Gameboy Advance SP - Not charging, flashing orange light repair

[@Mymatevince]

Nice video Guido 👍

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

Thank you!

[@JoeBleeps]

I know I'm late to the party here, but I just have to thank you for this video. I've had an AGS-101 motherboard here for years that wouldn't charge. Tried everything. This finally fixed my problem. Thank you 🙏

[@Martin-pj5fe]

Absolute legend! Thank you so much! Will donate through your wish list :) Tip for everyone reading: If you want to verify the problem before making any changes to your mainboard. Set your multimeter to current (amps), make sure the leads are on the correct multimeter ports and place the leads between D1 and F2 as per the video. The multimeter will act as a temporary bridge and the battery should be able to charge and the GBA SP charge light will be solid on. I got about 0.26A DC on the multimeter when the charge light was on.

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

Thank you Martin! Appreciated ♥️

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

Also that is good advice as long as they don't hit the wrong side of the fuse, great idea!

[@Martin-pj5fe]

@@ItalianRetroGuy Would love to see the process you went through to find the problem. Subsequent video perhaps? :) I've been trying to figure it out myself the past few days but felt like I was getting nowhere.

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

@@Martin-pj5fe There's a schematic for the GBA SP available. I was thinking of making a video about a full diagnosis of the entire charging circuit but it would quite frankly be super boring for most. Also been thinking about your comment all day so thanks for making my day :) Glad to have helped.

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

Donation came through, I'll include a shout-out to you in one of the next videos :) Not sure in what form but I'll sneak you in 👍

[@TheButtonMash]

Followed this guide and was able to repair one of my SP's. Great stuff you Champion!

[@bempomaa489]

Shalom 👋🏽, Sono qua grazie al “ my mate vince “ . Well done for this channel 👏🏾, all the best luck toward to success 👍🏾. Greetings from Ghanaian🇬🇭/ Italian 🇮🇹, love from Brescia.

[@mattwenner8291]

Thank you so much for this video! Just bought an SP from a local store a few days ago and it had the charging problem. Was kinda nervous to run a wire since its my first time ever soldering and running one, but success on the first attempt! Now I can enjoy my games again!

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

I showed the scratch trick because it makes it slightly harder to knock off the fuse (it's so small that just heating one side can desolder it entirely in a few seconds)

[@manganimeotaku]

Helo there!! Thank you soooo much!! I could revive my old sp! I tried everything power switch, power regulator EM8, cleaning with IPA the charging ports, changed the ports..., changed even the power regulator and with this video which you have explained super it worked!!

[@manganimeotaku]

I modded the console with USBC charging port and I see that one of the sides when charging makes a hum or noise. But just one of the USBC sides... Any idea have to fix it? Maybe it creates a noise when doing that bridge? Thank you very much for helping!

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

Unfortunately I'm not entirely sure what could be happening, at a circuit level I can't think of much that would be different when turning the connector around. Is the hum coming through the speakers, or is it audible just by itself?

[@AndreiRObertYTB]

damn, thank you so much. adding that wire actually solved the problem. this video should be more popular, it kinda looks like it's a common problem

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

I can tell you the popularity is growing for sure. But yeah it is a common problem and I've fixed many of them with this issue just by soldering that exact wire

[@KirbyEnthusiast]

Foud this invaluable Just what I needed just dug out my sons game boy advance and it’s not charging, I can play plugged in but not charging

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

This might not help you for that, it could be a bad battery in your case. Does the light flash like it did to me?

[@magirtron]

After watching a lot of videos finally I found you... thousand likes!!

[@coloradohigh3744]

I really appreciate this video! It explained some things that I couldn't figure out from other videos. Thank you!!

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

What did it explain specifically? I'd like to know so I can do follow-ups maybe

[@freestyla101]

I can report that this video saved my gba sp. Another one saved!

[@tha_factory_of_fun]

THANK YOU!! You saved one of my Gameboys. Awesome tutorial 🎉

[@ImbecileDk250]

Thanks mate! just fixed one with charging problems this way, bought a new battery first, turned out it was a d1 to f2 fault.

