for loosening the button in order to get closer with the tip of the canned air. Nada. The technique Woot gave us is important. Believe. Thanks for the post, and long live the internet! (-:
heh i can’t believe it xD a post so old and still responses to it, never saw that before O_o
aaaaanyway it works perfectly now so tytytytyty
Unfortunately this was only a partial fix for me. I tried it on my broken L-shoulder button and then after a couple minutes my top screen dimmed and blanked out while I was playing a GBA game. I shut the DS off, blew into the slot-2 area and put the cart back in and that worked temporarily, but now the top screen won’t work at all. Any tips?
thaznksk for your help i t saved my life ^_^
OMG this was an amazingly easy, simple fix!!
Kind of hard to believe that my DS which was just bought from the store about a month ago had been doing this for the whole time i had it… i was ready to take it back to the store, but yeah, it worked like a charm!! thanks man or… woman…
I didn’t think it was going to work but… Wow. It did. I was ready to shell out the $80-90 that Nintendo wanted to fix it since my warranty expired. Thanks a lot!
Totally works!
Nintendo wanted $85CDN(so like 4 US cents) to fix mine out of warranty.
I can’t believe that Nintendo wouldn’t advise trying this, after all what is there to loose, except a jilted customer that doesn’t want to pay $85 to fix a $130 unit.
I wanted an excuse to buy the new webcam DS this summer but instead have saved $85 towards it instead! Funny how my DS original doesn’t have any of these problems.
Thanks!
I didnt try it yet. Let me try now……….. oh holy moly! It really works! thank you sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much. Now i can play Naruto ninja destiny and teleport!
THanks alot man i traded my ipod 30 gig for this ds and the buttons stopped working i thought i got ripped of but all it was, was the dirt inside of it. wow thanks lot.
hey dude umm im going to try that right now lets see how it goes!!
works really well thanks
Glad I read before taking the thing apart……My 6 yr old son told me it was broken…..I started playing around with it and one of his games and saw it was working. I little intimate time with the DS and BAM, it works. Now I have a problem though….I enjoyed playing with his games trying to fix it and now I have to send him to bed early so I can play!!! Guess I’ll have to get my own. Thanks for posting the tip!!!!
I DID YOUR IDEA AND MY DS BROKE!!!!!!!!!!
lmfao dude it actually worked, you are a life saver kudos to you man for finding a way to fix the L/R buttons on the DS extremely effective
THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!CANT BELIEVE IT WORKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!=================)))))
Wow! I’ve droped my DS so many times that i thought, like everyone else that it was a broken solder point. Then i figured compressed air, but that didn’t work. But, THIS WORKED! Thanks!
man i am so happy that you put this bit of information up! i thought that i was going to need to somehow put on my game boy advanced’s L and R buttons! thank you! i was getting desperate on how to make my buttons work i couldnt play the most trivial of games but now i am so happy you put up this bit of information! thank you, you are a lifesaver!
I thought this sounded nutty, I told my 10 year old son about it and it worked! It really did. I also discovered a person on eBay who does nintendo repairs for about $40 (including return shipping). If this blowing technique doesn’t work you can look up ~REPAIR SERVICE~FIX BROKEN NINTENDO DS on eBay.
But hey we don’t need it! The blowing worked!
I hope this works… I don’t think it will though since the space between the button and the system was dirty so I tried to clean it and I think water broke it… if it works it’ll be a miracle…
Wow…
My first impression of this post was “bullshit”.
When I actually tried it, my R button works!! HELL YEAH!
trying in morning if it works i get to play cod 4!!!!!!!!!!!!
IT WORKED!!!!!!!!
COD 4 HERE I CME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JESUS H. TAP-DANCING CHRIST!!
I’m so happy that my L-button works now!
Now i can play golden sun to the best of my abilities!
My shoulder button has been broken for about 1 and a half years, and NOT ONCE did i look on the internet… DUH
I got my DS lite a couple of days after launch, and i was well pleased until that button stopped working, as i couldn’t play metroid anymore! I was going to buy a new DS, but thanks to you I don’t have to. Many thanks!
I thought and hoped this would work, but then the whole damn thing acted haywire. I may have just broke my DS.
confirmed to work for old school DSX.
