Repairing a broken Nintendo 64 cartridge

[@gukid]

Thank you for this awesome video! I followed the same steps to diagnose and repair a broken trace in a copy of Goldeneye. Works great now!

[@Labyrnthdom]

This is a good video to help people learn to take time to look and check. However, the only thing I would say is. It is ok to use small wire to connect the circuit when it is necessary. In that case of a repair. It would be cleaner to repair the trace with a leg from a cap or led. And the work will look clean. Just a small bit of advice to share for anyone watching. Great video.

[@essentialzmusic]

im trying to fix my snes right now the shvc-cpu-01 version and I really needed this continuity tip to test it out. thanks buddy glad the game worked out!

[@vorkev1]

the first thing you should have dun was a reflow simply for the fact a lot of micro fractures can be healed buy reflowing it will also give a fresh joint and most times this will fix the cart if not then check traces not traces then check the cap and resisters if not that then get a working cart and start swopping chips. I recently rebuilt a cart that was water damaged it was kurby I clean every thing up reflowed it all and everything was working even tho things wear rusted and degraded but it did work I did deside tho to take the chips and pute it all on a new board and I am glade I did it turned out even tho the game was working the resisters wear rusted so bad they bromke when I touched them.

[@titangaming4973]

You just saved my paper Mario that I was gonna trash, thank you!

[@josiahwhite2095]

Excellent! I'm glad this video is still netting success!

[@lefrausted]

What type of wire do you need in the soldering process ? min 12:55

[@JustinJets]

What do you do if you check with multimeter and one of the pins is bad? I think they are called pins. The things for checked for first in the video

[@ramiq7932]

Awesome video and clear instructions! I have an issue with some cartridges where the pins are either so corroded or there is a part a chipped. How can I fix that?

[@josiahwhite2095]

+Rami Al-Q Do you mean one of the IC is chipped? That could be very bad. If one of the pins on the IC is corroded on the bottom side of the cart, you may be able to find exposed metal on the top side. You can solder wires on the top side as well as the bottom side. If I haven't answered your question, post an image of the board and we'll take a look.

[@mattnova18]

as soon as I get my bit to open a dead cart (smash bros) I'll try to follow this. great video! fingers crossed

[@josiahwhite2095]

good luck. that's a good game to save

[@sotoLS91]

wow, i bought a conker's bad fur day & it didnt work, i was hoping it was something electrical & im soooooo glad i found your video.. kinda nervous about the soldering tho.. thanks for the video, you the real mvp

[@josiahwhite2095]

Don't be nervous, it's easy! You can practice soldering wires together if you want. With time soldering will be as easy as tying your shoes.

[@sotoLS91]

+Josiah White haha great thanks man, I'll keep you posted.. im just nervous/excited since i really wanna play conker & i got for $10 & the game is $100+ these days

[@stardazzed3715]

What do you do when you have checked all continuity on points and it still wont load?

[@goon1703]

might be the board, or the actual game itself. Maybe do a board swap, if you're still facing this problem 1 year later

[@justgeneric0]

"This is what it's all about" Nice! 100% right!

[@eatyourvegitablespt.262]

I suggest zooming in when checking the board, other than that Very informative video.

[@Carloslmaooo]

My legend of Zelda ocarina of time doesn't work when I pull the master sword as a child. When I pull it the cutscene doesn't play and the shadow of Ganon is there but it's just froze. I'm guessing it got corrupted but I don't know how to fix it

[@aladim3010]

Excellent video. I'm curiosing about your tv, how it work the real image size of video game? I play in lcd tv 40'', but is slower when us play any game in it and the image size is in full screen.

[@josiahwhite2095]

I don't usually play on an LCD. That's the only TV I had to test at the time.

[@aladim3010]

what model of your tv?

[@josiahwhite2095]

I no longer have that TV, sorry. I'd recommend buying a cheap CRT TV at a thrift store for playing anything before a PS3/Xbox360.

[@aladim3010]

Thanks man. I hear about sony lcd tv´s had a system to perform a proper image of video game, but I have a LG tv.

[@SmileyFace123Lolz]

My Majora's Mask fell and the outside part cracked and broke off. It's still in the RF (?😳) shielding, though. I put it in my N64, and it didn't work and I figure that was dumb, but do you think it'll work if I glue the broken bits of the outside part back together and put them back around the RF shield part?

[@franwex]

Interesting. That game has a save feature; however there is no battery. Does it save in a different way than other cartridges?

[@daniel_organero_perez5330]

+franwex yes it means it saves forever :) you don't have to change

[@d3sigN8t3dDruNk]

wrong. it saves to an EEPROM which goes bad....

[@d3sigN8t3dDruNk]

Trinexx007 only certain cartridges have it. Google it.

[@YoManRuLz1]

I fixed a Pokemon Stadium 2 cartridge with this video, thank you!

[@josiahwhite2095]

Jeff J love to hear that! Thanks!

[@filmdude007]

So my games circuits are fine, its very clean but doesnt work. What else could I try?

