Ask NES Repair Questions
9/28/10
To help our customers understand their options to get their NES systems back up and running, we will monitor and answer questions left on this blog. Let us know what symptoms you are experiencing, and what you have done to fix your NES system thus far, and our professional repair staff will respond with their advice. To get things started, some common symptoms that are easy to diagnose are the following:
Symptom: TV screen flashes between a solid color and black.
Solution: Your 72 pin NES connector pins are worn out, and bent back. You should replace the 72 pin NES connector so it makes proper contact with your NES games.
Symptom: TV screen is a solid color, but does not flash.
Solution: Your NES games are likely dirty and need to be cleaned. You should clean your NES games to remove dirt and grime that is preventing a proper connection with the NES 72 pin connector.
Symptom: NES power light does not come on.
Solution: You have one of two issues. Either your NES AC Adapter is bad, or your internal power supply is bad. Always test the AC Adapter (either with a multimeter, or by purchasing a replacement NES AC Adapter) to rule that out. If that does not work, you will need to replace your NES system.
Of course, these are just a starting point. If you have other questions, post them here and check back often. We will try to respond to all questions within 24 hours. Thanks!
Comments
NDSL RE: Turns off when moving lid (10/6/2010 12:21:00 AM)
So, this is actually a blog post for NES repair questions, but you probably have a pinched DS Lite Top LCD cable. Using the search box in the upper right hand corner, search for DS Lite Repair Service. That product page will have all the details on your options.
NES Top Loader loses video (10/13/2010 7:54:00 PM)
Games play fine, but after about a hour video starts to flicker then goes out for about 2 minutes. Gets worse as system is left on.
top screen (10/14/2010 12:35:00 PM)
my son isnt getting and power to the top screen tollaly black bottom screen ok
RE: NES Top Loader loses video (10/14/2010 3:56:00 PM)
Sounds like an overheating problem to me Eric. You could try to open the NES system up to see if you can remove any dust bunnies, etc that might be causing the issue. Otherwise, I'd say that system is likely on its last legs. They do actually die eventually unfortunately. Good thing we have replacements that have already been refurbished. Search for NES system for details.
re: top screen (10/14/2010 3:58:00 PM)
Elaine,
It sounds like you have a short in one of the ribbon cables connecting your LCD screens to the motherboard. I assume this is either a DS or DS Lite? If so, search for DS Lite Repair Service on our site to place an order for our mail-in repair service. We can fix this for you.
very low audio (10/22/2010 11:16:00 PM)
I installed a new 72-pin and now the video comes in most of the time but i'm getting very low audio...i tried it on 2 nes's with the same result. Any ideas?
One game out of 20 dont work (10/30/2010 2:57:00 AM)
My console itself works great. However I have one game that just wont work. It flashes mostly or when it does come on its all distorted really bad. Tried cleaning game out and few other tricks but nothing works. Is it just a bad game or what?
Solid Color Screen (11/4/2010 8:12:00 PM)
My NES plays fine but on most and maybe all the games it first comes up with a solid gray screen. After I move the game left or right it comes on. Someone told me to clean the games with rubbing alcohol. I cleaned one and it did the same thing but sometimes it will have the picture but all jumbled up. What should I do?
Controllers don't work? (11/12/2010 2:00:00 AM)
Hi I have a SNES that works great, turns on ok, everything. Except the controllers aren't working. Do you think it is a problem with the controllers, or a problem with the system?
Re: very low audio (10/22/2010 11:16:00 PM) (11/26/2010 2:33:00 PM)
B,
I would try switching to an RF Switch if you are using AV Cables, or vice-versa. Sometimes the audio cards go bad over time, but it could also be that you have corrosion built up on the contacts (input ports) on the back of the system for either the AV cables or RF Switch.
Re: One game out of 20 dont work (11/26/2010 2:35:00 PM)
Jenny,
I would buy our Nintendo Game Cleaning kit, so you can actually open up your Nintendo games and take a good look at those contacts. Typically with your symptoms there is just some bad corrosion that has built up that rubbing alcohol won't remove. Fortunately our kit comes with special cleaner, and by opening the games you can put the pressure you need on the contacts to scrub them clean.
