TRACES POPPED OFF! SATURN ACTING WEIRD HELP!

[AaronMcCann]

To start off I have a MODEL 2, 32 PIN, saturn.

So I got a sega saturn on ebay. Came with some crappy sports games, 3 controllers and a light gun. I ordered a modchip. I put the mod chip in and everything worked just fine. I was playing Shining the Holy Arc, when all of a sudden the screen went green and I had to shut off the system. I turned it back on and it was still acting all weird. So I popped off the top, took out the chip, plugged everything in like normal, and it was just fine. So While I had it open, I thought I might as install the region switch that I had been putting off. I installed the region switch and everything worked just peachy. So I decided it was time to put the modchip back in and see what the score was. The system booted but I had no activity in my CD-DRIVE, the modchip was dead. Oh well, 1 year warranty, so ill send it back. But after I took out the chip and had it all back to normal, besides the region switch I noticed my sound although set to stereo was coming out of one speaker. So after tinkering around and not finding anything. I got a hunch,...I turned on the system, went to settings and set the audio to mono. When the system is set to mono, the sound comes out of all the speakers. But when set to stereo only the right speaker! I was so glad that it was at least coming out of all speakers I decided to play the only original disc game I have thats worth playing, virtual fighter 2. I Kicking ass for about 15 mins when it freezes, right at the YOU WON!! animation, after i won a fight. I think to myself the disc is pretty scratched. I hit the reset button and nothing happened. I turned it off and turned it on and it was at the choose language screen!? While trying to select the english/time/date settings the screen went all crazy like, static crazy bars and lines. I shut it off and turned it on and im back at the choose language screen. Anyone know whats going on here? Is my system dying? is the graphics chip malfunctioning? I dont know what to do. Once I mail back my dead chip, racketboy is going to send another, but I really dont wanna put the new chip inside the system if the system is acting weird and is just going to kill it. HELP

MOD EDIT!: Topics and subject lines merged!

-MOD_MAN_EXTREME

[jfe2]

I've had Saturn troubles recently, so I feel for you. It sounds like your Saturn is on its way out though. If the chip isn't in it and it still is messing up then it sounds like your system itself is messed up. You may have damaged it during the installation of the chip or the region switch, or it may just be wear and tear from use over the years.

I would recommend picking up a different model 2 if you have the means, and trying to install the chip in there. I found two Saturns recently for $20 and $25, so deals can be found if you look around. Good luck man!

[RyaNtheSlayA]

It's probably something with the system. My model 2 Saturn died. Only now are we seeing the consequences of CD drives in consoles when it comes to life expectancy.

[corn619]

I was lucky enough to buy a Sega refubished model 2. No problems here yet, but I only play the Saturn on very special occasions so it may last longer than most......hopefully.

[Hobie-wan]

Try a new battery and resetting the memory.

[AaronMcCann]

Ya I really hope its not gonna die. I just got the system like.....mmm a month ago and that was THEE first time I had ever gotten the opportunity to play one, i never had enough money to get one on or near release, and no one I knew had one. I guess once racketboy gets the dead chip and mails me a replacement I think I'm just going to hang on to it and not install it. Its just strange that out of now where after installing the chip that it stopped working only after 2-3 hours of play. I thinking it had to be my console it- self, something must be going on, i really dont wanna risk damaging another chip IF it was in fact the console that caused the chips early demise. I guess its back to ebay then LOL. Anyone use a Japanese console? Im thinking i might try and shoot for one of those. Although more pricey, i may have a better chance, and i do like the white system, i think it looks quite good, better then the black. (sigh) I really wanted to play nights, and panzer. I guess Ill keep it as a original disc system and just see how long it lasts, and save my modchip for a more dependable saturn.

Are there any places you guys look for old consoles on besides EBAY? thats the only place I really ever look.

[AaronMcCann]

Oh and to narrow things down, I guess i could have thrown in a few details. When i got the system, during shipping it must have been dropped, because when I opened the box there was a rattle, i was like WTF those F-ing mail people, it turned out to be the ENTIRE battery "holder", you know the black plastic thing that holds the battery. The solders must not have been good because the entire thing was popped off the the board, like basically the solders just let go....I was mad. But I just put it back into place and the battery was dead so I replaced it. I later re soldered the "holder" back onto the board, but even the week before that with it just sitting in place the system worked fine. I know I didnt hurt anything during the modchip installation, the only thing i soldered to the system it self was the 5v power wire. I dont know. ARGHH Im trying really hard not to be to upset at the situation.

But in short. I replaced the battery, and cleared the memory when i had first got it.
Im going to go in again and take a closer look around the region jumpers to see if maybe a shorted something, which im pretty positive i didnt, but worth a check. Whew big posts....

[AaronMcCann]

Well everyone I have some pretty unfortunate news. I decided it was time for a real stress test to see if the system was in fact "dying". So I poped in the only decent game I have, Virtual Fighter 2, played for mmmmm 30 - 35 mins. Its seemed alright. So I rebooted and I was just trying to rattle the system a bit. I jumped into the system memory a few times bounced around the controls a bit. Cleared the memory, what not. At one point I tried getting back into the memory manager, and it froze. When ever it would freeze the restart button wouldn't do anything. So I powered it off and powered it back on. It booted so I put V Fighter back in. I let it go to the video, once it got around to introducing shun. I hit start, and it froze, again restart button...nothing. Power off, power on, screen flicker and no boot..........So I looked at it and realized it was finally over, i took out the battery unplugged the power and put it all back same thing no boot. So I said well heck, im gonna take out my region switch, and just bridge it back into USA mode. Well, even though I properly De-soldered the joints, the traces popped on both the ground and 5v on jumper 7. So by by USA mode. Then jumper 6s 5v trace popped of, SH*TTT. well luckily I still had jumper 11 intact and the ground and jumper 6 so I stole the 5v from jumper 8 and grounded it at jumper 6 and bridged jumper 11. Put it all back together and the son of a B*tch booted. So now i have an all JAP saturn, that may or my not be on the way out and may or may not be the cause of the death of my Modchip.

Lol and since i own no original jap saturn games and have no modchip, its useless.

Anyone know of a way I can still get it back to USA? I have a pretty damn good feeling its going to die anyhow, since say if i did something wrong when adding the region switch the thing would have just died right away from being shorted out. SO UNHAPPY.

Now I gotta have a funeral......

[AaronMcCann]

To start off this happened while removing the region switch from what I thought was a dead saturn. I had been playing some games it froze a few times and then wouldnt boot back up at one point. So I decided to remove the region switch re bridge jumpers 7 and 10.

Well both traces popped of on jumper 7.... and so I set it up for JAP. and the bastard booted. So now im wondering how can I get this thing back into USA now that the traces on jumper 7 are gone.

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

Please keep all of this contained to a single thread, we don't need any more "I botched my Saturn chip install, help me!" threads on the boards.