How To Repair The Pins On A Nes Board

Yous know it, you honey information technology, your parents help you lot hook it up.

As a child, the Nintendo Entertainment System was a magical box of joy. We could never take a screwdriver to this sacred temple, for fright that the magic would leak out and nosotros'd never see our friends Mario and Link again.

Problem was, over time the magic simply stopped coming. We'd see the famous grayness screen flashes or baroque corrupted sprites. Well before whatever of us fifty-fifty knew the definition of the discussion 'meme', the idea took concur that somehow blowing into the cartridge would make it piece of work. As if the magic inside were powered by man jiff and saliva particles, sometimes it even worked!

Everyone had their own trick, from putting the cartridge on the edge and shotgun slamming it downward (like I did, ugh) to putting some other cartridge on peak before striking the ability button.

Well, we're no longer children, and as such, we now understand two things - one, that there is no magic hidden inside, and two, that bravado on your cartridges does nil but potentially shorten the life of your console if you accidentally get spit in there.

And then why doesn't it work? Information technology'southward the cartridge connector, and the problem is twofold. Beginning, with the action of pushing in and down on the cartridge to marshal with the pins inside, the pins get worn and flatten against the inside of the connector. Second, due to environmental dust and nastiness building up on the contacts of your cartridges, information technology also builds up on your cartridge connector, blocking the contact between the pins of your connector and the pins of your cartridge.

Many cartridge-based consoles take problems similar to these, only on the NES it's likely exaggerated due to the loading mechanism.

A uncomplicated search volition non just tell yous that the connector is the problem, but in almost cases they'll tell you lot "You need to purchase a new 72-Pin connector right at present!" No, you really don't. Take note, anyone who tells you that you demand a new connector is trying to sell you a new connector. I'll repeat that, since many of us, myself included, have been told for years that this is the only fashion.Yous don't need a new 72-pin connector.Don't buy one, and certainly don't throw yours away.

Why? Generally speaking, these inexpensive knockoff connectors coming out of Communist china are of lower quality than an original, and volition neglect much, much faster. In addition, in some cases the stock connector fails when using the official Nintendo Service Center examination cartridges, meaning some pins are defective.

Not all are cheap, though - some connectors are manufactured with higher-quality gold pins which are said to brand better contact. I accept no personal experience with these, but if y'all can go the thing working without spending a dime, why bother?

With that said, let'south become to the repair.

The Nintendo pictured was purchased just yesterday at a chiliad sale. When I got information technology, it would not load a single game I stuck in it, even with multiple attempts, making it a fine example.

Half-dozen screws here, none hidden.

Plough the system over and remove the case screws. They're like shooting fish in a barrel to detect, and none are hidden - i in each corner, one at the top, and 1 at the bottom.

Ick.

Now yous're likely to observe out how well it's been cared for. This particular system has piles of dust that would probably carbon appointment back to 1986. Grab a can of compressed air and blast the crap out of them.

Remove the shielding.

Next, we remove the RF shielding. There are seven screws in all - iii on the right, two on the left and top. Once the screws are out, pull it up to slide information technology off.

Dear Nintendo, why oh why didn't you go on the top-loading design?

Now, our cartridge assembly is exposed. This is where the cartridge slides into the connector and is pushed down to align with the pins. At that place are six screws - two of which are slightly gold-toned and just a bit longer than the others. Pay attention to where these came from - they'll need to go dorsum at that place. There'south ane of the regular-sized screws in each corner, and the slightly longer screws go a flake downwards from the top corners, going through the motherboard to adhere all three pieces together. Pull up and forwards to remove the assembly from the connector.

In that location you are.

At present our culprit is exposed. Just pull up and slide the connector back to remove information technology.

You've been a very naughty connector.

All right, nosotros've got the problematic connector out, and so let's get to fixing it. If you lot have a dental pick, this will go much more than smoothly. With a dental selection, wrap the pick around the pin and simply pull information technology forward so the pin comes straight up.

I don't have a pick on paw, so I've used a tiny screwdriver. A apartment head one.4, if y'all have it available. Using the screwdriver, push the pin to the side so you can go nether it, and gently pull the pin upwards. Exercise this slowly and very carefully. If any pin gets broken, you will demand a new connector. Go along in heed, besides, that these pins should not be bent outside of their grooves, they should exist pulled straight upwardly. If they bend to the side, but stick the screwdriver in the other side and gently pry in the other direction until it's centered again.

Once yous've completed the dental surgery, it'due south time for the dental cleaning. An old toothbrush is actually the quickest and easiest style to make clean these connectors, but if you lot don't have one on mitt, a scrub brush for dishes works just as well.

Contact cleaner spray is the best option for cleaning contacts, just if you don't have whatsoever on hand, utilise rubbing alcohol. Dip your brush in the booze and scrub away. Don't skimp on the scrubbing, the accumulated nastiness will keep your cartridges from making contact. Allow the connector to dry out - if you lot used booze, and it notwithstanding smells like booze, it isn't dry even so. While it's drying, get ahead and clean up your games with a cotton wool swab and either contact cleaner or rubbing alcohol. Dirty games well-nigh likely won't work, and will probably add their own grime to the cart connector, meaning you might have to clean the thing up again next week. If you'd like, invest in an NES cleaning kit. It will be very, very worth information technology.

Now that it's all cleaned up, we can follow the instructions in opposite to put it back together. Pull upwardly on the motherboard and slide the connector back into place. Don't be agape when pushing it back on, these things are built like a tank.

Slide the cartridge assembly back in place and screw it downwardly - remember, the long aureate screws go in the eye.

Push in a game to convalesce the death grip.

Now that the connector and assembly are back in place, slide in a game cartridge (pre-cleaned, delight). Push button the cartridge back until the connector slides inside. It'll be hard, especially the first time, which is why I recommend doing it before associates. The decease grip is perfectly normal - information technology'll take a few uses before it loosens up. Use a third party cartridge, specially Tengen, if y'all take one, as the boards tend to exist a bit thicker. I don't take whatsoever on hand, so yous get Super Mario Bros. 2.

Put the shielding and example dorsum on, and you lot're done!

I'll tell you once again, because I cannot stress this enough - make sure your cartridges are clean earlier inserting them into your NES. Make clean them regularly and your games volition offset upwards the first fourth dimension, every time - well, until the connector becomes worn over again. In that example, I'll meet yous again in 10-20 years.

7/3/2011 - A Part 2 has been added with more information.