Battery Replacement FAQ Author: Kirby Freak101 Version: 2.0 E-mail: BlazingFire456@aol.com DISCLAIMER: This FAQ is Copyright (C) 2003-2005 Kirby Freak101. You may NOT use this FAQ for anything other than personal use, unless permission granted by me. This FAQ should not be published in any magazines, books, articles, etc. It shouldn't be posted on any websites except for the ones listed below. I will not be held responsible if you get in trouble for breaking any of these Copyright laws. ONLY the following websites may currently use this guide: http://www.gamefaqs.com/ -End Disclaimer --------Version History-------- -Uploaded Version 1.0 to the site -Uploaded Version 2.0 to the site ------------------------------- --------Contents-------- A. Introduction B. Replacement FAQ 1. What you need 2. What causes batteries to die 3. Removing the old battery 4. Methods to replace dead batteries a. Soldering b. Electric Tape c. Professional help c. Credits ------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ A. Introduction: This FAQ is used to explain what happens when you're game can't save anymore, or it doesn't save too well anymore. The reason for this is the lithium battery inside your SNES cartridge has died out. In this FAQ I will explain how you can get your battery replaced, and the many methods to doing it. So if you want your old game to save like brand new, then continue to read on. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ B. Replacement FAQ: Ok, here is the part you have all been waiting for, the replacement guide. Here I will tell you the many ways to replace your battery, and what exactly causes your battery to wear out, and also the materials needed. 1. What you need: Before you decide what you need, you need to decide what method you want to use to replace your battery. There are two commonly known methods people use. Soldering and electric tape. These are things you need no matter what method you plan to use: -3.8mm Security Screwbit($3 at www.mcmelectronics.com or eBay) -New CR2032 battery($3 at Radioshack) a. Soldering: If you want to solder then you need the things listed above as well as some other things listed: -Soldering iron, and some solder($10 at Radioshack) -Wire(At Radioshack) -Battery Holder($1 at www.mcmelectronics.com) b. Electric Tape: For electric tape you only need the two things listed at the top as well as some: -Electric tape(duh!) 2. What causes batteries to die: Very simple actually. The reason a battery dies is just like any battery. It wears out over age, and you need to buy a replacement. The only problem is, SNES batteries are a little harder to replace, and that is what this FAQ is for. 3. Removing the old battery: This isn't that hard. To start, get a flathead screwdriver or a thin knife, or whatever is thin and sturdy. Now you will need a 3.8MM Gamebit to open the cartridge up. Take off the 2 screws and remove the cover and you will notice the backside of the chipboard. Turn it over, but to not damage the chipboard, ONLY hold it by it's edges(like you would a CD). Flip it over, and you will see the CR2032 Lithium battery. Now what you need to do, is take the knife, flathead screwdriver, or other flat object, start to pry at the Solder points. Keep wiggling and slowly pushing it further on the top tab. After enough wiggling and pushing it should come loose. Make sure you take it slowly, cause you don't want to break the top tab, doing so would make it totally broken, and you won't be able to save anymore. Do so for the bottom tab too. After that you are done, you can start on the replacing. Read on... 4. Methods to replace dead batteries: Let's replace this battery! I will list both ways of replacement, you pick what you want(Soldering or Electric tape). Read on: a. Soldering: This is the method Nintendo used to add the batteries, and is the most reliable. It is also the most hardest and tedious way as well. To start, heat up your Soldering iron, and wait about 2 minutes or so. Now connect a few inches of wire from the bottom tab and connect it to the negative side of the battery holder. Now take some solder and the soldering iron to solder the wire onto the bottom tab and the end of the wire to the negative side of the battey holder. Do the same thing with the top tab to the positive side of the battery holder. Once you are done with that, pop the battery into the battery holder. Then you can take some tape(electric tape, anyone?) and turn the tape into a two sided piece and stick to the wall fo the cartridge, and stick the battery holder to it. This is to prevent the battery from rattling around in the cartridge. b. Electric Tape: This method is a lot easier then soldering. However it is not as reliable and the tape wears out after a while. If you want to use this method, however, just hold the new battery and the bottom and top battery tabs all together, and wrap a piece of electric tape around it. Use another piece for more reliability. Then take some pieces, and start taping it all over the battery. Keep doing this until you the battery can't move anymore. In the end it may take about 7 or 8 pieces of tape. This method gives satisfying results, but the tape sometimes randomly lets go and causes your save files to erase from time to time. c. Professional help: Are you having problems with either of the methods? If so, you can contact Nintendo themselves and send the cartridge with the bad battery in it, and they will professionally solder a new one in there. However, it's not free. I have seen them charge from around $15 - $20 for the job. Not including shipping costs! So use this option only if you just absolutely give up on the above methods. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ C. Credits: There are a few people I would like to thank for this FAQ. -CJayc, for posting this FAQ on GameFAQs -Nintendo, for making it possible for home replacement, even though they don't like it ^_^; -Everyone who read my FAQ and needed it, for making this FAQ worthwhile -Me, for making the FAQ Any questions or concerns, or can't fully comprehend some things I said? Feel free to e-mail me at BlazingFire456@aol.com, and hopefully I will reply. Copyright (C) 2003-2005 Kirby Freak101 -The End