SNES Cart Won't Boot - Nasty Nintendo Cartridges Part 1 - Fixing Ebay Junk

A viewer has sent me two water damaged Nintendo Cartridges that don't work. One is a huge mess, the other is a smaller mess. This has also had an attempted repair which didn't go very well.
#RetroRepairs #RetroGaming #NintendoRepair
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Thanks for watching

[@TrimeshSZ]

That's electrolytic corrosion - basically electroplating in reverse. Instead of adding metal, it carries it away. That's also why it's only affected pin 8 on the SRAM supervisor chip, since that has battery power at all times.

[@athf226]

I like that the video length is 20:20 and it's uploaded on New Year's Eve.

[@RetroRepairs]

*head explodes

[@gufegnu3546]

Its 20.21 😐

[@athf226]

@@gufegnu3546 Really? Shows as 20:20 for me, unless you are counting the 0th second, I was just going by the bar KZbin provided.

[@omegacloud20]

@@gufegnu3546 shows 20:20 here for me

[@starfireprincess]

@rigoagui lol

[@lohkin1435]

Looks like you put the chip on backwards. Just a heads up. Could be wrong it’s hard to see on my phone but the dot for pin one looks opposite the board marking.

[@bikedude880]

You're 100% correct, chip is on upside down according to board marking and pin 1 dot on chip.

[@PJBonoVox]

Good spot dude.

[@Fularu]

No he didn't. Whoever botched the initial repair did. If you look at the donor card, the chip is in the correct position. This is probably why the chip suffered btw and burnt the pin and the trace, it was put upside down.

[@insanedruid3143]

@@Fularu But the Silkscreen on the donor board was reverse, too. The chip IS mounted backwards now.

[@Fularu]

@@insanedruid3143 I disagree. The silkscreen looks to be wrong on the first PCB BUT the resistance SMD is positioned on the exact same pin. Wrong silkscreens on commercial pcbs is nothing new. This probably led to the wrong repair in the first place. Obviously the cart wouldn'T work before and is working now. The Amiga CD32 and the Amiga 4000 have wrongly polarizzed silkscreen for two capacitors for example yet were properly installed at the factory level.

[@rslegato]

These games were caught in a house flood when a barge broke loose and ran into a dam, I bought them as a massive lot. Post forgot to bring news paper to pack with...Thats why it was not packet well....

[@RetroRepairs]

That's crazy, either way, doesn't matter. Good challenge for the new year. Thanks again.

[@haithius3450]

Your videos inspired me to get into fixing electronics, thanks!!

[@thomasvlaskampiii6850]

That chip is the voltage controller for the sram. It switches between battery power and main power. That pin that was broken off was either ground or Vcc. So a very important pin

[@theprogressiveatheist7024]

All of my N64 games stopped working, and I thought at first it was a problem with the game console itself, so I replaced it and no luck. Then I rubbed down the contacts on the cartridges with isopropyl alcohol on a Q-Tip and immediately every single game started working again.

[@ZonicMirage]

It being one of my all-time favorites, seeing SMRPG's initial condition hurt. So glad it's working now.

[@rafaelchavez9413]

I don't know why I found your videos so pleasurable, but thanks

[@matthewstreets9662]

Excellent repair job. Looking forward to part 2.

[@danielbishop1473]

I'd pay to watch these videos so entertaining.

[@wojiaobill]

This guy and Voultar both have mad skills, but this guy seems like a nicer guy lol

[@legoboy-ox2kx]

Voultar is just honest. Lol

[@jakenastysnake]

I love watching your repair videos. Luckily I've never run into a cartridge that didn't boot but when I do I know where to look now lol.

[@eastcoastandloveit3857]

Happy new year oh Canada so glad that there is a channel like yours with great Canadian content keep up the good work Continued success in 2020

[@Meubeu1]

I know it's a stupid comment but it's as if it was not as much fun to watch now that you are fully equipped haha. Just kidding, I still love this no bs editing, great repair video. Happy new year man.

[@RetroRepairs]

Ha, i definitely understand. These are replaceable with only an iron too, but its just a pain

[@DamienNightmarish]

I love to watch you fixing cartridges. Very good job, man.

[@JuicyJakeRepairs]

Im always amazed on the things you can find in faulty gear!

[@theannoyedmrfloyd3998]

When it comes to broken pins from the IC package, some people carve the IC to expose more of the pin and stick a bodge wire on it.

[@RetroRepairs]

Yeah, i might go that route to put it on the donor cart for a future repair

[@AKATenn]

doesn't it look like the IC failing is the reason why the pin was completely vaporized to the point where it burned the trace right off? or it could have been stuck in a broken snes that burned out the IC...

