Game Boy DMG Overheating Post Backlight

[majin_reid]

Hey guys, I'm new here. Been modding some Gameboys for a little while now and I've run into a problem.

After installing a V5 nonelectronic backlight into my Gameboy the lower left side overheats. I figured out that it's a small round piece on the back half.

Please check the link for a picture. It's the part right below a capacitor.

https://www.dropbox.com/sc/16asmftpwk1l0ox/WwL0KHCiJz

The round watch battery looking piece has some green stuff coming out of the top not in any other Gameboy I've seen.

There was a thread about the same thing a few months back but the topic creator didn't give a solution if he found one.

Any help is much appreciated. Also if you know what that piece is, please tell me.

Thanks!

 

[bentendo64]

That would be the votage regulator. Is there a way you can hook up the backlight to the non-regulated 6v from the batteries instead of to the 5v regulated part? I suppose that would cause it to change brightness as your batteries die, though....

 

[majin_reid]

Thanks for the info!

Hooking up the backlight to the 6v would require soldering on the back PCB, right? I've already cut my wires pretty short... maybe it will be something to remember for next time though.

The V5 backlight has a resistor built in, but I'm not sure if it's enough or not.

 

[bentendo64]

You could also add/switch out that built-in resistor, too. Just use Ohm's law (V=IR) and calculate the current (I) the backlight uses, then use the current to calculate the new required resistance at 6v instead of 5v.

 

[majin_reid]

I tried another back and it overheated too, so it's not a faulty transformer.

Honestly, I'm not even sure where the built in resistor is...

I'm gonna have to look into that because I think it's my problem.

Thanks for the info. ^^