How to replace the battery in a pokemon gold/silver gameboy cart

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This instructable shows you how to replace a battery in a pokemon gold/silver cart.
If yours deletes your save and won't let you save anymore then chances are you will need to replace the battery.

This may work with other gameboy games but pokemon gold/silver are the only ones I know about.

Please Note: I take no responsibility for any damage to you, your gameboy, your game or anything else. My game and gameboy are fine and this shouldn't damage them, Just covering myself.

Please note: if you have ANY type of save that loads up then this will wreck that, otherwise lets get started

EDIT: quadcam24 has suggested in the comments that instead of using a screwdriver you could use fine tipped pliers to turn the security screw, this method would be easier and quicker than using a screwdriver if you could find pliers with thin enough tips

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Step 1: You Will Need

You will need:
A small straight head precision screwdriver,
A CR2025 battery, I'm sure other similar batteries e.g. CR2032 etc. will work but on the pcb it says CR2025 so thats what I used.
And
Some sticky tape,

You can also buy special batteries from the internet, which have tabs to solder directly to the pcb which will created the most secure connection possible, however if you tape the battery firmly then it should be just as good.

Step 2: Open it up!

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Turn the screw on the back anticlockwise until it comes out. Ideally you would use a smaller screwdriver than I used but thats what I had to hand.

arvin.barcia2 months ago

found a cool hack.

get a pen

remove the ink bit so you only have the case

heat/light the end so it is melty

put out the flame and put to the melty pen to the screw and wait for it to set

unscrew the cartrige.

voila!

nightwing992 years ago

Just did this earlier this afternoon! Worked absolutely awesomely :D Used tweezers to unscrew it (it took a few tries but the whole process was only about 15 minutes) then used a flat-head screwdriver to break the tabs off of the old battery. Getting the one underneath off took a little bit more work because of the angle but it popped off eventually. (For those of you having trouble, kind of slide the edge of the screwdriver underneath and push down as you move it forward. You don't have to worry about scratching the battery so dig into it as much as you can and the solder should scrape off. I also did a little bit of rocking back and forth as well as side to side in order to jimmy it under further.) Then I placed the new battery in, folded the tabs back into place, and layered it with a ton of electrical tape.

I'm pretty sure I got ripped off on the battery (it was 7.50 :/) but I wasn't in the mood to go hunting for a better deal or order one online. It still ended up cheaper than ordering a new game on ebay and now I have my childhood memories back <3 Thank you so much for writing how to do this, Josh! I've played every Pokemon Game ever made and classic Silver is still my favorite :D I've had it since I was eight and I'm NEVER giving it up so now I don't have to :D

BenjaminN1 nightwing993 months ago

the tweezers worked great thanks for the idea!!

wouter.vanesch.53 months ago

What I did, is I soldered a new battery with small leads to the existing
contacts, leaving the original battery in place. The new battery fits
snugly inside the cart, and my save file is still there!

poke-geek9021 year ago

I replaced my battery and it saves again, but the clock still doesn't advanced when it's off. Is there something I need to do? Or is just fate?

banj01 year ago

It's probably a better idea to buy a new battery with the tabs pre-attached and desolder the existing ones on the PCB, then solder on the ones you bought. It'll mean that if you drop your cartridge/Game Boy the battery doesn't fly out and delete your save data.

banj01 year ago

It's probably a better idea to solder the battery to the tabs on the PCB, it'll make sure nothing goes somewhere it should if you drop the cartridge/Game Boy, and it's not that hard to do either.

SafiyaSpaghetti1 year ago

Hey guys. It is possible to keep your saves whilst replacing the battery. You just have to leave the system on while replacing the battery. You should try to do it quickly, but still be careful.
http://hackaday.com/2012/05/02/simple-trick-for-replacing-game-boy-cart-batteries-while-retaining-game-saves/
(Link has a video.)

JPAxtell12141 year ago

Quick tip for removing the cartridge screw. I suggest taking an eyeglasses screwdriver, preferably a flat-head, and inserting it at a 45 degree angle into one of the prongs of the screw head. Then, while pushing down with the screwdriver with the force aimed almost into the screw, (It's hard to explain) turn the cartridge while keeping the screw in place. I think it gives it more leverage or something, it worked for me. Just keep trying, and don't get frustrated.

tkontzes1 year ago

Thanks a lot! Gonna try it.
Note:Don't try it on Pokemon Crystal. If the battery is down you can be sure about that, as the save is OK!

tkontzes tkontzes1 year ago

*and the time is not set.

ricaboo282 years ago

I am THIS close to giving up on my attempt to repair my red cartridge. I followed your instructions to the letter, and did everything you mentioned with the utmost care, and yet, my game STILL wont save! i've tried with both a cr2025 and a cr2032 battery and neither got the thing working for more than one moment. please, if anybody has any suggestions, i'd be glad to hear them. i also have pictures detailing the procedure, but i cant seem to post them.

blindact2 years ago

I just tried to do this with my good ol' Pokemon Silver game and it worked. I used CR2032 battery which was the only thing I found laying around at home. Thank you for the guide on how to do this, it is much appreciated.

tyelr5 years ago

I can't open it up eather

paigefer tyelr5 years ago

i heated up the end (non-blade side) of a plastic knife and melted it into head of the screw thingy, then let it dry and opened it with that. worked like a charm.

