Mega CD 2 not working, Mega Drive 2 (alone) works though...

[davo123]

Hi, my mega cd 2 does not work, I've made sure the power adapters are plugged in (and haven't got them mixed up), the a/v cable (composite stereo one) from the mega drive 2 is plugged into my tv, i'm on the right channel, and that the mega drive 2 has got clean contacts. Without a cartridge in the mega drive, when I turn on the power for it, nothing happens, no mega cd logo or anything, just a blank screen (blue screen in my case, as that's what my tv does when there's no signal). However, I can put a cartridge in (say, sonic 3 for example) with the mega drive still attached to the mega cd and everything works fine (the mega drive part anyway).

Any clues on what the problem is? I have no problems in opening either console up to fix it, if that's what needs to be done. One thing I haven't tried yet is maybe grabbing the pin things that the connector on the mega drive goes into on the mega cd and then pulling them up a bit (i'm thinking around the same logic as fixing a mega drive 2's cartridge slot). Any suggestions are welcome, purchasing another mega cd 2 will cost me around $70 (something I don't want to do if i don't have to).

[Ziggy]

Are you sure you have the correct power adapter for the Sega CD? Also, clean the contacts on the Mega Drive really good, then also clean the pins of the CD unit (if you have the right tools to do it).

[davo123]

Very sure, because I can't put the mega drive 2's adapter plug into the sega cd, because it doesn't fit. The contacts on the mega drive 2 are really good, I gave them a thorough clean and they're shiny now, as for the pins of the mega cd, how would I clean them? The only way i've tried to clean them is with a q-tip (or whatever you call them, the cottony things on a stick) and some alcohol (its what I do for all my cart games when I get them). Still doesn't work after that.

[Ack]

What percentage was that alcohol? 70% sometimes leaves a residue, 90% is better. You can apparently special order 99%, but don't ask me where.

[Ziggy]

I bought a cleaning kit a long time ago that came with a bunch of pieces for cleaning female pins. They're different widths and thicknesses (for which system they're meant for). Anyway, you slip it in the female pins like you would a cartridge, and it pulls off any dirt or grime or what have you. I'm really not sure what the material is on the tip, its a sort of plastic that grime really sticks to. I've cleaned lots of systems with them and you actually see black grime after you pull it out. You can also easily clean the dirt/grime off of it.

Where to get something like this? I don't know. I did a quick Google and didn't see anything. I'll check the brand name on the kit later and try and find it.

[davo123]

Actually I think it's Methylated Spirits, which I think just evaporates off, so there shouldn't be any residue. I took some photos of my mega cd 2 board, and it has this strange thing soldered to it (doesn't look like it should be there), take a look:

http://www.fileden.com/album/800727/63149
(if you're using firefox, the images might appear at the very bottom of the page when you click them, oddly.)

Also, I noticed my mega drive 2 board has a resistor soldered on the back of it, near the a/v port, is that supposed to be there?
On the back of the mega cd 2 board, there is this strange white/milky looking stuff all around the edges, I can rub it off, but what the heck is it? Also, methinks a capacitor around near where the lid switch (or whatever that long thing with a thing I can push in is) is all rusty because underneath it is this orangey/browny stuff. Come to think of it, on the bottom side of the board, there's rust around two of the screw holes, near where the power / av / mixer ports are.

Does any of that help diagnose the problem...?

[Ack]

Actually, I'm pretty sure that resistor looking thing is the internal fuse. I've got a guide I found talking about doing some fixes to it, though I don't know if its trustworthy. Still, it has some photos of the board, albeit not exactly high quality.

http://www.mrvfone.com.au/sega/fuse.htm

[davo123]

Oh ok, I found the resistor/fuse thing it talks about in the guide, should I try desoldering it from the board and then soldering a wire to and from where the resistor/fuse was? I should get another fuse, but I'm desperate to find out if its even still working...

Anyone know what that pcb with the two chips soldered to some points on my sega cd is for? (see pics in link of my other post)

EDIT:
Oooh, a quick google search of the brown pcb's number revealed someone has been in a similar situation to me:
http://nfggames.com/forum2/index.php?topic=1389.0

didn't use a nes adapter on my sega cd though, so the only thing I think I should try is just to fix that resistor/fuse on the board.

EDIT:
tried that, still not working... i've decided to give up on it, and call it dead, now just to buy another mega cd 2