[@Benjisworld1213]

Thank you, this worked for me, i was installing an amp and all the sudden it would charge anymore. I was scared i had to get a new board, but this will do the trick!

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

If it happened while installing an amp it's possible you blew F2, it would do the same thing

[@ApeOnTape]

Liked, Subscribed, Loved. This helped me solve my problem! You're an absolute hero and legend

[@Aeinosenn]

Keep up the great work!

[@DeepPatel-vd3rn]

Thanks so much, this helped a lot! I can finally play my old OG games.

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

I'm glad that got it sorted out. I plan to make a full analysis of the charging circuit soon enough

[@alexwoywood5950]

Thank you sir, you saved my SP

[@curlyguy9730]

Ok I was looking at vids to fix my gb sp but I saw that awesome shell on yours and I had to click.

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

That's neat, hope you found the vid helpful

[@curlyguy9730]

@@ItalianRetroGuy thanks you and I did! I made out with a 30 dollar gameboy sp!

[@rambofan1]

Good video man! Always good to see a gameboy sp brought back to life

[@riuneharu]

thanks, my gba sp is charging again, but only if the gba sp is powered on

[@nhnguyen7046]

What a detailed and easy to understand video! My gba sp beeps when connecting d1 to f2 but still not charging, what should i do next :(?

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

I knew this would happen to some people and I suppose I should do a tutorial on diagnosing the entire charging circuit

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

You can try making sure your battery isn't bad, take it out and see if it's swollen, maybe buy a spare and see if that works. Also check F1, that's the fuse on the charger's side

[@nhnguyen7046]

@@ItalianRetroGuy I bought a new battery and charger. It works fine with my friend's gba, mine turns on but not charging. I tried cleaning the main board, charging port with ipa, checked the f1 f2 fuse, diode and it fine. It would be awesome if you have a new video, your explanations are easy to understand and the video is of good quality. Subscribe! I hope your channel grows big ^-^

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

@@nhnguyen7046 Thank you! Appreciated. I will have some information for you soon, can you read schematics?

[@nhnguyen7046]

@@ItalianRetroGuy No i can't 😿. I only know check some components with a multimeter, but for soldering I go to a phone repair shop

[@tha_factory_of_fun]

So your video has really helped me... I have one I am trying to fix that has an interesting charging problem. F2 is good, the trace is good from F2 to D1, and it has a brand new battery. When charging the orange light comes on, and will stay on for some time then go out, unlike the more typical problem that the light goes out almost immediately. I would love any suggestions you may have.

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

If the unit works the the battery might just be full?

[@tha_factory_of_fun]

@@ItalianRetroGuyThank you, I drained the battery and plugged it in, and the orange light stayed on for about a minute then went out. I am going to re-check all fuses and EM8, but it is really weird I have never seen this

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

In all honesty neither have I, are you sure the battery is good? You should test in another unit just to be safe, if you have it

[@kurorobr]

Thans man, this help me a lot

[@zachl2965]

I have two GBAsp, one working and one not. I get the charge light to come on for a second before it cuts off again. I tried repeatedly plugging it in for 15 minutes like some people say to get it working and nothing. Both batteries work in the working device, and neither work in the other. Any tips?

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

Did this not work?

[@njones621]

I was really hoping this would fix my problem. I tested as you did and appeared to be the same issue. No continuity between D1 and F2. I ran a wire and got continuity between them, unfortunately the charge might still comes on and right back off. Weird thing is, when I spray some IPA by the chip below that, the charge might stays on until the IPA evaporates, like it is bridging some vias or something. I’m really bummed. I may try MyMateVince’s repair where he removed the cartridge slot, but I’m afraid I’m going to melt it removing it.

