Sega Mark III Help! (Please)

Started by DahrenDreamcast, November 25, 2015, 09:18:50 am

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DahrenDreamcast

Not long in from work and my sega mark III is here...

for some reason, I get no sega start up screen and will not register carts...nothing...black screen...
(av Composite cable on a modern tv that my av modded famicom works perfectly on)

However..it also came with a Sega My Card...and that works with sound and colour picture...

I'm hoping this is something obvious?

Thank You.
Nintendo Child <3

zmaster18

I had this happen to me on a North American Master System. Cart didn't work, but Cards did. It's simple! First clean the inside of your cartridge slot using the credit card and T-shirt method. Take a credit card and a little sqaure of fabric cut from an old white T-shirt. Tightly wrap the fabric around the edge of the credit card and put a little bit of water on it with your finger. Insert this in and out of your cart slot. You will see dirt come off. If it still doesn't work, use a flat metal file and lightly scrape the pins. If it STILL doesn't work, use a little safety pin or something and bend each individual pin to make the slot tighter when a cartridge is inserted.

By the way, congrats on getting a Mark III ! What a cool looking system  8)

DahrenDreamcast

November 25, 2015, 10:22:04 am #2 Last Edit: November 25, 2015, 10:30:07 am by DahrenDreamcast
Thanks Zaki :)

I tried the credit card thing with a white cloth/tee and that didn't work...looks like no dirt came off.
I don't have a file and I'm not sure how to bend pins....

*sigh*

more google searching suggests transistors and soldering and checking volts...all stuff I know I cant do.

:(
Nintendo Child <3

chowder

Did you buy it as working?  I'd just go back to the seller if it was via here or eBay.

How many carts did you try, more than one?

DahrenDreamcast

8 carts. I bought it here....
it came with 4 and I had bought 4.
Seller is nice...don't want to kick up a fuss....but...it isn't working with carts.
Nintendo Child <3

zmaster18

Sometimes you really have to jam the cartridge in. I've had like 10 customers who bought N64's from me who wanted a refund because they couldn't get it working. They just weren't shoving the cartridge in hard enough. All of them were happy after that :)

Also maybe try cleaning the games, just to make sure it's not the games that are causing issues.

There really shouldn't be a need to do any kind of soldering since the system itself works. Cartridge-based systems never die, it's always a matter of poor connection for the cartridge. Keep trying dude ;)

For everybody on this forum, get a small flat metal file. You have no idea how helpful this tool is. It makes games that are impossible to get working to work every time. After you lightly scrape the pins, you can even wiggle the cartridge while it is inserted and the game won't crash!

Watch this video by Lukemorse1. This man is a god.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP5pWPeoXMg

DahrenDreamcast

I did the video by luke, and indeed, it made it very tight, but alas, no video or sound still. just a blank black screen.
Nintendo Child <3

zmaster18

Quote from: DahrenDreamcast on November 25, 2015, 11:41:39 am
I did the video by luke, and indeed, it made it very tight, but alas, no video or sound still. just a blank black screen.

Ok, then the pins themselves must be dull. They need to be shined up a bit. Sometimes it doesn't matter how clean or tight they are, they simply aren't providing good contact.

DahrenDreamcast

November 25, 2015, 12:46:00 pm #8 Last Edit: November 25, 2015, 02:28:03 pm by DahrenDreamcast
Okay Good news...I cleaned the pins and made the grip on pins less tighter....
I got 5 games to work out of the 8. They may not work 1st time, but, if I get 'heavy handed' in a controlled manner,
just to secure them....they work...

still couldn't get rocky, football and parlour games to load...no biggie...(they came with system) but the 4 I treated myself too, all work.

Good news  :)

Post Merge: November 25, 2015, 02:28:03 pm

Thanks Zaki  :)
Nintendo Child <3

aarkay14

Heyy Hi ! I was sleeping when all of this happened and didnt know about it.. So i guess the best I would ask you to do is to take a cue tip dipped in 99% isopropyl alcohol and rub the cart contacts with it.. I guess dust settled on it while they lay in the box.. Trust me it shud work.. Do the same with the contacts in the console with a hard card paper or 2500 grit (no less) sand paper and it shud work juat fine.. The system is absolutely fine and needs dust cleaning i guess..

-Rama

2A03

It sounds like you may also have to reflow the solder joints for the cartridge port. It's a common problem with the SMS and it extends to the Mark III as well since the Mark III's motherboard is single-sided (meaning that all the solder joints are on the bottom side and are not reinforced at the top). It's a very simple fix, just heat up each pin with a soldering iron and add a little bit of solder for extra strength.

chowder

It was sold to you as working, you should send it back and get a refund/repair rather than piecing it out for sale IMO.  Up to you, of course :)