Completely Dead Original Wireless Xbox 360 Controller Fixed
After many years of not having played a single XBOX360 game I recently started with the CRYSIS 3 game from CRYTEK (Electronic Arts). A game from the year 2013 that was still sealed in the box and was a brand new game at that time. And that attracted my attention also because this game also supports 3D TV gaming. Although I do not have a 3D TV the box also said that it was “The Best looking game we’ve ever seen” – GAMES MASTER UK. So this was the reason I started with a bit of gaming again.
One of the reasons I stopped playing for many years was the game Deus Ex – Human Revolution. It was a fantastic SF RPG shooter game but one level called “Picus Boss” was just so very hard to defeat that I completely lost interest. Although some people explained how they managed to survive that level, doing it without any existing cheat and without having enough strength and enough weapons ended my gaming appetite.
After having charged the for about 4 years not been used battery packs for my original Microsoft XBOX360 Wireless Controller I played the Crytek game up to the part that I needed to blow up a Electrical Energy Plant. Which I did until my controller no longer worked and played dead.
Pressing the power button normally activated my XBOX360 and my controller but this time nothing happened. I checked the online help from Microsoft and others, but their answers were useless like saying to check the battery pack, and the battery contacts, which didn’t solve the problem at all!
I also own a clone wireless controller that still worked splendidly with packs that have battery contacts, but they do not work with above shown Microsoft battery pack and charger. Because they use the 6 gold contacts on the battery bottom side and do not have any battery contacts! I used a T8 bit to open my original Microsoft Wireless controller. See the green squared tool in below photo.
Next photo shows yellow circled components D4 and T1 that had bad brownish looking pins from a little bit corroded metal from the right tumbstick next to it. So I resoldered those pins until the solder looked shiny again. And also the black pins on IC2 in following photos.
The 2 black looking pins 2 and 3 in the middle on IC 2 were resoldered with fresh solder as next photo shows. The IC top marking text was “Atmel 618 24c04” so it is probably an eeprom.
The interesting part was that after resoldering these parts my controller was back to life again! All leds and the wireless connection worked splendidly again too!
However at first the connection with my XBOX360 was immediately cancelled right after it was connected, and I noticed that the problem started just after closing the controller. Luckily it was a small easily solved problem that was caused by the internal plastic on the outside placed Connect button that constantly kept pressing the connect switch pushbutton SW5 on the Wireless board.
Which was solved by pushing the board down into the case so that the connect button on the back stayed free from Connect mainboard pushbutton SW5.
Probably many users failed to fix this connect failing problem when they overlooked this unintended internal plastic pressing issue from the on the backside placed small Connect button. Next photo shows micro pushbutton SW5.
Although I didn’t need any internet information anymore after this successful Wireless controller repair, I did find several very interesting websites worth mentioning. Unexpectedly even the complete Microsoft XBOX360 wireless controller circuit was found! Those very useful weblinks I will share here. And some website may also explain how to connect a USB cable to the Wireless XBOX360 controller:
Traces tracks
Help with solder traces on Xbox 360 wired controller PCB
by u/Undergallows in AskElectronics
Here led process info with saleae led capture data:
And last but not least here the link to the complete Intec . XBOX WIRELESS CONTROLLER- GAME PAD, the XBOX360 Wireless Controller circuit:
https://fccid.io/RDDCYG80899192D/Schematics/SCHEMATICS-584711.pdf
Below photo shows the inside pushbutton plastic (RED arrow) of the on the backside placed Connect button that must be kept free without pressing or immediately touching on pushbutton SW5.
So make sure that when you close the controller case that the Connect pushbutton on the backside still moves and doesn’t get stuck onto internal Connection micro pushbutton switch SW5.
Next photo shows the bit rusty right tumbstick joystick that made the solder on pins of D4, T1 and IC2 go bad.
Previous last photo showed my now repaired original Microsoft XBOX360 Wireless Controller with original charging 2400mAh Play and Charge Kit. The red led shows the charger is still charging the not completely charged Microsoft battery pack. It will go green when the pack is fully charged. This Kit makes it possible to charge the pack and play at the same time. But using the charger plugged in to the Wireless controller without battery pack is however not allowed according to the small instruction guide.
Keep in mind that this Microsoft charging kit only works on the original Microsoft controllers, it won’t charge on clone controllers! Clone Wireless XBOX 360 game controllers are mainly used with 2 in a matching battery controller case placed size LR6/penlight batteries.
Until another happy fix!
Albert van Bemmelen, Weert, The Netherlands.
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Note: You can read his previous article on Fixing A Defect But Brand New UNI-T Tweezer Tester
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Parasuraman S
July 8, 2023 at 9:46 am
Vow! Another very interesting trouble shooting report with minute details and cautions, which can only from a professional person like you! Hat's off! Many thanks for sharing!
Albert van Bemmelen
July 8, 2023 at 2:29 pm
These older original Xbox360 controllers from Microsoft with integrated 2.4GHz wifi are no longer manufactured with the arrival of newer Xbox consoles like Microsoft's XBOX ONE that also use newer wireless controllers. Now only new designed clone wireless Xbox360 controllers from other manufacturers are sold that only work with a matching 2.4GHz usb dongle that needs to be inserted in one of the Xbox360 ports so that the console can recognize them. With only advantage that the dongle also makes the clone controller work on Windows computers too without the need to install any driver. Recently I also bought two of those clone controllers through a seller named Bonadget. But sadly one of the usb wireless dongles Bonadget sold me never works and now he refuses to refund my purchase after my complaint that therefore his white controller also never works!