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

Use low melt solder to aid yourself

[@studiohillbily8940]

Hey dude, I'm a total beginner at using the multimeter and repairing things like this, But ive done almost everything. Ive checked em8 (has continuity), f1 and f2 both have continuity. Em2 and Em1 have continuity as well. I even replaced the battery, but nothing fixed it. I checked D1 and it doesnt have continuity with itself, it also doesnt have continuity with F2. My Gba sp is a bit wierd simce its IQue Gba sp. Should i try connecting D1 with F2 as you did? Any guidance will be much appreciated

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

D1 is a diode and won't show continuity through itself. If you repeated my testing and it's just the way I had it, you can probably do what I did

[@studiohillbily8940]

@ItalianRetroGuy I'm so glad I watched your video. I did the same thing as you, and it worked. I even installed an IPS screen on it 😊. Thanks, man. I appreciate the help a lot.

[@makemedisappear8003]

Great video! My charging light is back on but when I turn it on no lights turn on and nothing kn the screen. Any advice?

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

I suppose you don't know if it was turning on earlier? If you're interested you can join my discord server and post in the repair help section, so you can send pictures of what you've done.

[@makemedisappear8003]

@@ItalianRetroGuy Yeah that would be great! What's your discord?

[@makemedisappear8003]

It was turning on earlier, actually installed the flex amp and then the f2 fuse blew.

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

@@makemedisappear8003 It's in the video description, you shouldn't have trouble finding it

[@tane4305]

I have a AGS-CPU-30 board, F2 works but no continuity between D1 and F2. Would the same fix work for my board?

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

The fix so far I've found works for all of them, if you want you can join my discord server and post a picture of the board. I'll be more than happy to take a look and make sure you get the correct side of the fuse and that the fix applies for you

[@retrowerkstatt-marcjansen9690]

Amazing Video!

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

Thank you!

[@shauncedric8034]

Hi guys need help!! I have a gba sp 101 that is not charging, turn out the Em8 on the motherboard is missing, any ideas how to fix or possible bypass to make it working?

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

You can bridge it or if it's in the Shell still you can try to look for it and solder it back on. The bridge has to be done along the long side, you can probably find pics online on how to do it

[@JD-lc8sd]

New battery, charging light stays on for like 30 seconds before going off. Think I need to get a multimeter & do this??

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

Could be already full or dead battery. Also 30 seconds is way too long and should mean it's a different issue

[@CaycosCreations]

So I did this, but now my green light on the GBA SP stays on no matter what and will flicker like its alive or to touch when its turned off! When i take the battery out, green light turns off of course. Without turning gba sp on, but just inserting the battery, the green light comes back on. What happened

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

No idea, sorry. You'd have to show me what you did

[@Seveinis]

My d1 is vertical and my f2 is also vertical, will this change the point that I solder on my d1?

[@Seveinis]

D1 is HORIZONTAL*

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

The main point of reference is the white band on D1, rotation does not matter. Is F2 horizontal or vertical?

[@frazahmad5268]

Awesome job great video.

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

Thank you friend :)

[@ittegib]

Ciao stesso problema della batteria non carica, facendo delle prove devo avere rotto f2 dove lo trovo per acquistarlo si trova qualche schema del gba sp

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

Si trova qualche schema, e nella descrizione trovi il link al fusibile su AliExpress

[@ittegib]

@@ItalianRetroGuy Grazie cerco

[@gildardorodriguez4356]

Mine has corrosion on the spots above VDD35. Haven't found a proper picture of where it leads to.

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

My discord server has a repair help section if you need

[@gildardorodriguez4356]

@@ItalianRetroGuy thanks a lot! Will take a look!

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

@@gildardorodriguez4356 If you're having issues finding it I've updated the description of this video, it used to be in the newer videos only

[@gildardorodriguez4356]

@@ItalianRetroGuy thanks I was a bit shy to ask where to fin discord. Looks like I find a right path to find my short. Found some schematics and board pictures in gekkio (first time on that page)

[@nhnguyen7046]

I’m sorry to disturb you 😿 i have a 3ds with charging failure. I have tried buying a new battery, new charger, cleaning the charging port. The 3ds still turns on but when charging, it shows an orange light, even when I disconnect the 3ds it still shows orange light, the battery not receive power. Do you know what's wrong with my 3ds?