Re: Solid Color Screen (11/26/2010 2:38:00 PM)
E,
Your symptoms indicate that you have not yet tried to replace the 72 pin connector, or if you have you got a low quality connector. I would try using one of our connectors and our free online NES repair guide to replace the 72 pin connector in your system. If you get the NES Total Repair Kit, it will come with a new 72 pin connector and all the game cleaning supplies to professionally clean your games as well. This will all but guarantee you can get it working properly.
Re: Controllers don't work? (11/26/2010 2:39:00 PM)
Katie,
I would venture to guess that you have an issue with your controller ports or your system motherboard (both system related). If you order our SNES repair service, we can take a look at both of these items and hopefully get it working correctly for you. If we can't get it working, we will credit the cost of repair parts you paid towards a newly refurbished, fully working Super Nintendo System.
Can't Get Games to 'Catch' in console (12/5/2010 4:23:00 PM)
The games don't load correctly. They don't catch when I push them down into the unit. Is this fixable?
dropped ds (12/22/2010 5:59:00 PM)
my son dropped his ds today and it quit working, this is the 4th one i have bought, need to repair this one cant afford not to!
vertical lines (1/2/2011 3:11:00 PM)
When we play the super nintendo maro has vertical lines. Sometimes when we hit the jump the lines jump with him. We have used our cleaning kit and that does not help. These lines are in a few of the other games as well. Is this something that we will have to send in for repair?
Touch screen problem (1/12/2011 6:00:00 PM)
I think I messed up the small ribbon cable from the touch screen to the mother board, do you have these in stock that i can purchase, thanks
power botton flashes (1/13/2011 5:52:00 PM)
Most of the time when I turn on my NES, the red light on the power botton flashes on and off with the tv screen flashing solid white to solid black. This doesn't always happen. Sometimes I can play a game, but the flashing is pretty consistent. What can I do?
SNES (1/16/2011 11:13:00 AM)
Plug in my SNES and I get a red light for a slight second and then it looses power...It makes my TV flash but then does nothing. It is getting power for that slight second but then it doesnt do anything
Re: Can't Get Games to 'Catch' in console (1/20/2011 9:57:00 PM)
Kimberly,
This is a very common 'bug' when attempting to repair your NES system on your own. I have added a new blog article to address this issue, and will add it to our NES Repair Resources page as well. Link to the new blog article is above.
Re: Dropped DS (1/20/2011 10:26:00 PM)
Emily,
Without knowing any of your symptoms, I'd have to say your best bet is to send your system into us for repair. Just search for DS Lite Repair Service in our search box. The cost is $54.99 for all parts and labor (a very good deal compared to just about everyone else - Nintendo charges $75-80).
Re: vertical lines (SNES) (1/20/2011 10:29:00 PM)
Scott,
Unfortunately this is an issue with some SNES systems that we have not been able to fix in the past. Most of the reason why is that SNES parts are no longer produced (not as many out there as SNES). For this reason, you have to scrap a working system to get parts for repair, so it is just more cost effective (not to mention logical) to 'fix it' by replacing it with a working system. At some point that may change, but the market dictates this as our only option at this point.
Re: Touch screen problem (1/20/2011 10:31:00 PM)
David,
Yes, we do have replacement touch screen cables in stock for the DS Lite. However, they are attached to replacement DS Lite touch screens. That is the only way they come, so in order to replace that cable, you'll have to get a whole new touch screen. Fortunately, we sell these and other DS Lite repair parts on the cheap. After all, we are the Nintendo Repair Shop. Search for DS Lite touch screen using our search box in the upper right hand corner.
Re: power botton flashes (1/22/2011 2:14:00 AM)
Jeff,
I actually get questions about the blinking/flashing red light and a solid colored screen on the NES all the time. So, I wrote a new blog article to help you solve your issue, check it out on our blog page.
Re: SNES (1/23/2011 10:55:00 PM)
Jeff,
Unfortunately as SNES parts are no longer manufactured, you are best off going with a replacement system at this point. The original Nintendo was more popular, which is one of the reasons why parts are still manufactured for this system when they are not for the Super Nintendo.
