iFixit - Answers With Device "Sega Genesis"

Sega Genesis: Model 1 board, does this look normal?

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 19:20:15 -0700

I took apart My model 1 to clean it up etc and while looking around I came across a spot where it looks like a trace was damaged. I’ll post pics of the top and bottom of the board so you can see. The spot in question is circled in red.

So I somehow found a post on sega-16 about a genesis with a resistor on the bottom with a cut trace, exactly like mine. I'm starting to think this was just some factory "fix" or "repair" rather than a mod. Second post has a working image link which shows the same kind of resistor on the same spot with the trace cut.

https://www.sega-16.com/forum/showthread...

⟐ Commented March 08, 2026 at 19:20 MST

Sega Mega-CD karaoke: Recapping Mega-CD Karaoke

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 18:59:21 -0700

Hi I was wondering if you could please label the capacitor specs in your pictures. I attempted to re-cap without taking beforehand pictures and now need to recheck the work.

⟐ Answered July 09, 2025 at 18:59 MST

Sega Genesis: Model 2 wont load game, powers on to license screen then nothing

Thu, 26 Jun 2025 10:35:39 -0700

What should I check next for a model 2 not loading game past licensing screen? Voltage regulator good. The board has been looked over for corrosion and none. The power and av ports have been reflowed. The cartridge slot has been cleaned. The games being used on this system work on another system fine.

⟐ Answer accepted June 26, 2025 at 10:35 MST

Sega Genesis: Sega Mega Drive cartridge error

Sat, 13 Apr 2024 02:44:58 -0700

I don't think this is a real problem with my Sega Mega Drive, but when I insert my Sonic the Hedgehog cartridge it's just a black screen.

Sega Genesis: jumpy screen after 20 minutes already cleaned.

Wed, 21 Feb 2024 10:27:02 -0700

works fine for 20 minutes then screen starts to jump . have cleaned and its not overheating.

⟐ Answered February 21, 2024 at 10:27 MST

Sega Genesis: I found this Genesis with no games, do I need a game to power it on?

Wed, 08 Nov 2023 21:37:31 -0700

I have all I need for it but a game, do i need a game to have it turn on or show the red light or can it show me some life without it?

⟐ Answered November 08, 2023 at 21:37 MST

Sega Genesis: power switch replacement needed

Wed, 23 Aug 2023 19:51:56 -0700

my old switch is broken, way beyond refurbishing, it was rusted and just crumbled, i need a new power switch, that is it, anyone know any good places to get them? dont recommend a site unless you see it cause chances are i checked and they didnt have them already

Sega Genesis: Sega Genesis Model 1 VA7 No Picture and Singing the Song of Its People

Mon, 21 Aug 2023 07:37:31 -0700

So I have a Model 1 VA7 Genesis that does not display anything and plays a haunting melody of games long played, which are played no more. See video to be moved, emotionally, and digestively.

Oh, and sometimes it doesn't always give the black screen with the sound. Sometimes when I turn it off, I get no signal but the led does come on. In that instance, I have to turn it off and back on again, and then I get the black screen and screeching.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXAlmeUu...

What I've tried:

Checked IC11 near the video and power ports to see if VCC1 and VCC2 were getting 5v. They were.

Checked the voltage regulator to see if it was outputting 5V. It WAS NOT, so I changed it with a new 7805 and now it is outputting 5v. Still no change though. :(

Checked continuity between the cartridge slot pins and the pins where it's connected to the board. All pins appear to be connected. Reflowed pins just to be safe and rechecked. Same issue.

Reflowed all the pints on the video output and power connector, no change.

Pumped the video out signal from IC11 directly into video cable just to see if that would tell me anything. No change.

Checked a few caps near the video output, they all seem within spec more or less.

Tried multiple power supplies that I use with other model 1s with no issue. No change.

Next, I plan on checking the rest of the chips to ensure they're getting the power they need. I'll also be checking all the traces from to chips to where they go when I feel like I need something boring and tedious to do. But in the meantime...any thoughts?

⟐ Edited by author August 21, 2023 at 7:37 MST

Sega Genesis: Why won’t the Genesis turn on?

Tue, 15 Aug 2023 10:28:14 -0700

Hello!

So this question is kind of part of a wild goose chase, but I want to learn so all answers are welcome.

Essentially, I am teaching myself to repair things. I got a Sega Genesis a couple years ago. I had a fancy cord that I could adjust the voltage and polarity on. It got the Genesis running.

To my knowledge, I never fried the console with this cord. However, I wasn’t always able to get my hands on this cable. So I tried others and I can’t power it. Makes me think I potentially fried the board, or maybe I just never found a proper substitute.

So here’s the question.

Assuming the problem is based in the motherboard, what could be the issue? The capacitors did need to be replaced but that is all I remember being an issue.

I’m learning to solder so I’m up for a challenge.

⟐ Answered August 15, 2023 at 10:28 MST

Sega Genesis: Need to find Genesis EM & EMI replacements

Mon, 07 Aug 2023 04:20:27 -0700

Hello i found out that one of my OLD SMD have been stripped by my younger brother for some electronic parts (IDK project of some kind)

So i need to replace:
EM 11
EM 12
EM 13
EM 16
possibly EM 14 also
that are located near joystick port 1
and
EM 31 near the RF box

Has anyone have a list of the EM's/ EMI's for replacement purposes?

⟐ Commented August 07, 2023 at 4:20 MST

Sega Genesis: Power switch replacement, is it easy?

