OMG!!!! ~ Results from the Dishwasher Experiment

<img src="http://www.hardmvs.com/images/misc/Z80e.jpg" alt=" - " />

Results:

PCB is now clean as can be after 20 min of soap and water in my dishwasher.

Still gives the same Z80 error.

No smoke, flames, sparks, pops, etc.

If you decide to try this to clean up one of your boards, you are on your own. I sure as hell did'nt tell you to do it.

<small>[ April 04, 2003, 09:21 PM: Message edited by: Briggs ]</small>

would it work cool if you got another busted board of the same size and switched chips that could possibly give hte z80 error

like .. using the RAM?

OMG

You are mad.

Seeing as the Z80 is essentially an off the shelf part, would it be possible to swap it on the board with another, or is the work to delicate...or impossible. I'm not techie, but curious.

Rade

After checking with Nightmare Tony, I will be replacing the RAM first, and then the Z80. Details to follow.

let my know how it turns out(cause I'm too poor to afford a working mvs board of my own) though I think I can manage to swap chips in two busted ones.

So you dried it out..and it worked..Cool.

But put me up to date..Your having a Z80 Error on this board..?
Am I missing something..here.

I thought Z80 meant something was dirty..like the Cart connectors or the mother board.

I get a Z80 Error if I don't clean the cart/s well.
Is there something that actually burns out..?
A chip that has to be replaced..Whereas the Z80 Error doesn't go away?
Should I be worried..?
I only get the Z80 Error if I'm lazy and forget to clean the carts as I get them before putting them in the Cab.

just FYI, it's not uncommon at all to clean arcade boards in the dishwasher. as long as they thoroughly dry afterwards, it's just fine.

I know it's not, I had read about a few people that had done it on RGVAC but I never tried it myself.

I've cleaned out electronics with purified water before...but isnt soap corrosive?

Orochi_Flava:
I've cleaned out electronics with purified water before...but isnt soap corrosive?

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Good question. I'd say "no", though, because it has kept the metal on my pots and pans clean for years. That's the logic I'd use.

So, I'd REALLY love to give this a try. I guess start out with the easy-to-replace boards and work up from there. Oh, my heart pounds just saying that.

Anyone else on the forums use this method?

Sorry to hear it doesn't work. Good luck in fixing it!
-Adam

ForeverSublime:

Orochi_Flava:
I've cleaned out electronics with purified water before...but isnt soap corrosive?

Click to expand...

Good question. I'd say "no", though, because it has kept the metal on my pots and pans clean for years. That's the logic I'd use.

So, I'd REALLY love to give this a try. I guess start out with the easy-to-replace boards and work up from there. Oh, my heart pounds just saying that.

Anyone else on the forums use this method?

Click to expand...

nice sig!

I definitely need to do this with my busted 1-slot since it's hella-dirty.

Two questions for you, Briggs (actually one for you and one for you or anyone else ):

1. How did you dry the board? I've read stuff about using hair dryers on low and stuff, but did you just let it sit out for a few days?

2. I've got those damn foam pads on the solder side of my board, I can't seem to get them all the way off. I'm afraid to put mine in the dishwasher with the remnants of all that fluff (knowing my luck, it'll shred and completely coat my dishwasher, causing my brother and my landlord to kick my butt).

I set the board out for a day. I live in Georgia and it was a nice 70+ degrees, so it dried out fine.

I also tore off the foam pad. I hated to do it, but ah well.

Briggs:
I set the board out for a day. I live in Georgia and it was a nice 70+ degrees, so it dried out fine.

I also tore off the foam pad. I hated to do it, but ah well.

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Heh, we're not so lucky in Cleveland where it's about 40 degrees lower than that. Just another quick question: Was there a lot of that foam crap still on your board when you dishwashed it, or was it pretty much off? If so, did it get all over the dishwasher?

ForeverSublime:

Orochi_Flava:
I've cleaned out electronics with purified water before...but isnt soap corrosive?

Click to expand...

Good question. I'd say "no", though, because it has kept the metal on my pots and pans clean for years. That's the logic I'd use.

