Cleaning? How Do You Do?

[Dravenae]

Easier to clean.

[wiggy]

The contacts are out in the open already. Can't get much easier to clean IMO.

[Dravenae]

Going to be honest Wiggy, that was a bit of a shit comment, being neither here nor there really. 

The reason I want to be able to open the cartridge should have already been painfully evident for a self proclaimed clean freak, with a bad case of OCD.

As with other carts, opening them makes them easier to clean, therefore more likely to receive a more thorough cleaning, and with the grooves and pins covering the contacts, dirt and dust could/can get caught underneath. With my games that is a non-issue, but with other peoples games, that is something to be concerned about, and considering I buy other peoples games, that's something I have to worry about...

[wiggy]

Huh?

Sorry man, I don't get what you're after.  You wanna clean something that never needs to be cleaned? Cleaning the inside of a game that's sealed from the outside world makes no sense to me, and you can't expose the contacts any more than they already are. 

[Moviefan2k4]

Cleaning the inside of a game that's sealed from the outside world makes no sense to me, and you can't expose the contacts any more than they already are.

Tell that to all of us who had dirty games in the 1980s, and experienced the NES' blinking light of death.

[wiggy]

Apples & oranges.

[Polygon]

The only real reason to open the game to clean it would be if the contacts were quite corroded and you need to take Brasso or steel wool to them. Otherwise I don't see the point.

[Dravenae]

Huh?

Sorry man, I don't get what you're after.  You wanna clean something that never needs to be cleaned? Cleaning the inside of a game that's sealed from the outside world makes no sense to me, and you can't expose the contacts any more than they already are. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqF3J8DpEb4

I'm not talking about the circuit board, I'm taking about the contact area. If you take a look at the contacts, you'll notice little black/dark grey pins running along side them, there not flush to the board so dirt can get stuck under them, and just below the contacts, there's little grooves that dirt can get into. I can't explain it any better than that to be honest man.

Fuck it, in all honesty it doesn't really matter, and I can't be bothered to explain it again, lol.

[Polygon]

I see what you're saying. The contacts aren't flush with the PCB so there are groves between each contact and crud could collect in there.

[Dravenae]

I see what you're saying. The contacts aren't flush with the PCB so there are groves between each contact and crud could collect in there.

This. With the games I bought new, this is a non issue, but with second hand games, and non collectors generally being grimey bastards, when I buy second hand, this becomes a problem. Its the same reason we all take apart our carts to give them a thorough cleaning, and it just bugs me that I can't do that with DS cartridges.

Polygon gets me! I like Polygon, I'd buy you a pint bro!

[Polygon]

 

Yeah, any used game I buy gets taken apart to be cleaned since I take Brasso to it regardless.

[wiggy]

Toothbrush.

[Dravenae]

Toothbrush.

Not a bad suggestion.

[overdoze]

toothbrush here too, the way to go
i love that cleaning paste from nintendo repair shop as well
i think its watch cleaner, but im not sure

[Spoonman]

Ok. So I got this in an ebay lot.  $35 for 12 games.  All working.  Some are just really dirty, but I've been cleaning them up.  I was getting started on this one....



Cleaned up a lot of the front and then flipped it over. 



Missing the 2 bottom screws and the top/middle one looks like melted or something...  Here's a close up:



Again, the game plays fine, but I'd like to clean it up and get the cart looking new again.  So the good thing is the worst part is on the back shell and I could change it, but the bad thing is I don't know how exactly I'm going to open it up.

Should I just snap it off, given the bottom 2 screws are already out?  I'm afraid of what damage I might do that way. 

Once I get it open, I'll clean the connectors more and the inside of the plastic, then change the back shell.  Of course I do still need to get my hands on a screw bit for these...