Black Screen on Sega Genesis Model 2

[Lodmot]

Hey guys, looking for an expert's insight. This is a weird one. XP

 

I have a Sega Genesis Model 2 from my childhood that's worked great for 25+ years. Recently I went to go play it and-- black screen. No matter what cartridges I used or how thoroughly I cleaned it, still just a black screen.

 

Here's the disturbing part though-- even my Sega CD unit produces a black screen as well. Normally it's supposed to boot up to the Sega CD intro screen, even without a game inserted. But that never happens. Since both ports have been cleaned and it's doing the same thing on both, it's leading me to believe there's a deeper underlying issue that a routine cleaning won't fix. I've had to re-solder the controller ports before earlier this year because the solder joints were cracked. It sucked.... x.x I was amazed that I even succeeded at it, because I suck at soldering. I'm wondering if there's other bad solder points in the console going to more integral components. After all, the system is 25+ years old..

 

If anyone has any insight or had this happen to them and know of things I could try, please let me know. Thanks!

Edited September 8, 2019 by Lodmot

[derFunkenstein]

Does the Sega CD produce audio when the screen is black? That would point to an issue with the video pipeline, which would reduce the amount of digging considerably. 

[Lodmot]

1 hour ago, derFunkenstein said:

Does the Sega CD produce audio when the screen is black? That would point to an issue with the video pipeline, which would reduce the amount of digging considerably. 

Nope, no audio, just a black screen. 

If i turn up the TV volume and listen very closely, I can actually hear faint beeping sounds that almost resemble an office phone ringing, and after a second it stops, then it's totally silent. It almost sounds like the sound chip is generating noises, like its the system trying to process something maybe? I don't really know what thats about honestly. That's the most i was able to get out of it.

 

Also, its worth mentioning that when i turn it on, my TV's "No Signal" nessage disappears and i actually get a black screen, so the console is sending a signal of some sort to the TV. Just nothing else happens...

[derFunkenstein]

Hmm. That's a big bummer. I'm a total novice, so I have no other suggestions. 

 

You can also try the Tech Aid forum at Sega-16. They seem to handle this sort of question all the time. 

[Lodmot]

14 hours ago, derFunkenstein said:

Hmm. That's a big bummer. I'm a total novice, so I have no other suggestions. 

 

You can also try the Tech Aid forum at Sega-16. They seem to handle this sort of question all the time. 

Alright, I'll try there next. Thanks for trying though!

It looks like Sega-16's sign-up process is moderated, so I'll have to wait until someone enables my account for posting I think...? I can't make any topics or posts there yet. Lol. XP

In the meantime while I'm waiting, I'll open the console tonight and try to find any corrosion or broken traces/bad capacitors/etc. I have a bad feeling the problem is going to end up being that. I may just end up replacing the motherboard if it's something above my skill level (though that will be my last resort). Part of the reason why I'm trying to keep it original is, besides sentimental reasons of it being my childhood console, it's also signed by James Rolfe.

 

It would be really cool if there was a company out there that made brand new Sega Genesis motherboards with modern components that would fit inside your original plastic shells. 

[Jeremy Popp]

On ‎9‎/‎8‎/‎2019 at 12:05 PM, Lodmot said:

 

I have a Sega Genesis Model 2 from my childhood that's worked great for 25+ years. Recently I went to go play it and-- black screen. No matter what cartridges I used or how thoroughly I cleaned it, still just a black screen.

 

I assume the power light is coming on?  That rules out power, and considering you're getting black screen, as opposed to no video probably rules out vid-out issues.  I've repaired several genesis consoles in the past, and usually in these cases I was able to find a bad trace, or broken solder joint at/around the pin connector.  Most corrosion or problems happen around the pin connector since it's the only "access" for dirt, crumbs, liquids etc, to get in.  I actually have a few genesis consoles that I was never able to solve.  Anyway, check under the board where the cart slot connects, and make sure there is no broken solder joints.  Also, on the top of the board, look at the cart slot pins as they go into the PCB... ive seen some with corroded legs at that area.  Otherwise, bad traces, which you can usually jumper/bypass.  If it's not one of those issues, it's probably not worth the repair/diagnosis.

 

Edited September 9, 2019 by Jeremy Popp

[Lodmot]

1 hour ago, Jeremy Popp said:

I assume the power light is coming on?  That rules out power, and considering you're getting black screen, as opposed to no video probably rules out vid-out issues.  I've repaired several genesis consoles in the past, and usually in these cases I was able to find a bad trace, or broken solder joint at/around the pin connector.  Most corrosion or problems happen around the pin connector since it's the only "access" for dirt, crumbs, liquids etc, to get in.  I actually have a few genesis consoles that I was never able to solve.  Anyway, check under the board where the cart slot connects, and make sure there is no broken solder joints.  Also, on the top of the board, look at the cart slot pins as they go into the PCB... ive seen some with corroded legs at that area.  Otherwise, bad traces, which you can usually jumper/bypass.  If it's not one of those issues, it's probably not worth the repair/diagnosis.