[@rodrigoflores811]

By any chance would u fix my confers bad fur day game? It makes a loose screw kind of sound and won't work. I would try this but don't have tools or the know how to try it.

[@paulowalker61]

What wire was used to jump?

[@pathope185]

Thanks for video...I am trying to fix my TMNT IV for SNES. The board looks much different than this one, but I did find continuity between everything...it's in great shape, clean pins, no corrosion, but still won't turn on. It will turn black like it's going to work, but nothing goes on screen, any suggestions? Thanks

[@Bond007er]

P Hope sound just like my copy of Kirby 64 everything looks pristine yet won't load maybe a defective game altogether

[@kenbuc2]

Hey Josiah, what is the wire grade you use to connect the connections?

[@josiahwhite2095]

kenbuc2 can't remember off the top of my head exactly, maybe 18 gauge. But most wire will do, as long as you can contain it in the case.

[@ianhowell4015]

What brand of multimeter are you using? I have a super crappy cheap multi-meter and need to get a better one!

[@josiahwhite2095]

This is the model I still use: www.amazon.com/SE-MM6162L-Digital-MultiMate-Display/dp/B0014JWTC8 It's cheap and it does the job.

[@ianhowell4015]

Awesome! Thank you. A video game store just closed down near me and they gave me a huge box of broken n64 and snes games. A lot of good stuff too! :)

[@josiahwhite2095]

Sounds like you have an awesome journey ahead! Be sure to invest in a good pin cleaning solution like a fiberglass scratch brush.

[@Raxayer15]

Hey man! I know you made the video 3 years ago But but what kind of wire did you use to fix that bridge I’m subscribing to your channel btw! Thanks!

[@josiahwhite2095]

Yuset Lopez I don't remember the gauge but it's pretty standard wire. Any wire will do as long as it fits in the case!

[@Popeslash]

Hey man, I have a StarCraft 64 game with broken sound, everything works fine its just the sound that died. What do you think went wrong with it and can it be fixed ?

[@titangaming4973]

what do you do if your getting nothing from the pin to the first solder contact on the board? I assume you cant solder a wire to the connector? hopefully im describing this right?

[@josiahwhite2095]

I think I know what you mean. I usually scrape away as much plastic I can and solder as far up as possible, using very thin wire. Even so you'll be able to look inside and see the solder gleaming. Oh well, better to have a working game!

[@FuManZhuo]

THANKS A LOT, this video helped me check a few n64 I had which luckily I hadn't thrown out and fix them all. Granted they were not great games but there was Paper Mario between them.

[@tuneman7688]

Question, I have a copy of Mario 64 that will lose all its saves after a period of not playing the game. I opened the cartridge today and to my surprise it unfortunately doesn’t use a save battery, rather EEPROM. Is it possible that one of the issues in this tutorial can cause that or is it that one of the chips is bad altogether? The game runs and plays fine other than that.

[@josiahwhite2095]

How long of a time before it loses the save game? Hours? Days? From doing some research it sounds like the BU9850 EEPROM chip might be bad. Looks like the only replacements come from donor carts.

[@tuneman7688]

Ahh ok, seems to be a matter of days turning on the cart again and it's gone. Granted I'm not playing daily so I'm not sure if that makes any kind of difference. Just wondering, that's a bummer. Seems like it would be easier to just find another working cart in this case.

[@josiahwhite2095]

Yes, sadly the N64 has very few off-the-shelf parts. At least with the SNES you can cobble something together.

[@joaoa.5931]

I have a cartridge that it's not working and the problem is that in one pin of the socket does not have continuity. How can I repair it? There is no place to solder a wire on the pin "finger"... Thanks

[@josiahwhite2095]

You can scrape away a little of the plastic higher up and solder to that. It's a little difficult but do-able. Good luck!

[@joaoa.5931]

Wow! Thanks a lot for replying to me! But Josiah, you are telling me to scrape the PCB plastic right up the gold pin of the socket and wire from that position to the end of the trace line? Thanks

[@josiahwhite2095]

Yes pretty much. There isn't much plastic to scrape away. But it does add more area to solder to. You will have to carefully fit the board back into its case as the wire may not fit in snugly. Use a very thin gauge wire.

[@joaoa.5931]

Thank you Josiah again for your reply! I have understood what you said, will try it! But what if the problem it is on the gold pin of the socket? This gold pin in particular it is a little faded, kind of scratched. Is there the possibility that there is no continuity due to this particular gold pin? If this is the problem, the solution provided won't work either right? Because there will be no continuity from the gold pin to the scratched PCB where I will solder the wire. If this is the case, what solution do I have? Thanks

[@josiahwhite2095]

I've encountered some corroded pins. Usually there's enough metal to connect to the system. If you can, get something to scrape away some of the corrosion. Check continuity from the very bottom of the pin to the chip to make sure.

[@monkeydluffy3977]

I didn't get the part with wire,if it doesn't work i just have to connect two of those with wire,what kind of wire,I dont want to trash my Donkey Kong 64, its my favourite game,could you please help me out,even tho this video is 3 years old

[@josiahwhite2095]

Any standard wire will do, unless you need to jump from an edge contact to a pin, then you should use thinner wire. As long as you are careful with the soldering iron you will be okay!

