NES Cartridge Cleaning
With the right tools, cleaning your NES cartridges is both very easy, and very rewarding. Cleaning dirty cartridge contacts makes a big difference when trying to load your game on your NES console. The only tool that you might not find at your local store is the 3.8mm Security Bit required to open most NES cartridges. This tool can be purchased from eBay for a few dollars.
Required Tools
- 3.8mm Security Bit + Screwdriver (View Picture)
- Metal Polish or Rubbing Alchohol
- Dry Cloth
You can find metal polish at WalMart in the cleaning detergent section.
Open NES Cart
Using the 3.8mm security bit, unscrew the 3 screws from the back of the cartridge. Lift up the back side of the cartridge. Be careful not to lose the screws!
With the back open, you can simply pull up the PCB and remove it from the cartridge case.
The red rectangle highlights the area needing cleaning. Apply the metal polish on a dry cloth and rub on contacts. Let dry and buff it off. Your contacts should be smooth and shiny. Flip the PCB over and do the other side too!
Reverse the order for assembly. Pop it in your NES and it should come right up with no blinking! …unless your NES is dirty.