So I was very glad that I was still able to revive my trusted original Microsoft wireless game controller that doesn't need any problem dongle!
Mark
July 8, 2023 at 4:42 pm
Well done Albert,
Now you can play games to your heart's content!
Albert van Bemmelen
July 9, 2023 at 9:10 pm
Indeed Mark. And to make sure I have several good working XBOX360 wireless controllers at hand I also bought an extra clone 2.4GHz controller with dongle from this seller.
Mainly because first Aliexpress seller Bonadget sold me a defect never connecting 2.4GHz white dongle for which I had to open a dispute because the seller for now fails to accept my legit complaint.
Why I chose to buy a new clone controller from another seller.
This time I also made sure that the shipping cost were included in the total buying price including vat. So that in case of a dispute these rather high shipping costs (around 10 euro!) are also refunded instead of only the item price which is much less! So make sure not to buy from seller Bonadget, a shop that even starts with a threat never to open a dispute with them. Although they do not leave open any other option afterwards when you have a legit complaint when a product of them doesn't work! When you only are able to upload a video of proof after opening a dispute!
Albert van Bemmelen
July 16, 2023 at 4:01 pm
Update: The Bonadget white dongle never worked and definitely was defect because the afterwards from other seller Gamepads Store received White controller with dongle worked immediately and perfectly!
And because seller Bonadget only tested the XBOX360 wireless controllers on a PC with this gamepad test website=> https://hardwaretester.com/gamepad - and never on a real XBOX360 game console, he never detected the defect dongle!
And they are NOT the same trusted test! So they may test okay on a PC but still can be defect when tested on a real XBOX360 console!
Beh
July 8, 2023 at 6:05 pm
Gutten abend Albert
Sie haben eine andere ausgezichnet article gemacht
Danke schon
Beh
=========================
Good evening Albert
You have made another excellent article
Thank you very much
Beh
Albert van Bemmelen
July 9, 2023 at 4:46 pm
Thanks Beh for the nice in German translated comment. Although translation into German (Deutsch), or my native language Dutch (Nederlands) is not needed. I can read them all. However my Persian is very bad (lol)!
Apparently many selling game distributers in the past thought Deutsch and Dutch were alike. But selling to my country with just over 17 million Dutch citizens compared to the well over 84 million German potential game buyers in our neighbouring country would make it a big marketing difference!
Anyway have a great week with good repairs Beh!
Beh
July 9, 2023 at 9:26 pm
Albert
I know your native language is Dutch and not Deutsch but not much diffrence .ok next time i send in Dutch and Engilsh both
Thanks
Behzad
Albert van Bemmelen
July 9, 2023 at 8:43 pm
PS: Afterwards I also bought a set of 5 spare battery springs here.
These replacements are not that expensive and we better buy them while they are still available.
Yogesh Panchal
July 9, 2023 at 12:29 am
Good Fix! Albert
Albert van Bemmelen
July 10, 2023 at 12:16 pm
Happy it was Yogesh! And in case my controller 3D thumbsticks in the future also need replacements I ordered a set of these green 3D Analoge Thumb Sticks Sensor Module Potentiometers for XBOX360 here
Waleed Rishmawi
July 9, 2023 at 12:32 am
Thanks for sharing and good job on the repair. I never had the chance to open Xbox controller before but I worked only on ps controllers. Someday maybe. Have a blessed day.
Albert van Bemmelen
July 9, 2023 at 8:23 pm
I never had a Playstation nor used one before. I once only fixed an older PS2 that needed a new laser head. If I remember it well, those used a dual head for audio cd playback and a second head for reading game discs. Have a blessed week!
Imoudu.O
July 9, 2023 at 4:41 am
Hmmm it's like you have a vast knowledge about this device, I wish I have opportunity to repair Xbox in future to understand more.Thanks for sharing sir.
Albert van Bemmelen
July 9, 2023 at 7:00 pm
XBOX (my old first model), XBOX360 or the newer models really are not that different compared to those modern smaller mini desktop computers like the Beelink Ser5 Pro Amd Ryzen 7 and those new fast Intel i7 computers. They all use an extreme forced cooling technology for good heat dissipation in a limited small desktop case.
And now we at least need a good fast 8GB DDR4 or DDR5 DRAM system, or better even extended with 16GB or 32GB DRAM to also be able to use such a computer for fast 3d scanning purposes.
Albert van Bemmelen
July 23, 2023 at 11:52 pm
Update: Seller Bonadget NEVER gave any afterpay warranty nor service after he had sold me a bad never on XBOX360 working dongle. And after more than 2 weeks of video proof he finally agreed that I was right to have opened a dispute. However Aliexpress instead refunded me for only 8.68 Euro for the defect dongle with controller but NOT for the 14.68 Euro shipping cost I had also paid to this seller for each controller extra! And afterwards Aliexpress never read the final answer of the agreement either. They just ignored my afterpay re-issue claim because that would cost them apparently too much money! By-the-way: Bonadget and Gamepad store are apparently one and the same seller. A seller who incorrectly thinks that a Gamepad PC test is the same as testing on a real XBOX360. So be warned that you likely also may get an expensive Never working dongle with controller. And do not expect to get any fair service from Aliexpress or such sellers. They leave you stuck with completely defect products for too high prices! Even 'a high appeal' didn't change that afterwards!