Back in the '90s, a friend left me with a family's SNES that didn't work. I think I still have it in my attic somewhere. It was the first SNES I had ever seen with a locking mechanism in the cartridge port (my 1993 SNES did not have it). It would power up and show a blank screen or frozen corrupted graphics. I remember looking inside and seeing that it was very different from my SNES in other ways, like a modular RF/audio unit. The cartridge connector was fine. Any idea what's wrong with this? Also, any idea how to tighten up a cartridge port? I bought a replacement on eBay about 10 years ago to repair an SNES model 2 I found with mangled pins at a thrift store. It was the kind of connector with legs underneath and not a modular piece like some original SNES model 1 units had (pops off leaving a sub-connector on the main board). It took forever to get all the solder off to free the original connector. I expected it to be easy-street after that but the spacing on rows of legs was different than the mainboard. They only had to be flexed out but flexing them uniformly was impossible. After getting them all started in their holes I was able to force it down all the way and solder them in place. I was rewarded with a working SNES model 2 except that the connector was finnicky and the cartridge has to be tilted slightly forward to get a good connection. I can do this when fully assembled by sliding a folded paper card behind it. I also have another SNES model 2 that regularly locks up if the cartridge is touched (connector looks fine). It seems to me that they are just notoriously loose.
I can fix that or if you want check this out http://www.mmmonkey.co.uk/console/nintendo/snes-glitches.htm Just be careful you will need a game bit to open the console 4.5mm bit.
Thanks. I will try that. Hopefully the replacement connector has a similar design. And, yeah, I have Gamebits. Remember: I already fully replaced the original mangled connector. I actually never fully reassembled it due to the poor connection issue. I know, I know: HERESY for a community known as "ASSEMBLER games."
