Ninjakraken's Nintendo GameBoy DMG-01 Backlight and Bivert Troubleshooting Guide

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1	Ninjakraken's Nintendo GameBoy DMG-01 Backlight and Bivert Troubleshooting Guide
2				Compiled by: Ninjakraken (now known as Pu1sewave)
3	Troubleshooting error code lookup:	Background color legend:		Big thanks to everyone listed below for contributing information towards this guide!
4	000-099: LCD Issues	Preventable		Kemakill, asdfqwer426, MrCrono666, Ninjakraken
5	100-199: OEM Backdrop removal issues	Fixable
6	200-299: Bivert Chip installation issues	Unfixable/unknown solution
7	300-399: Backlight installation issues	Sometimes fixable/Possible solution
8	400:499: Reassembly issues
9	500-599: General Power issues
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11	Error Code #	Issue:	Cause(s)?	How to prevent:	Is it fixable?	Possible Solution 1	Possible Solution 2 (if applicable)	Image(s)	External Link(s)
12	000	Vertical lines on LCD	Weak connection between motherboard and LCD	When removing the Reflective film and original polarizer from the back of the LCD, be careful not to apply too much pressure on the ribbon cables.	Yes, but some vertical lines are much harder to remove than others.	Apply heat to the ribbon cable around the affected area in order to reflow the solder. It is preferred to use a heat gun, hairdryer, or soldering iron. Use a heat gun or a hairdryer if possible because it has a steady, even flow of heat, as opposed to the high, concentrated heat of the soldering iron. Ensure you do not exceed 45 seconds for the LCD at a time, as anything greater than this could melt the front polarizer, resulting in a useless LCD.
13	001	Horizontal lines	Weak connection between motherboard and LCD	When removing the Reflective film and original polarizer from the back of the LCD, be careful not to apply too much pressure on the ribbon cables.	Sometimes.	If you are to apply heat using a blowdryer or a heat gun, this is possible to fix the horizontal lines. Ensure you don't exceed 45 seconds at a time and you may be able to salvage the LCD. Make sure the backlight and polarizer are removed if you already installed it.
14	002	Cracked LCD	Too much pressure on glass	Do not put excessive pressure on glass, especially after removing the original backing from the LCD. When reassembling the handheld, be sure that the LCD is seated properly.	No.
15	003	Blemishes between LCD and Polarizer	The Polarizer and the LCD are being forced together, causing these marks. This can also be caused by having leftover liquid between the LCD from cleaning up residue left by the polarizer and reflective backdrop.	This can be caused by trapped liquid between the LCD and the new polarizer.	Yes.	Use a small brush to remove the liquid between the two.	Relieve some of the pressure by making sure that everything is seated properly.
16	004	Stress marks/Newton Rings on LCD	The LCD and the polarizer are in contact with one another.	Minimize pressure on the glass screen when screwing everything back together. One way to prevent this issue is to applying a thin, even layer of powder between the LCD and the polarizer. Another way to prevent it is to bend the polarizer without creasing it and installing it so that the concave end is facing out towards the LCD. In the long-run the first is a better solution because the powder will tend to stay in place. While over time after the second solution, the polarizer will slowly bend back to normal.	Sometimes.	Releive the pressure on the LCD.	Apply a very thin, even layer of powder (something like Gold Bond or diatomaceous earth) between two layers by using a small brush. Be careful not to apply unnecessary stress on the ribbon cables while doing this.
17	005	Ripped/torn/cut LCD Ribbon cable	Pulled/cut the ribbon cable when removing the OEM backdrop from the LCD and ripped it.	Be very careful when removing the OEM backdrop. Do NOT cut it with your blade. Do NOT pull too hard on the OEM backdrop and tug on it.	No.
18	100	Gunk on back of LCD	There is remaining adhesive on the back of the LCD.	This is easily preventable if the left-over adhesive is dealt with immidiately after the removal of the OEM backdrop.	Yes.	After pulling off the OEM backdrop from the back of the LCD, be sure to take a Q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol and rub it on left-over adhesive to remove it.
19	101	Yellow/greenish screen after backlighting and biverting	OEM polarizer still needs to be removed from behind the LCD.	Make sure that when removing the OEM backdrop that you remove the polarizer as well as the reflector. This mistake is relatively noticeable because the LCD will have a yellow-green tint to it, rather than being clear.	Yes.	Take your Exacto knife, lift one of the edges, then peel the OEM polarizer off.