[@monkeydluffy3977]

@@josiahwhite2095 appreciate your help,thanks a lot,have a great year!

[@CarlosReyes-bx5io]

you know a board replacement for conker . a pcb donor ?

[@josiahwhite2095]

Thank you for the question because it sent me on a wild internet search for an N64 PCB database. Unfortunately I couldn't find a comprehensive one! All I can say is that you need a game with PCB NUS-02a-03. I found this thread where someone used Star Wars Shadow of the Empire, however that game has multiple PCBs. nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=8&threadid=107599 Good luck! I may just start a database of my own...

[@sotoLS91]

hey man! i checked all my pins & they were solid/had continuity. It still doesn't work. One of the ground connectors looks rusted but Idk if that affects anything. Thanks in advance!

[@sotoLS91]

+Josiah White

[@DAniel44r]

whats the bolts should i use?

[@josiahwhite2095]

3.8mm security bit like these: Silverhill Tools ATKNND Security Screwdriver Bit Set 3.8mm and 4.5mm for Vintage Nintendo Games and Consoles www.amazon.com/dp/B00BEZY2I6/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_72-8wbJWNEGJM

[@danieldubberly2083]

Does anyone know a cheap way to fix the plastic clip? Besides glue.

[@DrAndyShick]

What gauge/type wire is that?

[@josiahwhite2095]

Pretty standard 24 gauge wire I think. Any wire will do, really.

[@DrAndyShick]

any special solder that you used or no?

[@josiahwhite2095]

Nope! Standard solder. That's what's great about the repair.

[@leopoldogonzalez5444]

hi, what kind of cable did you use to connect the point?

[@josiahwhite2095]

I just used wire I had laying around. You can use any kind of wire pretty much. Buy a cheap spool that it will last you years.

[@leopoldogonzalez5444]

thank you for the advice.

[@RubioRaver]

"If you dont have crap layin around then your not fixing anything"

[@sciupeiu76]

what setting on the meter do u use ?

[@josiahwhite2095]

Most multimeters have a setting that looks like a speaker. In my case it's the red position.

[@sciupeiu76]

ok cool thanks a lot 4 your help god bless

[@DrAndyShick]

Weird, I came looking to fix N64 games since one of mine doesn't work. And it happens to be Conker's Bad Fur Day

[@josiahwhite2095]

LOL, I've fixed three broken Conkers so far. Then again, I only fix the expensive games...

[@MrWeboFrito]

Another Conker's Bad Fur Day broken here!

[@josiahwhite2095]

Someone up there does not like Conkers...

[@Bond007er]

I have another broken conkers bad fur day here lol

[@animorphia1621]

it would be a bit more interesting if you could zoom in while it's on the table other than that great video

[@goemonlshikawa]

Fantastic work!

[@josephblurton3793]

I’m new to this. Trying to fix a killer instinct game. What did you have the multimeter set to

[@josiahwhite2095]

It will depend on your multimeter, but there should be a continuity checker. Mine looks like a red speaker blaring sound.

[@josephblurton3793]

Josiah White I’m not seeing that. It must not have it

[@josiahwhite2095]

What is your model? I can try to look up specs.

[@josephblurton3793]

Josiah White it’s a cheap cen-tech. My dad has another one I guess I’ll give it a look

[@alivemau51]

My doubt is.... HOW a game in such a good condition has a problem that is so serious?! Is because the game was hit several times or because some kind of overheat?, Im asking cuz I have an n64 that constantly freezes some games; and I am sure that is the console beacuse that games runs perfectly in other N64s, does that kind of problem damage the games??. I really wold like to have an answer. Excellent video. Greetings from caracas, Venezuela

[@pooterdog2549]

dude thank you so much for this video helps so much!

[@SpeedDeamon95]

Hasnt anyone though about reverse engineering the circuit schematic for eacclu cartridge?? Its only a two sided pcd. The traces should be able to be redrawn. While im at it, hasnt anyone come up with a pin checker? That can check contitnuity on each pin 🤔

[@techstormster]

This is an amazing video. Yet it's your only instructional video for electronics?

[@josiahwhite2095]

Thanks! I've wanted to make more technical videos but can't think of any good topics. But your reply makes me want to do more!

[@chunchi2012]

Excellent! I was able to repair one! Thank you very much!

[@josiahwhite2095]

It's great to hear that you were able to use the video, thanks!

[@christinagana5342]

Very informative video. Thanks for posting

[@thetranspanzer3692]

can you zoom out more please I dont need to see the board or anything...

[@adilator]

Nice video. Subbed.

[@wolfkiller2760]

nice video....Great work

[@Knelson123]

Awesome video!

[@AjayKumar-tf5lf]

How to repair cartridge which has not been used for long time

[@ncgallagher]

great job

[@willn8664]

I should have went to school to be an electrician instead of for computer science.

[@josiahwhite2095]

You can do both!