5200 unable to start games

[ktalley]

I have a 4 port 5200 that was working fine a couple of months ago. I reconnected it recently and am unable to start almost every game. Exceptions are games that don't require the start button like mario bros or tennis. I have 5 controllers and all 5 will not allow me to start the game (including the roller ball). The controllers were working fine a couple months ago, so I don't suspect they all went defective at the same time. The other 2 buttons pause and reset work once the game has started. I tried the other 3 ports and can't start a game from those either. Is there something that is defective with my port 1 with the start button? Has anyone heard of this problem before, and if so how to correct it (hopefully without having to purchase a replacement console).

[bohoki]

so much can go wrong its hard to pin it down

 

#1 check your top row for missing pins

verify that you machine reads the start signal by shorting pin 4 and pin 7 which is the 4th from the left and second from the right on the top row(be very careful use a little piece of wire(stay away from the bottom row cause there is 5 volts on the center bottom pin)

 

#2 check your cable for loose connections broken wires check your controllers conductablility by putting a meter on pins 4 and 7 of the cable

 

you could just do like i did for years and pop off the top bezel and remove the buttons and just hit the start button area of the flex circuit with the edge of a penny till o got off my ass and make a controller that freakin works from scratch