Original Game Boy - powers up but sign of game function
I got a Game Boy that was in rough shape. I took it all apart to clean the plastic bits. When I reassembled everything, the unit powers up, but there's no video, sound or any indication of game function. There's no scrolling Nintendo text or 2 note jingle.
Dumb ol me, I never tested the unit before disassembly, so I don't know if I broke it while it was taken apart. I've used an AC adapter and batteries, power isn't an issue. I've tried two good working carts and cleaned the slot. Nothing seems to get this unit to operate. I've looked over the motherboard and I can't see any damage, corrosion or otherwise. I've listened through headphones and the unit makes the typical sound pop whenever power is turned on (as with the speaker), but again, no response. Since the LED and speaker work, I don't think the ribbon cable is the problem here.
Is anybody here familiar with Game Boy repair? Are there places I can look that typically succumb to failure?
Dumb ol me, I never tested the unit before disassembly, so I don't know if I broke it while it was taken apart. I've used an AC adapter and batteries, power isn't an issue. I've tried two good working carts and cleaned the slot. Nothing seems to get this unit to operate. I've looked over the motherboard and I can't see any damage, corrosion or otherwise. I've listened through headphones and the unit makes the typical sound pop whenever power is turned on (as with the speaker), but again, no response. Since the LED and speaker work, I don't think the ribbon cable is the problem here.
Is anybody here familiar with Game Boy repair? Are there places I can look that typically succumb to failure?
Comments
I thought it was only a screen related problem, must just be a bad cartridge port?
Now I wish NintendoAge was more like Neo-Geo.com, at least over there they go to insane lengths to fix things and in the process, learn greater things about their hardware.
Those things I can do. I'll see if the power connections are okay. There's a small DC converter board inside the Game Boy, so it shouldn't be hard to do testing. Since the speaker makes a usual pop when the power comes on, the LED lights up and I can hear noise through the headphone jack, I think it's safe to say there's power making it to most parts of the system. The clock is a good suggestion, I'll look into that. It's usually a clock oscillator, right?
Hmm, considering how beat up this system was, maybe it's not a strange idea that the clock oscillator could have gone bad. Seems everywhere it says they can become damaged when subjected to physical shock. Thanks 3Gen.
It could be anything from a bad trace, to a loose cable. Wish you tested it first to see if it worked, but it could be something that's just beyond normal repairs. Good luck
With no cartridge inserted, the text is instead a black bar, to signify no cartridge is present (
Are you saying your GB boots up like that with no cart? Or are you just saying that's what GBs should do in general?
@dra600n: Yes, I'm well aware of that too common response. I've been told the same about GameCubes. Well unfortunately, in my situation, buying another isn't really an option. Local availability is poor and shipping costs negate any possible deals I may find (shipping to Canada sucks). Besides, I enjoy fixing things, even if they're worthless. Recently I installed a new laser assembly in a GameCube who's laser had since been long dead. It works better than any of my other Cubes and the laser cost less than replacement Cube, if I were to buy one. This Game Boy wasn't a pretty sight, but I enjoy turning trash into treasure, so I've held onto it. Besides, fixing obscure problems means more knowledge, and knowledge is power.
@MrMiniMog: No, my Game Boy doesn't display anything, nor does it make a sound, cartridge or no cartridge (hence why I think this is a logic failure). Yes, I'm saying all Game Boys do that, both the original and Pocket (Color and so on use newer hardware). No cartridge = black bar instead of text. Bad cartridge = distorted text. All systems go = undistorted text, clearly says "Nintendo".
These repairs would be easier to accomplish if I had the right tools, like maybe a logic probe. A multimeter isn't very effective in a complex circuit, since lots of things are connected to each other. That tool also can't tell you if components have gone bad or not. Clock oscillators aren't very expensive anyways, I'll just go buy a new one of the same spec as this one (maybe two, one for this GB and the other for my Super Game Boy).
If and when I figure out what's ailing this Game Boy (clock oscillator is a great place to start), I'll definitely be buying a new battery cover and screen bezel for it. One less Game Boy in the trash, so you all can continue to enjoy your dirt cheap selling rates.
Now I have another problem, I have zero response from the LCD screen. The contrast dial does nothing. I'm thinking it's more than just dead vertical lines or something, since the whole LCD screen isn't working. Can anybody recommend me some repair guides? I've looked around and have found nothing useful.
What do you mean by backlight? The original Game Boy barely has anything on it's screen, let alone a backlight. Also, where might the driver chip be located?
I don't think the white ribbon cable is the problem, since the LED and speaker work. Only problem is the LCD, I figure it's not getting any power.
Maybe if I found the LCD voltage line and just ran a wire from the motherboard to supply power, that would work?