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Blistering carts

Aug 16, 2007 at 3:36:45 AM
Zzap (47)
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(James ) < King Solomon >
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Does anyone know what causes a cartridge to have bubbles/blisters in the plastic? I'm not sure if this is common, but I've got a few carts here with the disease. Perhaps it's from heat of some sort?

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Aug 16, 2007 at 12:27:56 PM
Battymo (100)
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(Scrubb'n Nutz) < King Solomon >
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I've got a SMB/DH cart with the blistering. Almost like it was left outside in the scorching sun!

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Aug 17, 2007 at 3:58:22 PM
mb7241 (183)
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(Matt B.) < Bowser >
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Your thoughts are correct. Cartridge blistering/bubbling is a form of melting generally caused by overexposure to heat. Depending on the severity of the heat, the cart may not work properly after such overexposure, or it may not even fit inside the system.

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Aug 17, 2007 at 6:18:35 PM
ShadowHacker (3)
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(Jordin Johanson) < Crack Trooper >
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Anyone happen to have a picture of this effect?

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Aug 17, 2007 at 6:36:53 PM
Battymo (100)
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(Scrubb'n Nutz) < King Solomon >
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If I can find my smb/dh cart, I'll post it!

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Aug 17, 2007 at 10:25:41 PM
Zzap (47)
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(James ) < King Solomon >
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Here's a picture of a couple of carts with the issue. I'm still yet to clean these and test them out, so it will be interested if the insides are as cooked as the outsides!

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Aug 17, 2007 at 10:30:19 PM
mb7241 (183)
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(Matt B.) < Bowser >
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Zzap...looks like you were lucky: I've seen them get outright wavy from the heat. I'd imagine they still worked, too...would I be correct?

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Aug 17, 2007 at 11:19:25 PM
antofarabia (106)
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(Papa Smurf) < Kraid Killer >
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The funniest part is that the blistered carts I have received have all worked pended the right cleaning...however carts that I have that look great are screwing me over...what bad luck.

Great looking Action 52, Contra, F117A and yet none of them work sadly

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Aug 17, 2007 at 11:51:10 PM
Bratwurst (79)
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(Meat Meister) < Eggplant Wizard >
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Wow. I have never seen anything like that before. I've been traded a NES cart where the plastic was so warped that it curved like a spoon and wouldn't sit right in the NES deck- but never bubbling.

Aug 18, 2007 at 2:35:57 AM
Zzap (47)
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(James ) < King Solomon >
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Just cleaned and tested the Wizards & Warriors III, and it's working fine. Seems like it's only cosmetic. Strange thing is there's even bubbling inside the end of the cartridge, just above the edge connector!

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Aug 18, 2007 at 5:02:32 AM
jaredkk (57)
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(Jared Klinger) < King Solomon >
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They probably sat in a car, in the sun for a long time.

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Aug 18, 2007 at 5:33:22 AM
Hogie1418 (61)
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(Rick ) < El Ripper >
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Antofarabia: I have only had 1 game ever that I could not get to work and it was a MTPO. Try taking the contra cart apart and do these steps.

dip q tip in alcohol
rub q tip over connector
take a scotch brite pad and scrub the connector until it starts to look dirty
wipe it off with the wet q tip from before
then wipe what is left off with a napkin...

I have only had that MTPO that wouldnt work with this method so maybe it will work for you....


Edited: 08/18/2007 at 05:35 AM by Hogie1418

Aug 18, 2007 at 7:45:34 AM
NationalGameDepot (279)
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(Dr. NGD) < Bonk >
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I have only had 4 games that wouldn't work for me in my 6-7 years. 2 had boards with small holes in them, look like severe corrsives was spilled on them. 1 had a chip out of the board. The last one had no visible damage but wouldn't work no mater how much I cleaned it.
~~NGD

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Aug 18, 2007 at 8:39:37 AM
burnambill333 (0)
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I am pretty sure the reason for cartridge blistering is that they were exposed to water. I had a sealed copy of Magic of Scheherazade that was in very bad condition and had obvious water damage. When I opened it up it had major cartridge blistering.

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Aug 18, 2007 at 8:45:34 AM
NationalGameDepot (279)
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(Dr. NGD) < Bonk >
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Lets do an experiment then. Place one crappy cart in the sun, and one in some water and then document the results
~~NGD

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Aug 18, 2007 at 2:32:38 PM
Dr. Morbis (30)
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(Basil T) < Kraid Killer >
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I think it's a defect with the heating/cooling process at the factory, personally. Honestly, I do not see how the sun or water could cause that effect, but what do I know . As for non-working games, I've only come across one NES cart in all my years that absolutely would not work (damn you gumshoe!).

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Aug 18, 2007 at 5:11:10 PM
Limbofunk (160)
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(Otto Man) < King Solomon >
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Zzap, I have a Castlevania III cart that matches your CV II with this damage(NTSC though). I'm not really certain was causes this either, but whatever it might be did not apparently effect the labels in any way.

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Aug 18, 2007 at 9:41:53 PM
Zzap (47)
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(James ) < King Solomon >
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Yep, the label's ok, but there is bubbling under the label...Hmmm, seems like a rare manufacturing fault then eh? Sounds marketable

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Aug 19, 2007 at 1:13:02 AM
Armageddon Potato (267)
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(Daniel Tatro) < Kraid Killer >
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Looks like Sun damage to me. I sold a SMB3 cart a while ago that looked like... uh how do you upload pictures? It's not letting me =(

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m228/armageddonpotato/SMB...



Edited: 08/19/2007 at 02:20 AM by Armageddon Potato

Aug 19, 2007 at 1:20:48 AM
Hogie1418 (61)
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(Rick ) < El Ripper >
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you need to use photobucket

Aug 19, 2007 at 3:46:38 AM
ShadowHacker (3)
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(Jordin Johanson) < Crack Trooper >
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I have only had 1 cart not work no matter what i don't have it anymore it was top gun the second mission. It was my first attempt to make a NES like weapon system. It made quite the hole in the drywall at my old house in edmonton...it didn't matter we were working on the basement and that way was coming down but it did get stuck and fall down to the bottom of the wall. did not try it after I should have.

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Aug 19, 2007 at 4:29:20 AM
Zzap (47)
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(James ) < King Solomon >
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Wow Potato, looking at the label that looks more like flame damage than sun damage!

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