[@spidermcgavenport8767]

Thank you, RetroRepairs, much appreciated snes Mario RPG repair.

[@spidermcgavenport8767]

Happy New Year, sir. Interesting enough I just purchased Megaman 2 nes cartridge that had issues so I took it apart cleaned it with IPA & used a soft eraser on the contact pads, once finished the game worked flawlessly.

[@4lifejeph]

The dude shipped those cartridges with no packing at all. Couldn't be bothered to throw in even a couple piece of free newspaper to keep stuff from banging around.

[@wasserman63]

Happy new Year und einen Guten Rutsch :=)

[@m.s.6545]

Excellent work. was a pleasure to watch .

[@Smooth_Waver]

Cool video! I always learn something from your videos!

[@urbinax]

thank you for sharing your knowledge

[@Maxxarcade]

Looks like the IC was orientated opposite on the donor PCB, and you forgot to flip it over during the transplant? And I'm curious what the Yoshi's Island does with a bad FX chip. Just messed up graphics?

[@godgirlsguitars]

Mario rpg is still my favorite video game of all time!

[@grecofabulous]

This is so awesome. Do you know any good resources to get a nice base understanding of electronics?

[@herrbauman]

the shipper could ve atleast thrown some bubble wrap in the shaky box : / great vid btw : )

[@FamousMovieScenes09]

How much more damage could've been done, in all seriousness

[@mjc0961]

@@FamousMovieScenes09 A lot. Surface mount components could have been ripped off the board. The carts should have been reassembled and packaged properly. If I had bought this off a site like eBay, this seller would be getting an immediate 1 star rating for this bullshit. Completely unacceptable.

[@PkGam]

Something tells me the pin was eaten away by something because whatever ate the pin also got in the trade and ate that too. I could be wrong though. In any case, it's working which is epic! Nice work!

[@JimmyZeng]

I'm stretching my neck trying to see what's going on when you're out of the camera.

[@pdamon78]

As a job I don't know if I would enjoy this work. I'm not even sure I'm subscribed but I love watching this so much KZbin always suggests new content. I'll sub now I guess lol.

[@roberthunter9737]

Fantastic keep up the good work happy new year

[@fancychuproductions3916]

I recently bought this game and I had to do some cleaning and everything seemed to be in place no damages that were shown in this video but it still goes to black screen and other games do work on the system

[@TheNancyGroove]

Work very clean, perfect. I love your videos, thanks!

[@Skills__kills]

What solution is that you used to clean the board

[@RetroRepairs]

Just isopropyl alcohol in a spray bottle

[@Malabus73]

Well explained for the novice viewers. Thumbs up.

[@basoaltojp]

Happy New Year Adam! 🤘

[@avelinocr]

Hyped for that Zelda cart found on the Water Temple

[@decay253]

working on a something and keeping it in frame must be a pain.

[@RetroRepairs]

Yep, especially when zoomed in

[@specialformula14]

You can file the chip down. And expose the broken off leg leftovers. I have had to do this a number of times

[@EvilJ069]

Super Mario RPG is one of the greatest games ever made

[@Egon1982]

Love to watch repair videos :) especialy when people fluxing soldering cleaning fluxing desoldering cleaning fluxing repaining traces cleaning fluxing reinstalling cleaning .......

[@filouk2]

What about a misb Starfox cartridge not working, black screen ?

[@nensondubois]

Yoshi Island has a bad FX chip? Do you still want it?

[@RetroRepairs]

Yes, ive got 3 that don't work so i want to find the fault and make 2 of them work

[@inigualable.2963]

Excelente trabajo amigo.!!. 👌🏻🇺🇸

[@DanielAdamBell1977]

Someone's tried to remove U4 before and on pin 4 the solder hasn't melted properly (no rhyme intended). They've pulled on the IC lifting the pad, and then instead of stopping they've carried on and then snapped the leg off. They then left a road crash of solder on pins 1,2 and 3. EDIT: On second thoughts they could have just burnt that pad away.

[@rslegato]

I burnt the leg to the pad....I'm horrible at soldering ....

[@steff_ff3]

Looking forward to part 2!

[@WhyNotYolo]

Hey quick question any idea on how to fix a snes that plays the game cart but the video is upside down?