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

I had this happen with two Old 2DSes and it ended up being the charging IC. It's not for sale, not that I recall anyway. Your problem may be something else for sure, but I'm not an expert with that device, sorry :(

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

There are some discord communities dedicated to retro devices with a repair help section. I know retroboy, joeydoestech, and thecod3r's discord server.

[@nhnguyen7046]

@@ItalianRetroGuy Oh thank you very much, i will try asking. You are so dedicated ^-^!

[@xRii0N-Sama]

When i touch d1 and the bottom solder joint on f2 it beeps but the top joint of f2 doesnt beep is that normal?

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

F2 is blown

[@xRii0N-Sama]

@@ItalianRetroGuy how can i fix it? Do i need 2 get a new fuse or can i solder a wire anywhere to get it working?

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

Do not solder a wire, I recommend getting a new fuse. That way if there's something else that made the fuse blow, it will blow again and the motherboard will be safe. Otherwise the wire will not blow and allow everything to get toasted.

[@xRii0N-Sama]

@@ItalianRetroGuy oh okay, do i need to check anything else before getting a new fuse or should i just try new fuse no matter if it blows again?

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

@@xRii0N-Sama Sadly there is no real way to tell you what to check, if you want you can join my discord and post some pics of your motherboard in the repair help section so I can tell you if I see anything. Still not guaranteed that it's visible, but it's pretty safe to try replacing it especially if you get very fast acting fuses. Do you need me to supply you with a link? I only buy with AliExpress when it comes to electronics parts but if you prefer some other local store I can have a look there.

[@rabinkumargurung9347]

i tried and the charging issue is gone but when the battery is low the red light doesnt turn on always green light.

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

That could be a different issue altogether

[@neptune.37]

I have a dead sp laying around ima probably change the batterie

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

Dead battery also could cause this orange light issue

[@MattMechex]

I did this and now the gameboy doesn’t power on. Any suggestions?

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

Hi, did you make sure the side of the diode was the one I showed?

[@MattMechex]

@@ItalianRetroGuy Im fairly certain it was. I also did not scratch off a bit of the board and soldered directly to the bottom of the fuse. I removed the wire and put it back the way it was but now it won’t turn on at all. :/

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

@@MattMechex Right, do you have discord? I can help you directly if you'd like. I'd like to analyze your case and insert a warning in the description if I find out what happened

[@MattMechex]

@@ItalianRetroGuy Yeah I do, that would be great thanks

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

@@MattMechex Shoot me your handle and I'll add you, otherwise you can find me inside the retro future's discord too

[@BodziuM]

after this my console stopped working, it is charging but no picture :(

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

Check screen cable

[@BodziuM]

@@ItalianRetroGuy there is something wrong with my motherboard I think, there is corrosion so I will try to reflow corroded parts, now sometimes boot up sometimes is just hissing sound from the speaker

[@BodziuM]

@@ItalianRetroGuy does mainboard from AGS-001 is working with screen AGS-101 ?

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

Nope

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

Any news?

[@leobgoo6350]

🤯👍

[@GearSoulsITA]

orgoglio italiano

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

Non esageriamo haahhaa

[@JoeBleeps]

I know I'm late to the party here, but I just have to thank you for this video. I've had an AGS-101 motherboard here for years that wouldn't charge. Tried everything. This finally fixed my problem. Thank you 🙏

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

One is never late for this kind of stuff :)

[@JoeBleeps]

@@ItalianRetroGuy I'm planning a video on troubleshooting the charging port for the GBA SP after my many adventures before discovering your video. I'll definitely be giving full credit to you for finally providing a solution to my problem!

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

@@JoeBleeps Thank you, appreciated.

[@ItalianRetroGuy]

@@JoeBleeps Let me know when you upload it, if you want you can join my discord and shoot me a message

[@JoeBleeps]

@@ItalianRetroGuy I still haven't figured out discord haha! I will let you know though