Game Cube Repair

Well, here is a look at what went on with the old game cube. Huge thanks for the dry erase marker method, that was really appreciated.

[@Synthetic_Graves]

Wow that pen is a god send. Really amazing job cleaning off that marker. That marker should definitely be in any collector and restorer's toolbox. Great vid as always.

[@sklzlm]

Nice! That technique worked well for removing that black marker. I hate it when people write on games and consoles with a black permanent marker, It's usually a pain in the ass to remove. Sometimes i get lucky with hand sanitizing wipes.

[@PTGamer262]

Man it always feels great to watch you bring those machines back from the dead, great work! Hope everything's well over there in Japan :) Cheers from Portugal!

[@NOSTEKxINC]

Luke can repair nearly all stuff. You are the best.

[@TheDemoniusX]

Hey a repair guy with a personality! Most repair video creators are like robots that are super boring. I am glad to have found this channel! I

[@jackfrazer576]

gr8 work dude ... from seeing ur videos your videos about repairs you made me want to fix consoles

[@SmoothEmJay]

Good work Luke, LOVE the white LED. Simple, yet awesome looking.

[@moagnor]

I just spent five minutes looking at someone use a red marker on a Game Cube. Can I please have my job back?

[@ViolentDetour]

Thanks for the warning.

[@minecraftroblox4441]

it is satisfying tho

[@cakepower1]

still have my gamecube since it came out never had any problems what so ever and its been dropped but the casing is really well made, the gamecube in general was very very well made one of the best consoles. Played smash bros melee on it for years in high school I miss those days thanks nintendo.

[@Hyper_Egret]

Good to see the Gamecube is alive dude :)! About the Gamecube controllers, i had one that was a little bit loose and also the stick was in pretty bad shape. So what i did was buying some of those cheap Classic controllers for the Wii at wallmart and replace the the stick with one of those from the classic controller. It works fine now but the analog stick is still a little bit loose. no blisters now haha. Cheers dude :)

[@KingGameReview]

My sister's old gamecube hasn't read disks for like 6 or 7 years, but I think it's probably somewhere at my parent's house. I might try some of these things to see if I can fix it. Thanks for the ideas.

[@tailsthegreenninja2003]

I just bought a Platinum Gamecube that was all sticky, and you just told me how to fix it.. Thanks!

[@WhiteSpartan999]

nice job Luke. Im gonna have to try this on my GameCube. It hasn't read disks in ages.

[@CRTcade]

Wow man, that dry erase marker cleaned that up really nicely. I have a few old snes games with some persistently stubborn ink on the backs of them that I might need to try that dry erase method out on. Nice work on saving another old school console from the grave yard as always too bro!

[@RyuHayabusa06]

Nice save, Luke! Great job keeping classic consoles alive!

[@androidhacking1018]

You could use hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol to remove sharpie

[@marik9]

washable markers contain a special chemical ingredient which permanent markers do not have. This is what removes permanent markers marks. Usefull tip

[@COBOL]

Great work on that cube, Luke! That pen is really magical! And the white LED it's cool! :)

[@shenmeowzo]

happy to know theres people like you out there keepin these things goin. nice job

[@Polaventris]

Nice one! There is also that laser power adjustment pot beneath the dvd assembly you can tweak for more power. I always wondered if the laser works better with the case on top as there is less stray light coming to the laser lense. Amazing how well the marker could be removed!

[@nintyfan1991]

On a regular basis, I give my GameCube (and other consoles) a good blowing with decompressed air, but it's cool to see repairs on this underrated system. :)

[@SpikeBlighty]

That's a serious mancave. I wish I'd kept all my old consoles instead of giving them away. Great bit of repairing. Amazing what a little elbow grease and techie know how can achieve. Nice white led mod. Good stuff.

[@HelloComics]

Another system saved. Excellent work, Luke!

