N64 Issues

[StormSurge]

Thanks to everyone here inspiring me, I dusted off the N64 tonight and attempted to give it a whirl. No bueno.

 

The red light goes on and I can briefly see the title screen before it blinks off.

 

I did some preliminary searching for solutions & I tried cleaning the cartridge with rubbing alcohol, as well as taking out the expansion pack & re-inserting it. No change.

Apparently my next option is to unscrew the cover & clean the inside with some compressed air.

My question to the forum is has anyone encountered this issue and possibly have some recommendations?

 

[Yo-Yo]

This seems like an obvious question, but just to get it out-of-the-way, have you tried powering up on multiple cartridges?

[RickR]

Also try wiggling that AV cable on the N64 connector side.  Do you get more flickers of the title screen?

[StormSurge]

This seems like an obvious question, but just to get it out-of-the-way, have you tried powering up on multiple cartridges?

 

Yes I did.

 

And don't assume anything is obvious. I know nothing!

[StormSurge]

Also try wiggling that AV cable on the N64 connector side.  Do you get more flickers of the title screen?

 

I did that too. I checked all the wires & everything looked good. No additional flickers.

[RickR]

My next theoretical culprit would be the power brick.  That can be tested with a voltmeter.  Not sure if you have one.  Or a spare power brick that you can try. 

Sorry I can't be more help, but these things can be kind of tough to figure out.

[StormSurge]

I kind of figured there was no "magic solution" from my initial search. The problems were all over the place. 

I don't have either of those, so I'll keep digging.

 

Thanks!!

[AlamoAtari]

If you have a retro game shop in your area, sometimes they can check out the power supply. Not every game uses the expansion pack, so I don't think it would be that. I know that harbor freights has cheap multi meters, you can try there. Also plug in the power supply for a few hours, if it gets warm, chances are it is good.

[nosweargamer]

When the title screen goes off, does the power (red light) stay on?

Does it go to the title screen for every game you tried?

Do you have the original jumper pak? If so, try it with that instead of the expansion pak. If not, you can also try cleaning the expansion pak like a cartridge to see if that helps.

Can you try it with different AV wires? (If you have a gamecube or SNES, you can use their wires)

[StormSurge]

When the title screen goes off, does the power (red light) stay on?

Does it go to the title screen for every game you tried?

Do you have the original jumper pak? If so, try it with that instead of the expansion pak. If not, you can also try cleaning the expansion pak like a cartridge to see if that helps.

Can you try it with different AV wires? (If you have a gamecube or SNES, you can use their wires)

- Yes, the red light stays on

- Yes, I only see the title screens

- No, I don't think I have the original jumper pak. It's possible I do, but I have no idea where it would be.

- I WISH I had a Gamecube or SNES 

[nosweargamer]

My main concern is that something in the system is shorting out, but I am not an expert at all.

If you get your hands on an extra set of cables or RF box, be sure to try it and of course you can try the cables you have on a different set of connectors on your tv if it has multiple ones.

The only other thing I can suggest, (at your own risk of course), pick a game, clean it with the rubbing alchol (or windex. I really like using windex) and while it is still a little wet, insert it repeatedly into your system. Then let everything dry. This might help clean the connecting pins in your system if they are dirty. Then I would try the game. If it didn't work, I would clean the game again and repeat trying it. I would keep doing this probably 5 or 6 times.

I had a Jaguar that was like this and I had to clean the game A LOT before the system worked for me.

[StormSurge]

Thank you sir.

 

I'll see if I can get my hands on some other cables/power and I'll give the cleaning trick a shot. It's not like I have anything to lose!

[StormSurge]

Fixed it!

 

I found a trick online that said to put some Vaseline on the AV cable slot on the unit. I slabbed some on there and it works like a charm.

[RickR]

Fixed it!

 

I found a trick online that said to put some Vaseline on the AV cable slot on the unit. I slabbed some on there and it works like a charm.

GREAT!  Plus, your cable won't get chapped.  Win-win. 

[StormSurge]

Ha!!

[Rowsdower70]

Fixed it!

 

I found a trick online that said to put some Vaseline on the AV cable slot on the unit. I slabbed some on there and it works like a charm.

I was just about to post about this trick.

 

This works with Gamecube too, or any other Nintendo system that has that screwy AV socket in the back.

[Arenafoot]

but Vaseline in the AV cable slot?????