Random Thoughts – Randocity!

Indemnification Disclaimer: By proceeding, you agree that the information contained herein is provided AS-IS with no warranty expressed or implied. You further agree that the article’s author and site owner are providing this information solely to aid in diagnosis and troubleshooting only. You agree that if you choose to undertake repair of your PS4 console, you assume all risk, liability, void warranty and damage. You agree that you (the reader) is solely responsible for any repair or replacement costs at your expense. The author of this article has made every effort to provide this information as accurately as possible. You agree to indemnify and hold harmless the site owner and article author from all claims due to your attempt(s) to repair your PS4 regardless of where the repair information was obtained or as a result of any article inaccuracies. Attempt repairs on your PS4 at your own risk. If you cannot agree to these terms for any reason, do not continue reading.

As a follow-on to my How to pair your PS4 controller wirelessly article, this one talks about a separate but related issue when a DualShock 4 controller refuses to pair or work wirelessly. Let’s explore.

Controller refuses to pair or work

You’ve walked through the steps in the Randocity article How to pair your PS4 controller wirelessly and this doesn’t work. The trouble may not be with your DS4 controller. Start by testing with a second controller. If the second controller also won’t work or pair, this trouble may not be with your controllers.

Instead, you’ll need to look at the possibility the problem is with your PS4. These symptoms include that any DS4 controller won’t work wirelessly and/or that the controller must be extremely close to the unit. This article covers the case when no DS4 controller pairs or works with your PS4. If you find that one controller works, but another one doesn’t, that isn’t the problem described here.

The Problem

There’s a small wire that leads from the WiFi controller to the WiFi antenna in the PS4’s case. On the antenna, the exposed portion of the end of the wire must bridge a small gap between the antenna sides. This small bridged gap is handled by the wire itself with a small blob of solder. If the unit is bumped, jostled or simply gets hot enough, the wire may come loose between the gap. This can cause the WiFi to work sporadically or not at all.

The Solution

Thankfully, there is a fix for this. The ifixit.com site has a reasonable repair guide to walk you through how to fix it.

Before you begin, if your PS4 is still under warranty or you don’t feel comfortable doing repair work, you should contact Sony about repairing this problem to prevent voiding your warranty or damaging your PS4.

Tools you’re going to need

• Torx TR9 screwdriver
• Phillips Head (PH1) screwdriver
• Soldering Iron which includes:
  • Solder
  • ESD-Safe Tweezers
• Work area
• Steady hand
• Plenty of lighting
• Tray or cup for screws
• You’ll need to remember which screws came from where to reassemble properly

Steps to Fix the WiFi Antenna

1. Open your PS4 console by removing the rear stickers to expose screw(s), then unscrew screws and lift top off
2. After top is open, locate screws for the power supply and unscrew them placing the screws aside separately
3. Carefully unscrew and lift out the power supply (avoid stress on any cables) to expose the antenna wire connector
4. Disconnect the WiFi antenna wire from the board using ESD-safe tweezers by pulling straight up
5. Pull the now loose wire free from the chassis, then…
6. Follow the wire to locate the WiFi antenna in the corner of the PS4
7. Unscrew and take out the WiFi antenna being careful not to pull the wire loose
8. Identify the gap between the antenna segments looking for two solder points
9. Make sure that the antenna wire is long enough to span the gap
10. Pull the wire to bridge the gap between both both solder points
11. Solder the wire down on both sides of the gap making sure the antenna wire spans the gap
12. Reassemble the PS4 in reverse being sure to thread the WiFi wire back through where it was and reconnecting it

For a follow-along visual reference, visit the ifixit.com guide or download the PDF:

• Repairing PS4’s Bluetooth Antenna from Defect or System may have fallen
• PDF Version: Repair Bluetooth Antenna PS4

The Design Problem

The small gap between the two sides of the antenna is spanned by the wire itself. This wire is fairly fragile and is prone to easily coming loose. The wire may come loose for many reasons. It could be because of an assembly problem. It could be because the solder came loose on its own or from heat buildup. It could be that simply jostling the unit worked it loose. It could be that you dropped the PS4. Whatever the problem, it’s a relatively easy fix.

Notes

The follow-along guide misses a few tools needed for this repair. Please see the above for the full tool reference you will need before beginning. Also, the follow along guide shows pliers being used to pull the antenna loose from the board. Don’t do this! Use ESD-safe tweezers (included with the soldering iron kit listed above or purchase separately) to properly disconnect this wire from the board.

If you don’t feel comfortable opening up your PS4 or performing this procedure, then you should contact Sony to discuss having this repair completed by a Sony repair center. If your PS4 is under warranty, I’d suggest having Sony repair this problem to avoid voiding your warranty by opening the unit.

If you have any questions about this guide, please leave a comment below.

↩︎