Topic: snes corrosion + yellowing

My friend just found his old super nintendo, but it needs some work done. I think that some pins are corroded, and the bottom is yellowed slightly. My main priority is getting the thing to work. I heard you can use sandpaper VERY LIGHTLY to remove corrosion, but i'm worried i'm gonna get grit inside the slot and mess it up. What is the safest kind of sandpaper to use, and what is a low budget recipe for retrobright, and how much cash am i gonna need? (including a gamebit)

Well I dont know about the corrosion but the two shade yellow effect is nothing to worry about and honesty I don't think there is nothing you can do about it. The reason behind the yellowing is the material they use in the plastic to make if flame retardant or so the story goes. My launch Super NES is yellow on the bottom but it still plays fine.

You can use acidic substances to get rid of corrosion. I had some battery covers that were corroded, and I put them in some Coca-Cola. It got rid of enough corrosion for the covers to conduct battery power, again.

http://www.wikihow.com/Remove-Rust-and-Corrosion

Maybe you could scrub it with a toothbrush or cloth soaked in one of the substances in this article, other wise you'll have to take it apart. I would try that, then use sandpaper type surface to scratch away.

It will turn back even if you do fix it. Some of the snes moldings the plastic contained a chemical that turned it yellow over time, and from heating, there are ways to remove it, but it usually always comes back. Your best bet is to find one that is the classic SNES gray, because if its still gray now, chances are it always will be.

DON'T USE COCA COLA ON ELECTRONICS!! You are looking a sticky sugary mess that will most likely kill your electronics if you do that!

Use Isopropyl alcohol that is 91% or higher. It must be 91% or higher if being used on electronics!

You can also try cleaning cartridge contacts with a pen or pencil eraser.

@BiboJim I'm with you. I have heard using Dr. Pepper but refuse to do it cause putting a sugary substance on there seems like a terrible idea. I always stick to rubbing alcohol.

I used water and vinegar (as I recall, it was suggested) to remove corrosion on an NES Satellite. Unfortunately I broke a spring in the process, so I don't know if that can be repaired.

Using Coca-Cola worked for me. I soaked it in Coke, the corrosion weakened, then I used alcohol to clean the rest. It all depends on how you do it, but I agree that there are easier ways than what I did.

I wouldn't. It's too delicious and I'd be too tempted to drink the Coke afterwards.

@KingMike
I would think you can fix the spring. Just get another spring and solder it on there. Might as well try it, if you ask me.

I'd personally recommend staying AWAY from sandpaper and acids, especially soda of any kind.

THIS is the method you'll want to use for cleaning these. Tons of good advice in this video. The only thing I'll add is that be very careful to make sure that you use a high quality rubber eraser. The cheap ones that some places sell are really atrocious and will leave an annoying film behind.

All you guys are correct about not using soda. I was just speaking for corrosion, in general; not the contacts. Any cleaning is better than no cleaning, but you'll want to use the best method, which I believe @Dreamz has provided.

This looks like good solution for yellowing.