Did my Capcom Battery Die?

ArcadeKO

New member
Joined
Mar 19, 2010
Messages
76
Reaction score
0
Location
Roswell, Georgia
I bought a Marvel vs Capcom A+B board combo off ebay a couple weeks ago - decided I would try to replace the suicide battery. So I took the A - B boards apart and then looked for my torx screwdriver - couldn't find one that worked so I bought one one ebay (and picked up a new battery in stock from batteries plus) then today I decide I will try to solder int he new battery, but I figure I will put it back together and plug it in one more time just make sure its still working

and... purple screen - nothing - no sound, no nothing

I was just playing it last week - does this purple screen signify the death of the battery? Or is there maybe something else I screwed up and its not the battery?

:(
 
Make sure the two boards are properly connected...really squeeze on them... I had more than one CPSII board that would take some extra pressure to get it seated correctly.

If that doesn't work... time to get it Phoenixed.
 
Awesome!

Awesome man! I banged on it and really stuck them together and BAM im back in business!

now i can try and break it by soldering a new battery in there!

Thanks!!

I really thought I had them together snug - but after the 3rd time and your post I really beat on them and that did the trick!

Thanks a million :D
 
Take your time when you do it. The board can stay alive for up to several hours without the battery installed on CPS2. Just don't attempt a CPS3 cart. They die immediately after the battery is removed. Professionals only on CPS3.
 
My soldering iron is heating up right now - its a CPS2 board - I don't know how to tell if the battery has ever been replaced - I would think it would have had to by now or it would have died. Its an orange board - and I am guessing this thing is at least 12 years old by now right?

so someone must have replaced the battery at some point - they seller didnt't have a clue when I asked him about the suicide battery. I couldn't pass it up for $42!
 
Take your time when you do it. The board can stay alive for up to several hours without the battery installed on CPS2. Just don't attempt a CPS3 cart. They die immediately after the battery is removed. Professionals only on CPS3.

do we know how to do the cps3? I know theres people who charge like 150 to pheonix it but my question is why so much. How hard is it?
 
1) Battery Acid smells real bad

2) Old batteries spew noxious gases when you puncture them

3) All the instructions for replacing suicide batteries do not mention how hard it is to get the old battery off the board without breaking all the connections

4) I can't solder worth a crap

5) I CANT SOLDER WORTH A CRAP

6) Why did I start this hobby again?

7) Soldering irons leave big black burn marks on wood floors (just like cigarette burns)

8) Soldering irons are real HOT and burn the crap out of your fingers while trying to keep a tiny battery in place hoping it wont explode

9) I CANT SOLDER TO SAVE MY LIFE

My life is worth more than this damn arcade board

- I guess I need to mail this thing to Finland, however I will probably be dead by morning since I inhaled enough toxic acid battery fumes to kill an adult African OX.

Screw it - I taped it up with some metal tape
 
Wow. What happened? Did you have the wrong battery type or something? You should only need to solder the leads attached to the battery and not the battery itself. Make sure you use vinegar to neutralize the acid not water. If you got acid on the pcb use vinegar to wash it.
 
HINTS:

Use snips to remove battery at the posts...

Discard old battery... you now have two small posts sticking through the motherboard.

Use desoldering braid to remove two posts.

Install new battery in spot where the two posts where taking note of + and - ends.

Solder new posts and snip excess of the posts off the back.

Simple... you're done.
 
Last edited:
1) Battery Acid smells real bad

2) Old batteries spew noxious gases when you puncture them

3) All the instructions for replacing suicide batteries do not mention how hard it is to get the old battery off the board without breaking all the connections

4) I can't solder worth a crap

5) I CANT SOLDER WORTH A CRAP

6) Why did I start this hobby again?

