Recap guide

Recap the Sega CD and Mega-CD

Model 1 SMD caps should be replaced even with no visible leak, and the Model 2 is sturdier. The Model 1 JVC drive controller boards suffer too.

Open the interactive checklist Tick off each capacitor as you replace it. It saves in your browser.

Worth a recap. Reports say it is a common and useful fix on this machine.

Which board do I have?

Boards changed during production. These notes come from the linked sources, and many are only partly documented, so check the board in front of you.

• Model 1 (front-loading, 1991-1993) (High confidence). How to tell: Front-loading tray under the Genesis; drive by Sony (most Japan and North America) or JVC (most PAL). Capacitors: ConsoleMods says its main board has SMD caps that must be replaced even without leaks, the sub board near the regulator is also affected, and JVC units can have extra bad caps on the drive controller board. Capacitor list differs from other revisions: yes. Source
• Model 2 BE2200G02A01 and A02 (Funai, earliest) (Medium confidence). How to tell: Funai boards with a bodge PCB on the 315-5476A chip; A02 is an early North American variant. Capacitors: ConsoleMods says the Model 2 does not have leaky cap problems in general; no board-specific list found. Capacitor list differs from other revisions: not known. Source
• Model 2 BE2200G02B02, C02 (Funai) (Medium confidence). How to tell: B02 is the first PAL revision and C02 folds the bodge contents into the board. Capacitors: No board-specific cap list found; an AtariAge thread covers a recap of a Funai C02 board and names audio caps C232 to C235 and a broken trace near C222. Capacitor list differs from other revisions: not known. Source
• Model 2 171-6528C (Sega) (Medium confidence). How to tell: Smaller Sega-made board with the drive controller on a separate PCB. Capacitors: No cap list found. Capacitor list differs from other revisions: not known. Source
• Model 2 BE2200G02C22 (Funai, final) (Medium confidence). How to tell: Final revision with audio components consolidated. Capacitors: No cap list found. Capacitor list differs from other revisions: not known. Source
• Genesis CDX and Multi-Mega (Low confidence). How to tell: Combined Genesis and Sega CD portable listed on ConsoleMods' cap page. Capacitors: ConsoleMods' Replacing Capacitors page has a CDX / Multi-Mega header with no list filled in. Capacitor list differs from other revisions: not known. Source

Where to start

Clues from write-ups and forum threads, not a diagnosis. Low confidence means one thread or one repair; high means several write-ups agree.

• Model 1 SMD caps (Medium confidence). ConsoleMods states that Model 1 SMD caps must be replaced regardless of leaks, and lists the Model 2 board variants. It gives no values. Source
• Cautionary tale (Low confidence). One Model 2 recap went wrong when a broken trace near C222 killed the PCM effects. The thread also mentions audio mixing caps C232-C235. Source
• General how-to (Medium confidence). ConsoleMods has a general guide to replacing through-hole, SMD electrolytic and SMD ceramic caps, but no per-board values. Source

Tips, tales and maybes

Found in write-ups and forum threads. These are other people's reports, not tested by us. Check part references and values against your own board.

• Story: Graphics corruption in FMV and BIOS screens (Low confidence). Three Model 1 Sega CD owners in one thread cured corrupted graphics in the BIOS and FMV (game graphics and border looked fine) by swapping the Genesis voltage regulators for higher-output variants. The explanation given was that the CD unit stresses the Genesis supply. Source
• Story: Burned discs freeze after boot (Low confidence). In an r/SegaCD thread (seen on the reddit.sudovanilla.org mirror) a Model 1 that struggled with burned discs played them after the main-board SMD caps were replaced and an original laser was fitted with the pot set to 760mV. The commenter called SMD caps notorious for leaking and suggested recapping the power board too. Source
• Watch out: Dead Mega-CD 2 was a fuse (Medium confidence). A Hitman's Museum Mega-CD 2 log with no signs of life turned out to be a blown fuse (F301), not caps, though a full recap was done too. The fuse snapped easily on removal, and the board had factory bodge cap placements held with glue or resin and bodge wires, so note them before rework. Source
• Tip: Technique for SMD caps (Medium confidence). The ConsoleMods general guide advises heating both leads together and not pulling a through-hole leg out until the solder is fully liquid. For ceramic SMD caps it says polarity does not matter, and for a ripped pad it suggests glue or a solder wire to a nearby trace. Source
• Tip: Model 1 versus Model 2 risk (Medium confidence). ConsoleMods says the Model 1 has SMD caps that must be replaced even without visible leaks, with more trouble on the sub-board near the regulator and on the drive controller board of JVC-drive units. It describes leaks on Japanese Model 1 Mega-CDs as common, and says the top-loading Model 2 is far more robust. Source
• Watch out: Stubborn caps cost pads (Low confidence). In the Model 2 no-sound-effects thread, the poster says four caps would not budge and needed extra heat and force, and the pad and trace damage was only found by looking under the board with a schematic. The caps checked were C232 to C235 and C239/C240 in the audio mixing area. Source
• Story: Mega-CD 1 will not read after ribbon, belt and caps (Low confidence). An iFixit asker changed the ribbon cable, drive belt and the drive's caps on a Mega-CD 1 and it still would not read discs, so a cap swap is not guaranteed to fix reading. Another asker had destroyed the pad area under C47 on the main board during a failed replacement and asked about mounting it on the underside. Source
• Tip: Ceramic instead of electrolytic (Low confidence). An EEVblog thread asks about swapping ten leaking 10uF 16V SMD electrolytics on a Sega CD main board for ceramics, and replies said to use X7R and that bias derating depends mostly on package size, with a 1206 10uF losing little at about 5V while 0402 and 0603 do worse. The asker chose an AVX 1206 X7R, and the thread does not discuss ESR. Source