[@ladycherokee5382]

I bought a unit that plays both 64 and regular super NES the small cartridge just like it working on there it quit where the front one quit working on me I was just wondering if you might want the unit to have something to work on to show your friends that you can get it going again it quit working with me it's a hyperkin unit I just didn't know what to do with it I got it in my room stuck in its box but I was just wondering if you might want to take the unit and try to get it working again for somebody else later have a beautiful day

[@josemadrigal9394]

Hi what kind of tester do you use

[@jinx7966]

Question. What liquid are you spraying on boards?

[@RetroRepairs]

99% isopropyl alcohol

[@bucketsAMF]

This may be a dumb question, but can I ask why you didn't take that crusty old battery out throughout this whole process? Trying to preserve the saves? I just figured you'd have taken it out before the initial board cleaning...

[@HW1134]

Happy New Years! :D

[@TheSCSIBug]

Any concerns about spraying presumably conductive liquids on the board while the battery is plugged in?

[@RetroRepairs]

You're talking about that 3v battery? Not really, no. 99% isopropyl alcohol is barely conductive at all. Water would possibly be a different story, but even still at such a small amount, the resistance of the water itself is likely too great to transmit current where it shouldn't be.

[@TheBxprodigy917]

RetroRepairs dumb question the isopropyl alcohol is the solution you use to clean and a toothbrush ? Thanks in advance

[@Chaos89P]

How does a Super FX chip break?

[@RetroRepairs]

Bad current going through it? Who knows. Snes has notoriously bad caps, so entirely possible an incorrect current ran through a chip and killed it. Happens all the time to the cpu. That's my suspicion anyway, but i haven't swapped it yet to truly verify.

[@Chaos89P]

@@RetroRepairs A real shame that you can't just open the chip in question up and repair it.

[@mcskatcat4582]

what are you spraying the board with when you scrub it?, new here and i'm hella curious.

[@RetroRepairs]

99% Isopropyl alcohol. It dries very quickly, is effective at cleaning and leaves minimal residue

[@mcskatcat4582]

@@RetroRepairs oh ok! i figured it was along those lines but figured I'd ask, thanks a ton man! trying to get more into repairs and such as a hobby. Thanks again!

[@therunner6669]

Hey where do you get parts for a snes

[@thumbwarriordx]

That missing pin wouldn't happen to be the positive would it? Because I've seen the same damage from the time my dog pissed on a USB hub I was using to run a cross the living room floor. The first hub chip was toast in the same fashion. The second I salvaged to replace one that caught fire in my keyboard. A month later it also caught fire. Thanks Daskeyboard!

[@ethancahill7128]

What are you spraying on it?

[@moonstar188]

I have a Pokémon DS game that stop working wish I can get help fixing it

[@dominicene3647]

what is the name of the spray you use to clean board?

[@RetroRepairs]

Isopropyl alcohol. It's just in a dollar store spray bottle

[@dominicene3647]

@@RetroRepairs thank you for the fast reply. good work on the fix

[@bratsmovies17]

I think you bid on the same unworkable game lots I do

[@josephnealescratchcards]

Awesome nice new video as always 👍🏻❤️

[@1973Washu]

How much would a refurbished cartridge sell for? And how much does a non-refurbished but good condition cartridge sell for? How much value does a cartridge gain if it is well kept rather than refurbished?

[@RetroRepairs]

That entirely varies. A working super mario rpg cart in similar condition is probably worth about $50-60. Refurbished isn't always a bad thing, in these cases, having replaced the save battery can maintain or even improve value. If it were a replacement shell or label, then it wouldn't even be worth $25.

[@devinhinkle386]

Whar is that blue mat call thats on the table

[@DNOTE]

I need part 2 befor the next year

[@RetroRepairs]

No deal

[@jeremiahwilliams8915]

Hey @Retrorepairs how much are these non working carts go for?

[@RetroRepairs]

It depends on the game. Some of the Conkers carts I bought for $30. Something like this super mario RPG would probably sell for 15-20. Cheap ones, 10 or less

[@rgbcrafts]

Mine is JP and is pretty find in comparison with this one. Yet it doesn't boot.

[@viscious85]

Loved it. Thanks. Also, how do you record this? do you have a go pro straped to your forehead? I'm really curious about this xD

[@RetroRepairs]

Camera mounted to an arm clamped to a shelf

[@CandyGramForMongo_]

Have you ever considered copper tape for fixing pads? It seems like it should work.

[@RetroRepairs]

As long as it stays in place, yeah it probably would. Id question whether the adhesive would hold up to soldering or not

[@MrMegaManFan]

Wow. Those are a mess!!

[@isaiahpetersen]

Where is your new desoldering tool? Great vid by the way!

[@RetroRepairs]

That's not really meant for surface mount stuff like this, in this case, hot air works best.