O___O DEAR GOD
That actually worked…
Wow @_@
Also worked to fixed the R button sticky on the Bulky DS.
O__O Fixes DS & DS Lite
It worked for me too! I have to do it quite often but still, from not working at all to working, perhaps I’ll try my air compressor on it, I hope I don’t blow it appart.
Thanks man!
Sub
DUDE THANK YOU SO MUCH!
EVERY SINGLE COMMENT ON THIS IS SAYING THANKS TO YOU!
wow i can’t believe it worked, i was so freaked out cuz it’s not my DS
THANK YOU
this works.
Man thank you so much. You’ve really saved my life
dude thank you oh my god thank u
. . .
Oh my goodness, that actually worked.
Thank you for posting this! Haha~!
I will forever remember this piece of information. When I read it, I was like (wow. Blow the dust off the contacts!) Why did I think of that?
Needless to say, I guess they get naturally dusty in there, and when you blow it out, it fixes it perfectly. My DS triggers are as good as new and ready to continue playing fine games. Again, though I am speaking after a lot of people, thank you.
Holy S*** this Works i cant believe it now i can use my Action Replay =D !!!!
Hello from yet another person who halfway took apart his DS, thinking there’s no way that I’d be able to fix the issue, then read this, put it all back together, and blew. Thank you!
omg dude i love you so much. not for the idea but for being kind enough to share with the world this wonderful fix. God bless you child. God bless you
kinda funny how somthing so simple worked. thank you
oh my gosh! i just tried it on my DS lite and it friggin worked! I could not believe it! just this afternoon, i was super close to paying $50 for some mechanic man to tinker with my toy
geez!
Super thanks!!!
p.s. i’m just so thankful! I was really getting desperate hehehe
wow… I was so surprised that it worked… thanks so much…
Holy $#!^ it worked!
wow this is so great worked very well is as new the button
HOLY SHIT…..
THIS ACTUALLY WORKS!!!!
My L and R button have been screwed for like 6 months or something… I can’t even remember anymore…It’s been so long…and so i was trying to play my game and found out i need my l and r button and im like…dangit im screwed
then just as i was about to give up and throw my ds out the window…i came across this.
and i was just like you with little hope and one blow!! AND IT WORKS!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!
This is amazing. I had heard plenty of horror stories about the buttons but never actually thought it would happen to me. I thought my L button was toast and now thanks to this it’s working great!
Holy heck man, it really does work! Thanks for the tip!
wow, I got a free ds from my friend cause he got a new one cause the L button stopped working. I do this, and it’s working perfectly! thank you so much!
AWESOME!!! I H
Wow…. I’m EXTREMELY suprised this works…. thanks for the awesome tip!
tankssssssssssssss
a loooooooooooooooot maan
it really worked i didnt belive it but it rally worked
Wow! It actually worked. Yesterday my R button failed, I was soo upset. I contemplated taking my DS apart but decided to research online first, thank goodness I did. You must try this first if your L or R buttons stop responding
Holy crap, this really worked. I’ve tried the q-tips, tried compressed air, tried everything to no go, and this worked perfectly.
wow, i really can’t believe this worked.. i almost paye $10 at a repair shop to get it fixed! thank you so so much!!
I cant believe it actually worked. Before this problem would stop me from playing all ds games that had controls using l button but now its fine. Thanks for your genius solution.
OMG!!!!
I’m sick of my buttons being like that since last year..
I almost bumped my ds to the wall until I see this post
IT WORKED!!!! (don’t beleive it at first though)
Thanks a lot!
HOLY CRAPOLA DUDE, UR MY SAVIOR!!! i was looking at all these stuped forums on what to do and they were like, “ur screwed, get a new ds,” and im like, hells no, so im all depressed thinking i would have to deal with it for ever when i stumbled on this and im like desperet by then, so im like, anything that might work, so i tryed it and now my l & r buttons work like new. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11
OH MY GOD it worked. Youjut saved me like 100 bucks. Thank you so MUCH
omfg… I almost didnt do it because it sounded so stupid. I did it and it worked. All I want to know is the science behind why this works. Im just amazed… I opened up my DS today and took out the L and R buttons, cleaned them, put them back, all it did was make my problem worse, not only was my L button screwed my R button was worse. ARE YOU SERIOUS?! I TOOK THEM OUT AND CLEANED THEM! how does that make things worse?!? and then I find this because without L n R your DS is trash for some games…
thanks a million, I will spread the hell out of this method like none other
Holy crap. I cannot believe it. I was playing Chrono Trigger, and came to a part where you need to press L+R+A to enter a code. But, unfortunately, my L button was broken! I tried this, and was completely baffled. I would never have been able to get through this part of the game without your help. Thank you!
