What is the best way to clean a console motherboard?

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Peachy Gaming
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What is the best way to clean a console motherboard?

Post by Peachy Gaming »

I have a Mini SNES that I picked up at a flea market and the sound and video went out but the fuse is good I tested with a multimeter so I thought Id clean its since its covered in bug crap,dirt and some other junk. So what is a good way to clean the entire insides?
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fox099
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Re: What is the best way to clean a console motherboard?

Post by fox099 »

Compressed or canned air usually does the trick for me. Really though, if there is a bunch of crap in a console, especially on older one without fans, I would be worried if it even works...
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Re: What is the best way to clean a console motherboard?

Post by Mod_Man_Extreme »

Compressed air and giving the cartridge port a cleaning with the cleaning cartridge should do it.
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Re: What is the best way to clean a console motherboard?

Post by Niode »

Make for any stubborn bits use some 100% alcohol and clean it with that, don't rub too hard though because you may damage the traces on the board. Make sure you test the solution no a part of the motherboard with no traces on it first if you are going to be doing any scrubbing, if the colour starts to come off the board then try a different brand of rubbing alcohol because that will have some solvents in it. Solvents = bad for motherboards. A few solvents you don't want to get near your motherboard are; water (obviously), acetone/acetate (Paint thinner, dissolves some plastics), turpentine (paint thinner). There are more but those are the most common ones that are used to dilute ethanol.

PS 100% alcohol is practically impossible to attain, but some brand themselves as being close to 100% like 95% or whatever. Most of them are some form of ethyl alcohol which isn't quite as poisonous. Surgical Spirit should do the trick, but I don't know if you can get that in the US.
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Re: What is the best way to clean a console motherboard?

Post by Hobie-wan »

Canned air, a brush, and electrical cleaner. Maybe a paper towel if its gotten coke spilled on it. I use a brush for applying old fashioned shaving cream sine its a pretty good size with no metal parts on it.
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Peachy Gaming
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Re: What is the best way to clean a console motherboard?

Post by Peachy Gaming »

Thanks all I see if that does anything for it.. I forgot to mention its not the av cable because I tried the cable on another mini snes and it worked so I am thinking the system needs cleaned or the av port needs re soldered or replaced.
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Re: What is the best way to clean a console motherboard?

Post by Mod_Man_Extreme »

Peachy Gaming wrote:Thanks all I see if that does anything for it.. I forgot to mention its not the av cable because I tried the cable on another mini snes and it worked so I am thinking the system needs cleaned or the av port needs re soldered or replaced.
Trust me 90'% of the time it's just dirt and grime on the pins of the cart slot connector, but you can also clean your AV Multiout with a q-tip and some rubbing alcohol (70% By volume MAX!) and see if that resolves the issue.
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Peachy Gaming
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Re: What is the best way to clean a console motherboard?

Post by Peachy Gaming »

Well at first it had a picture the game loaded but it didn't have any sound. I kept cleaning the game connector and anything really trying to get the sound to work and now it doesn't do anything.
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