8 bit is humming (1/30/2011 8:21:00 PM)
I get background humming on my 8 bit NES. It sounds like interference but is on any TV i use for all my games. Anyone else get this...other audio is fine. I switched AV cables to no avail as well.
nintendo ds lite (2/3/2011 12:00:00 PM)
we have 3 ds lite and none of them will play the games we have. thet will do everything but play the games. can you give me some idea what to look for to repair them,
NES problem ( maybe power supply ) (2/6/2011 6:04:00 AM)
Hello,
I have just repaired my NES with your total repair kit and cleaned my games and the system works great but i encounter a problem : after playing a little time the NES console doesn't stop rebooting on any games and sometimes the red light just turn off and i can't start the console again. The problem appears after a little time of playing ( approximately 30 minutes ) and if i wait, i can restart playing for 30 minutes without rebooting but no more long.
NES : Stripes + Sound Interference (2/9/2011 12:19:00 PM)
Hi, when i play on my NES, stripes appear after a little time of play. These stripes change the color on the screen and when there are these stripes, i have a sound interference, a buzz. These stripes moves along the screen and appear and disappear randomly. Is it due to oxydation ( but my games are clean and my connector is new ), or other thing ?
Just replaced 72 pin connector... (2/9/2011 10:06:00 PM)
I just replaced the 72 pin connector in my NES. I attempted playing a game, but any game I try ends up putting a double picture of the game on the screen. Help?! Please.
NES: Freezing (2/16/2011 11:08:00 AM)
I have replaced the 72 pin connector. Here's the problem. I put a NES game in and turn on the system. The game will load at the title screen then it freezes. I have tried testing the AC adapter and that works great. One friend said it might be a capacitor that is failing. Any clue on why this is happening to my NES? If so how can I fix it.
NES 72 pin connector (2/17/2011 12:44:00 PM)
i bought your 72. pin cannector followed the video, cleaned my games, tried it, and still the blinking red light and a black an white flashing screen. whats goin on here? why is it not working? and now what do i try to do?
Re: 8 bit is humming (1/30/2011 8:21:00 PM) (2/19/2011 11:22:00 AM)
Matt,
This is typically due to the power supply believe it or not. Some power supplies put out more or less voltage than indicated (typically because they are faulty), which can cause this buzzing noise. I would start by replacing the power supply.
Re: nintendo ds lite (2/3/2011 12:00:00 PM) (2/19/2011 11:24:00 AM)
William,
You may have a dirty game. It is odd that all three aren't working. I would take a cloth and try cleaning the game contacts.
Re: NES problem ( maybe power supply ) (2/6/2011 6:04:00 AM) (2/19/2011 11:26:00 AM)
Maxime,
Your system is overheating. It very well could have something to do with the adapter or power convertor (assuming you are playing a US version in France). I would also open up the system and clear out any dust balls that have accumulated as this can improve overheating symptoms.
Re: Just replaced 72 pin connector... (2/9/2011 10:06:00 PM) (2/19/2011 11:29:00 AM)
Caitlin,
Some systems have bad video processors that cause distortion. This is just a symptom of getting old unfortunately. It is still relatively uncommon (less than 5%), but when it happens the cost to repair it far outweighs the cost of getting a replacement. I would recommend going that route. We offer console only replacement systems (assuming you have the other accessories) for only $49.99
Jumbled Screen (3/4/2011 3:23:00 PM)
I replaced the 72 pin connector and for about a week the system worked great. But now every game comes on (no blinking light) but the picture is jumbled. The sound is fine, just distorted images. Any advice?
