Original GBA LED flashes then turns off.

[zenith galleon]

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[cerulean tangle]

#gameboy message

A dirty power switch has weird effects on the console. Cleaning it involves disassembling the console and desolder one end of the switch, then cleaning the inside with a qtip soaked in Isopropyl alcohol.
The power switch slider has a metallic piece that also needs cleaning, be careful with it because it is tiny and might be loose.

[trail river]

the board is heavily corroded and needs reworking

[jaunty smelt]

I think it's been "reworked" already 😬
Could you take a better picture of the bottom right part of the PCB ? Good lighting

[cerulean tangle]

Oh god almighty, I didn't take a look at the pictures.

What on Earth happened there? Corrosion for sure, but there is some dubious reflowing there...

[silver owl]

Is this a better look?
Unfortunately I don’t recall what it looked like when i first got it

[jaunty smelt]

Somebody did some stuff here
I'm not certain but the fuse might be gone and replaced by a blob of solder
Are you experienced with soldering ?

[silver owl]

I’ve usually just ask a family friend for help when it comes to soldering

What do you recommend needs to be done?

[jaunty smelt]

Clean the PCB nicely
Clean the switch
Replace the fuse
Test every traces in the area and see from there

[silver owl]

Alright will update when it’s done

[trail river]

the board really needs a major rework. some components need to be removed and the pads underneath cleaned of corrosion. the solder on all the circled components is corroded. then you can see a few patched vias. besides the already repaired ones, you might find more defects that need to be repaired.

[silver owl]

Is it repairable or do I need to move to a different board?

[trail river]

for someone with experience in soldering, this is certainly fixable. but that's nothing for an occasional solderer

[silver owl]

Ok thanks, I was curious if it was better to switch boards or just fix it from all of my own research on how to fix it

[jaunty smelt]

You could certainly send it for repair, or sell it
Don't forget it in a drawer, every gameboy deserves some love 🙂

[trail river]

board swap also works, but is probably even more work. if you need a pcb, I have a few 32 and 40 pin replacements.

[silver owl]

Ah thanks bro, I live in China so it’s prob not worth the hassle😂
I’ll prob look around here, so I’ve asked like people who does repairs for games and he said he recommends board swap after looking at the board because he said he could fix it but he thinks the problem might resurface(?translation might be iffy) idk how true these things are as I am pretty inexperienced with this kinda stuff, what’s your guy’s expert opinion?

[silver owl]

I for sure want to get it working again, It’s apart of a small collection I’ve been working on 😆

[silver owl]

this is what they had said

[trail river]

his concerns are valid. you should find a replacement board easily on the used market

[silver owl]

Ok thanks, just wanted to see if he was being valid or just trying to get me to pay for a more expensive service. Is the probability of it happening again high if it’s repaired instead of moving boards ?