Got a Colecovision and 2 weeks later it stopped working

[LaserCat]

Just got my first Colecovision since '84 and it is certainly a lot better system than I remember it to be. Unfortunately I noticed that not all of my carts would load properly with some requiring a flick of the reset switch. Eventually this morphed in to me having to insert, remove, and reinsert the cart 5 or 6 times before it worked. Now my carts will only work if I maintain a constant downward pressure upon the cart while it is inserted which is not possible. Is this malady typical with this system? Is there a way to avoid this from happening? Fortunately the store I purchased it from offers a 1 year warranty so I can return it so I will be able to replace it but I certainly do not wish to have this problem occur in the future.

[NIAD]

Well, there could be any number of issues with this system that is causing your problem (power supply, power switch, etc.), but your issue seems to be the tension of the cartridge connector on the motherboard. Over time, but more importantly, due to a lot of cartridge inserting and removing, the connector becomes worn and loose and therefore good contact between the connector and the cartridge PCB is not possible. If there is no way to re-tension the connector, than a new one will have to be installed to fix the issue.

 

First step, however, is to clean the cartridge connector and cartridge PCB contacts with 90%+ Isoprophyl Alcohol to make sure dirt and grim is not the problem. Don't assume that the store that sold you the gear did this or a good enough job.

Edited September 19, 2016 by NIAD

[LaserCat]

Thanks for the reply!