Nest Hello Motherboard Replacement

Written By: Daniel Moore

Comments: 16

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

20 - 25 minutes

Introduction

The motherboard functions as the central hub of communication between all of the components in a device. If your device isn’t functioning properly and if multiple components are failing, the motherboard may need to be replaced. Use this guide to replace the motherboard in the Nest Hello.

Tools

Step 1

Insert the pick between the black faceplate and white casing of the Nest Hello.
Pry the faceplate away from the device with the opening pick.
If you have not opened the Nest Hello before, there will be a protective foam mesh that is glued to the plastic covering and the inside of the mesh, use a pick to cut through the mesh as much as possible.
Completely remove the faceplate from the device, do not be afraid to pull hard.

I had to use a metal spudger tool to start and then used guitar picks.

Joel Lundi -

Be afraid to pull hard. The faceplate will break in two.

B Bremer -

I did the JerryRigEverything method and slipped a razor under the faceplate to separate it carefully from the body. Worked perfectly and nothing was damaged

There I Fixed It -

Be careful with the wiring and the heater element. I must have shorted something together when it put it back together and now it will no longer power up. It is probably best to cut the wires to the heater and deal with the consequences in the cold temperatures.

Joe I. Fabritz -

The secret I think is slicing through the adhesive. I shoved multiple picks in and worked my way around. You want to cut the adhesive. Prying is likely to break the faceplate. The big hint is the next picture in the step, seeing where the adhesive is.

Arnold de Leon -

Step 2

Peel back the cover stickers and use the Phillips #000 screwdriver to remove the four screws.

There is a small circle sticker over each screw, about the size of the red circles in the image above. It wasn't clear from the directions what the "cover stickers" were. A small exacto knife was helpful to pry up the edge of each sticker.

Tim Scott -

Step 3

Insert opening pick between the white casing and the black internal circuitry and pry it out.
There is a ribbon cable connecting the white casing to the circuit boards. Be careful not to tear out the cable while separating the casing from the circuit boards.

Where can you get a replacement faceplate from?

nick -

I ended up doing the headlight lens restoration method - I scraped away any plastic that was flaking off and then I used progressively finer sandpaper (start with 400-600 grit and go up from there). I finished it with rubbing compound and polish. Looks decent.

There I Fixed It -

Also - be careful not to cut or displace the rubber gasket that runs around the outside of the main body that has the circuitry - you'll risk losing the waterproofing

There I Fixed It -

What is the replacement battery type please?

Dave Pawson -

The top end has some kind of mild adhesive (the blue stuff). The bottom end came out more easily for me, and then I ended up bending my board slightly by trying to pry out the top end. May be better to start on the top end if you can get something under the edge of the board to get leverage.

somebody -

The black ribbon cable was instantly sheared in half the moment I got the two halves apart, which took more force than I was hoping to need. Turns out the ribbon cable is attached to a sharp metal piece and it will easily tear through it. No longer worth it to replace the battery for me, sadly.

Ryan Littlefield -

What a stupid design by Nest. If they know that battery will fail they should at least make it user accessible when removed from mount. Replaced mine. It’s a pain getting to the battery and it’s easy to crack the faceplate when prying it off. Also the plastic tools included with kit will fail before you’re into the device.

If you can manage to get to the battery without destroying the Nest Doorbell it’s worth it to get a few more years of use.

C Whitcher - 03/05/24

Step 4

Use the Phillips #000 to remove the two screws holding the ribbon cable to the white casing.

Step 5

Grip the connector with the tweezers as shown and pull it away from the casing.

Step 6

Remove the six smaller screws shown with the Phillips #000 screwdriver.
Remove the three larger screws shown with the Phillips #000 screwdriver.

I didn't see a reason to proceed with step 7 - 10 as the battery was replaceable at this point. I just used my tweezers to pull the battery connector out and insert the new one. I probably could've stopped earlier and skipped removing the USB connector.

Jay Chin -

Step 7

Holding the device as shown push the circuit board away from you and up to free it from the clips.

Step 8

Use the Phillips #000 screwdriver to remove the three screws holding the last circuit board to the black plastic housing.

Step 9

Insert the pick underneath the black connectors and pry them upward to disconnect them from the circuit board.
Work your way around the device, prying the circuit board away from the housing.
Make sure to feed the wires when taking off the circuit board.

Conclusion

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

Author

Daniel Moore

Member since: 14/01/20

827 Reputation

2 comments

@viteapen13 Hi Daniel, question for you. On step 9, is the enclosing shell for the main board (top portion of the photo) metallic or plastic? Also, the blue material off the shell foam? Last, the blue regular stuff from the bottom board, is that some kind of thermal paste? Thanks.

Monty the Real -

Any idea which portion is the wifi connection? The doorbell wifi goes in and out and the camera works. I have a entire new doorbell I bought for cheap for parts. Which part should I change?

Rlau -