PlayStation 3 Slim PRAM Battery Replacement

Written By: Andrew Bookholt

Comments: 62

PlayStation 3 Slim PRAM Battery Replacement

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

20 - 30 minutes

Introduction

Use this guide to replace your PlayStation 3 Slim's CR 2032 coin-cell PRAM battery.

Tools

Parts

Step 1

Turn the PS3 over and lay it on its backside.
Carefully peel the warranty sticker up off the lower case to reveal a hidden screw cover.
To avoid activating the VOID that may come up, heat the sticker carefully to remove and replace it cleanly.

Don’t even need to bother with the sticker anymore since SONY does not care what you do with them anymore.

Travis Wheeler -

Step 2

Use the flat end of a metal spudger to pry up the seven screw covers around the edge of the lower case.

Step 3

Remove the seven 37 mm Phillips screws securing the top cover to the lower case.

Step 4

Remove the four 13.3 mm T8 security Torx screws beneath the Blu-ray drive opening. (Some models may only have three screws)

Its 4 screws beneath the blu-ray

Manuel -

Remove the four 13.3 mm T8 security Torx screws beneath the Blu-ray drive opening.

Daniel Tlapa -

Can we edit this to say 4 screws?

revanantwraith -

I made the change from three to four screws, but you're able to edit the guides as well. If you want to edit something, you can click the Edit link on the right side of any guide step, or the Edit link at the top right of the page (sandwiched in-between View and History).

Taylor Arnicar -

Do you guys have a guide for the PS3 Slim Model 3001A. The fan is different than this model.

emknight04 -

3001a is basically same motherboard but cheaper plastic bd drive other than that its exactly the same until you get to the new slim line

Robert -

Anyone know an online retailer with a competitive price for the replacement fan?

Jared -

My PS3 had only three Torx screws. Having four in the diagram was initially confusing. Obviously they made a mid-stream change at some point (mine is several years old now).

corygbooker - 03/12/14

I've accidentally removed the ribbon cable from the blu-Ray drive and can not seem to figure out how to reconnect it. Can anyone help?

OneIfByLand - 29/10/15

Take the top off the drive, connect the ribbon to the motherboard then replace the drive sliding the ribbon through the slot on the bottom of the drive and reconnect to the laser.

KcXbox Repair - 31/01/16

pls help i have to tear down my ps3 slim but the 4 srews are very hard to take it out because there is a needle in the middle pls hep

vbrabandt - 26/11/16

If the screw has a pin in the center, that means it is a security Torx meant to prevent tampering. To remove this screw, follow the guide I have linked below...

http://www.instructables.com/id/Removing...

Telpack - 05/02/17

How do u buy the screw driver for these screws

mistergalacta hoggy - 09/08/19

Online at the usual suspects?

Or some hobby stores or places that sell tools will sometimes carry these.

revanantwraith - 04/01/21

Anyone else's screws for this step need the T7 bit instead of T8?

Michael J Cotton -

What is the name of this screwdriver

Mohammad Shawa -

Step 5

Lift the top cover from its rear edge and rotate it toward the front of the PS3.
Lift the top cover off the PS3.

I just want to open the top cover to clean the fan. Do I need to unscrew the four security screws?

Aryan - 12/04/21

Step 6

Squeeze the AC inlet connector's locking mechanism and pull straight up to disconnect it from the power supply.

Step 7

Pull the DC-Out cables straight up to lift their connector up and out of its socket on the power supply.

Those two screws are tight down there what do you recommend I use?

Megan bronner - 07/08/18

Step 8

Remove the two 7.6 mm Phillips screws securing the power supply to the lower case.

Question: if a screw doesn't come out, what do you recommend, without potentially damaging the system, inside and out?

kramiz2488 - 29/06/16

It seems these can be quite tight, but they did come loose with someextra force in my case. They did that thing where it makes cracking sounds, but nothing really breaks. They're just really tight in there. - I just wouldn't recommend taking these out too often.