20	102	Scratches on back of LCD after removing OEM backdrop	Scraping the LCD with a sharp material, such as an exacto blade.	Only use the exacto knife to lift up the corners of the OEM backdrop	No. Once the LCD is scratched, there is no way to remove the scratches
21	103	Scratches on new front/rear polarizer:	Something scraped on the new polarizer before/during installation.	Remove the protective layers of the polarizer as late in the installation process as possible. Be very careful during installation	No. If the new front polarizer is scratched, it can be replaced.
22	104	Scratches on the OEM front polarizer:	When removing the back half of the OEM backdrop, the OEM polarizer was damaged in the process.	When removing the back half of the OEM backdrop, be careful not to scrape the polarizer enough to scratch it.	No. If the OEM polarizer has been scratched, it is easier to remove it and replace it with a new polarizer.
23	200	"Garbled" screen	Bivert Chip might not be soldered properly to PCB. Points from ribbon cable to solder points not soldered correctly	Get the soldering done correctly the first time.	Yes.	Check solder points from Bivert chip to PCB and resolder if necessary or fix bridged solder points to ribbon cable.
24	201	Two shade effect	When a Bivert chip is installed and only one of its data lines is soldered correctly. The screen will only display two of the four shades possible.	Not easily preventable, other than doing correct soldering in the first place.	Yes.	Check and resolder data lines on the bivert chip in order to correctly complete connections.
25	202	Inverted image	Polarizer is not oriented properly.	Make sure that the screen has a dark blue appearance when behind the LCD in the right orientation.	Yes.	If image is inverted, then rotate the polarizer 90 degrees in either direction.
26	203	Flickering image or some pixels / shaking colors / shaking vertical or horizontal stripes (not dead pixel lines) / incorret colors / fewer colors (2 or 3 instead of 4) / image with static or noise	Bad solder or not soldered bivert chip pins.		Yes.	Resolder the bivert chip pins. You can use a soldering iron, just add a very small amount of solder and do it quick and accurate. Also can be done with a heat gun and a screw driver. Heat the chip and hold the screw driver over it, to push it down.	Replace the bivert/hex module with a new one.	https://imgur.com/gallery/Tf0fd https://i.redd.it/cddydpny2guz.jpg	https://www.reddit.com/r/Gameboy/comments/79c89r/dmg_screen_with_darker_stripe_that_disappear_with/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Gameboy/comments/78x8mi/dmg_lcd_with_dimmedflickering_dark_pixels_in_some/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Gameboy/comments/796d41/new_problem_on_my_dmg_screen_just_begin_to_appear/
27	300	No power to LCD or speakers	No resistor installed with the backlight.	Install a 100 ohm resistor when soldering in the backlight.	Yes.	Make sure that an appropriate resistor is soldered in place. I suggest 100 ohms because that has worked for me in the past.
28	400	Front PCB will not screw in all the way	Hardware is not seated properly before reassembly	When reassembling, make sure that everything is seated snugly and in the correct positioning before screwing together	Sometimes.	If the unit was forced shut, it may have suffered hardware damage. If not, dissasemble, seat hardware properly, then reassemble. If one of the screws does not go in all the way, do not force it. Because there are 10 screws holding the front PCB in place to start out with, it is not a big deal if one of them is missing. Do not force the screws in either, the front case may have stripped slots where the screws go, or newton rings may be caused due to the screws being too tight (can also mess with button functionality).
29	401	Buttons will not work	Hardware not seated properly/foreign particles on button pads.	Make sure that the wiring for the frontlight is tucked out of the way of the button pads and that button pads are cleaned. If necessary, use tape to prevent wires from getting in the way of the button pads.	Yes.	Make sure that hardware in front panel is seated properly before placing PCB back in. Before reassembling again, make sure that the button pads are clean and have no foreign particles.
30	402	Shell will not shut all the way	Sometimes caused by the Bivert Chip being out of place	Before reassembly, make sure that the bivert chip is placed so that it is not in the way of where the shell will go.	Sometimes.	Make sure that the bivert chip is not obstructing where the shell will close. Resolder points so that the bivert ship can be relocated to a better sitting position.
31	500	Lower lefthand side of the system starts to overheat after the installation, even if done properly.	The motherboard is likely one of the earlier models, and has issues handeling the power requirement for the backlight. As a result of this, the lower left-hand side of the motherboard will start to heat up.	Unpreventable, unless you are aware that you have an earlier model of the GameBoy	Sometimes.	If using a backlight with a built-in resistor, add another 100-ohm resistor on. This will dim the brightness a bit, but it will rid the system of some of the stress caused by the backlight. If using a backlight without a built-in resistor, try using a slightly larger value resistor.
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