Any good ways to get a non-working cart to work?

[agbulls]

Well, I went to Sean Kelly's store yesterday in Chicago and picked up three classic Genesis titles. Comix Zone, Robocop vs Terminator and Ghouls n Ghosts. The trouble is Ghouls n Ghosts will not load---not matter what I do.:bawling:

The contacts look to be in decent enough shape. I've tried alcohol and q-tips and took a decent amount of dirt of the contacts. But, it still won't load. Does anyone have any good recommendations? I know I've seen people use abrasive pieces of something to scrap the contacts...but don't know exactly what.

Can anyone recommend a good method to get old carts working? Thanks!

[mailman187666]

I've also been told that amonia works better than rubbing alcohol, I've tried it myself and even after you think you've gotten it clean with the alcohol, try the amonia and even more dirt will come out of it. just make sure you don't get in on your clothes. I ruined a shirt and a brand new pair of pants cleaning an NES game.

[agbulls]

Anyone else have any ideas? Sean told me to come back to his store, he can 99% guarantee he can get it working. I would rather save the trip. What might he try I don't know about?

[exit]

Did you try cleaning the cart slot on the Genesis? Other than that, open the game up and clean, clean, clean.

For a very obscure method that worked with NES games (atleast with my brother and me), try sticking the cart in the freezer for a bit. It's probably not a very bright idea, but hey it seemed it when I was 8.

[agbulls]

I know the Genny is perfectly clean...it plays everything else I own (30+ games)...

[theshizzle3000]

I had a guy tell me that Everclear works good though if you are under 21 thats going to be hard to obtain. Its supposedly leaves no streaks whatsoever due to its high proof. I have not tried but its worth looking into. I also use windex and it has not failed me to date.

[fishsandwich]

A sheet of fine sandpaper used carefully has freed up several Genny and N64 carts for me... give it a shot if all else fails.

[s1lence]

A sheet of fine sandpaper used carefully has freed up several Genny and N64 carts for me... give it a shot if all else fails.

VERY fine grit btw. You don't want to go to town on a cart with 60 grit.

[Ze_ro]

I've used sandpaper on some cartridges too... generally only as a last-ditch effort though. It's the only thing that saved my Starfox cartridge (although in that case, the supports holding the PCB had broken, causing one side of the contacts to "sink" into the cartridge... so I had to pull it out and use superglue to keep the board in place... naturally, I got glue all over the contacts too, which is where the sandpaper saved the day).

--Zero

[2Dskillz]

If you have the bit available open the cart. I had the same problem with a copy of "Trouble Shooters" for the genesis I picked up from the flea market. No cleaning would correct the cart so I opened it and made sure that the board looked okay. Seeing no problem I closed the cart and tried it once more and it worked fine. I am not sure why this corrected the carts problem but it has worked great ever since.

[Videogamerdaryll]

Try (dry) green or Red Scotch Brite on the Connectors then use 91% alcohol to get off the dirt residue..
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v21/Chris1/2005_1130_150937AA.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v21/Chris1/2005_1130_150931AA.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v21/Chris1/1215SHIPS013.jpg

[Aussie2B]

Before you use anything potentially harsh like chemicals or sandpaper, I'd try rubbbing the connectors really well with a clean, standard eraser, like the rectangular pink ones kids use in grade school. If you don't have bit needed to open the cart and the eraser is too thick, you can also slice the eraser with an exacto knife or whatever else you can find that would work.

Just make sure when you're done that there aren't any eraser bits in there. It might help to go over it once more with q-tips and alcohol.

I've found that this method works VERY well for stubborn carts. I learned about this when I had a copy of Battletoads on NES that just loaded up a flat grey screen every single time now matter how many times I cleaned it, so I was convinced that the game had to be completely broken. As soon as I used the eraser, I was getting graphics, and with a couple more times going over it, it was working perfectly.

[Sylentwulf]

Of course, there is the simple chance that some kid left it on a magnetized EMP heater after he pissed on it with salt and then let it sit there for a long time, then cleaned it really good and sold it.

In other words, maybe the damn thing just doesn't work ;)

[Ed Oscuro]

For a very obscure method that worked with NES games (atleast with my brother and me), try sticking the cart in the freezer for a bit. It's probably not a very bright idea, but hey it seemed it when I was 8.
Don't do that.

[agbulls]

Don't do that.

Seeing as I'm not 5 years old, I won't be giving that a try. Eraser was a no-go as well. I think I'm going back to the store tomorrow.

[DaBargainHunta]

Anyone else have any ideas? Sean told me to come back to his store, he can 99% guarantee he can get it working. I would rather save the trip. What might he try I don't know about?
Kinda ridiculous that he won't just tell you over the phone. Sounds like he greedily wants you back in his store just so you can buy more shit when you're there. Maybe I'm cynical, but that's how it's sounding to me.

[s1lence]

Kinda ridiculous that he won't just tell you over the phone. Sounds like he greedily wants you back in his store just so you can buy more shit when you're there. Maybe I'm cynical, but that's how it's sounding to me.

Sean Kelly isnt like that, he tends to provide excellent customer service.

[agbulls]

Sean Kelly isnt like that, he tends to provide excellent customer service.

You're right---he's a good guy. I think he just knows he can fix it. He has a thousand different little tools to use. I'll swing by at some point.

[DaBargainHunta]

My apologies for sounding accusatory. I was under the mistaken impression that it was a long trip back to the store for the original poster. Not sure how I arrived at that conclusion. Ah well. :)