Virtual Boy Repair: Battery Acid Corrosion Damage & Dead Non Working Lens

[@HeathAldrich]

I love watching your videos, you always go above and beyond in getting these antiquated devices working. I just had to do a similar repair on a VB, and I found a less risky way to fix the broken screen and I document it in my blog. Essentially, you bake the lenses in an oven at 170 degrees Fahrenheit for about 5min and hold the contacts on a flat surface. Works great, and doesn't risk melting the cable.

[@P5ychoFox]

Fantastic bit of repair work there. Please keep saving these old systems and making videos as you go.

[@googleboughtmee]

What did we ever do before longer youtube vids! So awesome seeing the whole process like this.

[@TheLordBarker]

Nice job Luke. I used to own a virtual boy, but lost it through moving. Wario was always my favorite game, provided my neck could withstand the required torture.

[@CommodoreFan64]

Awesome work Luke. Though I've never been a big VirtualBoy fan myself having some eye troubles, they always gave me a headache at the demo stations back in the day, but glad to see it working none the less.

[@FeasableOption]

Great vid. This type of simple electronics repair is a hobby of mine. I thoroughly enjoy your stuff! It's a great feeling when you're given a supposedly broken item & you're able to bring it back to life. Not to mention how impressed friends & family are once you reveal your work.lol Good Times!

[@MrCurtis227]

Nice video Luke! I always enjoy watching your videos! You and Mark from Classic Game Room are both two of the best gaming related channels on youtube!

[@alecjahn]

Oh and I almost forgot: congrats on getting the other eye working! I feared it would be something super complicated but another bad connection. Awesome!

[@CRTcade]

Awesome job man, damn, that was a lot of acid all over that thing. Nice job diagnosing all the issues this thing had and fixing that ribbon cable to get the other lens displaying again. I know this it not your favorite system of all time, lol (neither is it mine lol) but as always, your ability to rescue these pieces of gaming history is remarkable my friend =)

[@gam85191]

This is the greatest Virtual boy repair video on youtube.

[@BlaizeV]

i love these videos. I dont tend to watch many gaming channels anymore BUT i always watch yours luke as they are always interesting and different to the norm : )

[@garegga1]

Amazing work & of course you somehow always manage to make your fixes entertaining to watch too....

[@ZeroWalker26]

woah that some horrible acid corrosion damage even if they did not like the Virtual boy. Letting any console end up like that is a sin. >.< Im glad you got it working again Luke your a Tech Wizzard.

[@KevinTwiner]

Super fix, liked your thought process with the ps2 metal shield. Even tho it didnt work.thanks for the lemon/ vinegar cocktail tip! Learned alot on this one bro. Thanks for the knowledge Luke.

[@THEAC83]

Your videos are always so entertaining and you're really talented! Nothing but respect!

[@tiago9819]

Man I think you're one of the few people who would fix a Virtual Boy XD But good job!

[@electricadventures]

Leaking batteries make such a mess, good that you were able to salvage that battery pack and that the right lense was not too hard to fix (seriously doubt my soldering abilities would be up to doing that though).

[@ValkavGaming]

Virtual Boy bought back from the grave... something not even Nintendo could do. ◔ ⌣ ◔

[@x1ic1x]

Awesome stuff Luke! Thanks for all the precautionary tips! Now I just need to find out why my right eye piece makes a noise when it's on lol

[@TreSowers]

My Virtual Boy has the same video problem, but with both sides! I'll have to try this. Thanks for the great video!! And, good job saving it!

[@RyuHayabusa06]

Great job Luke!!! You had to put a lot of work into this one.

[@RUTGERMORTENSEN]

alot of work for a pice of junk! but you are dedicated! outstanding work as always Luke

[@BigRay826]

Thanks Luke! I'm in the mood to whip out my Virtual Boy and get those headaches I used to remember! lol :D

[@sinistermoon]

Virtual Boy, RISE FROM YOUR GRAVE! Cool video, Luke.

[@alecjahn]

I've always found that a little baking soda+water paste (a base, which will neutralize the acid) and a little toothbrush action will clean up most contacts pretty well, then finish it off with some work on a high speed wire wheel (on a dremel or similar) to get the stubborn bits off.

[@CMM1215]

Wow, this was fantastic. Great video! Glad to see you were able to save it :)

[@GeminiWoods]

Awesome vid Luke! Keep up the good work!

