Results 1 to 16 of 16

Thread: Battery dead in your SNES game? Do this!

  1. #1
    ServBot (Level 11) aaron7's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Posts
    3,169
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default Battery dead in your SNES game? Do this!

    Took a CR2032 battery and socket off an old computer motherboard, soldered it on, and ground it down a little to fit in the case!

    Works great!

    Now to fix the focus on my damn camera...


  2. #2
    Insert Coin (Level 0)
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Posts
    28
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Amazing. I have though of doing this but wasnt sure if it worked. Plus this makes switching batteries alot easier.

  3. #3
    Strawberry (Level 2) RARusk's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    San Antonio, TX
    Posts
    536
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    6
    Thanked in
    4 Posts

    Default

    I done this to several cartridges over the years. Pretty easy to do. Desolder the old battery, solder in the battery holder (after modifying it slightly so it will fit better in the cartridge), and pop in the new battery.

    The hardest thing to do when switching batteries is to open up the Nintendo cartridges due to their security screws.

  4. #4
    Strawberry (Level 2) Custom rank graphic
    shoes23's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Watertown SD
    Posts
    577
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    If you use the Cold Heat soldering iron and some very thin solder, you can just leave the clips on the board, bend them over and resolder your battery that way. It has worked great for me so far, and the soldering iron doesn't get hot enough for long enough to heat up the chips or the board (or the battery for that matter, Eyeballs+Battery acid is a no-no) so no fear or ruining your precious game.

    For those who don't want to deal with soldering, electrical tape can still do the trick, although I might be worried after a few years of the battery shaking loose.

  5. #5
    Insert Coin (Level 0)
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Townsend MA
    Posts
    5
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Actually, most of the game sI have came without the security screws....and at first you tihnk someone opened them and changed them but no, I got them this way brand new

    Kinda neat I guess. Haha nice tutorial type of thing aaron......I wont be home all day so Ill see you tonight Aaron.....

    for anyone confused hes my brother.
    I Kick ASS!!

  6. #6
    drowning in medals Ed Oscuro's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Posts
    16,556
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    3
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    1
    Thanked in
    1 Post

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by atomic
    Actually, most of the game sI have came without the security screws....and at first you tihnk someone opened them and changed them but no, I got them this way brand new
    That's odd...

  7. #7
    Strawberry (Level 2) heyricochet's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Boston
    Posts
    486
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by shoes23
    If you use the Cold Heat soldering iron and some very thin solder, you can just leave the clips on the board, bend them over and resolder your battery that way. It has worked great for me so far, and the soldering iron doesn't get hot enough for long enough to heat up the chips or the board (or the battery for that matter, Eyeballs+Battery acid is a no-no) so no fear or ruining your precious game.

    For those who don't want to deal with soldering, electrical tape can still do the trick, although I might be worried after a few years of the battery shaking loose.
    The problem with this is that the cold heat actually uses electricity to melt the solder, and could blow chips on the board because of that. I've been told it even says on the packaging do not use on electrical components, or sensitive components, something to that effect.

  8. #8
    ServBot (Level 11) aaron7's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Posts
    3,169
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Uhhhh... that wouldn't make any sense. What the hell else do you use a soldering iron for? x_x

  9. #9
    DP's favorite trollbait Custom rank graphic
    Kitsune Sniper's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    Calexico, USA
    Posts
    13,853
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts
    Xbox LIVE
    FoxhackDN
    Steam
    Foxhack

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by aaron7
    Uhhhh... that wouldn't make any sense. What the hell else do you use a soldering iron for? x_x
    Soldering Iron != Cold Iron. :P
    Quote Originally Posted by Edmond Dantes View Post
    I can't tell if we're discussing My Little Pony or Neon Genesis Evangelion anymore.
    eBay Auctions / GameTZ profile / DP Feedback / Youtube / Twitter / RateYourMusic

  10. #10
    Ryu Hayabusa (Level 16) rbudrick's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Buying the rare ones, moments before you get there.
    Posts
    8,435
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    3
    Thanked in
    2 Posts

    Default

    There was a thread once where someone showed where you could buy those clips that hold the battery in place so you'd never have to solder them again, just pop it out in 5-10 years and put a new one in. Wish I could find it...