I know how everyone is all excited about this, but my right button is literally jammed down into the ds, I can pull it up with my nail and it will stay up until I press it. No amount of sucking or blowing has helped. Anyone have suggestions?
Was dubious but works for our DSi too! YAY
Everyone should definitely try & thank you for the post
HOLY COW. Dude! They wanted $85 to repair my DS!!! I can’t believe it worked!!! THANKS MUCHLY!!!!!
wait a minute..wtf?! this worked!!! IT ACTUALLY WORKED!!! thanks so much man!!
Wow… just fixed my 7 year old’s DS with that trick. I was shocked. That is hilarious.
Dude, I love you man.
You’re the best.
THNX!!!! my l n r wrnt wrkin for 4 months………………n when i blowed they still didnt wrk………but then i literally lip locked n blow…………n they wrk!!!!!!!!!!!wooooooooohooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!! U ROCK MAN!!! n btw does anyone kno how to get supercard one for ds lite in india……….n does it play movies???? plzzzzzzzzz reply guyzz…my id is shrey_is@yahoo.com
Man, this thing worked like a charm! It totally helped thank you so much!
Thanks man my r would not work for over 5 months and was really PMO thanks!!!!!!!
I love you
Major thanks <3
OMG! it worked! i love you! i can now play megaman NORMALY!!!!
Works great on the DSi, too!
I can’t believe this worked… I was ready to order a screwdriver to open my DS! Thank You!
Once upon a time, in a distant land, the megaman fan was owning the bosses of Megaman ZX and ZX advent with his skillful and stylish use of the L button dash. But, one day, the once faithful L button decided to be a bitch and suddenly stopped working when our hero, the megaman fan, was about to own Dr. Albert’s (Megaman ZX Advent’s final boss) ass on expert mode. Baffled by the betrayal of his companion, the Megaman Fan got his ass owned instead. He swore to get his revenge by using the command dash instead (double-tap control pad), but his ass was still owned by that Albert bitch and the treacherous L button, until he finally discored that the L button only needed a little love…
Thanks man, worked great.
OMFG! I first wanted to open it and see if there was any way to clean it..:o
It really worked..:o
Holy shit..:o
Holy..
Shit..
Stupid things are so bright sometime…omg….saved a lot of work doing this..xD
………………….i love you. seriously. i’ve been on ebay looking for a replacement dsl and almost shelled out 90 bucks for another, when this is working just fine. you deserve a medal.
lol i just had this funny thought in my head…*guy from nintendo reads this* “FUCK THEY FOUND US OUT”
2 Words …… SIMPLY AMAZING!!
unbelievable.
thanks
worked like a charm
Saved me some money, I was about to hit up ebay and buy another DS. Or even take my own apart. This worked “like a charm”. Thanks a lot.
Worked for my 6 year olds DS. Thanks for saving me from at least two weeks of drama.
thanks alooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooot it work with my dsi my R Button was screwed thanks
Wow it worked, but I have to do it like every 15 minutes to get it to stay working properly. Any suggestions guys?
It finally worked. i just got a new game that you have to use the l button so thank you so much.
OH MY FUCKING GOD THANK YOU SO FUCKING MUCH!!!
DANGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
THANKSS!!!
my R buuton was broken for like…. 7 months and now it works!
I was readdy to ship into nintendo for 80 dollars too
THHANKK YOOUUU
HOLY SHIT!!!! XD
My DS’s “L” Sholder have been broke for about a year now and my “R” was going to. but this fixed it instantly! YAY! XD I want to give you a hug!
