How to Refurbish a PSP

Back to the PSP.  All the parts have arrived in fine order, so I proceed to take the PSP apart.  It’s relatively simple to take a faceplate off of a PSP Phat.  Six screws are all that it takes to hold it on.  For more info on the location of these screws and a more in-depth dismantling of the LCD components, check out my older article on How To Repair Your PSPs LCD Screen.  I guess you could call this tutorial a follow-up to that one, especially since it’s the same PSP.

Once the faceplate is off, it’s time to remove the LCD screen.  This is relatively simple, just put a small, flathead screwdriver under the snap on the bottom left corner and pull gently out and then up.  The front button plate should come off.  Swing it out of the way, and then put the screwdriver under the upper left corner of the LCD itself.  Pry slowly until it comes out, then do the same with the bottom left corner.  The screen should just lift out now.  Be careful, you’ve still got ribbons attached to the motherboard.

Put a fingernail or the tip of the flathead under the little locks that hold the two ribbons onto the motherboard.  The big one will lift up and away from you, the smaller one will lift toward you.  Once these are out, it’s as simple as going in reverse to put the new LCD in.

As long as you have everything apart, you might as well blow it out with some compressed air.  I didn’t have any on hand, as I used the last of it for the Noob RAM tutorial and I’m too lazy to go get more.  So I’ll probably be removing the faceplate later on and blowing it out.  This isn’t necessary, but I have children and animals in my house, so everything gets dirty.  I probably go through a couple cans of compressed air for all my electronics in a two week period.

Leave the protective plastic sticker on the new LCD, if it came with one, until you are getting ready to put the faceplate on.  Connect the ribbons in the same order that the old ones came out, make sure they are straight, and lock them in.  Gently snap the LCD into place.  Put the left side in first, then the right side.  It should slide right in there.