[@Nesmaniac]

Good video. I've fixed several PS2 fats by taking the laser itself apart and using pliers to flatten a q-tip and dab a bit of rubbing alochol on it and clean the bigger lens under the smaller one. They are all a little different and the last one I did I cleaned a mirror that was under the lens as well and it fixed it. Before I did this it would only read PS1 games so apparently a little dust getting inside the laser can cause it not to work. I just bought compressed air to try on gamecube laser.

[@ConjUK]

Great vid, love seeing how you bring these consoles back to life.

[@PhilXavierSierraJones]

Oh, and to remove blackness from the tip of your markers, push it against something absorbent, like newspaper (works really well), or corrugated Kraft paper box / cardboard box, or some "Repairmen's Friend" also known as engine wipes (which absorbs things really well). I restored some Crayola branded markers (especially yellow ones) with acetone and RF trick. (Generally acetone is not required for restoration unless it's really dried)

[@bricegraham8256]

That set up tho. It looks quite insane

[@PiercedJedi]

I never would have thought to use dry erase marker to remove permanent marker :) thanks

[@MrTechnoSqueek]

very nice man most of the gamecubes I come across that are "bad" usually just has a dirty lens

[@raffcamcamraff7950]

Hi Luke: I know a very easy method to remove permanent marker stuff like in the video; its a very soft solvent used by graphic designers named P-300, you just put it on a q-tip or piece of cotton and it going to clean marker pen on plastics super fast, you just need to clean it with water after you use it because in some shiny plastics can kill the bright a little bit if you live it a minute on the plastic. Hope it works for you as have worked for me on my NES, SNES, N64, and Sega Genesis game cartridges. Greets, Raffoul.

[@OldSchoolNYCGamer]

This shows when you do have patience and effort you will be greatly rewarded, great work there Luke. = )

[@speedysandisk78]

Nice bit of TLC there Luke, I was really surprised when the marker came off as easy as it did.

[@TheGGShow77]

I honestly thought the ink on top would be impenetrable, but another amazing fix brother!

[@TheArmchairEmpire]

Wow, that marker mess really came off well! It's like you have a retro console rehabilitation clinic. =D

[@TheDeltron09]

Had my cube since day 1 and no problems here!

[@Megaprodigy321]

That marker method is so cool

[@Shulamana]

Dry erase markers are just pigments in an alcohol solution, and I've found using them often adds to the problem more than it helps. I just skip the marker and go straight for the isopropyl alcohol.

[@missionpassed4584]

Isopropyl alcohol removes marker pen very easily

[@RetroGamerVX]

Good job Luke, I'm glad the laser was relativly easy to fix :o)

[@chrismayer3919]

Me too; I just never knew you could read Japanese!

[@Magus12000BC]

I have noticed when trying to troubleshoot the lenses on some of my units that Mortal Kombat: Deception is REALLY good in gauging how well the lens works. The game itself already has fairly long load times. But if there is any problems with the lens, the loading between matches will slow to a crawl. This is a good way to see if the unit you're running is bad, but not so much so that it won't boot the disc. Resident Evil 0 is another one that will show early signs if the lens is bad.

[@JillpooThree]

So awesome! It made me really happy that you got it working again!!

[@katiealways]

we need more people like you

[@KillerZero259]

great job luke!! you're videos are great and very informative! please continue to do what you are doing!!

[@trombz1]

Good Game cube! Nice work!

[@MegaMonkeyboy85]

I did the same led change for my white/pearl GC, Same color and it looks awesome

[@doalwa]

The Gamecube was one sexy piece of hardware imo!

[@thomasstodghilliv]

My 1st GameCube worked until last Saturday when the laser was not reading discs. Though while I was at school, my dad ran to my retro store and got a replacement GameCube.

[@xscorpx]

Using a sharpie works to remove sharpie ink, you just have to wipe it off immediately before it dries and it pulls the old ink right off with it. Discovered this as a maintenance person for graffiti removal.