Michael Hendriks - 15/12/17

The screwdrivers on the guide didn't work mine just don't come out any tips model is slim CECH 2001A

Step 8

Jose Arrieta - 22/08/20

These screws work as a ground pass through between the motherboard shields and the power supply. My cousin took his PS3 to a repair shop to replace the power supply, they didn’t put the screws back in after that and the PS was shutting down suddenly (no light green or red), put a couple of new screws and it’s being working fine since

Mauricio González - 31/05/21

Sometime ago i took apart my PS3 out of curiosity, When puting it back together, i messed it up, I stripped one of the PSU screws. Now, i can't take it apart for a paste replacement. Any ideas?

Franco Iván Bello Rojas -

The screws don't come out how do I fix this without breaking anything

Suck dick -

I had the same problem with very tight screws on PS3 power supply. I solved it by purchasing a Screw removal / extractor gripping pliers long nose style , with unique non-slip jaws for quickly extracting damaged / stuck screws. ENGINEER PZ-60 Neji-Saurus,Silver. ( bought mine on Amazon)

These pliers have special grips on tapered end to hold and turn stripped or rusty screws. It took a lot of effort, but screws finally came out using these pliers. A bit of sewing machine oil and prising under the washers with a flat screwdrvers helps too. Failing that, take it to repair shop as they are VERY TIGHT screws on some models of PS3.

hubert hanks -

I need some advice I have taken apart my PS3 slim unit to clean it. I bought it second hand last year and it is filthy, I am having issues because the screws holding down the power supply are very tight, they are not stripped and I am using the right screwdriver. I don’t want to damage the screws, can anyone help?

Sam -

Step 9

Lift the power supply upward from its left edge as viewed from the front of the PS3.

Step 10

Continue to lift the left edge of the power supply until it lifts off the two metal posts shown in the second picture.
Remove the power supply from the PS3, minding any cables that may get caught.

It seems it kind of ends for me here. I can only lift the left side about an inch and then the right side stays down like it’s stuck to something underneath. It feels like I’m bending something. Could something have melted underneath?… It's really stuck, I can't get it to come loose. And I can't see much shining a light into it either. - Any tips?…

Michael Hendriks - 15/12/17

Did you undo the screws?

Phoenix Jameson - 22/01/20

I had the same issue but was able to get it off. The right side (as per the above picture) has two long column like sections that actually goes into the machine. Took me a bit of wiggling and some brute force.

Ivan Amaro - 28/12/17

You just lift the whole power supply up. There’s no need to start from the left? Is it possible to bend the two metal posts if lifting from the left?

Ken - 08/08/20

Needs medium flat screw driver as wedge to help to lift the power supply in the right side or exert more force in your right arm provided the front of PS3 is at your front.

Dasol - 18/12/20

Um, I translated the guide from French to English and the name of the guide was “Food” and the description said “This guide shows you how to replace your diet” The translation is incorrect just to let you know!

Liam Kandell - 14/03/21

Hi! Thanks for you attention! But no worries, the French word “alimentation” means power, food or diet depending the context.

Claire Miesch - 15/03/21

Alright, thanks!

Liam Kandell -

My ps3 slim will stay on for an hour and then the power shuts off and the power lights are black, i have to press power twice in order to be able to restart it. How do i fix this? I'm asking cause this was the only thing close to qhat I've been experiencing.

DoseSugar -

Step 11

If present, remove the pieces of tape securing the cables to the body of the Blu-ray drive.

What does the white and black cable?

Robert Brown -

They are the wifi and Bluetooth antenna connections

Jason Dufford - 03/08/23

Step 12

Use the flat end of a spudger or your fingernail to flip up the retaining flap on the Blu-ray ribbon cable socket.
Be sure you are prying up on the movable retaining flap, not the socket itself.