All I can say is WOW!!! My right shoulder button has been working on and off for about 3 months now. I tried everything from cleaning it with a toothbrush to compressed air, always resulting in failure. After vigorously searching the web for fixes I finally stumbled across a legitimate fix. THANKS!!!
Thank you! My R button was messing up where I had to push it really hard, but I blew on it and now it works perfectly!
I didn’t think it would work… my son’s R button hasn’t worked in months (maybe a year). I was skeptical, but this really did work! Thanks!
Worked 4 my freinds! TY SO MUCH
Just wow, I use a DS One Supercard for my DS Lite (don’t worry, I have all the actual copies of the games, I just like having backups and having a DS as a multi-media device). One of the features of the card is a freeze save at any point in the game. The button combo to bring up the save screen is L+R+Up+Select and my L shoulder button went out while abusing the save feature in Fire Emblem (I don’t like having my guys die on me lol) It worked every now and then, but i would always have to press it like 3-4 times to make it work. Was getting ready to open my DS to try and figure out what was causing the problem, but decided to look it up anyways to see if there was a quick fix. And this method seemed to simple to actually work well, but wow, 4 days later and still has yet to not work.
Awesome!! it worked for me! Thanks so much for the tips!
omg… i’m seriously in your dept… i was just about to take it apart but in my head i knew somehow it wouldn’t turn out the way i would want it to be and i also thought about shipping it in… I did a little poking around, found a link to this website and now my L button is working! gosh thank you soooo much, and it’s ok if it wasn’t your idea, the fact you put it up on this site was really helpful. thanks again!
Wow!
This is….. AWESOME!
Thank you man!
worked like a charm…
now to wash the shame off from having to felate my ds lite..
*shudders*
“find a happy place… find a happy place”
Man I do not actually believe that this would work. I looked and felt like a right berk with lips round my sons DS. He laughed his head off…..
But it worked.
You have made one little boy really happy.
Thanks guys.
Oh my god you are a god, thanks so much. You saved me 130$!!!!
BROOOOO what the hell all this time i wasted trying to figure it out the internet is lovely thank you
Oh my goodness. I found a link to this page by WikiAnswers, I don’t know who posted it. Oh my gosh, I just lipped my L-button and blew like I wished it would work.
Thank you! I used to have this problem all the time, I thought that my L-button was broken but sometimes it would work, but the way, if I sealed the lines with my lips, where did the blown air go? I didn’t feel it come back in my mouth or anything.
ANYWAY, awesome, thanks, I almost bought a new DS.
I LOVE YOU! i did not expect this to work at all, but my R button is working perfectly again
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm. I havent tried this yet because my ds is at home and im not! but it sounds reliable after all these guys replying! XD
I bet it’ll work!
Oh crap, my first kiss! ^^ no im not even 13 yet………
Thanks so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
omfg, man, i love you, thanks so much my ds was pissing me off and driving me crazy, everyday i wanted to play call of duty 5 and the button just don’t worked, so man, i love you so much please send mmore instructions *-*
THANKS! I got so pissed off at my ds! lol Why is it that when i skimmed through the comments that alot of them where about the L button and not the R? ._.
I bow before your wisdom!!!
I can’t believe this actually worked.
Nice one!!!
OMG
i didn’t want to succumb to the ds i
I still have my ghetto grey DS and the l and r buttons haven’t worked in almost a year and a half.
this worked BETTER THAN THE 360 TOWEL TRICK
YOU DESERVE ALL THE GOLD MEDALS!!!!!
Thank you soo much, my l button wasn’t working for a long time, and I decided to fix it, and i stumbled upon your site, and my problems are gone, thank you soo much.
I cant tell you how grateful i am. I have been through 2DS Lites with this problem and now i have a DSi. Same problem. I thought it was just the fact i carry mine in my pocket and that was the reason it wasnt working. Believe me, MegaMan StarForce is a horrible game it you cant turn into MegaMan on the fly. (Which is done by pressing R button) Just a quick blow and Boom! I am back to loving this game Thank you so much!
the almost same thing happened to me. i was playing my Megaman Starforce 3 Blackace game when the L button started to fail me. i was about to send my DS in for repair then i found this. i did it on my R button just in case.
