Another CDX in need of repair

Greetings Gentlepeoples,

So classic story, bought a CDX for cheap because it has some issues. This system is kinda backwards from the usual problems in that it is the cartridges that can't play. The sega CD portion works great, but when you put a cartridge in it doesn't boot and just sits on a black screen. So what does someone with no soldering experience do? Should I open it up and hope to clean it and hopefully be able to put humpty dumpty back together again? Do I used a bent needle to try and pull the connector pins closer together? Do I just ship it to someone who can fix it? Anyone here able to fix it? Any guidance is appreciated.

Mundus

 

About to go home and tinker with it. Any advice before I go into this is a good thing. Help me save a cdx today. For just one comment you can help a hurt cdx find new life. *shows camera shots of a cdx with a genesis game in it and unable to read it* *plays sad music* Don't let a cdx like this fall down the way side.....

 

Hi,
Have you tried the classic isoproyl alchool/lincloth/credit card combo and clean the slot?
Does the system start when you wiggle the cartridge?

 

Yeah the credit card in a tshirt that was dipped in isoproyl is all ive tried at this point. I cant get anything in the cartridge to register. I mean the cdx knows there is a cartridge there but it still doesnt boot up. I havent even gotten it to flicker an image yet. I cant see any broken connector pins....so i juss dunno what to do now. I think next ill bend a pin and try to tighten the connector pins a bit. I think after that if its still not working i will admit to it being something more serious...what that could be i have no idea.

 

I have replaced a cart slot on a sega cdx once.
send some pictures of the mainboard.

 

Ok just tried and open it up and honestly im intimidated. This seems like a really advanced system to mess with. Did some work on a seca cd model 1 once but this seems like another level. I could get tje bottom off but the top i jist dont quite see how to do it. Any guides out there? A quick google didnt pull one up.

 

Get bright light and magnifying glass and look at the cart connector. Any of them bent out or missing? I had an X'Eye that didn't want to play any cart until I checked and found a dead bug inside the slot. Somehow it was hard enough to not get squashed flat and prevented the cart from seating fully.

 

http://www.multimods.com/CDXFAQ.html

check "4.1 How do I open my CDX without damaging it?"

 

Ok. The Real Pheonix I will use that guide to open it up and take some pictures. WilyKat, I'll scower over the pins. It may be that they are spaced too far apart, but the only thing that concerns me is that it doesnt really show anything except for a black screen. No flicker, no images that sometimes appear just deadly silent black.

 

You could try replacing the capacitors, but I would check the fuse first. It's located on the back of the mainboard on the bottom right corner.

 

Boom: Spoiler: i cant sodder. Dont even think im spelling it right. Tried and failed once on a sega cd model 1. It still haunts me.