Sat, 10 Dec 2022 13:11:08 -0700

so i have two Genesis model 1 consoles and one has a very stiff power switch and the other console doesn’t work but the power switch is very easy to slide. So I want to swap the power slide switch but I can’t find any videos about this. However, I’ve seen a photo of one that was removed but the guy that took it off said he broke it and in the photo there was a spring beside the switch. I guess I just want to know if I desolder the switch, is it going to just fall apart on me?

⟐ Answer accepted December 10, 2022 at 13:11 MST

Sega Genesis: Power switch only works sometimes

Fri, 19 Aug 2022 22:46:58 -0700

I have a Sega Genesis (model 1) that has some issues with the power switch only turning on sometimes. It takes a few tries of turning it on and off again before the on light even comes on at all, but even then it doesn’t come on in the on position, only when I’m halfway through turning it off again. With enough back and forth it does come on properly, but it’s been taking progressively more time for it to do this (was fine when I pulled it out of storage ~5 months ago).

I’ve also noticed it’s got some other issues. The video kind of flashes brighter and darker on some scenes, mostly on menus. My other tv shows wavy lines that get worse the longer you play. Probably just the tv, but it’s annoying nonetheless.

I’m currently using an adapter I got at Goodwill, not meant for the system but it’s the right voltage, amps, and I’ve switched it so the polarity is right. I’ve had the entire system apart and made sure the outside part of the switch was lined up with the inside. Everything looked fine inside, nothing damaged. I’ve cleaned the adapter in port in case that was corroded. I’ve tried moving the wires around in case of there being a loose connection, same thing with the tip of the adapter. I’ve tried the adapter from my Sega CD (it seems to fit better). It could be something just inside the console because once I accidently touched the adapter tip while it was on and it rebooted, but I really don’t know. Any ideas?

Edit: Circuit board

⟐ Commented August 19, 2022 at 22:46 MST

Sega Genesis: Genesis won’t play sound for all games…

Wed, 03 Aug 2022 23:34:42 -0700

Hello all, I have a Genesis that has a rather odd audio problem. Sonic will play with no issues, sound and video both work wonderfully. However Jurassic park will only give me video. I have opened the game cartridge and poked around with a multimeter and continuity is just fine between all pins and their respective points on the chip itself. I have replaced the capacitor on the cartridge and have also cleaned the pins as well as touched up all of the Solder points on the chip. I have heard that this problem could be related to the different ways the Genesis plays audio. This problem is happening on both TV speakers as well as the headphone jack. I have cleaned the cartridge slot and recapped the motherboard. I believe I have a VA6 motherboard revision. Thanks guys!

Sega Genesis: Why can't any controller plugged in as the first controller press up?

Thu, 28 Jul 2022 10:38:52 -0700

So I can use up on all my controllers in the 2nd controller slot so I know the controllers are fine. But whatever controller is in the first slot doesn't allow me to press up. I'm guessing there's something wrong with the connectors so I'm just wondering if I should just replace the whole thing or if there's an individual pin I could fix.

⟐ Answered July 28, 2022 at 10:38 MST

Sega Genesis: Bad, Noisy, buzzy sound

Thu, 28 Jul 2022 10:25:33 -0700

Hi!

Today I plugged my old sega genesis (I'm writing from Portugal, here we call it mega-drive), didn't use for at least 10 years. The last time I used it, it was good, I'm almost shure didn't have any problem.

Today, I plugged it and I notice the image was bad, but the worst part was the sound. I'm gonna try to describe the best I can, with my bad english, the sound was buzzy, noisy... I thought it could be a problem with the tv, or the cable, so I plugged my headphones to the genesis, and it was the same. I'm sure the problem is with the console.

I've read it could be the voltage regulator, is there any way to test them? DO you have any idea of what could be?

⟐ Commented July 28, 2022 at 10:25 MST

Sega Genesis: How to fix power jack on model 1 genesis

Sun, 03 Jul 2022 18:50:02 -0700

My genesis needs jacking around with my power cable

⟐ Answered July 03, 2022 at 18:50 MST

Sega Genesis: Need AV replacement cord.

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 05:20:55 -0700

I lost my AV cord to my Sega Genesis 16 bit, where can I find a replacement that actually will connect to my TV. Everything I have seen either has 5 or 9 pins, mine has 8 holes. Does that make a difference?

⟐ Answer accepted March 01, 2022 at 5:20 MST

Sega Genesis: No controller works in either port.

Thu, 13 Jan 2022 13:50:36 -0700

I've cleaned the contacts, and checked continuity right to the chip, but not controller works in either port (tried several). Anyone seen this before? Console works fine otherwise.

⟐ Answered January 13, 2022 at 13:50 MST

Sega Genesis: Sound output is low for some unknown reason?

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 04:50:17 -0700

The sound output from my sega mega drive 1 is really low for some unknown reason. Is there anyway of putting this right? I’ve used quite afew tv aeriels & no change!

⟐ Commented December 15, 2021 at 4:50 MST

Sega Genesis: Weird Visual Smearing Effect with Component Cables

Sun, 31 Oct 2021 14:18:44 -0700

I recently got HD Retrovision Y Pb Pr Component Cables for my Sega Genesis Model 1, which I had previously only ever used RF on. When using the Component cables, I got this weird horizontal smearing effect that you can see in the pictures. It looked beautiful on RF (well, as beautiful as RF can look), so I expect it’s either something wrong with the 9 pin AV jack on the Genesis, since RF has a separate jack. This image was being displayed on a modern flat screen through a RetroTINK 2x Pro, but I ruled that and the TV out as causing an issue, since it looked the same when plugged directly into my older TV with component inputs. Do you think there is is something wrong with the cables? Or something wrong with the AV jack on the Genesis, which I had never used before? Like is one of the pins rusty or something?