My youngest walked into the room with his DS saying that the L shoulder button had quit working. I am known for fixing a lot of stuff, but upon looking at the unit with such small parts I handed it back and told him it was too bad. His look was so sad that I went to the Internet and looked up what it would cost to have it fixed. Then I noted he could get a new one for not a lot more, …like we have money to spend on it!
Then I stumbled across this link about blowing the dirt out. I gave the corner a good blow and handed it back to my son. He fired it up and declared that it was working again as he ran down the hall to tell his brother.
It’s great to be able to put a smile on your kids face.
I was just about to go buy a new DS when i decided to look solutions for that particular problem. Thanks to SonOfTheSky05 because it magically made my DS’ shoulder button work again !
Woot!
pro tip, kudos.
HOLY SHIZ!
Thanks so much for posting this.
My R button completely stopped responding no matter what I did, pushing hard, tapping it on the edge of a table, nothing. I blew in it, and it fricking works now. Thank you so much! I was going to get a new DS, but now I don’t have to. You saved me a bunch of money!
it actually worked! if anyone has a l or r button probel, try this trick and see for yourself
oops thats problem for the 12th letter
So I…er…borrowed my eleven-year-old’s DS to play a quick game of Metroid Prime Pinball, and wouldn’t you know the R shoulder button started to act up with intermittent failures. Checked the usual suspects figuring I’d need to purchase parts and solder ‘em in, but I found this suggestion, and *poof* – problem solved.
Sometimes low-tech really is the way to go.
woot i had this problem for a whole year i decided to do something about it and i found this it took a long time tytytytytytyytytytytytytytytyytytytytytytytytytytytyytyty
- ,- did not work for me…
And when i press R button doesnt make a tick sound unlike my L
hat happen to me dint work you need alot of air compressor with hose put it as close to the shoulder button that should work a few try
that happen to me dint work you need alot of air compressor with hose put it as close to the shoulder button that should work a few try
Holy crap. Chalk up another astounded, happy DS owner.
amazing, just simple amazing, im practically speechless coz it was the most stupid sounding solution but it worked
DUDE THANK YOU!!!!!! i had just got the new megaman starforce 3 game when my L buton stopped working.i was thinking of sending it in but then i found this and it works fine! best low-tech free L and R button fix EVER!!!
ima lucky boy!
im gonna like tell EVERYONE i know this method!so this method is gonna spread like hell!
so the reason why i put my DS down for the past 6 months is cause i didn’t give it a little oral lovin?!?! jeez now the next time something electronic breaks down at home imma hump it =)
OMG!!!! I SOLD MY DS AND THAT WAS THE SOLUTION!??! NOOOOOO!!! But on the other hand! IT DOES WORK!!! SERIOUSLY! THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!!!! I repair my familys and friends ds lites often and each time i open one the L button goes out. I double checked today and Your SOULTION WORKED ON 3 DSLITES(count them 3)!!!!! NO JOKE!!! OMG THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR POSTING!!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! XD
i did work better if you got an air compressor only if your game boy is dirty like joel dirt
lol blowing with my lip dint work because it was so dirty——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–
OMG! I cannot believe that this actually just worked! XDDD THANK YOU!!
this is SOOOOO freakin awesome. i saw it on the following website: http://www.fixya.com/support/t1205150-ds_lite_l_r_button_dont_work
when i searched it on google. i was like, “hmmm…8 (9 now since i put a thumbs up) people thought this was good. might as well try!” mouthed my mouth on it all but then some air was coming out so i covered it etc etc etc, tried it out on the new mario game and viola! i can FINALLY use that damn hammer! this works great! 99090249230490q012934059021491029re09e-1923049205980e8jscfwuruivbsy7r89wvryghngbtviuafybdsi% WORKS!!!
also, note: check google for every problem. my question:how to calibrate the R button on a DS and clicked on the first item. BAM read the thingy, did it, and there. big bang boom. worked. ima post this on my class blog! xD
Damn thanks I would never have thought of something like that I can finally play the ds again THanks a million
So most people here don’t have this “tick” problem? Well it doesn’t work for me >.>
Well, my L button is working just fine with a “tick” but not my R.. I guess its parts is already damage inside? >.>
you probably didnt put an AIR TIGHT SEAL. no air can come out. if its jammed, jab it like you mean it. if it wont work, complain to nintendo. xDDD
What do you mean of this “Air Tight Seal”?
