Keeping Old School Videogame Consoles Working Great

With a little help your old school video game consoles such as Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Sega, and so on can play games without any tapping, blowing and yelling at least 99% of time.  The 2 main causes of this issue are dirty/corroded game cartridges or dirty/stressed pin connectors (it is what makes contact with the cartridge inside the console). In most cases to resolve the problem all you have to do is a little cleaning.

First check your pin connectors. Simply shine a bright light into the slot where the game goes. All the connectors should be shiny and inline. If the pins are extremely corroded or if the pins are damaged then it may need adjusted or replaced. In any case spray a small amount of electrical contact cleaner and blow it out with compressed air. Next check to make sure the pins have good pressure. When you put a game in it should fit snug. If the game falls out when console is tipped or it just feels a little loose then your pins are fatigued and need to be adjusted or replaced. After your pin connectors are spotless and all checks out proceed to your game cartridges.

Game cartridges are usually the culprit to the problem. Games take a lot of abuse, collect grime, and corrode easily. Shine a light on the bottom of the cartridge and check the connections, they should be spotless and very shiny. Even the smallest amount of grime or corrosion can cause interference.  They easiest way is to spray a small amount of circuit board cleaner and buff lightly with a cotton swabs. Repeat this process until the swabs come out clean and contacts look flawless. The best way is to disassemble the cartridge and buff the contacts with 500+ grit sandpaper, then follow up with circuit board cleaner and cotton swabs. Unfortunately games are usually put together with temper proof fasteners.

If all goes well your games will play on the first try 99% of the time. Do not blow into your cartridges! This temporarily works because the moisture from your breath improves the connection. But the moisture also causes corrosion in the cartridge and the pin connectors inside the console. If you need any help at all you can always contact us at Full Throttle Repairs  www.fullthrottlerepairs.com .