Mattel Electronics Auto Race repair info

[eegad]

As a kid I got most of Mattel Electronics handhelds. Always treated them fairly well and kept the boxes, instructions, etc. For the last 30+ years, every few years or so, I'll take them out and play a few games. This week, when I took out Mattel Electronics Auto Race, it seemed to have died. After some fiddling, I managed to fix it. Here's a summary, in the hopes that someone else out there with a similar problem might be able to fix theirs also...

Last time I played the game a few years ago, for the first time in maybe 7-8 years, I noticed that the LED's were kind of flickery (which I didn't remember them being years ago), and the game seemed to play slower than I remembered. Also, sometimes you'd have to turn the on/off switch a couple times to get the game to start....sometimes you'd turn it on and there'd just be faint blips scattered on the screen, or the screen would stay black. Oh well, it mostly worked, so I didn't mess with it.

The other day I went to play the game and couldn't get it to play at all. Turning the switch to 'start' usually did nothing. Occasionally if you flicked back and forth, or wiggled it around a bit, you could get some random blips to show up, but it wouldn't actually play. So I decided to take it apart and take a look.

The big problem with these Mattel handhelds? Those stupid triangle screws. 2 solutions that I know of. One (the good way), is to find a 3-sided, triangular shaped metal file that tapers to a small traingular point. I've got one from my grandfather, must be 75 years old, that just fits the screws pretty good. Not sure if they still make/sell files like this, but there ya go. Second (the bad way), is to just carefully drill out the screws using a drillbit just slightly smaller than the screw head. You'll get it apart, but will later have to superglue the case back together (or use rubber bands to hold it).

Pull the steering button off - it was difficult on mine, but if you just keep pulling straight up and *carefully* wiggling it back and forth, it eventually pops off. Now you can remove the entire circuit board and take a good look. I assumed the problem was with the on/off switch. First I tried using wires with small alligator clips to jump the posts attaching the switch to the board, thus bypassing it and making the game always be "on". Doing that, the game would sometimes come on and play the way it had a few years ago....flickery LED's and seemingly slower gameplay. Sometimes the screen would just get random garbage blips on it. Sometimes it would start to play, and then crap out. Hmmm. Maybe not the switch, maybe one of the components is just fried.

Then I was noticing a small "pot"...a little circular thing with a slot in it that you can turn with a screwdriver. You often see these in old computers (like the Atari 8-bits), and videogame systems, where it works as a color adjustment knob. Why is it in this Auto Race game??? I turned it a bit. After doing so, the game played flawlessly again....solid bright LED's, it played faster (the way I remember it being originally), and oddly enough the On/Off switch works fine all the time - it's no longer flakey. Turns out that little adjustment knob controls the speed of the game. If you play around with it you can make the game play slower or faster. So what happened? I guess after not being moved for 40 years the contacts got worn/corroded/whatever. Just moving it a bit moved the contacts to a 'fresh spot' and solved the problem.

If you have a Mattel Electronics Auto Race game that seems dead, broken, acts strangely, or the start switch seems to be messed up, give this a shot. Hopefully someone else benefits from the info (because I myself was searching for "Mattel Auto Race repair" and came up with nothing!).

[Keatah]

What year was autorace released?

[chuckwalla]

Thanks for sharing the experience.

 

I've got two Football II's and one of them has no sound.

 

I managed to open one of these games up many years ago just to check out the components after attaching a new battery connector (see pic) but finding a speaker for these guys would take some research.

 

When i'm motivated enough i'll have to check that out.

[HoshiChiri]

Just an fyi- if you look up 'triangle screwdriver' on Ebay, it's not hard to find the right tool to use on those. Sometimes 'toy screwdriver' works too (McDonald's uses them for Happy Meal toys).

[Video]

Only led game I have is fireball. Awesome pinball game, but its never given me problems. I have football and baseball too, but their the modern remakes, not the led originals. I know I had originals at one point, but years of trades and yard sales got them.

[eegad]

What year was autorace released?

It's got a 1976 copyright on the unit. I don't think it actually hit shelves until 1977 though.

[ianoid]

I am diving into an Auto Race right now. I have this Tekton bit set that has a three sided bit like a Phillips head with only three blades instead of four that works fine.

