old cartridges that don't boot without blowing.

[migles]

i recommend lots of gbatempers to clean flashcard contacts.
and i sure do that too..

but lately i come across with a problem, i have several old cartridges that no matter what i do or clean, they don't work unless i blow them

i tried to clean with alcohol. put them on a box full of rice (my house got some humidity, and rice is a cheap and easy solution) but they don't "plug and play" they require blowing.. and i'd like to avoid to do that and preserve the cartridges...

so, i would want tips how to fix this, and explanation why does this happen, i have boxes for them, i dont think there is dust or stuff inside the carts
i may as well try to clean the DS itself, but my flashcarts work flawlessly

i mainly have DS and gba carts.. but this is a problem that also happens on every old cartridge pratically..

 

[sarkwalvein]

Look for some chemical that removes the oxide from the contacts. They exist I don't remember names.

 

[Veho]

Here's an interesting read on the subject.
tl;dr: it's the act of reinserting them that does the trick, not blowing them.

Spoiler

 

[migles]

Here's an interesting read on the subject.
tl;dr: it's the act of reinserting them that does the trick, not blowing them.

Spoiler

thank you for showing this, i will give it a read later today

well, i also thought it was the act of re-insert them. since it doesn't make much sense that it works.. tested it.. but after 5 tries of re-insert, and no change.. sometimes just 1 blow is enough and they work, sometimes they require 2 or 3 blows, but before blowling i always try to re-insert and it very rarely just the re-insert works..

Look for some chemical that removes the oxide from the contacts. They exist I don't remember names.

now that you mention that, i also would love to know..
i remember when i was a kid, my megadrive\genesis wires were totally corrosed, with green stuff on them, my godfather used some kind of spray on them and magically they were all shiny and new... never seen that spray again..

 

[Catastrophic]

Thoroughly cleaning the contacts with a q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol works wonders almost every time, but if the dirt is really bad then you may want to use acetone instead. Don't forget to clean the cartridge slot on your console as well.

 

[migles]

i wish nintendo sold cleaning kits for game boy\ds and other systems, as far as I know (someone can tell me if they did) nintendo didn't make cleaning kits for other consoles except the nes..

the portable consoles, the ones that get outside and are subjected to get stuff inside of them, they are full of holes...
i mean, a home console is supposed to stand next to the tv.. while a portable you take it out on every kind of place...
i bought a cheap rubber covers for my ds, but they were not durable and i lost half of them..

 

[emigre]

Just get on your knees and blow carts.

 

[Foxi4]

Rubbing alcohol is not necessarily good - often times it contains additives like colouring or glycol which leave a film on contacts or, worse yet, react with them and lead to oxidation. Use clean isopropyl alcohol and if that fails, get a can of professional PCB cleaning liquid that will help with the affected contacts.

 

[migles]

Rubbing alcohol is not necessarily good - often times it contains additives like colouring or glycol which leave a film on contacts or, worse yet, react with them and lead to oxidation. Use clean isopropyl alcohol and if that fails, get a can of professional PCB cleaning liquid that will help with the affected contacts.

what is the name of that product? without names its hard to know which ones\brands etc are good, and not using some cheap ass product from china shop

 

[Foxi4]

what is the name of that product? without names its hard to know which ones\brands etc are good, and not using some cheap ass product from china shop

raulpica swears by KONTAKT and I've heard good things about it too. It's a spray with a brush nozzle, comes in a white and green can.

 

[Veho]

well, i also thought it was the act of re-insert them. since it doesn't make much sense that it works.. tested it.. but after 5 tries of re-insert, and no change.. sometimes just 1 blow is enough and they work, sometimes they require 2 or 3 blows, but before blowling i always try to re-insert and it very rarely just the re-insert works..

Another theory is that blowing on the contacts covers them in condensation from the water vapor on your breath, which increases the conductivity briefly but in the long term corrodes the contacts even more. Heard that somewhere. I lean towards the former.

 

[raulpica]

raulpica swears by KONTAKT and I've heard good things about it too. It's a spray with a brush nozzle, comes in a white and green can.

KONTAKT is damn good and it has helped me with a lot of hardware, even stuff splashed in the water

 

[JaapDaniels]

For contact cleaning 2 steps it's a skilled proces, and sometimes not doable without professional rewire kit (and this kit is pretty expensive).
1. Open the cardridge .
2. Clean the corroded area with alcohol.
3. Use a glass-fiber pen to remove all corrosion.
4. Solder the contacts.
5. Replace all damaged tracks with wires of the sime dimensons.
6. For the contacts that need to be the same as original (to be able to put it in your console), you'll use this professional kit see: http://www.circuitmedic.com/products/201-2100.shtml .
7. clean again with alcohol.

 

[migles]

KONTAKT is damn good and it has helped me with a lot of hardware, even stuff splashed in the water

what is the price of kontakt?

 

[Bimmel]

they don't work unless i blow them

can't.. resist.. to post a .. stupid sentence..!

Okay, not this time.

You got that problem with DS cards too? I did never blow a DS card or had any problems with them, that's why I ask.

 

[Blaze163]

Obligatory 'I don't work until I get blown' comment just to get it out of the way.

 

[cracker]

Scrubbing with Brassiere followed by cleaning off the pins with 91% or higher rubbing alcohol and wiping them clean with a lint-free cloth is a good long-term solution.

 

[migles]

can't.. resist.. to post a .. stupid sentence..!

Okay, not this time.

You got that problem with DS cards too? I did never blow a DS card or had any problems with them, that's why I ask.

some of them do.. however the ds cards problem could be humidity.. but they are now in a bag full of rice

 

[raulpica]

what is the price of kontakt?

Around $10 for a can which will last you a lifetime.

 

[migles]

Around $10 for a can which will last you a lifetime.

10, its a great price.
was expecting a price about 20~30€+

edit: forgot to ask, good place to buy it and shipping international? can only find websites for czech republic