7) Soldering irons leave big black burn marks on wood floors (just like cigarette burns)

8) Soldering irons are real HOT and burn the crap out of your fingers while trying to keep a tiny battery in place hoping it wont explode

9) I CANT SOLDER TO SAVE MY LIFE

My life is worth more than this damn arcade board

- I guess I need to mail this thing to Finland, however I will probably be dead by morning since I inhaled enough toxic acid battery fumes to kill an adult African OX.

Screw it - I taped it up with some metal tape

Favorite post of the year.

EDIT: PLEASE tell me you weren't trying to solder the old leads onto a new battery. JFYI they make a holder that you can put a new battery into if the battery does not have leads... you solder the holder to the board and put the battery into the holder.
 
Last edited:
JFYI they make a holder that you can put a new battery into if the battery does not have leads... you solder the holder to the board and put the battery into the holder.

This is something I wish I had before I snipped the old battery out.

I didn't expect such complications - seemed straight forward enough.

I snipped the front lead off the battery and inhaled a probably lethal dose of toxic fumes. The big fat lead on the back of the battery was not as cooperative. Tried snipping, wouldn't come, tried heating it up with the soldering iron to loosed the solder - no go - finally got in there with the wire cutters and succeeded in ripping the entire lead out of the board, leaving a 1/8" stub.

First I tried soldering a short wire from the board to the - battery side, I could get the wire soldered to the board (not very well) but it would never stick to the battery. Same with the + side, would stick for a second then fall off - I probably could have gotten it to work if I had the battery holder - after about an hour and a half I gave up.

The battery kept getting some weird residue on it and solder just refused to stick to it, I was a little nervous that it would get to hot and explode in my face also. In the end I just taped the battery to the lead wired I soldered to the board with metal tape - however the game hasn't come back on since - back to the purple screen...

I am going to try and squeeze it together tighter and see if that helps - it seemed to work yesterday. If it does work then I might go and pick up a battery holder from radio shack and try to solder that in -

makes me want to buy a EEPROM editor so I can just load in the unencrypted code. At least I wouldn't worry about it exploding and covering me with battery acid
 
You're NOT trying to solder a regular old battery in there are you?

THIS is what you should have been trying to install:

cps2_battery_repair_kit_small.JPG
 
NO NO NO NO NO!! You need to install a LITHIUM battery...

Lithium batteries are higher voltage and can be recharged. If you tried to install a standard ole "Energizer" type battery, you've lost your data. It's only 1.5v...

Lithium batteries are 3.6v... if the encryption chip drops below 2v you've lost it.
 
Last edited:
NO NO NO NO NO!! You need to install a LITHIUM battery...

Lithium batteries are higher voltage and can be recharged. If you tried to install a standard ole "Energizer" type battery, you've lost your data. It's only 1.5v...

Lithium batteries are 3.6v... if the encryption chip drops below 2v you've lost it.

They make 3.6v lithium batteries without the leads as well, look like a normal AA battery. You install the holder and pop the battery into the holder and you're fine.
 
NO NO NO NO NO!! You need to install a LITHIUM battery...

Lithium batteries are higher voltage and can be recharged. If you tried to install a standard ole "Energizer" type battery, you've lost your data. It's only 1.5v...

Lithium batteries are 3.6v... if the encryption chip drops below 2v you've lost it.


If his old battery was leaking the data was most likely corrupted before he began anyway...
 
He was using a standard 3.6v battery and trying to solder his own leads onto the battery. What he needed was the 3.6v battery with axial leads for soldering. If you check out on mouser you will see the same battery with all sorts of options for connection. Axial, solder tabs, push in just like an energizer, etc. He went to batteries plus and asked for the battery and that's what they gave him. Please make sure you cleaned all of the acid up. If you don't neutralize it it will just keep corroding especially on the pcb.

Ten years ago I was about to do the same thing. Sat down with all of the equipment and said "this can't be right" and forgot about it for several years. Nowadays I can do it blindfolded. Axial battery, keystone or burn the phoenix roms. I've done over a hundred for myself, friends and others. My success rate on CPS3 is rising as well.
 
Back
Top Bottom