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WD-40 Contact Cleaner saved my joy-cons but my Xbox One Controller too

Killyoh

Killyoh

Member
Oct 28, 2017
1,086
Paris, France
So, I had the joy-con drift twice : a small one months ago on the left joy-con, which was a bit annoying when playing BOTW as Link would turn a bit sometimes. A friend fixed it for me and never had a problem since.

Well, two weeks ago, bam, right joy-con. This time it's really bad : if I pushed the stick to go up the position would get stucked. It was unplayable. I took the decision to fix it myself and went to a hardware store to buy this baby for 8€ only
wd-40-specialist-car-fluids-chemicals-300083-64_1000.jpg


It worked like a charm, I just sprayed twice under the stick cap and did a 360° for a minute, the joy-con was functionnal immediately.

Suddendly I was wondering, hey, there's another controller which maybe needs a good clean.
Maybe some of you are familiar with it but a lot of early Xbox One Controllers have the same problem : the right bumper stops working after a while. A colleague works as a director for a big game streaming Twitch channel and most of their pads have this issue too.

I removed the right cover from the controller with my nails (don't worry if you try, it won't break) and sprayed a good amount of contact cleaner inside and like the joy-cons : worked immediately. The controller was good as new.

Honestly I'm stunned it was so simple. I was so frustrated to left the Xbox One controller in its box for a whole year because I couldn't play to Dark Souls or Dragon Ball Fighterz on PC with it properly and now I can.

Did any of you try it to fix your controllers ? Would you if you didn't ?
 
Lucifonz

Lucifonz

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,132
United Kingdom
I use rubbing alcohol on my Elite pad which solved the issue for a good few months before it returned again. It seems to have reached the point where the issue reoccurs after a couple of weeks each time I do it now... Elite V2 is calling me.

May have to give WD-40's contact cleaner a whirl.
 
waffleman

waffleman

Member
Oct 27, 2017
365
Can also speak praises for WD 40. PS4 controller had crazy drift, opened it up and sprayed it down and it has worked perfect for a long while now (likely a year at this point). I did take a risk not using the contact cleaner specific type of WD 40 though, I just used the normal stuff. Haven't noticed any damage however.
 
dirtyjane

dirtyjane

Member
Oct 27, 2017
839
Just a PSA, don't use normal WD40 it's a water displacement formula, it will attack rubber and electronics over time.

Use the contact cleaner version or any other contact cleaner really, the WD stuff is really expensive.
 

Deleted member 10737

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
49,774
i use a similar spray and after each use the analogs become good as new for 4 or 5 months. definitely recommended.
 
Shin Kojima

Shin Kojima

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,984
Just remember that if you do this a lot without opening the controller and actually cleaning it, the gunk might start to pile up inside. You're just flushing it elsewhere right?
 
PixelsByNight

PixelsByNight

Member
Apr 22, 2019
321
USA
I'll definitely give that a shot. The left stick on my Switch pro controller keeps getting stuck in one place, like your joy-con situation.
 
buset

buset

Member
Jul 25, 2018
414
dirtyjane said:
Just a PSA, don't use normal WD40 it's a water displacement formula, it will attack rubber and electronics over time.

Use the contact cleaner version or any other contact cleaner really, the WD stuff is really expensive.
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This!

Don't use WD-40, use a cleaner that doesn't leave residue
 
Exede

Exede

Banned
Feb 8, 2019
650
So every controller can have the drift? Why are people only going crazy for the joycon one?
 
FreddeGredde

FreddeGredde

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,905
Yeah, I bought a generic contact cleaner too, one small spray in under the stick "cover", and I've been drift free for 2-3 months now.
 
wsbceo

wsbceo

alt account
Banned
Apr 29, 2019
80
Killyoh said:
I got the Switch in March 2017, the 2-years european warranty has expired and Nintendo doesn't replace the joy-cons for free here.

Also I'm an impatient brat.
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It's mind boggling the EU is behind USA in a consumer protection endeavor. Guess the threat of litigation worked. Shame on Nintendo for not owning up to their joycon issue globally.
 
