Nintendo Purple Screen?

So, I bought a NIntendo at a swap meet for around thirty bucks. Came with some stuff, but I can't get it to stop displaying a purple screen, and it certainly doesn't play any audio when a cartridge is inserted. I opened it up, carefully cleaned everything (including the contact points on the pin connector), then I disabled the lockout chip. After I disabled it the flashing light stopped, but again it just displays a purple screen on any cartridge used on it. I tried both the RF and composite. Does anyone have any suggestions or is this thing dead?

 

Sounds to me like it is not clean enough. ( Connector and games )

 

I cleaned it as best as I can. I did the connector twice and my games a few times each. Is it common for a purple screen to happen?

 

The connector is probably buggered. Try bending all 72 pins back to position or buy a replacement, however many are very tight. Either solution should fix.

 

pin bending is as bad as destroying the connector in my book. How did you clean the connector?

 

I fixed a few connectors by bending back the pins as well. Just have to have a steady hand and some patience. I used a very thin needle to get the work done. I also tried something a little different on one this past summer which was to use polish to clean the connector. It worked really well but getting the extra residue off of the connector was very difficult. Took me a while to clean off the extra residue but it works great just like the replacement ones. I don't have to push the cart down either even when I just use the pin bending method. I wouldn't recommend using polish though bending should be good enough in that one case where I used polish the connector was really dirty.

 

HERESY! Pin bending is evil.
Polish followed by deoxit is the very best solution. It preserves the original Zero insertion force and the game works by pushing it down, as it should be.
A properly refurnished connector with a clean game will work close to like it did on a new NES back in the days.

 

I used Isopropyl Alchohol and some q-tips.

Well, what kind of polish? And would I use it on both the 72pin connector detachment and what it connects to on the motherboard?

 

If possible I would try a known working connector on it and see if that works. It's possible something else could be wrong with the system. I have a NES which I think has a dead CPU. The PPU seems like it functions though. It just sits in a bin somewhere. I forget where I put it.

 

Yeah this is what I would do, I fix a lot of consoles so I have the luxury of swapping parts to troubleshoot my stuff but I Think OP here only have that one NES.

You cannot reach the pin contacts inside the connector with a Q-tips.

I use silvo, It is gentler than Brasso. Brasso, I have seen, can visibly damage gold plating on contacts but I have not yet observed this with silvo. Some people will argue that using polish on plated contacts is not a good idea whatsoever but my take on it is that whatever you do that does a deep clean will likely have some kind of abrasive effect anyway. And silvo is very gentle.

I ought to make a video of my technique to restore the 72 pin connector, explaining it in words would be tedious and not do as good a job as a demo.

 

1magus, please use the edit button or the multi-quote button instead of double posting. You can quote multiple posts with multi-quote.

Deoxit IS isopropyl alcohol... well, it's contact cleaner with a lubricant - just branded and sold for an extortionate price. Americans love using brand names for generic products (and the manufacturers love it because suckers go for the brand) - Coke, Band Aid, Q-Tip, Photoshop.....

I'd just use contact cleaner, personally. Switch cleaner is lubricated - good for parts that will rub.

[EDIT] - we cross-posted

Brasso is for polishing brass, but works on copper (naturally) and stainless steel. Silvo is for silver and electroplate. If you don't know what metal your contacts are, don't use a cleaner willy-nilly. Neither are designed for electronics, though. Use contact cleaner - the correct tool, designed for the job in hand. Any really nasty tarnishing that won't come off would have to be removed with an abrasive - the correct tool would be a fibreglass pencil, but be bloody careful! Nasty stuff, fibreglass dust.

 

I use Radio Shack brand lubricant, it's the same but cheaper than Deoxit. But everything is still cleaned with 70%+ alcohol in the end. I don't enjoy the Deoxit smell anyway and I try to use it sparingly.

 

I use Deoxit D5. It is definitely more than just isopropyl alcohol and I like i better than other contact cleaners. It just seems better formulated and has a lasting conductivity enhancing effect.
I have a collection of contact cleaner and will use the cheap ones for many application where they work just fine. I also have the regular lubricated stuff. Yeah Deoxit costs 3 times as much but I can do a lot of jobs with 1 can and I feel it is worth it for the extra goodness.

Silvo is basically a very soft polishing compound mixed with a metal cleaning solution. I have never seen any evidence of gold plating damage after using it on dirty cart contacts, I cannot say the same for brasso. I also use silvo on plastics where it works great to give that mirror finish.

On consoles and games I normally just use isopropyl or deoxit in worst cases. The exception is the NES. We all know the 72 pin is finicky, part of it is due to the zero friction system. The contacts only press together and do not rub. Regular rubbing like in top loading consoles will have a self scrubbing effect the NES does not have.