Ds lite (3/6/2011 12:22:00 PM)
I have a DS lite. When I'm playing a game it don't move to the right side unless u press really hard then it will. What can I do to fix this or how much will it cost if I take it in to get fixed
dsi xl (3/31/2011 3:52:00 PM)
dose the dsi lowerr lcd screen work on the dsi xl model
SNES Video Problems (4/17/2011 12:28:00 AM)
My Super Nintendo seems to not work with any Mode7 or FX Chip games such as Star Fox, Super Mario Kart, and specific graphics in games like Contra III. I was wondering if cleaning the pins and carts would help. I have a feeling that the SNES Console is the source of all these problems, since the video difficulties span over many games. So, will cleaning work or do I need to replace something?
nintendo ds lite (4/24/2011 9:40:00 PM)
hi my friend gave me a nds lite the green light gos on but the screens wont go on whats the problem
ds lite upper lid and screen problem (4/27/2011 9:10:00 PM)
Recently replaced the upper shell, upper lcd and barrel hinge. I ordered these parts from Nintendo Repair shop and worked along with your repair video. Great parts and great video. Worked great for 2 weeks.Now when the shell is open , it powers off if it gets less than 90 degrees closed and upper lcd only works in 1 position while open, any movement of upper shell creates various issues depending position of upper shell. Issues are as follows: all the way open = blank screen other positions = vertical lines, partial screen, or powering off. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
NES single light flash (4/28/2011 10:15:00 PM)
I recently received an old NES from my cousin with no games. I got one from a thrift store, but couldn't get it to work. The light would flash quickly just once most of the time and do the same, but stay dimly lit, part of the time. Usually, after a few seconds, the dim light would go out. With no game in it, the light would blink like it should only about 1/2 of the time. Often, it would stop blinking after a few seconds. Nothing ever showed up on the screen. I replaced the 72-pin connector and cleaned all the contacts- on the console and the game. Since I already had it opened, I also disabled the lockout chip. It acted like it did before with a game in, but the light would stay on much more often than before without a game. I got a second game off of eBay that was supposed to be tested and working. It made no difference.
My cousin said that he was able to get the system to work most of the time with his games. Is the system just dying?
NES Problem/s (5/4/2011 8:52:00 PM)
(I have a working system and a spare deck that does not work, so i know the power supply, and accessories, carts all work)
My back up deck however when i push power, I hear a sound through the tv that fires off in time with the click of the button, half second or so. I see a "flash" as well, then screen stays black. The LED/power light does not come on. (So no clue if i t is blinking or not) I've tried cleaning and refurbing the 72 pins. I pulled the power on button/reset and card and put it in the working system. It will power that deck on and light does not work. So thats just one problem and minor. Not sure where to look next or if this nes deck is dead.
nintendo DSi (5/14/2011 10:37:00 PM)
i got an dsi and i charged it after i charged it i clicked on a game and it was loading but after i did that the screen turned off and the light still was on
NES still freezes (6/3/2011 1:03:00 PM)
I bought a new 72pin connector and disabled the lockout chip. I still have games with absolutely no oxidation freezing. I even cleaned the mobo contacts. Help!
Game Genie (6/6/2011 3:35:00 PM)
Hey there, I recently repaired my NES with the kit you supply, and it works amazing. However, i'm worried to use my Game Genie - i've read that it can damage the 72-pin connector.. Do you know if this is true? Are there any ways around this, or is the best bet to have a spare 72pin if i'm going to use the GG? Thanks a lot!
replaced 72 pin (6/25/2011 4:52:00 PM)
I replaced the 72 pin I bought from you and game cleaning kit. My nes still comes up with a blinking gray screen. what should I do next?
Ds-Lite Bottom Screen (6/29/2011 2:01:00 PM)
When I touch my bottom screen on my Ds-lite it doesn't work. But when I use the buttons, it works. Can you please help me?
Buying a NES (7/4/2011 1:43:00 AM)
Hi im from Australia so if i buy one of your nes's you have on sale will the power adapter work in australia thanks heaps.
