Hardware My 3DS power adapter stopped working.

[Janthran]

I don't know what happened. I plugged it in for a while, then unplugged it to play it. When I plugged it in again, it charged for I don't know how long, and just stopped. All that I can remember doing that I've never done before is left the charger in the actual 3DS while playing it plugged in.
I can't get it to work with the dock or with the adapter plugged into my 3DS. Help would be appreciated. Also, I'm on vacation now and can't just buy another adapter.

Thanks.

 

[KaineMans]

Maybe it's broken?
You can also search on Google ( if you have internet on vacation ) how to fix it.

 

[Janthran]

No, I don't have internet on my vacation.
That's how I'm posting this.

Sorry. I couldn't find anything that actually fixed this problem. the orange charging light just doesn't turn on. Very annoying.

 

[Janthran]

I would really appreciate help.
More than "google it", please.

 

[steve1974]

what kind of help do you want? Want someone with a spare adapter to take a helicopter to your vacation spot and drop it off to you?

 

[Janthran]

what kind of help do you want? Want someone with a spare adapter to take a helicopter to your vacation spot and drop it off to you?

Something more like what I can do to fix it. :|

 

[Janthran]

It seems like a lot of people have this problem, but nothing they said helped.

 

[Beige]

Well, first thing first, are you currently in a foreign country other than Canada or Mexico?
Secondly, chances are that the 'fix' will not be something you can do as a guest in a hotel or a family/friend's house. Also, a 'fix' may end up costing you more than just buying an extra one. The 3DS charger is the same as the ones used for the DSi and the DSi XL, so be sure to check price beforehand because you might run into a situation where one with the "3DS' brand on it will cost you much more than one without it.

 

[Janthran]

Well, first thing first, are you currently in a foreign country other than Canada or Mexico?
Secondly, chances are that the 'fix' will not be something you can do as a guest in a hotel or a family/friend's house. Also, a 'fix' may end up costing you more than just buying an extra one. The 3DS charger is the same as the ones used for the DSi and the DSi XL, so be sure to check price beforehand because you might run into a situation where one with the "3DS' brand on it will cost you much more than one without it.

No, I'm in the same state as I was before. And I knew about the DSi/XL using the same charger. At this point I'm not sure if it's even the charger though, I think some people said it was the battery.

 

[Beige]

Well, first thing first, are you currently in a foreign country other than Canada or Mexico?
Secondly, chances are that the 'fix' will not be something you can do as a guest in a hotel or a family/friend's house. Also, a 'fix' may end up costing you more than just buying an extra one. The 3DS charger is the same as the ones used for the DSi and the DSi XL, so be sure to check price beforehand because you might run into a situation where one with the "3DS' brand on it will cost you much more than one without it.

No, I'm in the same state as I was before. And I knew about the DSi/XL using the same charger. At this point I'm not sure if it's even the charger though, I think some people said it was the battery.

Where was that? Nobody here said it was the battery. Either way, the only real way to test is with a multimeter. It will be able to tell you if the charger and/or battery are outputting any voltage or not. My only other suggestion would be try buying a charger. Get it at some place like Wal-Mart and return it if it fails. If the charger won't charge the system, then you at least know it's not the charger by that point.

 

[Janthran]

Well, first thing first, are you currently in a foreign country other than Canada or Mexico?
Secondly, chances are that the 'fix' will not be something you can do as a guest in a hotel or a family/friend's house. Also, a 'fix' may end up costing you more than just buying an extra one. The 3DS charger is the same as the ones used for the DSi and the DSi XL, so be sure to check price beforehand because you might run into a situation where one with the "3DS' brand on it will cost you much more than one without it.

No, I'm in the same state as I was before. And I knew about the DSi/XL using the same charger. At this point I'm not sure if it's even the charger though, I think some people said it was the battery.

Where was that? Nobody here said it was the battery. Either way, the only real way to test is with a multimeter. It will be able to tell you if the charger and/or battery are outputting any voltage or not. My only other suggestion would be try buying a charger. Get it at some place like Wal-Mart and return it if it fails. If the charger won't charge the system, then you at least know it's not the charger by that point.

Right, thanks for the multimeter idea. I guess I'll just have to wait until next week when I'm home.

 

[phantastic91]

just this month my 3ds power adapter stopped working too for no reason. do not get a third party charger if you are replacing it. i did and it has issues charging and the orange charging led keeps flashing on brightness level 3 and 4. when googling this other people had this problem too so get an official one.

when i got an official one replacement it stopped working within 5 minutes O_O. I exchanged it again and its been fine since.

I think you just need to get a new one (is something wrong with these power adapters??!??!)

 

[Deleted User]

mine is fine...............

 

[Janthran]

just this month my 3ds power adapter stopped working too for no reason. do not get a third party charger if you are replacing it. i did and it has issues charging and the orange charging led keeps flashing on brightness level 3 and 4. when googling this other people had this problem too so get an official one.

when i got an official one replacement it stopped working within 5 minutes O_O. I exchanged it again and its been fine since.

I think you just need to get a new one (is something wrong with these power adapters??!??!)

Mine is the one that came with my 3DS.
And I think in the November update they plan to fix your problem. Not sure though.

 

[Randamin]

And I think in the November update they plan to fix your problem. Not sure though.

How can the software update coming in November fix a hardware problem that is unrelated to the 3DS itself?

 

[Tom]

play around with it , i know my dock doesnt always work and if its fully charged it will stop charging

 

[Janthran]

And I think in the November update they plan to fix your problem. Not sure though.

How can the software update coming in November fix a hardware problem that is unrelated to the 3DS itself?

Don't know, but they say it's a problem with the eShop.

play around with it , i know my dock doesnt always work and if its fully charged it will stop charging

It's not the dock. My charger just isn't working.
Also, I realized that I've been using a dimmer. Could that have broken my 3DS charger and not my friend's Lite charger?

 

[TheZoc]

Try to get a voltmeter/multimeter and try to measure the current that comes out of the plug. It should output 4.6V DC.

If you try to measure but there's no current coming out of it, the problem is in the charger.

It may both be that you twisted the cable until it broke the wire (internally on the cable), or there's something wrong with the circuit.

If you're brave enough, open the charger (I have no idea how, I dont own a DSi, and my 3DS will arrive soon) and try to measure the voltage directly from where the charging cord is soldered. if you can measure there, the problem is on the cable, and you might want to try a dirty fix to get it working while you're on vacations. Otherwise, you will need a new charger.

This requires some basic technical knowledge, but if you're really willing to try this, it's not that hard.

Good luck, I hope it helps you

 

[Janthran]

Try to get a voltmeter/multimeter and try to measure the current that comes out of the plug. It should output 4.6V DC.

If you try to measure but there's no current coming out of it, the problem is in the charger.

It may both be that you twisted the cable until it broke the wire (internally on the cable), or there's something wrong with the circuit.

If you're brave enough, open the charger (I have no idea how, I dont own a DSi, and my 3DS will arrive soon) and try to measure the voltage directly from where the charging cord is soldered. if you can measure there, the problem is on the cable, and you might want to try a dirty fix to get it working while you're on vacations. Otherwise, you will need a new charger.

This requires some basic technical knowledge, but if you're really willing to try this, it's not that hard.

Good luck, I hope it helps you

I'm going home today. Just haven't played my 3DS all week. :/

 

[Janthran]

Well, I tested the charger with a voltmeter, and it said the charger was dead.
Called Nintendo yesterday, and they sent me a new one for free.

So guys, Nintendo doesn't know you're using flashcarts yet.