Lynd

Lynd

Member
Oct 29, 2017
2,440
Yeah the contact cleaner is good for all game cleaning, carts, PCB's, everything really. Much better than alcohol.
 
Duffking

Duffking

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,708
Don't worry, your joycon drift will come back sooner and sooner each time until you can't be bothered to use the cleaner any more. The nature of what causes joycon drift guarantees it will come back in time.
 
BreakAtmo

BreakAtmo

Member
Nov 12, 2017
12,838
Australia
I also used this for my Joy-Con drift, and it worked. PSA though, it seems this stuff has slightly different names in different countries. It may be Electrical Contact Cleaner in the USA, but here in Australia...

20191004-204838.jpg
 
wrowa

wrowa

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,373
Killyoh said:
I got the Switch in March 2017, the 2-years european warranty has expired and Nintendo doesn't replace the joy-cons for free here.

Also I'm an impatient brat.
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I don't know about the situation in France, but if you ask Nintendo Germany they will tell you they don't repair Joycons for free but if you actually send them in they won't charge you for it anyway.
 
Dash Kappei

Dash Kappei

Member
Nov 1, 2017
4,842
I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news but it'll come back mate.
First time it lasts for a couple months, then 1, then it's weekly and finally it almost won't do shit anymore...
I'm at this last step, it barely lasts a couple days now and sometimes it doesn't even fix it.
 
Fularu

Fularu

Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,609
Lynd said:
Yeah the contact cleaner is good for all game cleaning, carts, PCB's, everything really. Much better than alcohol.
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Not really

It's just mostly gaz (to get a spray form) and Isopropyl Alcohol.

You will get the same results if you clean your contacts with 90% isopropyl and cue tabs
 
Psychotron

Psychotron

Member
Oct 26, 2017
5,683
My PS4 controller was drifting while playing The Surge 2. Camera would keep moving after I let go of the stick. I put some rubbing alcohol on a q-tip and applied it to the base of the right stick. Moved the stick around a bit, blew on it to dry any remaining moisture and tried it. Drift was still there and my options button stopped responding, lol. I don't have much luck with fixing controllers.
 
Neiteio

Neiteio

Member
Oct 25, 2017
24,137
I have several drifting joycons. Can someone link me to an Amazon page with the recommended cleaner? I'm in the U.S. Also, do I have to physically pull apart the joycon?
 
Bomblord

Bomblord

Self-requested ban
Banned
Jan 11, 2018
6,390
Just fixed my squeaky truck door with some WD-40. Good stuff

Also Liquid Wrench is a miracle worker as well although I wouldn't reccomend spraying that on any electronics as it would probably chew right through it.
 
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Deleted member 16753

Account closed at user request
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
520
mazi said:
it happens more with joycons because the design allows for more dust to get under the stick.
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No.

The joycon design relies on a metal pin rubbing against a carbon pad which causes carbon to rub off and cause unwanted electrical contact.

Most other first party pads avoid using the cheapest methods of motion detection and utilise better approaches, such as utilising optics or magnetism, which are less prone to issues.
 
bionic77

bionic77

Member
Oct 25, 2017
30,895
wsbceo said:
Why not just get the joycon repaired under the extended warranty?
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Its really worth it to do so if you live in a place where Nintendo does it.

My kids fucking ruined the JoyCons and got all sorts of gross shit inside and on them. The covers on the sticks were gone and they were slightly loose on the Switch from having been dropped.

They came back looking as good as when I first bought them. Makes such a big difference playing on handheld when the Joy Cons stay on right.

The kids are older now too so hopefully they stop fucking playing games while eating potato chips like some kind of savages.
 
Silky

Silky

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
10,522
Georgia
Everytime I buy a new Xbox One controller I end up with a disgusting amount of stick drift. I'll give this WD40 shit a go
 
giallo

giallo

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,245
Seoul
I finally, finally, FINALLY got contact cleaner for my left joycon, and it fixed it. I've being avoiding playing handheld for months and months, but finally found some contact cleaner here in Seoul. I was so happy that I went out, and bought Astral Chain for my flight next week.
 
Yesterday

Yesterday

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
2,285
I used to not be able to have stuff like this in the house because my stepdad would huff it
 
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