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

Step 3: Take off the old battery and put the new one on

I did this a while ago so you can see the battery already replaced but you can get the idea.
Take the precision screwdriver and push it from where the tab is stuck onto the battery near the outside in towards the inside therefore removing the tab from the battery but keeping it attached to the pcb. Repeat on the tab stuck to the bottom of the battery.

Stick on the new battery with the tape making sure to get good contact between the battery with the tabs. If that comes loose then your save gets deleted :-(

Note that the battery goes in upside down (see the polarity markings on the pcb)

Please do not solder the tabs onto the battery as this is very dangerous and could cause the battery to explode

Comments

[craazyy1]

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)

[latinlover]

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

[josh92176]

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]

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

[Jorgomli]

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

[danmc91]

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]

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.

[KillerMonster5]

Worked like a champ thanks Josh!!

[travvy]

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]

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

[josh92176]

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?

[KyraKyra]

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.

[gamesurf]

I've tried this on both Pokemon Blue and Donkey Kong, and neither of them work. I'm beginning to think that it's not a problem with the battery after all. Pokemon Blue: Intro works well, but when I select "NEW GAME", the professor shows up with a comment box, but no words pop up, and I just hear this screechy sound. Donkey Kong: The Game Boy title screen shows up, then it's blank for about 15 seconds, and the Donkey Kong title screen pops up, I press start, and the three save files show up, and then the game freezes. I've changed the batteries in both of them, and I still have this problem. Any help?

[sillyzombie666]

sounds like you either don't have it connected right, wrong battery, something is crossed or it could just be because this istructible does not show you the right way to do this

[Grimakis]

This instructable is fine... Since Nintendo never released any catridge repair manual to the consumer there is no RIGHT way...

[sillyzombie666]

you can also go 100 an hour in you, just because you can do it doesn't mean its the best thing to do. also, nintendo thought it was the best idea to solder the batteries in so it must be the best way, if it wasn't they would have done this ghetto fix method. i can also attach a tire to my car using duct tape.... just because you can do it doesn't mean you should

[ben360]

Dude, just get off it. Your point has been made, soldering is better than taping, OK. This is Instructables, I go here for duct-tape fixes, not expensive and/or complicated procedures that the game isn't worth expending the effort of on. If I wanted to completely waste a weekend on something, I might pay attention to your views, but they are clearly invalid for people who don't care quite that much about their old Pokémon game. Now please stop wasting space with your worthless comments; I'd like to read the ones that are at least somewhat relevant.

Also, please work on your grammar & spelling, they are simply atrocious.

"you can also go 100 an hour in you"

No. No, you cannot.

[bweems]

Soldering is not rocket science. It's just an option, though I definitely wouldn't suggest it unless you already have a soldering iron. Dropping $30 on equipment that you don't even know how to use for a cartridge that doesn't even cost $20 including shipping to replace is not economical.

Also, play nice guys. Forums like these are supposed to be helpful. :-) Not a pain in the ass to sift through personal blows.

[sillyzombie666]

if you look i posted this more than 8 months ago so right now your just restarting the issue.

also the fix takes just as long as this tape fix

also try not to insult peoples short falls i have aspergers syndrome, do you feel better when you insult people with disabilities?

[agoins-1]

Yes, I know you comment is a bit old but I figure who cares. I too have Aspergers. It's not much of a handy cap online if you ask me and a bit irrelevant. Anyways, It may take the same amount of time to solder it, but for the people out there that either don't know how to solder or can't due to lack of cash, Tape is a good alternative.

[sillyzombie666]

the online handy cap is the spelling wich was what i was insulted for, plus i thought it was a good way to shut him up

ya my entire argument was just they kept saying my meathod was so hard and so overly expensive when its just as quick and cheaper since the gameboy batteries online are like $6 for 2 and the batteries they are using for fo like $3 - $5 at radio shack

you can get into soldering with minimal suppllys for about $10s including solder and iron at radio shack then for $20 - $30 with a stand some tools and flux

[TheOneAndOnlyMissingNo.]

I think I have a similar problem with Pokemon Red. Once I pressed "NEW GAME", and then Oak came up, and the same thing as you happened again. Only once (it only happened once to me) Oak showed up decapitated! From the neck down, everything was missing! Oh yeah, and it still holds the save, but whenever I try to talk to someone in the game, it starts playing random sounds. This happens pretty much anytime there is a text box.

[Jaxx325]

well i can tell you why donkey kong is not workign it looks like i've seen  that battery before it needs a smaller one dude have a game with the same battery look it horizontal instead of diagonal but i think the problem of the other one is that you might have nicked a pin on one of the chips and there for cause it to become corrupted cause i've got a game that makes that same sound every time i turn it on and i found out it means it corrupted

[josh92176]

Sorry, i dont know, but it doesn't sound like a battery problem :(

-josh

[gamesurf]

Well, the Donkey Kong game has always worked, but I got a new game once and neglected Donkey Kong for a few months. Later, when I tried to play it, I found that I couldn't open a file. As fir Pokemon Blue, I ordered it off eBay, but while waiting for it to arrive in the mail, my Game Boy broke, so when I got around to replacing it a few months later, I found that I couldn't play it. So it might have worked when I first got it, but I didn't have any way of testing it. So I don't really know, maybe I set it too close to a magnent or something.

[josh92176]

hmm, it doesn't sound like the battery at all. It seems as if the game itself is corrupted. Did anything happen to the cartridge before it broke. -josh

[TheOneAndOnlyMissingNo.]

I have the same problem and I don't know. I got Red in a trade.

[nfagerlund]

So if you're having problems with the battery slipping around, try getting everything in place, then taping a penny to the top of the new battery, and sliding the cover on. It creates a much snugger fit and stops the battery from moving. Worked for me after several attempts without the penny.

[yogurtdale]

thanks so much, i didnt think id be able to do it without breaking it... now i must start the quest for a new battery...

[drichardson2]

I'm a total novice and I just did this, it seems, successfully.

I used a pair of manicure scissors. Although what it doesn't mention is how rusted-on the two prongs are to the battery.

Also, didn't tape. Seems fine.

[rbarrington]

Also did this, used small screwdriver to pry case apart, used electrical tape to hold battery in, also used cr2032 which only difference is it is slightly thicker, when finished used a phillips head screw rather than one nintendo provides so future replacement would be easier.

[crustation]

this hasnt been commented on for a while, but hopefully someone replies quickly. there are two little 'dots' on the horizontal bar which are very stubborn and keep it in place. was wondering if there is any easy way to take the bar off. Thank.

[Grimakis]

Use a knife... you sorta need to "cut" through the spot welding...

[ninetailnaruto16]

Ok. I replaced the battery successfully with my silver version about a year and a half ago, but the clock didn't work. It was always on the same time, but the save function did work so I played the game and beat it. But just recently my save file was deleted. I thought the battery was supposed to last around 7 years right? Is there a certain way/angle the battery has to be in there?(I had the side without text facing up) Or did the battery just lose contact with the tabs? I'm about to replace the battery again and I want to make sure I do it completely correct this time.

[danielemur]

The crystal oscilator is what controlls time in the game so make sure that isnt loose

[Kasm279]

Try wrapping the top half where the battery is tightly with electrical tape like I did. And i mean, if | | thats the cart, you want the tape to be across it like the = sign: |=|, but up at the top instead :D

[josh92176]

I'm sorry that it broke, but to be honest your guess is as good as mine with respect to the cause. I would have thought that the battery just came loose or ran out (old battery?) but I could be entirely wrong. Tbh I have barely played my gold since doing this mod but just fired it up now and the save is still there. So if you want to do it again I would recommend making sure that the battery is very secure and hope it works ;)

-josh

[torres4628]

which way does the battery go? the + on the bottom tab or the top tab

[josh92176]

On mine the positive (+) goes on the bottom and the negative (-) on the top, there are little markings on the pcb next to the battery terminals to tell you though, you can see this in the main photo on step 3 -josh

[stufffedkitty]

one word, thank you, and hi