| Problem
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Solution
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| No power
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- Test with a known good AC adapter. Test to see if you get proper voltage on each pin and none are shorted to ground. Check for signs of corrosion or damage on the power connector. See photos for reference
- Test pins on the power switch to see if there is continuity. When the power switch is on, pins 8 should have continuity to pin 7, and pins 1, 4, and 5 should have continuity with pins 2, 3, and 6. When the power switch is off those pins should not be connected. If the power switch isn't working properly, try cleaning it with IPA or replace it. See photo for reference
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| Red light but no audio or video
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- Check AV cable and port for any corrosion or damage. Test with a known good cable.
- Make sure a known good jumper pack is installed. Visually inspect jumper pack pins and connectors for signs of corrosion, debris, or damage. Clean jumper pack pins and connector with IPA.
- Visually inspect both cartridge pins and connector pins for signs of corrosion, debris, or damage. Clean cartridge pins and connector with IPA.
- Visually inspect motherboard traces and components around the cartridge connector for signs of damage.
- Test pins on the reset switch to see if there is continuity. When the button is pushed down, pins 2 and 5 should be connected. When not pressed they shouldn't be connected. If pins 2 and 5 are connected when the button isn't pressed, the system is stuck resetting. Try cleaning the button with IPA or replace it. See photo for reference.
- Test if C122, C23, C13, and C12 are shorted to ground. Test if FIL11 and FIL10 have continuity. Test to see if RA4 has a resistance of 1 kΩ. If any of these are bad, replace them. Visually inspect traces, test points, and vias for signs of corrosion or damage. Test for continuity to make sure they are making a good connection. See photo for reference.
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| Red light and audio but no video
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- Check AV cable and port for any corrosion or damage. Test with a known good cable
- Test if C13 and C12 are shorted to ground. Test if FIL11 and FIL10 have continuity. If any of these are bad, replace them. Visually inspect traces, test points, and vias for signs of corrosion or damage. Test for continuity to make sure they are making a good connection. See photo for reference.
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| Red light and video but no audio
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- Check AV cable and port for any corrosion or damage. Test with a known good cable
- Test if C122 and C23 are shorted to ground. Test to see if RA4 has a resistance of 1 kΩ. If any of these are bad, replace them. Visually inspect traces, test points, and vias for signs of corrosion or damage. Test for continuity to make sure they are making a good connection. See photo for reference.
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| Save files are being deleted
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There are 2 types of methods used to save N64 games. It either saves it to EEPROM and doesn't require a battery, or it saves it to SRAM and requires a battery. Only 12 N64 games use batteries.
- 1080 Snowboarding
- F-Zero X
- Harvest Moon 64
- Major League Baseball featuring Ken Griffey Jr.
- Mario Golf
- Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber
- Resident Evil 2
- Super Smash Bros
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
- The New Tetris
- WCW/NWO Revenge
- WWF: Wrestlemania 2000
If your cartridge uses a battery, replace it with a CR2032 battery
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