Raz0rDot paigefer2 years ago

I tried doing that, and all i got was the print of the screw in my knife. Did i do something wrong?

josh92176 (author) tyelr5 years ago

Have you tried the advice which I gave to other people? -josh

Najmyman1002 years ago

Your instructable guide worked!!! Now my pokemon gold and sliver game packs work

craazyy12 years ago

Awesome guide. I had used it once already to fix pokemon silver, and then some time later got my sisters copy of pokemon gold. The first time I got help from my dad, and we struggled a bit with getting the screw out, but ended up just trying to drill it loose from the cover. The drill was right next to the screw and ended up spinning it, finally making the screw loose :P
Just picked the metal bits off the battery with a flat head screwdriver and taped the new 2032 battery in with insulation tape. The 2032 battery along with the tape ended up making it a bit tight, so we ended up not having to put in a new screw afterwards. Both copies now work perfectly. Thanks! It's now as good as new (except for a dent on the back from the drill, which I don't mind at all)

latinlover5 years ago

hey one of my tabs broke off now wat am i suppose 2 do ??? it wont work any ideas?

josh92176 (author) latinlover5 years ago

you need to solder it back on :( . You MIGHT get away with gluing it however the only difficulty is you need to maintain an electrical connection. i.e not block off the current with a thick layer of glue. -josh

calisigner josh921762 years ago

I had the same problem. So if i solder it back on then it will be ok?

Jorgomli calisigner2 years ago

Yes it will, just make sure not to damage the circuit board when you're soldering it, though.

danmc913 years ago

fwiw, I recently replaced the battery on a pokemon sapphire. In that the battery was also soldered down. It was fairly easy to desolder and I bought a replacement CR1616 at Batteries Plus and they were able to spot weld some solder tabs onto the new battery for me. And before anyone worries too much about the price, don't. It was cheap. I don't recall the exact amount but we are talking $3-5 range for the battery with the tabs spot welded onto it. Of course I still had to solder it down, but I am confident that my repair will last as long as the battery. It was dumb luck that I realized Batteries Plus would provide that service.

Yes, frustrating that Nintendo didn't use a holder that was meant for user servicing, but at least it wasn't that bad of a fix! If you don't solder and feel like taking a chance, you may be able to get someone in a local high school electronics class to do it for you.....

bryan3141 danmc912 years ago

Plan B: there's a conductive electronics cement that seems to work just dandy. I found my tube at gateway electronics ( www.gatewayelex.com ) but I'm sure it's available in many electronics stores. Gateway is just the electronics/electronics surplus that's closest to me.

KillerMonster52 years ago

Worked like a champ thanks Josh!!

deth_zeppelin5 years ago

im struggling to open the cartridge, is there any other easy eays to open it?

dsalkowski deth_zeppelin3 years ago

Just get a plastic pen like a bic and remove the ink section. Jam the smaller end into the screw and it should be able to be unscrewed.

thearm dsalkowski2 years ago

This worked for me. I had to dig around the hole with a screwdriver to get the pen to fit in, and after that, the pen tip worked much like a screwdriver. The screw was loosened first just by scraping at it with a screwdriver. I took the ink tube out of the pen and used the short casing.

ryboodle deth_zeppelin3 years ago

all you have to do is get a 3.5(it may be 3.8) mm gamebit screwdriver from amazon and then your set the cart i have tested it on and work are n64 games and the expansion pack for it and gbc games

wafflecore2 years ago

Thanks for posting this! I'm excited to have my copy of Silver up and running again! Gotta catch 'em all!

travvy3 years ago

I'm a little stuck - I unscrewed the game and got most of the tab off but it seems to be attached really firmly in 2 small points, which I can't for the life of me get off! Is there some special technique to this, I've tried using tweezers a screwdriver and a razorblade and nothing is making it budge even slightly :(

KyraKyra travvy2 years ago

It's spot welded. You have to break through the metal around the spots. There's really no other way.

josh92176 (author) travvy3 years ago

Hi, i cant remember perfectly (because it has been a fair while since i actually did this) but i do seem to remember there being a tough bit as you describe.

I was able to get the tabs off by firmly pushing the screwdriver underneath the tab (possibly twisting the screwdriver as well).

If you are still having real trouble with this, it might be possible (depending on how far up the tab the hard bit is) to actually cut the tab off the battery, and simply tape the remainder of the tab onto the new battery?

KyraKyra2 years ago

Thank you so much! My old Silver game now works like a dream. I couldn't find anything small enough to remove the screw, though. I had to improvise with a specialized plier.

fueledbyFOBx32 years ago

i honestly just made an account so i could comment on this to thank you. it wasn't as easy as i expected to do this, but if a 17-year-old girl can do it sitting in her pajamas then anyone can. thank you sooooo much!! :D i can't wait to start playing! n_n

MortiiMati2 years ago

Whoever you are, I love you. I was beyond upset when I dug up my Gameboy a few days ago and realized the game wouldn't save... I'm going to try this sometime today or tomorrow and post afterwards whether it worked or not (which, based on the comments so far, I'm sure it will). Thank you!

frobles33 years ago

could this work for pokemon yellow? and should i use the same battery that you used for your gold replacement

tamaness frobles33 years ago

Pokemon Yellow doesn't use a battery, as it doesn't track real time. It uses non-volatile memory to store your saved game, unlike Gold, Silver, and Crystal, which use volatile memory, which requires constant power. If your Yellow cart stops saving games, you may need to simply replace the cart (there are quite a few of these available from secondhand retailers).

john henry tamaness2 years ago

tamaness where are you getting your facts from?

Pokemon yelloew does in FACT use a battery (im looking at it now)
Pokemon yellow uses a CR1616 battery for the constant power needed to store the memory.