I also do a special treatment on the NES because i sell refurbished NES kits and I do not want people to complain it does not work well enough when they buy NES kits from me. I want it to play the game on first try. No wiglling around, with the original ZIF connectors with no bent pins please.
Silvo, Good rince, Good Dry then deoxit gives me that result. No compromise.

 

You're not supposed to enjoy the smell of solvents! ;-)

I never said it wasn't. It's IPA and lube.

LOL! Well, you know what they say... a fool and his money are easily parted.

I'm sure you'd find other contact cleaners with the same ingredients.

PLEASE tell me you mean a stock. Collecting contact cleaner is... you'd need help ;-) lol

As I said, Silvo is intended for silver and electroplate. I meant to say gold, too. Brasso IS NOT MEANT FOR GOLD. Brass is not gold - right? RIGHT! As per the old saying, it does what it says on the tin.



Use the right tool for the job - don't just try any old cleaner. And you should be cleaning, not polishing. Who said NES contacts are gold-plated, though? There are a number of different finishes (and application techniques) used on PCBs.

It's like people who use pencil erasers to clean cartridges. It's not OK. I've spoken to the chief designer of Staedtler - one of the best eraser manufacturers. He told me it's not a good idea. I've spoken to PCB manufacturers and service shops (not to mention worked in several) - they all say don't do it. Use the right tools.

Also, ask a locksmith if you should use WD40 on your lock. They'll tell you yes... if you want to have to call them out! It's the wrong tool for the job - you need PTFE.

I'm not saying Deoxit is the wrong tool - far from it. There are cheaper alternatives, though, that do just as good a job. Still, it does a better job than a damn eraser!

 

I do like the smell of some of em for some reason. :s

I dunno but the deoxit D5, which is what I use and probably the most common ''flavor'' does not seem to contain any IPA.

5% D100L/DEOXIT
75% Mineral spirit
20% propellant

Their secret patented Deoxit d100L ingredient might just be one big hoax as you seem to imply it is but I have yet to see any reference of it's actual chemical composition. The company insist it is what makes it different than other cleaners.

Im such a big fool that I will even buy it again when the can runs out!

Certitude is nice but evidences would be better.

Well.. hmm... ok next. ( shuffles feet )

Why do you keep bringing up Brasso? I definitely would not recommend brasso on electronic contacts. I have seen evidences of it damaging gold plating in a matter of seconds.

So yeah let's look at what silvo says on the tin... (drum roll) .. GOLD!

I did say that, because the original Nintendo 72 pin connectors are coated with some kind of yellow shiny metal that I am naively assuming to be gold just because it appears this is what is routinely used on electronic connectors.

Not that I disagree with you but I am wondering what type of problem might ensue from the use of a good old steadler on a pcb gold fingers. Just curious. I do not see any problem as long as you clean the debris properly. Again i am not talking about those abrasive ( usually blue ) erasers.

I am not sure what PTFE is but I used ''Release All'' spray on a jammed lock just last week, it works like new now.

 

PTFE is usually sold as GT-85. Good stuff for all sorts of things.

It could well be gold, but there were several gold-coloured coatings used. I know some carts deliberately used matt finishes... which people love to buff off and make shiny. Ugh!

I keep mentioning Brasso because you keep saying that it's bad. I know it's bad - it's on the tin! That's my point. Why would you try it in the first place? If you think it's gold, and the tin doesn't say for gold, don't use it. Use the right tool for the job - as I keep saying. If people want to experiment, it's best to have some sort of educated guess at what might be good, at the very least - not "oh, this makes my Mum's vases shiny - that'll do!"

I don't know anyone in the chemicals industry any more, but if I should bump into someone from that field, I'll ask about the composition of contact cleaners!

I did quote the engineer on the eraser thing on the forum before. It smears crap, basically. Look at what it does to paper. It takes the graphite and, more often than not, smears it around the paper. Some erasers leave visible plastic smears - hardly good where conductivity is concerned! ;-)

Here we go again.....

I discussed this with eraser engineers (lol, I know) once and they concurred - erasers can leave residue.

Oh, forgot this one....

 

I have a couple Nintendo Entertainment Systems. I always use a solution of 50% Iso Alcohol, and 50% water. Speaking of water, did you see any water damage on the board when you opened it up? I have one Nintendo that only works over AV and not RF. It was stored in a damp garage for years.

I didn't realize that they all left residue, that's good to know because I've been using a Plastic Eraser on my Game Boy carts recently, one of those White ones that artists use.
Also do any of you guys think Purple is a weird color for the NES to be displaying? When I don't have a game inserted properly, I normally either get a Red or Blue screen... but never Purple? Am I just crazy?

 

I dunno I seem to be getting green or or yellow sometimes and it is still the connector. Blue seems the more common, I am not sure I have ever seen red or purple.

 

I dunno, I keep getting this purple screen with wavy lines in some cases.

 

You can get many colours with dirty or damaged cart slot pins. If you want to rule it out, I suggest get a replacement and see if it's the issue. You won't know otherwise.