Nintendo Game Boy Advance Troubleshooting

If the screen appears to be cracked, or the display is black, white, or an assortment of colors, refer to our Screen Replacement Guide.

If the buttons function improperly due to sticky residue, refer to our Cleaning Sticky Buttons guide.

If after this procedure the unit doesn't respond adequately then refer to our Button Repair Guide where we show how to take the buttons out for a superior cleaning.

"Everything is running perfectly fine but I cannot hear the sound"

Some products are not compatible with Nintendo systems so make sure that you are using license accessories.

Sometimes there might be something blocking the headphone port which prevents the connection from functioning properly.

Adjust the volume. Other games require more volume than others.

If your batteries are dead then the system will not work at all. Refer to our Battery Replacement Guide

This problem is very rare but if you did all of the above solutions then your speaker is probably broken. Your Game Boy Advance will need to be repaired or replaced. To replace the speaker refer to our Repairing Speaker guide.

"Your Game Boy Advance will not turn on or turns on and quickly turns off."

Make sure the On/Off switch is in the On position, towards the right. You may need to remove any debris that is keeping the switch from moving. If the On/Off switch needs to be replaced, refer to our On/Off Replacement Guide.

Look at the battery level indicator light located on the front of the Game Boy by the right shoulder button. If your device's battery indicator light is red, your batteries have less than a 30% charge. Normally the indicator light is green. Refer to our Battery Replacement Guide for assistance. Also be sure that the battery contacts are free of any corrosion.

1.) Consider the possibility of dead batteries, which would cause the game to turn off. In this case, refer to our Battery Replacement Guide. (There is not a brightness adjustment procedure for the Game Boy Advance)

2.) A poor connection between the game and the cartridge port could cause the screen to go blank. The problem could stem from the game or the cartridge port. Attempt to play another game to signify whether the port or the game is the problem.

1.) Make sure the items you are using are licensed accessories to Game Boy Advance. Unlicensed products might not be compatible and could cause the system to freeze.

2.) If this is not the problem, turn off your system and firmly reinsert the game into the game slot. A click should signify the Game Pack is firmly in place.

3) Once the game clicks in place, make sure the power switch moves all the way to the on position. If it does not, the game might freeze. If this is the case, refer to our On/Off Replacement Guide.

4) Next, try the same process with a different Game Pack to determine if the problem rests with the game or the system.

1.) Make sure you are using the correct game link cable. While using the correct cable, turn off the power, re-connect the cable, turn the system on, and try the multiplayer setting again. The connection might have become loose prior to freezing.

2.) Make sure you have the same game in each system, otherwise freezing will occur.

Replacing the Logic Board requires the use of a soldering iron and basic hand tools. Removal of the back cover is required to access the PCB. For this process, refer to our Installing the Logic Board Guide.