Hello everyone.
First I’m french, sometimes I make grammar or language errors sorry in advance ;).
I have a second hand switch, it’s in a pretty good shape but it have one problem. It plays normally except when it’s docked.
What is happening exactly : the TV show the screen and I can play with my switch for about 5min/15min/30min then the tv turns black and there is no signal. When I take the switch back from the dock the game is still playing and is wating for me. The TV playing time seems to change depending of how intensive the game is on the console (the bigger the game is the less I can play).
I have tried on another dock and three other computer screens and the problem is the same.
1_My first guess is overheating, I think the fan is not working properly and get crazy fast (this is a supposition I don’t have other working switch to compare with) so the dock stop when it gets too hot maybe ?
2_Second guess is the usb port on the switch, I have tried to plug it on the computer and see if I have a problem there. I have a noise from windows telling me I have plugged my switch and a charging icon on the console, but after some seconds the switch unplug itself (unplug noise + icon disappear). It happens on both side and if I turn the switch on I have no problem.
3_Last guess would be the video chip, maybe there is a problem somewhere and a bit of hot air may do the trick by resolderring the pins. Since I can play with the switch normally, except for the dock thing, I think no major component is broken.
I’m gonna try to change the fan since I have a bsod donor. For the ohter guesses I don’t have proper equipment so I sadly will have to wait.
Do you think my ideas are good ? Do you have some workaround or some others thing for me to try out ?
Any idea is welcome 
Thank’s for reading !
As always it could be multiple things. Can you apply pressure to the switch when docked to see if it comes back? I’ve had a switch where the tolerances meant downward pressure was needed to get a good connection. As you say, warming of the switch during operation could cause expansion and loss of connection.
One trick that I’ve found useful is to buy a USB Type-C extension cable and connect this between the dock connector and the Switch. That way you can ensure a good connection and rule out expansion etc. Make sure you get a full spec male-female extension. You’d pick one up on ebay for about €10.
Thanks for the info, the pressure doesn’t change anything so I am gonna try the usb c trick. Does the cable need to have a thunderbolt support or a regular usb c cable is ok ?
You are just looking for a fully connected cable with all 24 conductors directly connected. Normally they are marked up as being able to pass video and data. Search for terms such as 10Gb or 4K would probably get you closer. The one I sourced in the UK had this eBay title: “USB-C 3.1 Male To Female Extension Cable, Gen 2 10Gbps Devices; Pass Video, Male”
Just to add, the male connector in the dock is slightly non-standard to allow for a friction-free docking experience (no retaining tags etc), so tends to be a bit more loose than your average USB connector. That’s why I’m recommending the extension cable.
Ok thanks the cable is on the way. It’s gonna be in a few weeks but I’ll update for posterity ;).
Well it didn’t work, the cable does plug in the dock and the console, it shows up on screen (it was a pain to even do that), when I launch a game it plays for 2 minutes and the screen goes black. Same for my 2 docks.
Could it be an power problem or maybe the usb port is faulty ?
I was thinking.
In sleep mode, when I plug my switch on the computer with a usbc cable the computer make the connection/disconnection sound again and again. But if I turn the swith on wile doing so, the connection stays and I have the possibility to open folders.
Maybe I can do something similar by forcing the console screen to stay on while it’s docked. Does anyone know how to do that, if possible ?