NES 8-bit blinky blinky

SilverDuck

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I have me a NES 8-bit system. It has the blinking power light problem. I took him apart, cleaned him up real nice, replaced his 72-pin connector, cleaned the mating surface...I still have blinky blinky. If I huff and puff on the games....they work for about 15 minutes, then the game will freeze. This happens with Zelda, Zelda 2, Rush 'N Attack, all games. It's not just one game.

What is my problem? What makes the games work after blowing on them?
 
blowing on them is just a myth, unless your actually breaking loose giant grains of dirt and dust...

have you tried q-tip+rubbing alcohol?

after that also try inserting the game, pressing it down and while in the system rocking the cart back and forth.

i recomend doing a better job cleaning your games before you pollute your fresh pin connector. do a youtube search on how to disable the lockout chip, theres one leg on it you need to cut. sometimes it confuses a dirty game with a pirate game and the blink is it telling you it wont play it. if you disable the chip the system becomes a little less picky about dirt and will play european/pirate carts if you happen to have any
 
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Yeah, cleaning the system alone will only solve half your problem. Clean your games. If the q-tip and rubbing alcohol dosent work, get some security screw bits, takes games apart and clean contacts with a WHITE eraser.

BTW, this guy says hi...
 

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I can make a video of the game not working, me blowing on it, re-inserting, and it working for about 15 minutes. Then the game freezes. I remove, re-inesrt....blinky blinky. I blow on the game, it works for another 15 minutes. I'm telling you, the only way I can get the game to work is by blowing into it.
 
the scientific issue is that the connectors actually oxidize over time. alcohol actually helps it along, as well as moisture by blowing on it.

the best way to clean oxidized copper: is mixing vinegar with saline. 50%50%, apply and clear with qtip. Then blow with canned air.

theres also a kit somewhere online for your nes and Snes, that replaces your pin assembly with a different metal that doesnt oxidise.

make sure you open the game up and clean it with the chip out.

youll need this
http://www.amazon.com/Steel-3-8mm-Screwdriver-Security-Nintendo-Games/dp/B000F8GWH2
 
There are so many theories. I've seen YouTube videos that suggest everything from Windex to WD-40 to clean the games. I've tried the Windex/Q-tip method. Cleaned it until it's as shiny as my wedding band. I'm not sure how to get them any cleaner. Still....blinky blinky. I've tried pencil eraser, Brasso....still blinky blinky. A good huff and puff makes the games work....but only for a few minutes.

I'll try vinegar and see what happens.

As always, thanks guys!
 
Yes, I've tried the 'wiggle', the 'jiggle', the 'snap the game down', the '2 games at once'...the only thing that even remotely works is blowing. I've read that it's not a 'blowing' that does the magic, it's the moisture from your breath.

I tried this, and it seems to be true. If I used a "haaah....haaaah" breath, like to clean the lens on a pair of glasses, it works more than a "dry blow". (Can this be any more homo-erotic?)

If blowing on the game (moisture) makes the game play just fine for 15 minutes, that seems to indicate that the game plays fine until the moisture dries, correct?

But the game is as clean as can be. Stumped.

Thanks for your help, and any suggestions you may have. Big thanks! :)
 
lets try the flip side.

get a small quart pan and add water, boil.

briefly hold the game over the steam, waving it so it get up into the unit.

plug and play, see what happens.
 
Seems like you've tried everything except for this...

do a youtube search on how to disable the lockout chip, theres one leg on it you need to cut. sometimes it confuses a dirty game with a pirate game and the blink is it telling you it wont play it. if you disable the chip the system becomes a little less picky about dirt and will play european/pirate carts if you happen to have any

A pencil eraser is too coarse. You need to use a soft white eraser. But in your case, you may just have a bad system.
 
I clean my game carts with a Q-tip sprayed with contact cleaner. I use the contact cleaner that has silicone in it. It helps keep the contacts from oxidizing.
 
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