[@jananstunes]

oh man, this is very helpful and will keep folks aware bro

[@KillaK78]

Lukemorse1, the man that'll get home from work, take off his jacket and fix a Virtual Boy. Thoroughly enjoyed this one. Lots going on, and it's great to see it succeed in increments. No matter the reputation of a console, if it's brought back from the dead, it's exciting. Have you ever fixed a PS3 yellow light of death or the 360s red light death? If so, was it just a logical scenario that can be solved like all these others?

[@Husky_cdn]

thought you'd test the head unit first by putting in a known good controller first, but good job on getting it back from the grave

[@nissan300bhp]

those springs look like theyve seen better days, get the old dremel out with a soft wire brush and its clean stuff like this really good.

[@user-9sidfgsxgj]

Wow, 26m video from Luke? Today is a good day!

[@Danny7305]

Awesome Video luke, i love these videos!

[@AdmSharpe]

It's amazing how many things are considered not working when they can be repaired with some spare parts (sometimes not even that) and some time. I myself collect (kind of) old computers and fix them. Many computers are simply infested by software that messes them up or just some loose cables.

[@pixels2polygonss]

awesome video man. would reheating the ribbon cable for one of the eye pieces fix any vertical or horizontal lines ?

[@Exoamy]

Top job Luke, saved from the grave!

[@jacob60617]

Great video Luke keep up the great videos

[@jvcdeadmoney]

Damn! I had never seen that much corrosion before, and I didn't even imagine that it could get so bad. The thing must have been rotting away since its launch basically...

[@DaveDoc1984]

Awesome video as ever Luke :)

[@TommysVinylWorld]

@lukemorse1 I still remember that video you did with that Shiso Pepsi, that was brilliant! Is that stuff still on sale?

[@kamiboy]

Leaky capacitors and batteries are the bane of vintage electronics.

[@spiderchoc]

Great work, Luke

[@robikaey167]

hey luke, is there anything out, that you dont can fix??? great job as allways...

[@Dante1122-k5t]

your videos realy helpfull when comes to fixing electronics keep it up :)

[@TommysVinylWorld]

You should have done a strange drink video with that lemon juice and vinegar drink Luke lol :-)

[@timi707_1]

Hey thanks for the reply Luke Was just wondering because its actually my favourite game (might be weird, but dreamcast was always my favourite system), and I wanted to know what you thought of it. I own it on DC and gamecube, and it emulates quite well on dolphin the GC emulator.. I also quite enjoyed grandia 2, another DC JRPG (and I think there was a ps2 version also but never played it.)

[@FaSMaN]

Wonder if a ultrasonic jewelry cleaner would clean those contacts up,its basically a water bath, that vibrates the water ultrasonically, and you leave the parts inside of it overnight I was wanting to get one for a while to use on electronic parts, apparently works very well :) PS Gave you a shout-out in my latest video :)

[@VideoGameVictims]

My Virtual Boy has the same lens issue but I don't have a bit long enough to get at the deep screws to open the case. I wonder if I could do the same repair to the ribbon cable with a heat gun without opening the case.

[@timi707_1]

haha i remember this bloody thing, never owned one though sorry for the off topic question but.. you ever played skies of arcadia / eternal arcadia for the dreamcast and/or gamecube luke? was looking for it in your games collection video but couldnt see much into the dreamcast drawer

[@ArcadeMachine15]

Awesome vid Luke.

[@drnobbydenobbs]

Luke I have a question. Why is Battery Acid neutralised after you throw it in a mixture of Lemon Juice and Vinegar? I was all ways thinking that, if you want to neutralise Acid you have to use Base. Or whout the Chamical Reaction if you do so being Toxic? I have to excuse my bad english an, i wish you a good day ^^

[@VintageTechRepairs]

awesome work as always :)

[@lizerdlips2]

Just a little update on the ds fix i was working on, i managed to get the pins to bind back into place although in taking the top of the slot i ripped the board alittle although it seems not to have damaged anything in it that i can tell yet

[@David-ti6gd]

The best fixer evercongratulations

[@KillerZero259]

luke! i love your videos!!!

[@craigemills8912]

how did you end up repairing the broken tab? ive got the same problem with mine but its only broken in two pieces. did you solder it together?

[@SLASHISAWHORE]

Luke have you tried doin a Av output mod (2d like the emulator) on a virtualboy? that would be awesome!