 

 

Gotcha. Yeah, the power light comes on and the TV gets an image from the console-- it's just simply a black screen with no sound. I'm worried it's going to be something like a messed up trace or a bad solder joint. Bad solder joints actually make sense because I recently had to re-solder my controller ports which also had bad solder joints. Amazingly I was successful at it, but I'm not really good at soldering though, so I'm worried I'll wreck the thing if I do too much more to it. x 3 x My coworker here just suggested I put it in the oven as like a last ditch effort, it worked on his graphics card apparently. o w o

 

If worse comes to worse, I'll probably just replace the motherboard with a new one (preferably refurbished). Definitely want to keep the autographed shell it has though. xD

 

So just to follow up, the cartridge pin connector will actually cause the Sega CD to not function either? That actually probably makes total sense, because that's how it works-- put a cartridge in and the Genesis will load the cartridge (even with the CD add-on); if the slot is empty, the Sega CD kicks on.

Edited September 9, 2019 by Lodmot

[Lodmot]

A bit of an update. I took the unit apart tonight just to inspect the inside of it. On the top the whole board looks pretty clean, but i found a couple points on the underside of the board that looke questionable. So i took a few pictures of them (attached images). Im not an expert, but those power connector solder points definitely look sketchy... I also included pictures of my shitty soldering job on the controller ports that miraculously worked somehow.

 

[nick3092]

I've never seen a factory bodge of thick red wires on the power jack on the handful of model 2s I've opened. But if it's been yours all along, and you didn't do it, and you never had anyone else fix it, I guess it's possible.

 

One of the solder joints on the power jack looks broken. But it's a redundant connection to the one across from it. The fact that you said the LED is on means the unit is getting power, so that's not likely the issue.

 

The cartridge connector joints look fine. When you had it connected to the sega cd with no cartridge in, it wouldn't matter if one or more cartridge joint was bad. It would still equate to an empty cartridge port and fire up the CD bios. The other question then would be, are you sure the CD unit is functioning?

 

Also make sure the sega edge connector and socket for the CD player are clean. I've seen CD players not boot up due to a dirty connection.

[Lodmot]

14 minutes ago, nick3092 said:

I've never seen a factory bodge of thick red wires on the power jack on the handful of model 2s I've opened. But if it's been yours all along, and you didn't do it, and you never had anyone else fix it, I guess it's possible.

 

One of the solder joints on the power jack looks broken. But it's a redundant connection to the one across from it. The fact that you said the LED is on means the unit is getting power, so that's not likely the issue.

 

The cartridge connector joints look fine. When you had it connected to the sega cd with no cartridge in, it wouldn't matter if one or more cartridge joint was bad. It would still equate to an empty cartridge port and fire up the CD bios. The other question then would be, are you sure the CD unit is functioning?

 

Also make sure the sega edge connector and socket for the CD player are clean. I've seen CD players not boot up due to a dirty connection.

 

Hey there, thanks for taking a look at it.

 

Yeah, those red wires have always been there on the power jack, and i was the original owner of the system when it was brand new. Only thing i worked on with this console is the controller ports (which i frankly think should be redone). I also checked the side expansion port (though i didnt check the connector on the Sega CD unit yet). The two systems have remained connected since the last time it worked. I'm pleasantly surprised that both the cartridge port and the power connector is fine, so i guess im fine to leave that alone. o u o

Edited September 9, 2019 by Lodmot

[Jeremy Popp]

20 hours ago, Lodmot said:

So just to follow up, the cartridge pin connector will actually cause the Sega CD to not function either? That actually probably makes total sense, because that's how it works-- put a cartridge in and the Genesis will load the cartridge (even with the CD add-on); if the slot is empty, the Sega CD kicks on.

That's a good point, I forgot about the sega cd not powering on.  It still could be a bad trace somewhere, just not necessarily associated with the cart connector.  BTW, I have several extra genesis model 2 consoles, and I could sell you a working replacement motherboard or entire unit pretty cheap.  I'd be curious to see the top of the motherboard, I can usually spot bad areas because the traces will often have discoloration.

 

16 hours ago, Lodmot said:

A bit of an update. I took the unit apart tonight just to inspect the inside of it. On the top the whole board looks pretty clean, but i found a couple points on the underside of the board that looke questionable. So i took a few pictures of them (attached images). Im not an expert, but those power connector solder points definitely look sketchy

 

I've seen this exact scenario on another genesis I have using black wires.  It's a redundant jumper, but as mentioned above, you have power so you should be good.

[Lodmot]

2 hours ago, Jeremy Popp said:

That's a good point, I forgot about the sega cd not powering on.  It still could be a bad trace somewhere, just not necessarily associated with the cart connector.  BTW, I have several extra genesis model 2 consoles, and I could sell you a working replacement motherboard or entire unit pretty cheap.  I'd be curious to see the top of the motherboard, I can usually spot bad areas because the traces will often have discoloration.