DS Lite Save Data Problem (8/1/2011 7:29:00 PM)
Hi I'm repairing a system for someone and the DS keeps saying "save data can not be accessed turn off power and reinsert game card". My question is will replacing the DS cartridge slot fix this problem or is it an internal memory issue in the motherboard? I've repaired a lot of systems but I've never seen this problem before..
no color with static (8/21/2011 12:53:00 AM)
my new super mario bros game has been working fine but all of a sudden there was no color with static sounds
vertical lines on nes games (9/1/2011 7:10:00 AM)
Whenever I play my nes games, there are vertical lines going through any of the moving characters of the game. I have already taken apart and cleaned the game contacts, I have already installed a new 72 pin connector, and I have already cleaned the contacts on the motherboard. I did notice while I was cleaning the motherboard contacts that there was scratches on the contacts. Is it possible that I might have a bad motherboard? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
How to connect (9/13/2011 9:09:00 AM)
I 'just found a nintendo nes system in my basement that belonged to my sister. I don't know how to connect it to my TV. Can someone help me. It appears to be in mint condition.
Transparent spots in objects (9/13/2011 7:08:00 PM)
I have a original nes system and when I am playing games like adventure Island 2 there are transparent spots in the objects that seem to flicker and go away. I don't notice this problem when I use my clone system. Does anybody know what the problem is ? thanks
transparent spots in objects update (9/14/2011 11:18:00 PM)
I tried another nes still a front loader and I still have this problem. No sure why the clone displays better.
thanks
my nes doesn't turn on (9/22/2011 5:00:00 AM)
Hello everyone , my name is Kyriakos and I'm from Greece. Since I got a problem with my nes I thought you would be the best to ask. I bought a nes console from an american seller on ebay 10 days ago and although it played perfectly the first 5 minutes, it closed suddenly and from that moment didn't turn on again. I can't imagine the reason . Can the console burnt somehow ? I mean is this possible because I used a voltage converter too with the adaptor in order to convert the voltage from american standards to greek one's. I'm ready to buy a european adapter suitable for nes that I found on internet and a 72 pin connector but I'm not sure if this will come up to a sollution.I'm very sad with this development and I would be thankfull if you have an answer to my problem .thank you from hearing.Looking forward to hearing from you soon. Bye!
Color Problem (10/9/2011 5:03:00 PM)
Hey, I've gotta problem with my NES, it turns almost every person in any game I play, black. It turns them black. This is no joke, I swear. I need help. Please respond.
Nintendo NES reboots (10/13/2011 7:11:00 PM)
I have a console that when you power it on it comes to the first screen then it reboots over and over. does not matter what game is in the system it will not boot any games just reboots all the time. Please help in a direction
dswont turn on (10/16/2011 2:29:00 PM)
ive just replaced the touch screen on my ds lite and now the green light flashes for a short while but the ds doesnt turn on. The ds was working fine before I changed the touch screen, ive even put the old touch screen back in to see if its the new one that could be faulty, but the problem persists, I dont know what it could be, ive checked to see if there is anything obvious but it looks fine inside. It must be something ive done, but what???, any hints would be appreciated
NES Woes (10/18/2011 9:09:00 PM)
Thought this would be the right site to ask this question. Which chip on the NES board begins to fail most often with age? Asking this cause I have 2 NES mobo boards that games freeze up on, but only after their on for some time. New 72 pin connecter, disabled lockout chips and freshly cleaned games. I'm prob going to buy a new mobo from you and swap chip by chip out of curiosity.
Touch Screen (10/20/2011 9:42:00 PM)
I am having problems with my touch screen. I have replaced it but the screen does not show properly. The lettering is not sharp and hard to read.
Mike Tyson's Punch-Out problem (10/21/2011 6:52:00 PM)
I just bought a retron 1 nes system and mike tyson's punch out from Amazon. I put it all together and the game glitched very badly. cleaned it out, but the start up screen and cut scene's are all jumpy and scrolls down in a loop. When you are able to play it looks great...any thoughts on how to fix this?
touch screen wont work :( (10/24/2011 2:05:00 PM)
my touch screen wont work at all. it wont respond and now i can only play one of my games!
Auto-Down (11/1/2011 1:49:00 PM)
I have a system which auto-fires down, but only when a controller (tried multiples) is connected. For example, in Mario/Duck Hunt the screen will immediately show as selecting Duck Hunt. Have you ever seen one do this before? I tried cleaning the contacts on the ports, but I'm stumped beyond that.
