ByteRot :: Game Boy Cartridge Battery Replacement

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Game Boy Cartridge Battery Replacement

Device	Game Boy Cartridge
Difficulty	Moderate
Time	15 - 40 minutes
Steps	9

This guide is by Jose Ayala on iFixit and is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0. ByteRot mirrors it for non-commercial preservation: formatting changed and photos resized for old browsers; full-size photos and the text are on the FTP in /DOCS/REPAIR. Original guide >>

If you find your Game Boy experiencing save game issues, where progress is lost or becomes intermittent, it may be time to replace the internal battery.

The internal battery within Game Boy cartridges serves a crucial role in preserving your game saves. Over time, these batteries degrade, potentially leading to data loss.

Before using this guide, inspect the battery to test the voltage with a multimeter. Typically, if the battery range is not 1 digit over the decimal point when measured with a multimeter, then that is a sign that the battery should be replaced.

Tools: Gamebit 3.8mm; Digital Multimeter; Soldering Iron; Any soldering wire (lead free); Desoldering Braid; Paste Flux

Parts: CR2032 Lithium Battery

Step 1

• Use the screwdriver to loosen the screw on the cartridge.

Step 2

• Switch on your multimeter and select the Voltage (V) mode. Then, test the voltage of the battery in the cartridge.

Step 3

• Apply some of the flux paste to help desolder the soldered areas on the battery.

Step 4

• CAUTION: Be careful when handling a fully heated soldering iron, as it can burn you.
• Use the soldering iron once it heats up fully. Then, heat up the soldered areas with the iron.

Step 5

• Pick up the solder with the desoldering braid.

Step 6

• Wipe off any excess flux paste.
• CAUTION: The flux paste can damage the circuit board if not removed completely or spread to other areas on the circuit board.

Step 7

• NOTE: Make sure to align the battery's positive side where the positive indicator is and the negative side where the negative indicator is.
• Use the soldering iron and soldering wire to solder both sides of the battery into place.

Step 8

• Switch on your multimeter and select the Voltage (V) mode. Then, test the voltage of the battery in the cartridge.
• NOTE: The battery has to have at least 1.5V. If the multimeter reads a negative value, then most likely, the terminals are placed opposite, so switch them around and check the resulting value once more.

Step 9

• Align the cartridge and the circuit board.
• Then tighten the screw to secure the cartridge into place.

Conclusion

To reassemble your game cartridge, follow step 9.

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