[@TrainerTas]

I love how cluttered your work area is lol its just like mine hahah

[@gordonjarvis239]

A carefully measured pot tweak and rubbing alcohol can make a big difference for the disk reader.

[@fossilfern]

Lol most of the time the fix is just this simple! iv been handed 3 game cubes with just dirty lasers and got them fixed! can't have enough game cubes about the house :)

[@J4TFOI]

Was hoping might hear hint of possible solution to fixing a freezing GC. But good info none the less.

[@googleboughtmee]

Wow that marker thing was impressive

[@LAZERBLADE194]

This is what I've been waiting for since the orange junk find video!

[@Xaibo_Red]

Sweet, you turned a wreak to a almost new looking GC. Where did you buy that eraser pen? If you could tell me that it would be great! I have a few Famicom games that have marker on it and couldn't remove all of it. Great video as ever Luke!

[@ZeroWalker26]

Nice video as always and informative Thanks Luke.

[@heroesunplugged]

Have you ever tried using Lysol (the original variety)? I have used it on permanent marker and it seems to work just as good as the pen here. Apply the Lysol, let it set, and then wipe off. I have used it on many electronics/remote controls without any issues and it also disinfects the product.

[@alexwilkins8601]

Hey Luke, love the repair videos, keep em coming! Those melamine sponges are effective, but I find them a little too abrasive, and they can smooth off profiled finishes (like SNES carts). Give WD40 a try, it dissolves most solvent based inks and paints with a bit of rubbing and won't damage your console at all.

[@astrangeone]

Nice! (I might try the eraser pen thing out.)

[@solidsnake1678]

Just noticed your uploading in 1080p now Cool

[@xaer0knight]

Whoa an dry erase marker.. had no clue :)

[@DeWarioFreak]

Your videos are awesome!

[@URLWK]

Try body wash for marker, it works wonders and its how I cleaned almost ALL my snes thrift store finds. You can just dab it on, leave it be for 30 seconds, and its good. No scouring or scraping whatsoever.. It just stinks to high heaven and requires a soap wash in the spot after.

[@ZPEntertainment]

Well, my GameCube has the same problem now, and since I'll have to sell my Wii and WiiU has no GC support I guess I'll try to work on my GC lens too following your instructions! :) Also, I really need to remove some sand from the eject button... XD

[@Ryuhei64]

Nice work!

[@KingHenryVR4]

I usually use plain hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol, fingernail polish remover works but kind of bleaches the plastic

[@Ghost72091]

Okay..After watching a good 5-7 of your videos thus far..I have to ask you. Are you in Japan or something? Or do you just have alot of imported games/ parts/ accessories? I like what your doing in your videos, I'd like to be able to fix broken consoles, yet i don't have the parts or knowledge to know how. Soo, I'll leave it up to people like you to do it safe and efficient.

[@Scoopy1979]

Love your videos luke they are really helpfull, I have a question, I have a Sega mega CD model 2 Pal version and it really makes a cracking kind of sound when it starts up, it still works but im concerned it will be broken soon, do you know what it is?

[@adair758]

thx man u made my gamecube come back to life u got a subscriber :DDD

[@VintageTechRepairs]

Awesome fix as always Luke ;)

[@PinBallReviewerRepairs]

No prob. I am just getting into repairing stuff on my end so I am soaking up all the repair vids. Especially on pinball repair vids lmao. The one I have is a very large paper weight right now but it is in a full blown restoration lol.

[@bregrif19]

7:42

[@xaer0knight]

What would be fun and interesting.. take a part the GC Gameboy Player and figure out how to make a 2.5" HDD work with the GC. ;)

[@LordXaero]

Believe it or not, but AXE Body Spray works wonders on getting rid of permanent maker. I use that method ALL the time on my cartridge based games with writing on them.

[@veepari]

Luke, get a camera that you can put on your head. It would help you with those two hand parts of the video.

[@CommodoreFan64]

Thank you, as I need to clean mine sometime soon.