Just tried this and it worked! I was on the verge of buying a specific screwdriver to open the DS up, but the blowing thing worked.
It has been a very long time since someone commented on this and this was posted, but it’s one of the first google results, and works just fine.
I just cant believe it… i was so sad for not being able to play a number of games because of the unresponsive shoulder buttons… i when i found this i thought it was a hoax…
But worked like a charm. Got a little of dust on my mouth too to prove what the problem was.
Thanks man, i mean it.
haha. wasn’t expecting this to work at all. just got that new kingdom hearts ds game and my shoulder buttons quickly stopped working.
stumbled onto this and fixed the problem instantly.
thank you so much c:
Wow… I think about everybody had only positive comments about this one, so I decided to try, and as with everyone else, it worked!
Heh, I still have to apply that to my Game Boy games if they refuse to load a saved game(unless the battery has gone out, it works).
…
It worked.
Thank you! D;
thanks i readed the post and dident expect much but well THIS REALLY WORKS
THANKS
NICE POSTS
just pointing out that this trick also works for the GBA SP. Was able to fix my broken L button.
another success story. My left shoulder button has been intermittent for over a year and just about 1 month ago left the party completely. After some blowing from locked lips, no issues!
Wow it worked like a charm O__O
I thot I had to take it apart or smth, u saved me SO much time
Now back to playing KH
S.O.B!!! I liked it so much, I think I will continue making out with the DS when I feel the need…or when the button gets stuck again, whatever works.
THANK YOUUU!!!
OMG… I was concerned by the fact that R shoulder didn’t work.
I blew 2 times and it worked!! Thats the good part.
Bad part? My brother came into my room when I was doing it.
HAHAHA! what did your bro say?
Thanks, man. I was playing Mario and Luigi: Superstar saga, and the problem was really bugging me. Thanks for the fix!
YOU ROCK!!!!!!! YOU ARE MORE OF A SUPERHERO THAN A SUPERHERO U ROCK YOU SAVED ME 85 BUCKS
I LOVE YOUR WORK
I tried this and my ds got wose, The screen wont show up!! It all black T.T WHY MEE!!!
I WAS SO FUCKING SKEPTICAL! My L button hasnt been working for a year now.
Ive tried pressing on it with all my weight and just repeated button mashing.
its rediculous that this actually worked.
THANKS!
it works
Holy crap! My L button hasn’t worked in about 8 months and I tried this and wow!
oh my god. This acctually worked. It seemed stupid but it worked.
I am just sitting out over making out with my dsi and my little brother walked in with his video camera. I started chasing him down when he gave me his camera. I turned it on and it said please insert micro sd card. I was like d**n. But i turned my dsi on and it worked. Now i don’t have to buy another 200 dollars to get me a new dsi and about 70 dollars worth of dsi ware(downloadable dsi only games)
I found a link to this on wiki answers, and thought it was bull crap.
However, I gave it a shot. xD Man was I surprised.
Thanks a lot man, it worked!
I LOVE YOU!
I wish I had done this earlier would have saved me the repair cost for sending a DS without a serial number (it was used). The repair ended up being them replacing my DS, but the new DS still has the same problem.
its not working i tried 500 times and its not working i ammmn cryin write now could some one plz just help me buy one im poor im 11 i got trown out the house and this and my computer is a;ll i have left plz help me
Yeah and i thought those people with soldering irons with them are gods , i bump into this guide and what did i got , a sweet solution. thanks man. owe you one. saved me from wasting money crap at some problem i can blow off.
thanks again.
OMFG!!!
WORKED!!!
YOU ARE MY HERO!!!
GOD BLESS YOU!!!
XD
WOW it worked !!! so much thx , muchas gracias y suerte !! good luck
This worked excellently! Thanks so very much for the tip!
OMG TY my buttons havent worked since i played M&S at olympic games b4 the real olympics back in 08 and i lost the m&s so not many games required my l&r buttons but i got the new one and needed them to work and bam thank god ur awesome
Worked for me too. Lol.