Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

9

Time Required

                          10 - 30 minutes

Sections

3

  • Top Cover
  • 2 steps
  • Controller Port
  • 4 steps
  • CMOS Battery
  • 3 steps

Flags

1

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Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Top Cover
  • Locate and remove all four black 12mm Phillips #02 screws from the underside of the console.
  • Note: Remove the expansion bay to locate the fourth screw

Locate and remove all four black 12mm Phillips #02 screws from the underside of the console.

Note: Remove the expansion bay to locate the fourth screw

1024

Step 2

  • Internal components can be loose. Be careful that they do not fall out when removing the cover.
  • Turn the console right side up.
  • Remove the top cover by gently lifting the upper portion of the console.

Internal components can be loose. Be careful that they do not fall out when removing the cover.

Turn the console right side up.

Remove the top cover by gently lifting the upper portion of the console.

Step 3

              Controller Port
  • Be gentle with the white controller cable as it can be a bit fragile.
  • Disconnect the white controller cable by gently pulling the the cable while wiggling it back and forth until it detaches from the controller board.

Be gentle with the white controller cable as it can be a bit fragile.

Disconnect the white controller cable by gently pulling the the cable while wiggling it back and forth until it detaches from the controller board.

Step 4

  • Remove the four 14mm Philips #02 screws located on the controller board.

Remove the four 14mm Philips #02 screws located on the controller board.

Step 5

  • Disconnect the white fan header from the controller port.

Disconnect the white fan header from the controller port.

Step 6

  • Remove the controller board by lifting it up from the controller port.

Remove the controller board by lifting it up from the controller port.

Step 7

              CMOS Battery
  • Note where the positive and negative terminals go.
  • Desolder the old CMOS battery from the controller board.

Note where the positive and negative terminals go.

Desolder the old CMOS battery from the controller board.

Step 8

  • Solder the replacement battery holder to two electrical wires.
  • Solder the opposite ends of the wires to the controller board. Make sure to match corresponding points on the board with where the previous positive and negative terminals were.

Solder the replacement battery holder to two electrical wires.

Solder the opposite ends of the wires to the controller board. Make sure to match corresponding points on the board with where the previous positive and negative terminals were.

Step 9

  • Reinsert the controller board.
  • Attach the battery holder inside with a self adhesive substance, such as double sided foam tape.
  • Insert the battery into the battery holder.
  • Reverse the disassembly directions to reassemble your Dreamcast.
  • Once your Dreamcast is reassembled, go ahead and connect the Dreamcast to your TV or monitor and power, and reset the clock.

Reinsert the controller board.

Attach the battery holder inside with a self adhesive substance, such as double sided foam tape.

Insert the battery into the battery holder.

Reverse the disassembly directions to reassemble your Dreamcast.

Once your Dreamcast is reassembled, go ahead and connect the Dreamcast to your TV or monitor and power, and reset the clock.

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

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                                                                                      14 other people completed this guide.

Author

                                      with 7 other contributors 


                    Dark Sakul

Member since: 05/14/2010

765 Reputation

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leat - Apr 16, 2012

Reply

For the step 7, you can get the cmos holder like this from ebay. This holder is perfect fit for the dreamcast controller board and easily replace the cmos battery if it drains out again.

Elanna - Jan 27, 2014

Reply

Just as a heads up, the coin cell that was pictured in this guide (a CR2025 from what I can see) is not rechargeable. The stock battery is an ML2430, so a suitable replacement of about the same size as a CR2025 would be cells with the code ML20XX (ML2020, ML2025, ML2032).

HGB - Nov 14, 2016

Reply

Something that should be noted, even if the pictures kind of hint at it, is that the power board - the large board to the left of the console in Step 3, picture 1 - needs to be removed BEFORE the controller board can be taken out. On my DC the pins that connect the power board to the motherboard have a surprisingly strong grip, so I needed to pull up on that end with some force to get it off. Definitely something to be careful with, as you don’t want those pins getting bent out of shape, never mind broken.

M. Guy - Sep 3, 2018

Reply

You can still use something like a CR2025, just wire a diode on the power line. Something like 1N581 or 1N5711 will work.

toniremords - May 1, 2019

Reply

Dont use non rechargeble batteries. you can replace it with the little square batteries you found in chinese mp3 headphones… they’re 3.7v, 2000mah and are perfect for the console. This kind of lithium polimer batteries tend to hold charge for as much as six months according to my experience. And they’re easy available, if you can’t find one, just purchase those little chinese micro SD mp3 players/headphones , they’ll have one of this kind inside. Be sure the voltage is 3.7 at a maximum 2.000 mah