MVS Cleaning Tips/General Mobo Maintenance

Dan Elektro

Morden's Lackey
20 Year Member
Joined
May 22, 2001
Posts
363
Hey, I just wanted to let folks know that I was experiencing some video glitches on my MVS 1-slot--scrambled SNK logo, vertical lines through the gameplay, etc. Usually I just take the cart out and replace it, but that didn't work on one stubborn cart--Shock Troopers would only boot to a grid. I noticed that all others I put in afterwards had similar glitches/grid troubles (and they hadn't before). Blowing some compressed air in the cart slot didn't help, nor did pressing down loose chips on the motherboard. But the old Q-Tip and rubbing alcohol method of cleaning the cart contacts did the trick. I've heard various different opinions on the rubbing alcohol thing, but for me, it worked very well. I had lots of grime on the Q-Tip when I was done (some of my carts are not only loose but were exposed to dust for years before I took ownership) but no problems next time I plugged it in. Make sure the excess alcohol dries/evaporates before putting the cart back in, but that shouldn't take more than five minutes or so, tops.

By the way, pressing on your chips is something else I recommend--from time to time, give the ICs on your motherboard a gentle push back into place, since heat will cause them to wiggle out very slowly--if you hear a little cracking/popping sound when you press on them, you're helping re-seat them.
 
C

Caris Nautilus

Guest
The best way I used to clean MVS carts, was to open the cart, take the board out, and rub big pencil eraser over the copper connections, it rubs the dirt off nice and neat.

Sometimes when I got MVS carts they had the graphic scrambled problems like you say, but when I cleaned them they worked fine.

[ September 28, 2001: Message edited by: Drift King EX ]
 
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