 

Unfortunately the pot didn't help. I wonder what the next step will be. I'm tempted to try harder on the power switch by desoldering it and opening it up. Problem is, it's a raised switch and might be easy to break and hard to replace. It seems rather inaccessible without getting to the underside. I guess I have little to lose.

 

Before I do that, I wonder if a drop of something flooding the switch might help. I could try TV tuner solution but I suspect it would prefer dielectric grease from the inside like most other power supply switches.

Edited May 29, 2018 by ianoid

[ianoid]

Made some progress by plugging in a 2600 9v 500mA supply. And the pot adjustment did make a difference. Dust came out of the internal pot as I adjusted it and the unit came alive. Unfortunately one of the LED elements is out, just the far right starting line which really doesn't affect game play.

 

Still I need to figure out why it doesn't work with batteries. I'll have to try new batteries but these ones I tried are fresh enough and pump out more than 9v. I guess they may be worse loaded. At least I know the thing is functionally intact aside from the LED. That seems irreparable.

 

 

 

[ianoid]

Yet another discovery.

 

If I use a battery and short the power jack with a screw driver, it works. That is, if I connect the two main metal elements with the screwdriver. You can see them in the picture. Should those two pieces normally be making contact? Should I bend the lower one to touch the top one normally? That seems to be the next move.

 

And that's what I did. I just pushed the lower metal band Over a bit, not even up or down and it makes contact enough. Basically the DC power comes from the battery terminals and through the power adapter plug which should be shorted when not in use. When you plug I the AC adapter it takes over the power function and spreads apart those metal .piecea and makes contact with the ground and live wires.

 

I'm just learning to repair these things so this is all a revelation.

 

Glad that I got it working aside from that LED. Thanks for the original post about the pot. I might have missed it if I hadn't messed with it.

[BootsAllDriver]

On 2/11/2018 at 12:22 AM, Video said:

Only led game I have is fireball. Awesome pinball game, but its never given me problems. I have football and baseball too, but their the modern remakes, not the led originals. I know I had originals at one point, but years of trades and yard sales got them.

You mean the old WildFire pinball? You wouldn't be looking to sell that, would you?

[MikeTheFitness]

I've just started collecting my old childhood games and found this thread very interesting. I have a mint auto race that works perfectly and have bought a spares and repairs one that is dead as a dodo. You've given me the courage to whip it apart and have a good look at fixing it. 

 

I remember getting this game in 1977 and think I trashed my original with over use and I forgot what a great game this was. Also, it's apparently the first mass produced handheld electronic game ever made so working models should become very collectible in time. 

 

Right.... lets have a go with the 2mm triangle driver and see what I can find...

[Alejandro Lopez]

On 10/2/2021 at 3:26 AM, MikeTheFitness said:

I've just started collecting my old childhood games and found this thread very interesting. I have a mint auto race that works perfectly and have bought a spares and repairs one that is dead as a dodo. You've given me the courage to whip it apart and have a good look at fixing it. 

 

I remember getting this game in 1977 and think I trashed my original with over use and I forgot what a great game this was. Also, it's apparently the first mass produced handheld electronic game ever made so working models should become very collectible in time. 

 

Right.... lets have a go with the 2mm triangle driver and see what I can find...

Hi, did you fix your Auto race Handheld?? I just bought one, but It´s not working at all. Please I need help.    

[KEWROCK]

So I've wanted one of these for years and never got around to getting one. As a kid in the 70's, I had baseball and the Tiger Raceway version of this. Both of which I re-bought when Ebay hit the scene 20 years ago.

Today, these mattel games still only go for around 20 bucks EXCEPT for auto race. They are going over $60. So I bought one in "Not Working" condition, figuring I can fix it. First thing I did was turn that adjusting pot. It woke up and ran great on batteries. But it still didn't work with an AC power pack. I cranked up that pot to the limit. Now the AC port works, but it's WAY too fast on battery. So fast, you can't play it. I tried replacing the electrolytic capacitor, but it made no difference.

For the life of me, I can't figure out why it won't run the same regardless of power supply. The wall wart I'm using works fine for my other 9v games.