So, I'd REALLY love to give this a try. I guess start out with the easy-to-replace boards and work up from there. Oh, my heart pounds just saying that.

Anyone else on the forums use this method?

Click to expand...

I've used it for years, since I got it off of RGVAC.

It works great.. you just have to dry them first. I've done it to.. jeez.. maybe 50-60 boards.. never a problem.

I washed it with the foam on, and then pulled it off when I realized how much water it was holding.

Cute idea, washing in a dishwasher. I no longer have one since I sold my old place and bought a farm in the countryside. Now its washing dishes by hand. Ah well.

Anyone in here ever make dishwasher fish? That is where you take fish, marinade it, spice it up, wrap it in aluminum foil and then run it through the dishwasher for a cycle (no, do NOT add soap!). The washes steams it up pretty well. heard it from a friend of the late Vincent Price. Talk about neat reciped..

BI gave Brigss all the info I can think of on the Z80 error, but it is an error which is independant of the cartridge slot. The Z80 will switch its program ROM over depending on if a cart is inserted. No cart, it reads SM1 which inits it and has the eye catch sound (aka the neo geo logo to everyone else),. and the self test beeps. When the cart is running, it switches to the cartridge rom. If the contacts are dirty, it will cause the Z80 error in that way. Ditrty contactsa should not cause a Z80 error with no cart, though.

For washing boards back at SNK, I used a stiff brush and hot water and dishwashing soap over a sink. I would then dry the board off under the chips using a hot air gun. (GREAT for removing flatpacks when the Hakko FP unit was being used by the other Tony or Tony (who actually changed their names from Juan and Michael, I was the only REAL Tony out there!

with Eldorado, I use an orange cleaner solution and I let the boards drip dry or bake int he sun, when sunny. Also works out great. Really goo for gunky Galagas...

Big upps to Tony, he has been extremely helpful and patient.

Now if we can just get him to dig out those schematics....

Something funny like this happened with my Gameboy advance.

I had my GBA and several games in a suitcase. I also had a gallon of laundry detergent in the suitcase. Anyway the laundry detergent cracked open and soaked the GBA, a couple games, and a set of headphones. I was worried and really ticked off because I thought for sure my GBA was ruined. Well there wasn't much I could do but just rinse the things off but laundry detergent is very concentrated, and it took FOREVER to run out of the system. In all I must have rinsed the GBA out for 2 hours before there were no more bubbles behind the screen.

When all that was done I just let the thing sit and dry for about 3 days. I put Castelvania: HOD (the game that was most soaked in detergent) in the GBA and it fired right up. The only problem was the sound was slightly muffled and quieter than before. And here's the best part, it was a GBA moded with the Afterburner and had lots of dust speckles behind the screen. After getting a "wash" almost all the dust was gone. The screen actually looked better! The headphone out jack worked perfect too, and so did my headphones. All in all it was a better system after the "wash".


Criterionradiohead wink

Briggs:
Big upps to Tony, he has been extremely helpful and patient.

Now if we can just get him to dig out those schematics....

Click to expand...

Yes schematics for the board would be a good thing.
PLEASE?

Reason I have not dug them out yet is simple./ I have FINALLY got all my items to my new place after about 4 months of moving them in, One shed holds about 200 boxes right now which I still have to go through; I think they are int here. I did bring my game motherboards in their boxes into the workshop. I pretty much work round the house one hour each morning and sundays, when I dont get co-opted into something else. Rain this weekend, so this sunday is work round the house instead of outside.

My estimate is still 4 months away or so for the schematics. Sorry, guys. Thanks for putting up with me on things.

Nightmare Tony:
My estimate is still 4 months away or so for the schematics. Sorry, guys. Thanks for putting up with me on things.

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Tony, thanks for even giving us the possibility of seeing these schematics. Moving in sucks big time, good luck.

Painaxl:

Nightmare Tony:
My estimate is still 4 months away or so for the schematics. Sorry, guys. Thanks for putting up with me on things.

Click to expand...

Tony, thanks for even giving us the possibility of seeing these schematics. Moving in sucks big time, good luck.

Click to expand...

Yeah this is definately true. I will be experiencing the pain of moving in about 4 months myself.