On some models, like the CECH-2501B, there are multiple ribbon cables that connect the Blu-ray drive to the motherboard. The ribbon cable with this particular retaining flap may be found underneath the Blu-ray drive itself. Reattaching that ribbon cable to its socket underneath can be very difficult, but not impossible. it just requires a skilled hand and plenty of patience to get it done.

Winston Nomad -

Step 13

Pull the Blu-ray ribbon cable straight up and out of its socket.

Step 14

Pull the Blu-ray power cable straight up to lift its connector out of the socket on the Blu-ray drive.

Step 15

Remove the single 9.5 mm Phillips screw securing the Blu-ray drive to the lower case.

Step 16

Lift the Blu-ray drive slightly by its right edge to dislodge the control board from its housing.
Remove the Blu-ray drive from the PS3.
After you reinstall the Blu-ray drive, be sure the control board is firmly seated in the lower case before proceeding.
If replacing the Blu-ray drive with a new drive, swap the circuit board from your old drive into the new drive.

my cd drive has 3 cables, two by the fan, one right under, i believe i damaged the one on the bottom because it is very difficult to put back in hence the repair. But the photos here dont show the 3 cables, not sure if you have one for this model?

Eduardo Cutino - 30/05/14

I followed the steps and I successfully removed my disc drive the guide was helpful but I had issues and the ribbon cables on my replacement disc drive were too short after a soddering attempt failed I now need to rebut a disc drive can someone direct me to a proper replacement with the correct size I need it's a ps3 slim 120G please help

Nick - 27/09/14

I popped a friends apart to see if I could put in mine, which won't stay online for more than 1minute 10 seconds. Plays DVDs fine. Anyway, his had 3 cables and mine only has 1. How do I know which DVD player to order?

ntdoc - 02/02/15

Completely different drive in my slim. 3 ribbon cables on the back that pull straight up out of their connectors. And one wide ribbon hidden underneath and almost impossible to get to. After disconnecting the 3 visible cables lift the back of the drive about 3/4" and use a plastic spudger to release the clip on the cable before lifting off the drive. Reinstalling is a nightmare. The cable has a black line to indicate how far to insert into the connector. Get it in there somehow then use the spudger to push the clip down. If it's not level release it and try again and again and again until you get it right. Sony must use some awfully small fingers when they build these ;-)

jurquijo - 15/06/17

I had the same issue with the ribon feeding beneath the blu ray player. This video provided a much better solution. It requires dissassembling the blu ray: https://youtu.be/Upy2bTev3M0

Rebel Seven - 27/08/17

My disk drive needs to be replaced. Your step by step is straight forward and are very helpful. At the end you mentioned “If replacing the Blu-ray drive with a new drive, swap the circuit board from your old drive into the new drive”.

Which circuit board? Can your please add a picture of the circuit board you are referring to?

Henry - 12/03/18

@hh168 There’s now a link in the text of that step, which will take you to a video with detailed instructions for swapping the board.

Jeff Suovanen - 18/06/18

First I replaced the drive and it would load a disc and see that it was either a game and which game or a BluRay or DVD and which, but I got error codes when trying to play them.

The codes seemed to be tamper coding, and swapping the board seemed to be a good idea.

It went smoothly, but now discs will not feed into the drive.

Please help.

Zachary Mannes - 23/12/19

Step 17

In some models, the battery is located under the metal shield. If yours is like this, follow this video instead of this step.
While holding the plastic retainer down against the board, use the tip of a spudger to pry the PRAM battery out of its housing.
Failure to hold the plastic retainer down during the prying process may result in it tearing off the motherboard.

I didn't force the battery out here at all but when putting out back in it feels so loose. What could be the problem

jeffery marshall - 13/03/21

Wrong type of battery, perhaps? A 2016 battery will be the same diameter as the (correct) 2032 battery, but thinner.

C. Scott Ananian - 23/03/21

My PS3 did not have the convenient cutout as in the picture of step 17. Instead there was a grill through which I could see the battery. I had to figure out how to remove that plate completely.

