Need Help With N64 Not Booting With Cart 100% In Slot

[DaytonaUSA]

I'm curious what is going on with my N64 I got today. If I put a game all the way down in the cart slot, like normal, the game (no game out of over 15) will boot. Not even a little. Pull the cart ever so slightly out of the slot, and it boots up every time.

 

Honestly, the only reason why I even tried that is because being a huge Saturn fan, I knew that the Saturn's memory cart slot was bonkers and always seemed to require the cart to be slightly pulled out to read.

 

However, I've never encountered an N64 like this till today. Any clue what's going on? The metal cart slot surround looks ....dirty? Not really dirt, but like stained or something. Hard to describe.

 

Could the slot need a cleaning? Or is this indicative of another issue? If it is a dirty issue in the system slot, how do I go about cleaning in there?

 

Either way, if anyone can help me out, or if anyone has ever had this problem, please reply to the thread asap

[DaytonaUSA]

Oh, and it's a Japanese model... not sure if that makes any difference. Running Japanese carts.

[OBO]

Have the same behaviour on a PAL N64... So I'm not surprised. Is it ok when you remove the cart ? On mine it has a tendency to bend upward a thin metal thing (not from inside cart slot, from the surrounding of the slot) that prevents me from inserting any game until I bend it back inside...

[fiddlepaddle]

Might be a broken trace around the slot where a bit too much pressure disconnects it; if that's it, I wouldn't be able to fix it myself. Cleaning the slot with a lint-free cloth wrapped around a credit card soaked in alcohol or deoxit or other contact cleaner works well. You may have some oxidation on the contacts of the slot; it only takes one pin not connecting to stop things from working. Are the Japanese internals the same as USA? You might be able to just replace the innards from a working US model...

[DaytonaUSA]

I'd rather not change out the internals. I honestly think its dirt. The contacts don't look bent, and no I don't need to bend it any way to get the cart out. Goes in and out like a normal n64.

 

Not sure how to fit a cloth is such a morrow slot, but I guess I could try.

[DaytonaUSA]

Well I solved the problem my own way. Tried to clean it, but wasn't getting any dirty. So I cut two pieces of non-corogated cardboard and put them on either side where the cart notch is. They're cut perfectly, so they fit nice and snug. That hair of height makes any cart now boot up the first time. So basically I just made some spacers.

 

Can't see it, and it won't come out unless I really want them to. Works for me

Edited September 28, 2013 by DaytonaUSA

[Kulp]

I've been noticing I've had this same problem a lot recently... NTSC N64, had it since the thing came out, and only lately has it been having issues playing some games.. I've found I need to pull them out a tiny bit to get them to work.

 

could this just be some weird problem with all N64's that is bound to happen over time?

[DaytonaUSA]

Maybe. I've tried tons of different cleaning methods. No dirt inside. Do what I do. Put thin cardboard to the sides best to the tabs. Makes the carts the perfect height to boot each time.

[rockman_x_2002]

Mine does the same thing from time to time (NTSC US model), and if I were to wager a guess, I would say it's due to some defect in the cartridge slot that, over the years, causes the pins inside to bend out of whack and not work properly, very similar to the same problem the original NES experiences, only less annoying and difficult to resolve.

[DaytonaUSA]

Can you replace the pins in an n64 without doing the whole mobo? Do they sell those things?

[twoquickcapri]

The cart port on the N64 isn't solder to the motherboard, it just comes off when you unscrew it.