Victory is MINE!!!

This is a shout of triumph! "Why?" you ask. Because Li'l Robby and I just successfully dissected a Wii, diagnosed the problem, and fixed it!

Last month we were given a free big screen projection TV, that we decided to put in our basement. We then discussed where the family Wii should be... in the main floor family room or in the basement playroom. I actually didn't want to send it down stairs, but more for selfish reasons... I watch streaming Netflix movies on the Wii while folding clothes. (Hey, it motivates me to actually get my work done, especially since I can watch a whole bunch of BBC romantic TV series.) I was certain that I didn't want to carry the laundry down another flight of stairs just to fold it and walk it back up two flights.

So I was pondering how to solve this issue and thought about checking out craigslist. I was extremely excited when I found a Wii console, two wiimotes, a nunchuck, and an Energizer recharging station for cheap. (Here we go... RED FLAG #1) Then when I called and asked if she would take $25 less, and she willingly accepted. (RED FLAG #2) In fact, she was eager to meet me within the hour so she could get it off her hands. (RED FLAG #3) When we met I asked her why she was getting rid of it, and she said that she had given it for Christmas to her 3 boys, and they haven't played it much because they have an Xbox and a Playstation that they are more interested in. She told me the Wii hadn't been played in a while. (RED FLAG #4)

Yes, I'm blind to red flags. I bought the unit, and was sorely disappointed when we found out it was rejecting discs. I consoled myself in the fact that the two additional wiimotes, the nunchuck, the charging station, and the addition cords all by themselves were worth more than the amount I paid, so I had still gotten a deal.

I figured that since the unit was not worth much in it's present condition that it was worth a try fixing. I searched on the internet and found out Nintendo wanted $75 to fix it for me, and this other site had the FREE directions for a potential fix. Of course, I went with the free fix! Well, it wasn't entirely free. I did have to order a special tri-wing screw driver to open up the unit. The screwdriver cost a whopping $2 with free shipping all the way from Singapore.

So today, we dissembled the Wii with our new handy-dandy tri-wing screwdriver...

And after a little bit of work, we discovered that there was a small plastic piece (pictured below to the right of the wiimote) lodged in the disc drive.

I WIN! (and to that dishonest craigslist seller who lied to me - thanks for the cheap Wii - even if it wasn't a pleasure doing business with you. Actually, maybe I should be grateful to her for her dishonesty because I probably wouldn't have bought the unit if I had know there was a problem, and I definitely would not have found one as cheap as this one.)