You have to disconnect the fan power, and the Bluetooth and WiFi cables from the board, then open around 5 marked Philips screws. Unscrew 2 smaller screws holding the hard drive assembly to the case.

Then you have to lift the motherboard from the case by pulling at the other end of the board from the fan. Underneath there are another set of marked Philips screws. Two sets of larger Philips screws hold down the brackets for I guess the CPU and GPU. Finally you can get at the coin cell and replace it.

Absolutely ridiculous design, probably meant to make the consumer run to a Sony service center. Unfortunately I did not take pictures of the process and hopefully the battery will last another 5 years or so before I have to do this exercise again.

One more thing. The Blu-Ray drive in my unit has different cabling. One of the cables is underneath the drive and might easily get damaged. Replacing it back in the socket also requires care and time.

Sanjay Mehta - 10/06/21

That's because your ps3 is a newer model. The model shown in this guide is one of the first two models(cech 2001 or 2101). These models use different connectors and don't have ribbon cables for the disk drive at all.

Littleboy -

Echoing Sanjay Martha's comment exactly. There are 3 cables on the back of the blue ray and a surprise one on the underside which is very fiddly to get back in. Needs the hands of a child to reach in and seat it. Lol. I guess the reason the battery isn't in a neatly accessible slot on the outside case is so you can buy a new PlayStation instead. Shocking design to have to dismantle the whole thing almost entirely just to change a battery. So risky. The date appears to now save but I need to test the blue ray and the hard drive are still functioning. Different battery set up as well. Not a battery in an insulator with cables. Join a standard coin battery into the housing.

Tony Flitton -

Broke the two little tabs that hold the battery in on the side you push in on, I hate this stupid SMOS holders, future soldering project I guess.

IttyBittyGamerVR -

Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

Author

Andrew Bookholt

590566 Reputation

9 comments

ATTENTION: This guide is not valid for PS3 slim CECH-3004B!

from the number 11 you notice that your ps3 is different.

The CECH-3004B version does not give direct access to the 2032 battery.

You must also disassemble the motherboard from the grid (and all the pieces that obstruct this operation)

It is possible but it is more difficult

Marco Bedini - 12/10/18

I found this to be the case too. Did you end up replacing the battery? If so, how did you do it?

Mike Martinescu - 27/09/20

Same for CECH-2501A, I got the blu-ray drive out and was greeted by a battery covered by the metal shielding. Have to go deeper...

Michael J Cotton -

It is kind of hard to tell by the photo alone: The plus (flat) side of the battery must face up when you insert it.

kuhnbn hob - 24/04/19

hey i need serious help i opened my super slim to replace the battery and could not figure how to get it out thought off lifting the socket might allow me to replace the battey much to my horror now socket is torn from the motherborad my console is stuck in black screen and a day before i tried to update from safe mode still a black screen now if i turn on the console i know its waiting for to confirm update iniatlization can i update the console without cmos battery or shomhow cancel it and be able to boot into recovery again

Aidan - 14/11/19

Hello, I need help haha I wanted to remove the battery and effectively broke the plastic and released the solder that goes from the battery to the motherboard, can I solder it again?

Juan Fernando Soto - 05/11/20

What if you have the Super Slim Version of the Ps3, can i still do that on there?

Ruben Loredo - 25/03/21

Watch out if you have a later revision of the slim ( 3000 series, the ones that don’t have a light above the disc eject button). The Blu-Ray drive ribbon cable in step 13 is located underneath the drive on this revision, which can be tricky to remove and re-insert. You also have to disassemble the console down to the bare motherboard to get at the PRAM battery, which means removing the cooler and having to re-paste the CPU and GPU when putting it back together (which you probably should do anyway while you have it open.

Jarod Blockus - 03/05/21

Unfortunately, my version of PS3 slim is different. Cabeling of Blu-ray drive is different and the worst thing is that battery is covered by metal so if you want to exchange it you have to dismantle ps3 completely. So stupid design.

Michal Šára -