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ANALOG ASSEMBLY - 'JOYSTICK' PROBLEMS
Character movements in a game are usually controlled by either the analog assembly and/or the directional (arrows) pad. It's pretty obvious when
there's a problem with one of them as the characters will run around by themselves or sometimes not at all - either way the games are unplayable
until the problem is fixed. Most of the time when the analog conks out you can physically feel that it's grating inside or jammed in a certain spot and
if so you can be pretty certain that's what needs to be replaced. You can't always feel a difference in the analog/joystick though and when that
happens it's hard to tell which component is causing the problem - the analog or the directional pad. When I get them in like that I can just swap
out parts and see what happens but most people don't have that option and there's no other definite way to tell that I know of unfortunately.
The analog assembly or "joystick" is one of the components in a PSP that will definitely wear out eventually just from normal use. It's used
constantly in almost every video game ever made and some people are a lot rougher on theirs than others. The assembly inside the PSP has a stem
that sticks up through the front of the console and the round "thumbpad" is a separate item that snaps down on the stem either internally or
external to the console depending on the model. I'll mention here that the non-Sony-original thumbpads that stick up a lot higher will break your
analog assembly far quicker than using the one it came with. The inner assemblies are very precisely machined to work with Sony's original
thumbpad shape - anything taller puts all the pressure in different places and thus ruins the whole thing a lot sooner than normal.
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NOTE: With the analog assembly having so many moving parts - machined just exactly right to give smooth control in all different directions - the
quality of the replacement part is very important. There are a ton of companies selling very cheap non-Sony made analog assemblies that barely
work if at all and many will grind and stick horribly when they do. The analog assemblies I use for my local and mail-in repairs are all Sony
originals that come out of the PSP's I've purchased specifically for parting out. This is the only way to get a genuine Sony PSP analog assembly and
advertising "genuine" and "OEM" analog assemblies which you can know for sure isn't true. Sony doesn't sell them at all nor do they let their
original manufacturers (OEM's) sell them either as the Sony tech rights absolutely forbid such things. That said though there are a few fairly decent
aftermarket analogs that do come close to Sony's quality and feel (at least for a short while) and they're sure to be a whole lot cheaper than mine.
NOTE #2: For PSP-1001's the analog assembly is attached to the inside of the faceplate rather than inside the body of the console with everything
else. This means for a 1001 model if the faceplate screws aren't all in place and tightened down just right it won't work properly. The 1001's and
2001's also have clear rubber analog contacts that sit between the assembly and the PSP motherboard and transmit the movement data between
the two. If this contact is missing or not making proper contact for some reason you'll get the same erratic character movements as you do with a
broken or worn out assembly.
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DIRECTIONAL PAD AND L-TRIGGER PROBLEMS
These two a grouped together as they're both a part of the same internal PSP component. No matter which model PSP you have the "dir pad" and
L-trigger pad are pressure sensitive data cables that are stuck to or fitted over a plastic frame that screws down into the console. The outer buttons
are completely separate items that have a rubber backing to hold them in place and also make an electrical connection when pressed down onto
the underlying pressure pads. The outer plastic buttons themselves are rarely a problem but the pressure pads (not the rubber contacts), can wear
out with a lot of use and they're also very susceptible to water damage. For the directional pad part that means the characters might move around
on their own or won't go in a certain direction.
For the L-trigger part of the cable it might get stuck as always on or won't work at all . PSP-1001's have rubber contacts between the pad and the
trigger itself and these can get fouled over time with normal use. Any of these specific problems can cause all the buttons to freeze up too.
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ABXY BUTTONS AND R-TRIGGER PROBLEMS
In a PSP-1001 the "ABXY" button pads are a part of the power switch PCB. The button pads themselves almost never wear out but the whole PCB
is definitely susceptible to water damage. If one, two, or three of these buttons won't work when you press them it usually means you either need a
new power switch PCB or a main cable which is what transfers the PCB data to the motherboard. If all of the buttons won't work though it's likely
there's a button pad/data cable problem but unless there's visible physical damage there's no way to tell which one. Any damaged button/trigger
cable can cause any or all of the buttons to malfunction rather than just the one unfortunately so there's no way to know for sure up front which
one to buy.
The R-trigger pad in a 1001 is a part of the main cable rather than the power switch PCB so if that's the only one not working it's a lot easier to
identify. The clear outside trigger presses down on a rubber pad that makes an electrical connection with the R-trigger part of the main cable
underneath. A fouled R-trigger pad can cause all the PSP buttons to freeze up too which is why the internal cleaning/maintenance stuff is so
important. No reason to throw away a perfectly good PSP just for the sake of a $2 part or a little effort put towards cleaning.
For 2001's and 3001's the ABXY button pressure pad and R-trigger pad are a part of the main cable rather than the power switch PCB. They don't
have a separate trigger contact to get fouled so if just the R-trigger isn't working properly in one of those you'll almost certainly just need a new
main cable. As with all the other data cables though, any problem can cause any or all the PSP buttons to freeze up or malfunction.
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BUTTON BAR PROBLEMS or THE "HOME" "Do you want to quit the game?" MESSAGE POPS UP FOR NO REASON
The button bar cables wear out all the time and can cause all sorts of problems including, once again, causing all the PSP buttons to freeze up same
as above. The volume buttons are on the button bar and if your PSP is stuck at a certain volume replacing the button bar will almost certainly take
care of it. If you have no speaker sound at all though it's more likely a headphone jack problem which is described in the next section.