[@rogera.3944]

Like your work, homemade pro, I fix my things just watching vids.

[@unnamedchannel1237]

Wish there was some stuff like this available to me in my country to have a crack at.

[@BradCorrupts]

The chip in question looks to be this: snescentral.com/chips.php?chiptype=MM1026AF Its purpose is to prevent power spikes to SRAM when the console is powered on and off, and looking at the fried pin, likely got a bit too much of a power spike from the looks of it.

[@CaptmagiKono]

Might sound silly, but is that a soft bristle or hard bristle tooth-brush?

[@RetroRepairs]

It's one of the ones that has both. A ring of harder ones and some softer ones around it. It doesn't really matter too much, hard bristles wouldnt damage the board

[@punchabunchabuttons]

Hey i recently fixed my full of rust controller's battery pack by bathing them in vinegar and cleaning with a toothbrush. Can you just drop the cartridges board the same in vinegar. Will it damage it?

[@rsmith02]

Vinegar corrodes metal so not a good choice I think

[@seancpcp]

That was fun to watch.

[@MvB8891]

What kind of spray was that, when you first cleaned Super Mario RPG?

[@RetroRepairs]

99% isopropyl alcohol. I just put it in a spray bottle to make it easier to clean boards

[@MvB8891]

@@RetroRepairs Ah ok thought so.... thanks love the vids

[@shadowfrost44]

Awesome video! How do we send stuff to you??

[@RetroRepairs]

You can email me. [e-mail]

[@mattnuggets8249]

Anyone know where I could get help fixing a snes game? I wanna fix it myself but no guides for my problem anywhere.

[@Deronos55]

Matt Nuggets I cant imagine it being any more difficult than what he does here. Use a multimeter for the traces, clean it up with ipa, solder any bad parts, and you should have it. Soldering is not a gift, it is just a learned skill. With enough time and practice you will look forward to little projects like this.

[@KISSbestfan]

Happy New Year 2020 Adam ! I cant believe its almost 2 years now since I became a regular watcher. Congrats on making that Mario RPG working again. Have you ever considered buying the knockoff carts for parts, or are they using different architecture ?

[@RetroRepairs]

Hey, happy new year. They use a completely different architecture, so it's very unlikely repros would be useful.

[@Florian88888888]

what is your cleaning solution?

[@RetroRepairs]

99% isopropyl alcohol

[@amyourpapi23]

What tool does he use to open the games.

[@memyfofum]

cptwiggles its a gamebit you can get them on ebay for a few bucks

[@amyourpapi23]

@@memyfofum thanks

[@betacrest10]

I have this same cart. I need to pinpoint the reason why it won't save despite me buying and installing a new battery for it.

[@saskatoonguy]

SRAM failed.

[@torreyance2468]

ill like to see you bring back that zelda game 😁 you would be Dr Frankenstein if you did cause it looked awful. good job on mario rpg. brings back memories.

[@JMGO1999EternalMajorKakoEscoby]

When you are going to post the Ocarina of Time Repair?, i really appreciate N64 repair videos, i looking forward to see if it's possible to save that board.

[@RetroRepairs]

It's definitely fixable, but i haven't started. I need to get some parts

[@gregwilliams6828]

im 2020. what browsers are you using?

[@jetjazz05]

I think there's a pull tab along the edge of those USPS boxes... you just pull the little ripcord and it opens like it was sealed. Not that watching you jab your thumbs in wasn't fun lol.

[@RetroRepairs]

All taped up

[@jimdavis6833]

It would help a lot if you could hold the damn board still.

[@wickeduploads]

thank you for your videos!

[@helmuthbecker7636]

Happy New Year from Brazil. 19:31 find Konna dog on tv.

[@RetroRepairs]

Good eyes. Literally just an ear in the reflection.

[@m4droid]

looks like you put that chip on backwards

[@johndoe-vz6tb]

What about the other game ?

[@RetroRepairs]

That'll be part 2

[@gommy1992]

My game don’t save I already remplace the battery and don’t save it

[@ElricSowrd]

Seems like it didn't go so well.

[@mistdyna]

That battery looked funky. By the way, if you just want to give away the game, I can help. 😀

[@neves188]

PLEEASE try use a dremel to scrap up a little bit of that chip plastic and solder a wire to replace that broken leg

[@IrishAnonymous01]

Have you done many repairs that didn't work so you couldn't upload them?

[@RetroRepairs]

There's a few, definitely more successful than not, but there's a few that would be more than i could justify putting into it

[@petrus4]

I was looking forward to the usual jokes about storing game cartridges in a bath tub in the comments, but there were none to be found. :(