My intellivision needs a good cleaning, advice?

[dcescott]

I bought a Intellivision. It works after I used some canned air and cleaned the cartridge (pitfall), .....barely
Here's the funny part, besides the disc, most of the buttons make him run to the left. I couldn't get Pitfall Harry to jump at all!!

What is the proper way to clean out this system and the games? I use Isopropyl Alcohol, 91%(I can't find 99% around here)
I know I'm missing a step or two, can you help a guy out? I admit I am dumber than dirt, I enjoy the game but know nothing about the innards or how to clean it right!

[Blue60]

your going to have to takeappart and clean the controlers contacts :/ my Intellivision hade what looked like juice in it when i got it after a good cleaning it worked just like new.

[DStriemer]

If you are going to take apart those inty controllers....be VERY careful with the MPCB's.(Those are the clear, paper-thin membranes inside the controllers) If you ruin these by breaking the conductive paths on them in any way, you will have a tough time replacing or fixing them.

Everything else inside the controller is pretty safe to 'mess' with. It's probably a good idea to tackle every other possible problem with the controllers before looking at doing anything with the MPCB's.

On a side note, I also once had a similar problem as the one you are having...my solution ended up being that the MPCB on the second controller was aligned improperly inside the controller, causing it to act as though the it was constantly being pressed to the left. Because both inty controllers can be used simultaneously for action on screen this meant that it was constantly telling the inty to "go left" regardless of what I pressed on the first controller. Once I re-seated the MPCB, everything worked flawlessly.

Hopefully a problem like this is what you are experiencing although I doubt it, because I have not experienced this problem at any other time, nor have I been able to reproduce it.

[dcescott]

I haven't touched it in a week and I will screw with it this weekend and get it running smooth. I took apart the left controller and there was some moderate rust/oxidation(?). I cleaned it with isopropyl alcohol and swabbed it dry before reseating the controller.
Project after project....