 

I've seen this exact scenario on another genesis I have using black wires.  It's a redundant jumper, but as mentioned above, you have power so you should be good.

 

Here's some pictures of the top of the board. Overall it looks very clean, though around the cartridge connector it looks a bit dusty. Although it might also be corrosion too, i dont really know how to identify for that. Let me know what you think though. Thanks! :3

[deepfb]

Quote

I'll open the console tonight and try to find any corrosion or broken traces/bad capacitors/etc

 

THIS. I work for a technical support and my job is to fix old consoles. I receive one SNES or Mega Drive (Sega Genesis) per month with no video or black screen, and almost every time the problem is a broken trace or junction node. There are some pictures of these fixes here -sorry, the text is in spanish; but the first images are precisely from a Mega Drive/Genesis II.

 

Regarding your console, I would first clean the cartridge port -you can extract some dust from it using tweezers or an x-acto knife. If it doesn't solve your problem, I would carefully look for corroded traces & nodes. Good luck!

[deepfb]

To make it easier -in case you don't want check the link I provided-, you may look for things like these:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lodmot]

Thanks for the link and the pictures. > w <

Observing my own pictures a bit closer, it looks like there's some trouble going on near the cartridge connector but it's hard to tell really. The pictures are a bit unclear because of the way the light bounces off the board. I'll probably re-open the system tonight and look at it a second time.

[deepfb]

Quote

Observing my own pictures a bit closer, it looks like there's some trouble going on near the cartridge connector but it's hard to tell really.

 

I guess you suspect the areas inside the circles: I would test for continuity around those traces. And I would also clean the cartridge port, where the arrow is pointing. I have a kind of OCD that makes me compulsively extract the dust from cartridges ports, the power connector of every mobile phone I have at hand, etc. I know it is a problem of mine, but it drives me mad just to see it xDDD

 

 

 

 

[Lodmot]

33 minutes ago, deepfb said:

 

I guess you suspect the areas inside the circles: I would test for continuity around those traces. And I would also clean the cartridge port, where the arrow is pointing. I have a kind of OCD that makes me compulsively extract the dust from cartridges ports, the power connector of every mobile phone I have at hand, etc. I know it is a problem of mine, but it drives me mad just to see it xDDD

 

 

 

 

 

It's probably keeping your classic consoles alive bruh XD 

 

I'm gonna check the motherboard again tonight. Hopefully it doesn't get to the point where I need to de-solder the cartridge connector in order to repair the corrosion or the bad traces underneath but if so--

 

screw that... XP

[Lodmot]

Hey guys, bit of an update (not necessarily good).

 

I tested the Sega CD system on another Genesis console that i have, and it actually worked fine. So now we know its not the Sega CD unit (which is actually lucky for me, because those have gotten quite pricey on eBay lately).

 

I almost wonder if the CPU or memory in my original genesis is bad... Its just weird because most of the board seems fine. At least I have a spare i can use until i find a way to repair my original console...

 

Edited September 11, 2019 by Lodmot

[Ignaciosan]

Ey, im a bit late I know... did you finally got it working? I have almost the same problem...

 

in my case, i got the “sega licenced “ mensaje and then black screen.

and mega cd has not image, but sound good.

[Lodmot]

On 12/2/2020 at 6:04 PM, Ignaciosan said:

Ey, im a bit late I know... did you finally got it working? I have almost the same problem...

 

in my case, i got the “sega licenced “ mensaje and then black screen.

and mega cd has not image, but sound good.

Hey there, no worries! 

Unfortunately, no-- I never got the Genesis Model 2 to work again. I never got rid of the console though, because it's from my childhood (plus it's also signed by James Rolfe, lol).

But yeah, your issue is probably different because I don't even get the license screen text. All mine does is a black screen. It's concerning because no matter whether it's a cartridge or the Sega CD add-on it does the same exact thing... I have my suspicions that the CPU fried or something...

[Otiecoyote]

You people ROCK, cudos to deepfb.

I've been moving place to place taking my consoles with me keeping them in boxes in attics or storage units. After 20 years, marriage, kids, etc, I was able to unpack and show off my Genesis to my almost 13 yo. I set it up, plug Sonic in, turn it on to show off a blank screen. I crack it open but can't find anything that stood out. (I've got two associate degrees in electronics, but my carer is in the communications industry.) I was ready to go shopping for a new console until I read this post. 

I look closer and see corrosion on two pins of a larger chip. I scraped off the blue green crud and found where the pads of the pins go through the board to the bottom. I take some 22 awg wire and try to solder the pins to the transient holes. After checking continuity and correcting a short, I hook it all up to a display, plug in Batman Returns (cause I don't want to mess up my Sonic),  slide the power button over and wait... after a couple of brightness changes, there it was... SEGA. 

I wouldn't have known what to look for, so Thank You.

I'm off to do the same exploring for my Dreamcast, SNES, and 2600.