Repairing a Nintendo Gameboy Advance SP that resets during play
Replacing the logic board cured the random resets.
- Answers
- How do you fix a Gameboy Advance SP that resets when you squeeze it?
- Topics
- Nintendo · game · hacking · howto · lifestyle · repair · retro
- Full article on willem.com
- https://willem.com/en/2017-03-26_repairing-a-nintendo-gameboy-advance-sp/
Summary
My Gameboy Advance SP reset itself whenever the case was squeezed during play. Replacing the battery did not help; swapping the logic board, an original part found on Ebay, fixed it for good.
Full text
The console reset when flexed, so something electrical was failing. The battery and its contacts were fine, and almost everything in this Gameboy sits on a single logic board, so I replaced that. Original boards are easy to find on Ebay. Nintendo uses special screws to discourage tinkering: use a tri-wing triangular screwdriver, because the wrong tool will likely damage the screw heads. Keep track of which screw came from where, and remove the rear cover carefully, watching the shoulder buttons and the power button. The flat cable between logic board and display is secured by two tiny plastic flips. While open, clean the buttons with water and a little dishwashing soap and dry them thoroughly. My replacement board carried a higher CPU revision number, which does not affect gameplay. After reassembly the resets were gone.