    You know, to this day I have not had one battery in a cart die on me.

    -Rob
    The moral is, don't **** with Uncle Tim when he's been drinking!

  11. #11
    Strawberry (Level 2) Custom rank graphic
    shoes23's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Watertown SD
    Posts
    577
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by rbudrick
    There was a thread once where someone showed where you could buy those clips that hold the battery in place so you'd never have to solder them again, just pop it out in 5-10 years and put a new one in. Wish I could find it...

    You know, to this day I have not had one battery in a cart die on me.

    -Rob
    The batteries lifetime is pretty random. The amount of juice that it takes to save and store information is so low that their average lifetime is ~15 years. I still have NES carts that are going strong, but it seems that resource intensive saves (Super Baseball Simulator 1.000 SNES) will drain them a little quicker. Now if they would just make a 2032 battery that lasted more than a month in the Dreamcast VMU's.

  12. #12
    Banana (Level 7) SkiDragon's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    1,445
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Would it be possible to have two coin holders hooked up in parallel? That way, not only would they theoretically last twice as long, but one could be replaced while still maintaining the game save.
    Rarest games in collection: (R8) Chavez II for SNES / (R7) Star Gunner (Telesys) for Atari 2600
    Game Collection -- Game Commercials -- Favorite Game: Secret of Mana
    Wii code: 2572 7867 9177 9866 Smash: 0259-0110-4026

  13. #13
    Pretzel (Level 4) dao2's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Posts
    988
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by shoes23 View Post
    The batteries lifetime is pretty random. The amount of juice that it takes to save and store information is so low that their average lifetime is ~15 years. I still have NES carts that are going strong, but it seems that resource intensive saves (Super Baseball Simulator 1.000 SNES) will drain them a little quicker. Now if they would just make a 2032 battery that lasted more than a month in the Dreamcast VMU's.
    a month? when i used em damn things wasted in a week ;p

  14. #14
    I can't change my avatar. Custom rank graphic
    Porksta's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Fairfax, VA
    Posts
    2,755
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts
    Xbox LIVE
    YaoIsGod

    Default

    Do batteries only get drained when saving and loading? So If I played a 20 year old factory sealed NES game would I expect the battery to be dead or last 10 years from date of first playing?
    Like free stuff? I have earned hundreds of dollars in free Amazon gift cards through Swagbucks. Check it out here! Earn 3000 points and I will give you FREE shipping the next time you buy from me!
    http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/Porksta

  15. #15
    Strawberry (Level 2) SnowKitty's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Posts
    403
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Porksta View Post
    Do batteries only get drained when saving and loading? So If I played a 20 year old factory sealed NES game would I expect the battery to be dead or last 10 years from date of first playing?
    they drain regardless. the save RAM will always draw current i would think using the game more often would conserve the battery though as it'd be running off the system's power and not the battery...
    meow :3

  16. #16
    Kirby (Level 13) megasdkirby's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Bayamon, Puerto Rico
    Posts
    5,264
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    14
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    10
    Thanked in
    9 Posts
    Xbox LIVE
    megasdkirby
    PSN
    megasdkirby

    Default

    Actually, this is not a bad idea. I have a few games (Crystalis and Act Raiser, for instance) whose batteries have long been dead.

    So I can simply take out the old one, replace one of those adapter things, and that is it? I pressume something like this is necessary:

    http://tinyurl.com/6c3yjp
    Proud owner of a Neo 25 Neo Geo Candy Cab!

Similar Threads

  1. Replies: 31
    Last Post: 12-11-2012, 10:26 PM
  2. Dead GBC Battery?
    By Porksta in forum Technical and Restoration Society
    Replies: 21
    Last Post: 04-30-2010, 10:00 PM
  3. Dead SNES cart - Maybe the battery?
    By saferkefka in forum Technical and Restoration Society
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 04-23-2010, 11:58 AM
  4. Replies: 8
    Last Post: 01-31-2010, 01:35 PM
  5. SNES Game Cartridge save game battery life
    By gamenthusiast in forum Classic Gaming
    Replies: 18
    Last Post: 12-13-2004, 12:44 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •