This service was for the recap of a 3DO Fz-1. The customer reported some games working and some not, and we discussed the likelihood of a recap solving that problem, recognising that it might not be a solution. The customer was happy to proceed on those basis.
The console was received with a various original games, 2 reporting as working a 2 as not working. The console was tested to confirm the issue. Then the console was disassembled to prepare for the recap. The console was in excellent condition with no signs of dust or rust.
The motherboard was recapped first, using the kit from Console5 that the customer sent. The customer had warned that some of the capacitors had been replaced in the past. This was not very evident apart from capacitor 124, where whomever had replaced the capacitor had scrapped the solder mask around the ground (probably struggling to remove the cap). Since this was only on the ground trace, no damage to worry about.
Next the capacitors of the optical drive. The drive was completely disassembled to access the PCB. The rubber belt was also replaced by the customer-provided one. The lens was cleaned and the small of dust also cleaned.
Final test. Unfortunately the recap made no difference with the games. Those that worked before, still worked, and those that didn’t work, still didn’t. Out of curiosity I downloaded and burnt a version of Need for Speed (one of the games that did not work). I tried different brands of CD-R and burnt at 2x speed. None of the two discs worked, and the console rejected the discs rather than offering a black screen. 3DO FZ-1 consoles are known for being picky with burnt media, so other CD-R brands (like Philliips) might work.