The button bar also has the "start" button on it, "select", mute, and the backlight control - if any of these don't work I'd guesstimate a new button
bar will take care of it probably 90% of the time. The Home/PSP button is also on the button bar but you can't always tell so easily whether it's
actually causing the problem or not. If the home button just doesn't work when you press it chances are it is the button bar causing the problem but
if it's activating by itself without you pressing it there's other considerations. A damaged/fouled UMD trigger mechanism in the drive will often
make the exact same message pop up in the middle of a game asking "Do you want to quit the game?". Without visible damage there's no way to
know for sure what you need up front but they are all standard $50 repairs so no difference at all if you're mailing it in.
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CAN'T CONNECT TO THE INTERNET/ROUTER OR OTHER PSP'S / 80410a0b - 80410AOB - 80410A0B - 8041OAOB - 8041OA0B errors
CAN'T READ THE MEMORY CARD
DOESN'T RECOGNISE THERE'S A MEMORY CARD INSERTED
NO SOUND THROUGH THE HEADPHONE JACK, SPEAKERS, OR BOTH
These are all lumped together as they're all functions of the one "Wi-Fi PCB" in a PSP-1001 model. If you're having any of the above problems with
a 1001 this is almost certainly what you'll need and again it's a standard $50 repair. As a note if you're fixing this yourself - the 1001's have
different motherboard models all of which have to have their own particular model Wi-Fi PCB in order to work properly. A few are interchangeable
but most aren't so if you put the wrong one in there it'll still fit but quite possiblywon't work right so be sure to get your old one out first and order
accordingly. Also, if you get an 80410A0B message when you do a wi-fi scan go back and try entering the name and passcode for the router
manually - this often takes care of the problem altogether though you might have to do it again at some point.
For a PSP-2001 the memory card slot and Wi-fi are part of the motherboard with a separate headphone jack PCB and all three are part of the
motherboard in a 3001. All of these are still standard $50 repairs in almost all cases.
If there's no sound coming from the outer speakers or and/or with headphones plugged in it's pretty much always a broken headphone jack that's
causing it. I've fixed thousands of PSP's over the years and not once have I come across one with no sound due to a bad/broken outer speaker.
For memory card reading problems it's also quite possible the problem's with the card itself rather than the PSP. It needs to be formatted before it
will work at all which is an option under "system settings" and you also have to follow the instructions in the owner's manual on putting music or
other information on the card. Everything has to be in the right file in the right place or it won't work. Another problem is phony memory cards that
are cheaply made and sold all over the Internet - with "Sony Pro-duo" and everything printed on it just like the real one's so it's hard to tell the
difference until you put them side to side and compare printing quality. The fakes are often complete duds and the genuine ones made by Sony,
San-disk and Lexar that normally work fine can still be damaged or have corrupted info which will cause the same no-read problems. Before
sending a PSP in for repair or ordering any new parts it's best to try your card in someone else's PSP just to be sure you're not wasting your time
and money.
Another problem I've come across is a firmware glitch in certain PSP-2001's that won't let them read any memory card over 2GB's. These same
memory cards will work perfectly in any other PSP and the PSP itself will read any 2GB card or smaller so check for this also if you're a 2001
owner. Lastly, the gold contacts on the card have to be clean in order to make proper contact with the motherboard pins - a Q-tip and alcohol is
always worth a shot before giving up on it. If filth is definitely a problem the internal pins might have gunk on them too. They're too deep in there to
be able to clean them with alcohol but you can very carefully scrape the top 'contact' edge of the pins with a plain thin brown and beige emery
board. Look in there first with a flashlight so you can see where they are and what you're aiming at- just jamming something in there blindly will
almost certainly bend or break a pin which isn't always fixable. This also works well for DS lites and i's that won't read the games to by the way as
they work with the same pin-and-contact set up.
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CHARGING PROBLEMS
This is common and almost always fixable without having to install a new motherboard. All PSP models have the same the outside that the inner pin
is broken off or something's jammed in there the socket isn't the problem but if it is there are do-it-yourself charger socket replacement kits on the
PSP repair kit page or it's $59 if I do it.
PSP batteries are rechargeable but eventually they'll wear out and won't be able to take a charge anymore just from age and use. The PSP
chargers can conk out too so it's important with any charging problem to try somebody else's battery and charger first to be sure the PSP is
actually the cause of the problem. I have official Sony brand chargers and batteries available on the 'PSP parts' page too if you need one. In both
cases there are other companies that make and sell PSP "compatible" batteries and chargers, often for an amazingly low price. The quality of these
items varies greatly, usually depending on price like everything else - some work great and some not at all so don't assume it's the PSP just
because your new battery or charger doesn't work either.
Ruling those two out it's common for PSP fuses to blow from a power surge, if they're just been plugged in too long, or plugged in with no battery
installed. If you know your battery and charger are good but the orange charge light doesn't come on when you plug the PSP into the charger it's
usually a blown fuse (or fuses). Occasionally the orange light will work and it still won't charge but that's rare. The fuses are tiny items soldered
to the motherboard so fixing them isn't a good job for a beginner at all but I charge $59 if you'd like to mail it in.
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I've tried to cover all the most common problems here and I'll be adding more information as time allows.
Links are below if you need them and if you want to ask a question you're welcome to email any time and
I'll try to help. Thank you, Lynn Brown
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Mail-in repairs
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PSP repair parts
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Email LBrown@psprepairservice.com
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