Charger port (11/11/2011 3:07:00 AM)
My daughters ds lite wouldn't charge and when we looked at the port we could see a prong sticking out. My son tried to "fix it" and ended up with a small piece of inside the port falling out. Is it fixable at all or should I junk it? It works perfectly when it can charge.
color problem (11/13/2011 8:32:00 AM)
Mine is even worse the whole screen is white (cant touch or anything )
Does it have to do something with the action replay
Original Gameboy sound problem (11/17/2011 2:28:00 PM)
It plays games and works just fine, but at the Nintendo logo screen it makes a high pitched version of the normal sound, just drawn out. The in-game music and sounds are just slightly off as well. I haven't tried anything yet as I just got a tri-wing screwdriver to open it up
dsi switch screen problem (11/20/2011 4:53:00 PM)
hi so my son threw my dsi across the room and shattered the bottom screen (it looked like a cell phone thats been stomped on) so my husband took my sons dsi's bottom screen and stuck it in mine but the screen is black now 0.0! we figured they would be compatible... i mean they are both dsi's. so is there some trick? or are certain dsi's not work together? emailing me would be a great help :)
FROZEN DSI (11/28/2011 8:10:00 PM)
HI there my daughter has a nintendo dsi and it is only 6 months old. she dropped it on the floor now it the screen is remaining white and the power button wont turn off or on. is this fixable? its like it is frozen.
NES fix (12/4/2011 10:56:00 PM)
Hello, my NES-001 operates perfectly except for 1 problem. The video is black, white, and grey.
Fuzzy grey picture and bad sound (12/15/2011 10:56:00 PM)
I have installed the new connector. The tab on the game slot underneath I believe what you're talking about is the bit of black plastic that extends a little right by the area where the white piece pops out when you press if down, right? I had I hard time getting it to lock into place, but I believe it's in place now. I have most of the screws holding the guts together before I put it all together I retested it. Now what it does, it has a really really fuzzy grey picture and really bad sound to sound at all. I have cleaned the game and have tried multiple games withe same things happening. I am using a new rf switch that isn't the grey one, but a black universal one. Could that rf switch be bad, could the mother board have a problem, could that little grey metal box at the back where the cords plug in have an issue inside? What are your thoughts?
DSi top LCD (12/21/2011 7:26:00 PM)
I just replaced the top LCD and all I get is the backlight. Everything else works. Can play games and all. Any Suggestions?
My DSi Screen Won't Turn on (12/26/2011 2:25:00 PM)
Whenever I turn on my DSi, the little blue light turns on, but the screen stays black. I know that it is fully charged I don't know what to do. Could you help?
DSi XL Top screen half white half color lines (1/2/2012 7:03:00 PM)
i use my dsi xl through out the day to talk through yahoo messenger on, and when i went to turn it off after it had been sitting on and closed for a couple of hours, the top screen is half white and the other half has various color lines going up and down... can i just replace the screen or is there more to be repaired? the bottom screen works fine as do both of the cameras and the speakers... it may have been sat on... so im thinking it got slightly bent if it had been sat on... i opened up the unit, both top and bottom and didnt see anything cracked or damaged... any suggestions? thank you
DS turns on and off by itself (1/6/2012 9:42:00 AM)
My DS turns on and off by itself even when I am playing on it, Could you please tell me what is wrong?
JUMBLED SCREEN (1/10/2012 6:20:00 PM)
I recently got a NES system off ebay and when ever I hook it up using AUX cables to my HD Panasonic TV the picture shows up all jumbled but the sound is good. The ad said they replaced the 72 pin. I'm convinced its the system because when I hook up my N64 it works fine. Any suggestions?
Power Problem (1/11/2012 10:28:00 PM)
My NES has always worked perfectly. I have come across the flashing light here and there, but when using my game genie it starts up with one push of the button. However lately while playing the system shuts itself off completely. The red light shuts off, so its not the common blinking problem. It will happen at all different times. At times I can play for three hours without a problem, other times two minutes. If i dont touch the power button after it shut off, it attempts to start back up, but usually fails. Is this a fixable problem or is it toast.
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Mike - Ontario/Canada