[@sixteenbitter]

Hi Luke. Did you have to do any cutting to even open the case? At the start of the video it just pops open, but I think I'm dealing with a battery pack that's totally corroded shut.

[@leeadamaa]

You need some spring steel to remake those parts as well as new springs I have access to a machine shop and I have the skill to pretty much replicate anything made of metal and even some heatsinks

[@lizerdlips2]

Hey luke, Ive been trying to fix an old DS for my friend whos little sister shoved somthing into the ds card slot and destroyed some of the pins.. i was hoping you could tell me where i could find a new cart slot for it

[@EdoJp]

Luke do wonderswans usually get a faulty screen? Sound comes out, but you can not make anything out from the screen. It is all scrambled

[@5553371]

damn good work luke :)

[@OldSchoolNYCGamer]

Great work as always Luke, you should check out SVT512's channel. I belive he has a video on the bracket replacement that would help with your VB too.

[@googleboughtmee]

No, this happens when you leave normal alkaline batteries in something for a long time. Those batteries will eventually leak so don't leave them in devices when stuff is in storage. Batteries in cartridges aren't alkaline, they're probably fine.

[@sithwarrior]

has anyone else notice when Luke turns the lights off it sounds like when you put a coin in the arcade machine?

[@yarayar1]

I have a corroded battery pack as well, but I can't even get it open. Anyone have any suggestions? I might try dripping some 3 in 1 oil into the two tiny holes near the top/back of the battery pack.

[@forevernow4]

I have a gamegear that turns on but the screen has some issues. Can you do a gamegear: how to fix the screen video?

[@Rockythefishman]

Well done another one saved

[@zitzblitz123]

luke you are the man

[@Runetone]

It´s funny how the Virtual Boy was a failure. but the controller looks more like a modern day controller the what ells was around at that time :)

[@Bannanawaffles2]

Its all acid from a battery leaking, so if a cartridge game has battery backup, in theory, it could.

[@GabrielMines]

soaking the case in battery terminal cleaner wouldn't have helped?

[@4AdamKane1]

so much knowledge

[@RETROGAMER43]

SAVED FROM THE GRAVE HALLELUJAH!!!

[@wrtucey]

What about soaking the components in Coke to break up the acid?

[@skonkfactory]

The stuff that leaks out of batteries, at least this kind of batteries, is not acid, it's alkaline. You could call it electrolyte if you want, but it's not acid.

[@Mysteriozone]

About how long did this whole process take?

[@123Actionful]

You would need perhaps a tripod for your camera, then you had both hands free for your awesome clips, greeting :)

[@crx5555]

I have the same problem with the eye pr

[@alanredstar]

Could this blue corrosion happen on cartridge games? :s i'm scared

[@MrXinsizionx]

Great video...

[@RonnieCoffman]

nice save

[@Bannanawaffles2]

Ohkay, I wasn't entirely sure about that.

[@MoreDakka101]

I can see darkness. the black of my soul on video

[@dahaka00]

Awesome

[@Bylga]

Virtual boy

[@sladekiske]

Why repair the battery pack? I mean it's not actually portable. You're only gonna use it on a table at a house, all you need is an AC adaptor. I remember when I was 14 my friend had one in 1996. He worked at blockbuster and would buy the rental systems (that no one ever rented) when they were discounted. Even being 14 at the time and loving games, I found this thing just terrible. In 1995 I got a Sega CD 2 with a Genesis 2 from blockbuster for $30, later in early 1996 I got the 32X for $15. All rental systems from blockbuster, basically new. Good times

[@De5con]

Hate to say it but this console was over-hyped, regret selling a Sega Saturn to get one !

[@ShoreyJr]

You probably blew a fuse. Simple enough, I'd imagine the board can be replaced with some solder, at my local Cash Converters they were selling faulty 360s for £4.50.

[@Modenut]

Dude, you're a fucking magician! =)

[@Zontar82]

Congrats luke i'm sureit wasn't easy, especially since that VB has been treated like shit

[@Masternoob007]

@5:18 i think the previous owner was walter white

[@chairuser4]

look at the crust on that

[@EmoKakyo]

You amuse we sleep

[@EmoKakyo]

I know blue shy when I see it

[@liblope]

that battery corrosion looks nasty

[@googleboughtmee]

The batteries in those should be okay, they're not alkaline

[@chairuser4]

batteries make a mess

[@cresent605]

cant see bloody anything

[@Bylga]

O.o