[@youtubeaholic2999]

Did you have to drill out rivets to get the top off? ps why is everything in a different language?

[@KevinArcade]

I think the ink is just being removed by the alcohol that is in the inkt remover. Could just use over the counter alcohol and water mixture

[@CommodoreFan64]

Always good to see a GameCube saved from the Grave, as it's one of my favorite systems of all time, also did you use a torx bit, or a game bit too open the GameCube?

[@LAZERBLADE194]

Luke do you ever sell any of your repairs? and if so where can I find them?

[@chairuser4]

thats neat japan always has great ideas

[@lovinghimmorenmore]

Alot of help dude thanks

[@123thewarrior]

great work as always hehe

[@Thomaniac]

How exactly did you adjust the laser? didn't get the clue here.

[@unclebugspayton]

Luke I have a gamecube q and the drive doesn't read disc. Is there anything I can do to repair this problem??

[@BrownSugar977]

When you used the rubbing alcohol did you rub it off with a dry q-tip after?

[@Padoca]

When I travel to Japan in the end of the year I would make you a visit just to help you organize this mess haha

[@weatheronthe8s895]

My first GameCube I had the disk drive spin motor I think broke or something, I wish I knew where it was though so I could try and fix it, but now I have a second one that works fine, I would rather play my GameCube games on a real GameCube, not a Wii since it kinda gives that feeling I guess.

[@MegaMonkeyboy85]

You're awesome Luke ! I just discovered the marker method, man that's crazy. Is it a special marker ? Or a regular pen to draw on your favorite coloring book ?

[@bolirican97]

I don’t know if you still look at comments on old videos but I have a GC as well and it doesn’t work properly, specifically when the console is cold it doesn’t read discs but when it’s a suitable temperature internally it’ll read the discs no problem what do you think the problem might be?

[@TortusTV]

Fuck yeah i always wanted to see how you fix gamecubes, thanks for uploading this

[@noahz6980]

Hey my gamecube light will come on for like 2 seconds but then go off and the fan will come on and stay on. What do you think could be wrong? Thank you!

[@Wakkajakka]

Check the motor that spins the disk, it may be borked, you might be able to find a replacement motor at a radio shack, or your countries equivalent.

[@gordonjarvis239]

I was about to ask the very same thing. Even that GCN was tagged with katakana.

[@98kof98um2]

Luke, you got any extra sega saturn console you don't need and I would like to get one since I never own one b4

[@jackfranco1258]

Could a dry erase marker work? I got a ps1 with marks on it. If it's not dry erase where can you get one?

[@PhilXavierSierraJones]

For anodized aluminum surface and black permanent marker (light or new stain), WD-40 seems to be working a bit. Let it sit there for a bit, then wipe off with rubbing alcohol. I used it to take the crazy Spongebob Squarepants I drew on hairline aluminum back of PMP, and well, it smells like WD-40 a bit but it did its job. (The problem was that I forgot to cover the speakers.)

[@jackfrazer576]

know i love repairing them never know what you will find inside , (free gamediscs), but there is a few i cant save ,sega saturn mk2, n64 ,psp, and a ps2 because there so hard to find parts for or to repair

[@TheBowTiedNinja]

I've been searching around random gamecube repairs because I'm gonna pick up one of my friend's old gamecube that isn't working. I'm interested in what is broken because he says it was dropped(from what? a skyscraper? lmao) But it'll be cool to save another gamecube from the grave :3

[@joewizard100]

so what did you actually do to the laser? When you said you moved the corners about? I'm having the same problem with it reading discs, thinking of opening and spraying it with a can of air

[@alubaldini]

meaby need to be recalibrated if your laser lend is descalibrated , spraying or cleaning will not work mm just ned ajust the laser

[@renascistardust8613]

@@alubaldini but the two bottoms that ajust the laser and sent the signal door is closed dont work I think I messed up something helppp