Cleaning up a Nintendo 64

[BattleDamaged]

I have a Nintendo 64 which I've had for a little while and it's a total pain to get running. It'll take maybe 4-5 attempts to get a cartridge to boot and occasionally the console will reboot, so it needs a good clean. I don't fancy taking it apart because I'll have to find the gamebit screwdriver (which in the UK seems to be an expensive task) and it'll most likely be a pain in the arse to get it back together again.

So what can I do? I've managed to track down where I can get some rubbing alcohol from, but I've got a feeling I'll need to clean the cartridge slot as well as the cartridges. Anyone got any suggestions?

[alec006]

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00002STFY/quickclick-20

You be amazed how a thin piece of rubber can make your system work almost like new,and that is from Nintendo so it's official, guess they knew the connectors would wear over time. And yes cleaning your games with isophol alcohol and cue tips do wonders as well,just don't gouge the cue tip in it and let it dry (which wont take too long cause its 70% alcohol). Hope this helps.

[BetaWolf47]

I got my system working like new last weekend. What I did was use a game cart and some Weiman's cooktop cleaner.
http://www.weiman.com/products/smooth/cleaner.php
Personally, I used the ceramic kind. I don't know how different the glass cooktop cleaner is from the ceramic cooktop cleaner, if it is any different.

Here's what I did:
1. Put some cooktop cleaner onto a q-tip.
2. Wipe it onto the contacts of the game cart, very thoroughly. Keep rubbing until dirt stops coming off the cart.
3. Insert the game cart into the system with a light amount of cooktop cleaner still on the contacts.
4. Remove the cart, and wipe it with the dirty side of the q-tip again.
5. Repeat steps 3-4 as necessary, until dirt stops coming off of the contacts.
6. Dip the clean end of the q-tip in rubbing alcohol, and wipe off any cooktop cleaner residue from the cart contacts.
7. Insert the clean game into the system and remove, in order to get any cooktop cleaner out of it.
8. Wipe the contacts with the rubbing alcohol side of the q-tip again.
9. Repeat steps 7-8 as necessary.

This got most of the corrosion off of the system. I've had success on every system I've done this trick with, but I still recommend caution if you want to try it. My N64 is working better now than it has in probably 10 years.

[Dreadstar]

If you've got alcohol you can use something like a business card or a thin piece of cardboard. Just soak one edge, not to the point where it goes mushy, then insert and remove a couple times.

[BattleDamaged]

Hey, cheers for the ideas guys! Think I'll grab a bottle of rubbing alcohol at some point and try out BetaWolf47's technique.

[Jimmy Yakapucci]

I remember buying a cleaning kit a number of years ago that came with little cards for cleaning all the various system slots. Another way to do that is to take an old credit cart and cover it with a piece of old t-shirt and put alcohol on that to clean the contacts. Just insert and remove. Do not slide it from side to side. Doing this brought a "broken" $10 Jaguar back to life.

JY

[danny_galaga]

I remember buying a cleaning kit a number of years ago that came with little cards for cleaning all the various system slots.

JY

was it one of these?

http://www.amazon.com/N64-CLEANING-KIT-Nintendo-64/dp/B002ANL7WK

I have one of these and it works well. When you clean out the cartridge slot with it, clean the blade afterwards with a q tip soaked in alcohol. I guarantee it will be black!

[Jimmy Yakapucci]

It was very much like that but was not specifically for any one system so it had more of the slot cleaners and more things to clean the carts themselves. I'll have to check and see if I still have the box for it somewhere in my "cave".

JY