Hi, I only get the nintendo logo when i start the gba w this game, i know nothing about how to
Fix games so imma put some pics with the motherboard here, any tips hep❤️
#Gba game cartridge
oak mason
zenith topazBOT
Hi, I only get the nintendo logo when i start the gba w this game, i know nothin...
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celest mural
looks like a dried liquid of some kind.
since you got it out of the shell, might be a good time to get some IPA on a qtip and gently clean all of that off.
best case, it's purely cosmetic and isn't the issue. worst case, it is covering up damage and you will be able to see it.
ocean forge
if I were you, I'd start by dunking it in white vinegar and scrubbing both sides gently with a soft or extra soft bristle toothbrush - not too long, not too aggressively, just enough to clean off that stuff - then give it a thorough rinse with 90% or higher isopropyl alcohol, making sure you've flushed anything out from behind the chips. then give it a quick dry with a hair dryer, can of air, or duster
also clean out the shell, if there's grime in there it could be conductive and shorting something
LeafGreen isn't the world's most expensive cart but it is something you want to fix if possible. The board itself doesn't look damaged, so the step after cleaning would be to reflow the chips, which involves dragging a soldering iron with a bit of fresh solder across them, which isn't difficult but there's kind of a trick to it, I wouldn't recommend it as your first soldering project if you haven't soldered before
oak mason
looks like a dried liquid of some kind.
since you got it out of the shell, migh...
Tmrw i will go get a bottle of 99% IPA and try it
oak mason
if I were you, I'd start by dunking it in white vinegar and scrubbing both sides...
sadly white vinegar is rare in my country dunno why, i only could find derivates of it
oak mason
LeafGreen isn't the world's most expensive cart but it is something you want to ...
i need to buy a soldering kit if the alcohol is not working then
Quick question, can i use alcohol all over the board or there are specific parts that i have to avoid?
tested the little cip's legs but no one is shaky
ocean forge
Quick question, can i use alcohol all over the board or there are specific parts...
you can use alcohol all over the board. there's some components you wouldn't want getting wet in some games (the gyroscope in games with gyroscopes, the motors in games with rumble, the solar sensor in Boktai... basically specialized hardware that does something unique, especially if it's sensing something) but generally most boards won't care
you shouldn't submerge batteries in vinegar or alcohol but getting them wet briefly is fine
ocean forge
tested the little cip's legs but no one is shaky
that's a good way to find a fault, but you can get false positives too, just because a leg doesn't wiggle doesn't necessarily mean the joint is good
if it wiggles it definitely means it's bad, though
oak mason
i have a volt tester but i have NO IDEA how to use it
ocean forge
what kind of volt tester? like a multimeter? or one of those pen-shaped guys you stick in outlets
ocean forge
yeah that guy's not gonna do much for you here
it might have a continuity mode you can use to test if pins are going where they're supposed to, but as far as its main function - voltage sensing - it only goes down to 6V, and the highest voltage used by a GBA is almost half of that, 3.3V
oak mason
Can this part right here cause any problems?
lean yoke
Hi Yami
The Canadian is right, this is probably some kind of water damage
I'm most concerned about what's under the two chips
You may be able to get it running by cleaning it with IPA and/or vinegar but I wouldn't be satisfied by that : I think you need to remove the chips to see what's under and properly clean it
Maybe an ultrasonic clean could do the trick without removing the chips...
Anyway, you get the idea
The board looks sound
oak mason
Whats a ultrasonic clean?
lean yoke
It's a machine that "vibrates" liquid to dislodge the gunk
oak mason
Make sense, ty for the info ❤️
lean yoke
Where are you from ?
oak mason
Romania
Trying to fix this game is kinda entertaining ngl, i would like to buy more games that dont work but i gotta buy a soldering iron first 
oak mason
Wondering if i can dunk the motherboard in this
lean yoke
The minimum required procedure here is to super clean the chips with vinegar -> water -> IPA
It may require to resolder the two chips legs still
The recommended procedure would be to remove the chips to inspect the PCB and clean it, then reinstall the chips (this requires either a hotplate or hot air station)
There's a list of good irons you can buy in id:guide
If you're not experienced enough you can ask to get your game serviced in #1049401311101206649
I would recommend you don't try any soldering action on it tho.
If you want to get into soldering you can absolutely learn with some training kits and other small cheap projects
For now, try the minimum procedure I listed above and see how it goes ? 🙂
oak mason
Yep definitely will do that, big problem is that i dont think i have the right vinegar
oak mason
Tried the alcohol still game dosent boot js the nintendo logo, i assume the problem is under the chip 💔 will try to fix it when i get a soldering iron
lean yoke
You won't be able to remove the chip with a soldering iron, it needs more gear
oak mason
Damn
oak mason
I ll try the eraser tactic
oak mason
Do you guys see any problems w these? ( the legs )
ocean forge
They look pretty bad, don’t know how bad the corrosion is without cleaning them. Try an old toothbrush and the alcohol on them and see if that cleans them up at all.
lean yoke
I ll try the eraser tactic
Eraser tactic ?
Don't try anything weird, it might make aggravate the situation
ocean forge
the gold connector pins look fine, I don't think cleaning them further will fix anything, your problem lies elsewhere. and some erasers are abrasive and can rub the gold plating off of them
lean yoke
Do you guys see any problems w these? ( the legs )
Yes, the legs are not looking very good, like said earlier, there might be more issues under the chips
Are you willing to have someone do it for you ?
oak mason
yes but i dont know anyone that fixes games
oak mason
ill take it to someone that repairs phones maybe they can atleast remove the chips and i take some photos
lean yoke
If you find someone local that'd be perfect
If you don't, let us know and we'll arrange something with modders in here
oak mason
Ty alot, will go today to some stores too see if they can at least remove the chips
oak mason
So the dude told me that the pins on the chips are shaky
Mostly all of em so he will solder all of em
lean yoke
he needs to look under
oak mason
lean yoke
Cool, what did they say ?
oak mason
The pins on the chips were the problem, but when i arrives hone i had to clean it again w some ipa cuz it was all sticky and dirty dunno what bro did w it
ocean forge
probably got flux on it from reflowing the chips