Topic: Old Console Care - Tips and Tricks

So, after much searching I was able to snag a ColecoVision to recapture some of the fun of my childhood. Since these things cost a couple of ducats, and are already a couple of decades old, I'd like to keep it in good working order so I get a few years of enjoyment out of them. I know people here collect consoles and I'd like to know what they do to ensure that those older consoles stay in good working order. Any cleaning tips/tricks? Thanks.

I'm in particular worried about the joysticks ... are console joysticks from the 80's easy to repair, or maintain?

The Coleco controllers are prone to breaking from what I saw when I was working in one of those few remaining independent used gaming stores. Repairing them was a royal pain, as I recall.

The system itself can't take much abuse, and have been know to break from people looking at it the wrong way (I exaggerate, but only by a little). Keep it in an area free of traffic and be careful putting games in and you should be good to go.

Thanks The Fox. So the controllers are repairable though? I guess I should buy one that is in bad condition and take it apart to familiarize myself with the internals.

No problem!
As for the controllers, it depends on the problem. Some of the more common problems can be fixed with a bit of know-how. There are some critical parts, and if they break the controller is more or less a useless hunk of plastic. I'm sure there are online guides they will help.

Got my ColecoVision today and I have two issues with it:

1. Any controller (I tested both of the ones that I have) plugging into Controller Port #1 will not jump or fire (side buttons unresponsive)
2. Control Port #2 gives me the "auto select error" and results in constant pulling upwards and firing/jumping.

The second issue is quite common, and the parts to repair it are rather cheap. I'm hoping issue #1 is similar to issue #2 so the fix runs me in the $10-$20 range.

Man, I'm bummed as I was so looking forward to playing Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr, Venture, and Zaxxon tonight.

That sucks

I can't say that I've heard of the first problem, but I guess you're lucky the second one is a fairly easy fix. Sadly, the systems just don't age well

As Fox mentioned, the Coleco controllers are notorious for not aging well, and developing problems. It may be worth trying to snag a pair of the Super Controllers (the ones that look kinda like a boxing glove and have a joystick on the top), as they were more reliable and well made. The standard controllers can be cleaned/repaired, but it does depend on the issue. Plus, since it has the membrane keyboard built in, it is easy to make them non-functional when trying to repair. Sometimes on ebay there are sellers with controllers that have been "professionally" refurbished, which might be worth grabbing (depending on the reliability of the seller, i suppose).

That first problem you mentioned, if it's happening with every controller you plug in, the problem might be with the controller port itself. They're kind of set in from the main body, so getting to them may be tricky, but see if any of the prongs are broken or damaged or scuffed up.

As for general cleaning, use isopropyl alchohol (aka "rubbing alchohol"), as it works very well to clean gunk and build up, and evaporates very quickly. Also works great for cleaning the contacts on dirty carts.

I still have my ColecoVision from 1983 and it works like a charm (well, except for various controller problems). As long as it doesn't get banged around and is given a little care it should be fine for years to come.

Thanks shpydar, I bought tuner cleaner and lubricant so I'm going to do a bit of cleaning tonight to see if I can't fix issue #1. There is an electrical engineer at work, so I'm going to pick his brain on monday and possibly see if I can convince him to fix issue #2 for me.