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Tools Guide

Wiis are getting to that age where parts are starting to fail. Some of these are crucial components like the Bluetooth and WiFi modules, so you’d either have to get a new Wii, or you can repair it. Let’s go over some good tools to have for repairing Wiis.

Background - Why This Is Even A Big Deal

Normally you’d think that all you’d need is your average Phillips screwdriver to open something. Unfortunately, the Wii and most other Nintendo products use a special screw called a triwing or tripoint screw. It’s virtually identical to Phillips but with one key difference: instead of having 4 “wings” on the screw head, it has 3 (hence the name). This means that a standard Phillips screwdriver won’t work. The good news though is that once you get the Wii’s case open, there are no more triwing screws inside. So you really only need the triwing screwdriver to get the case open.

Triwing Screwdrivers

The elephant in the room. The triwing screwdriver. You have to be careful when getting these for Wii repair. You may see kits that come with one driver with multiple different bits that can be swapped into it. While these kits may include triwing bits, and they will work for most of the screws, there are 2 screws on the case that are key for getting the case open that are buried somewhat deep. These screwdrivers won’t be able to reach them. You need a triwing screwdriver that can reach about 2 inches deep.

Personally, I got this set from Amazon, but really any triwing screwdriver that is advertised as “For Wii” or “For Nintendo” should meet the 2 inch requirement.

Toolkit

Now, once you have your triwing screwdrivers, you’ll need Phillips screwdrivers too. Personally, I recommend the iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit. It’s not cheap, coming in at $70, but let me explain why it’s worth every one of those dollars. This toolkit is completely made by iFixit. They are a quality company that makes quality tools. It also comes with a lot of these quality tools. A full screwdriver set (the swappable bit kind that I mentioned in the last section) with bit types you’ve probably never even heard of, various pry tools, opening picks, tweezers, spudgers, you name it. These tools aren’t just something for when you want to repair your Wii. They can aid you in repairing pretty much anything. Over time, repairing your stuff, you’ll get those $70 back and then some.

I can confirm that this kit works great for removing all the screws inside the Wii and outside (besides those two screws I mentioned previously). It also has a nice sorting tray for keeping your screws organized, which is very important for the Wii.

Replacement Parts

This isn’t really a tool, but it is somewhat relevant, so I figured I’d include it. Now that you have the means to open your Wii, you need the new part to replace whatever it is that’s broken. Meaning you have to get it from somewhere.

There are a few good ways to get parts for your Wii:

  • Have a parts Wii around that you can grab parts from
  • Look online. Places like Amazon and iFixit usually have the common stuff, and they’re usually high quality. For other stuff, look on eBay
  • Some parts are pretty general and can be fabricated or found at a hardware store or something

Outro

Now, if you’re looking for some guidance when actually opening your Wii, I’ve got you covered there too: