Will Rubbing Alcohol Damage Game Systems?

[Ronin]

I recently connected my Sega Genesis to my Sony BVM-20F1U for the first time. The picture looked amazing (I'm connecting via RGB), however, there was some glitchy looking pixelation at the bottom of the screen. After playing with the adjustments on the monitor a bit I figured that the problem must be with the system and the games. In fact, a couple of my games did not come on at all.

So, after searching through various forums online, the consensus semed to be that the best solution was to clean my games and system using some Q-Tips and isopropyl alcohol. I dabbed Q-Tips with a bit of rubbing alcohol and cleaned the bottom of a few of my cartidges. Also, on the recomendation of someone online, I dabbed a microfiber cloth with some alcohol, wrapped the cloth around an old card I had in my wallet, and used that to clean the pin connector in the Genesis.

I left it alone for a couple of days, giving it plenty of time to dry. I just tried it again today and the picture is completely distorted and messed up. I tried messing with the monitor a bit, but I really don't think that has anything to do with it. I tried putting in one of the games that I did not clean and it was just as bad.

So, did I just damage my Genesis by trying to clean it? Is there any way that I might fix it, or is my Genesis damaged for good now? Has anyone else had similar problems after cleaning old systems?

[Ed Oscuro]

Cleaning is the first thing to try on an ailing system, so you didn't do anything wrong there. At worst, it might not have fixed the problem.

From what you describe the Genesis could be at fault, but to narrow the problem down, test the Genesis on another display, and also rule out the BVM by making sure it displays a good image from another source. BVMs can be fiddly to use, and you want to rule out a simple mistake.

If that doesn't work, take another look at the pin connector, and see if there's any corrosion or gunk in there. Be gentle with it, though. If you still have problems after that, open it up and take a look for corrosion or damage elsewhere. Next, you might consider that some other component is failing - at a stretch it's possible internal capacitors, or the power brick, are going bad.

[mikejmoffitt]

The Genesis has writes to Color RAM visible on screen. Most games do this after the visible region of the display. Most TVs hide this, but any that show the upper/lower border will allow it to be visible. This is not emulated in almost every emulator, so you do not see it there. Your Genesis is fine.

You can see artifacts in Sonic 2's Chemical Plant Zone at the water level, where the palette is changed to show the under water colors. This comes from the same phenomenon.

The technical reason is that the Color RAM's data bus is latched for output, where the CRAM's address comes form the VDP requesting a palette color. When colors are being written, this bus is now being written to by the game instead of being addressed by the VDP. During this, the data bus is still being latched, even though what's being written isn't the currently displayed color.

[Ed Oscuro]

That's a good point, but you need to read the entire post. There's clearly a problem if games aren't coming on and the output is totally bad.

[Ronin]

Cleaning is the first thing to try on an ailing system, so you didn't do anything wrong there. At worst, it might not have fixed the problem.

From what you describe the Genesis could be at fault, but to narrow the problem down, test the Genesis on another display, and also rule out the BVM by making sure it displays a good image from another source. BVMs can be fiddly to use, and you want to rule out a simple mistake.

If that doesn't work, take another look at the pin connector, and see if there's any corrosion or gunk in there. Be gentle with it, though. If you still have problems after that, open it up and take a look for corrosion or damage elsewhere. Next, you might consider that some other component is failing - at a stretch it's possible internal capacitors, or the power brick, are going bad.

Thanks for the advice. I ordered a Genesis av cable for $5 which should be here Wednesday. I only have the rf and rgb connectors so I will need that to connect to my modern tv. So when that comes I can check to see whether or not my BVM is the problem. I think I will also try using a compressed air dust cleaner on the system just to see if that does anything. If all else fails, there is a game store near me that does repair work on retro consoles. I might have them take a look at it. I was trying to be careful when cleaning the pins, I just hope I didn't accidentally get any alcohol on something else and damaged it. When I get a chance I might take a picture of the screen and post it, just in case it looks familar to anyone.

[Ed Oscuro]

I think I will also try using a compressed air dust cleaner on the system just to see if that does anything.

I wouldn't bother with that. Just remember, first order of business is to isolate the problem, then look into fixes. But I don't think compressed air will do much of anything.

[FBX]

I've never had q-tips and rubbing alcohol ruin cart leads, Genesis or otherwise. The first thing you described at the bottom of the screen sounds normal. Phatasy Star II has that garbage down there, and you need to adjust your display size to hide it. But as has already been said, you need to isolate what the new problem is.

[nem]

It's possible you bent a pin on the cartridge connector depending on how forcefully you inserted the cloth card combo. Have a look if all the pins line up correctly.

[lev11]

I find that rubbing alcohol (surgical spirit) can leave a greasy residue, where IPA solvent evaporates with little trace. Are you supposed to wipe off either with a lint free cloth/ cotton bud after uses where possible?

[Guspaz]

Errm, rubbing alcohol, that's 99% isopropyl alcohol and 1% distilled water... There's nothing to leave any residue behind...

Do they put something extra in it there that they don't here?

[lev11]

Yeah, its meths (not the breaking bad kind) and 2.5% castor oil on a bottle I've got over here in the UK.

[Guspaz]

Yikes. Ours is just the two pure ingredients in the 99% stuff you get at the pharmacy.

[cfx]

.

[Guspaz]

I guess we're lucky here? In Canada, I just go to the major local pharmacy (Pharmaprix/Shoppers Drug Mart) and they've got both 70% and 99%, and it's just alcohol and water. Like, the label lists the ingredients. Here's my 99% USP:

MEDICINAL INGREDIENT: Isopropyl Alcohol 99% v/v. NON-MEDICINAL INGREDIENT: Water.

And here's my 70% USP:

MEDICINAL INGREDIENT: Isopropyl Alcohol 70% v/v. NON-MEDICINAL INGREDIENT: Water.

I imagine it would be illegal to put anything else in a medicinal product without it being listed... But why would they put anything else in it?

EDIT: I think I saw 92% there too, but I don't have any, so can't check the ingredients.

[Ed Oscuro]

acetone, really? wow.

Anyway the castor oil is fine for medicinal purposes, but it will definitely leave a residude. But would it hurt the system? Hard to say. If you're just cleaning the contacts with it, and they're dry, I don't think that's the problem. You could probably just dry-swipe it to get any stuff off.

[FBX]

I guess we're lucky here? In Canada, I just go to the major local pharmacy (Pharmaprix/Shoppers Drug Mart) and they've got both 70% and 99%, and it's just alcohol and water. Like, the label lists the ingredients. Here's my 99% USP:

MEDICINAL INGREDIENT: Isopropyl Alcohol 99% v/v. NON-MEDICINAL INGREDIENT: Water.

And here's my 70% USP:

MEDICINAL INGREDIENT: Isopropyl Alcohol 70% v/v. NON-MEDICINAL INGREDIENT: Water.

I imagine it would be illegal to put anything else in a medicinal product without it being listed... But why would they put anything else in it?

EDIT: I think I saw 92% there too, but I don't have any, so can't check the ingredients.

I'm in Texas, and those are the common ones I find at the store. I guess it just depends on who you ask or where you live, but we definitely have those versions of rubbing alcohol here in the States.

[Taiyaki]

I get mine at Rite Aid or CVS they don't have any of that stuff.

You can also use Isopropyl alcohol on disc lens, works well on older systems that aren't reading discs anymore due to some layer of dust or anything else in the way of these sensitive lens.

[Ronin]

Problem solved! So guess what? The problem was my monitor. The other day I decided to play with the monitor a bit just to see if I missed something before. Well, I guess I did miss something. I thought that I didn't have the external sync on the first time I tried it. But I must have, because as soon as I turned it on, the picture went back to normal. Oh, and that was only after I pushed the shift button first, which has to be on before you push external sync. I didn't realise how bad the picture can look without sync.

As for the games that were not working, I guess it was just my Sonic & Knuckles cartridge. I thought my Sonic The Hedgehog 3 cartridge wasn't working either, but that was only because it was connected to Sonic & Knuckles. When I put it in by itself it worked fine. Cleaning Sonic & Knuckles didn't seem to help... at first. Now it is suddenly working again, so I don't know what happed there. I tried all of my other games and most work fine. However, there are a few that don't work, so I gave them a cleaning. I'll see if that does anything.

Oh, and I think mikejmoffitt was right on target. That little bit of glitchy looking stuff is only on the very bottom of the screen in a blue area bordering the game screen. Everything in the game screen looks great. I don't really even notice that stuff while playing, and now that I know it isn't a problem with my system, it doesn't bother me.

I feel like a bit of a derp for not figuring it out sooner, but many thanks to everyone who gave me advice!