Before you start

• Boards changed during production. Check your board number against the guides before you order parts.

Manuals and technical documents

Service manuals, schematics and datasheets for this machine, kept in our own library. Check your own board and part numbers against them.

• Mega CD 2 - Additional Information (Service manual)
• Mega-CD Maintenance Manual, Export, August, 1992, Rev A (Service manual)
• Sega CD 2 - Mega CD 2 - Service Manual, Number 002, August, 1993 (Service manual)
• Sega CD 2 - Mega CD 2 - Service Manual, Number 002, August, 1993 SUPPLEMENT (Service manual)
• Sega Service Manual - Genesis, Mega Drive PAL, Mega CD - Sega CD, No 010, April, 1994 (Service manual)

All 5 documents for Sega CD and Mega-CD in the library

Guides we used

This page and the interactive bench are built from these. They have the photos and the full detail, so please read them and support their authors.

• Genesis: Sega CD Model Differences (Write-up) by ConsoleMods Wiki, CC BY. Clear statement that Model 1 SMD caps must be replaced regardless of leaks; lists Model 2 board variants. No values
• Replacing Capacitors (general guide) (Step-by-step) by ConsoleMods Wiki, CC BY. Generic how-to (through-hole, SMD electrolytic, SMD ceramic) and a list of consoles that need it; no per-board values
• Sega CD model 2 recapped, no sound effects (Forum) by AtariAge forum (thread). Good cautionary tale: broken trace near C222 after a recap killed PCM effects. Mentions audio mixing caps C232-C235
• Mega-CD 2 restoration and modding (Write-up) by hitmanmcc. Full recap on Model 2 with fuse and BIOS work; no values

Mega CD (Japan, early) 837-8046-01 sub board

18 capacitors.

Mega CD (Japan, early) 837-8015 main board

15 capacitors.

Mega CD (Japan, early) connect board 837-8326

One leaded capacitor.

Mega CD (Japan, early) connect board 837-8327-01

Three SMD capacitors.

Sega CD 1 / Mega CD export sub board 837-8953

18 capacitors.

Sega CD 1 / Mega CD export main board 837-8952

12 capacitors.

Sega CD 1 Sony CD-ROM board KSK-1200A

Nine capacitors. Console5 also lists a 100 uF 6.3 V part at the laser and says its kits do not include that one.

Sega CD 1 JVC CD-ROM motor board EMW10318-001 / ENN-370A

One capacitor.

Sega CD 1 JVC CD-ROM board EMW10258 / ENN-335A-1

Six capacitors.

Sega CD 2 Funai main board BE2200G02 A02 / B02 / C02

47 capacitors. The value at C412 depends on which pickup your drive has (KSS-210A or SOH0T4).

Sega CD 2 Funai main board BE2200G02 C22

42 capacitors. C301 and C405 are empty on this board.

Sega CD 2 Sony main board 171-6528C

37 capacitors. Console5 uses 50 V for the 10 uF parts on this board.

Sega CD 2 Sony laser board KSK-1310A (KSS-240A pickup)

Six capacitors. Console5 includes these in its "Sony" kit.

Sega CD 2 Optima 6S laser board

Nine capacitors. Console5 includes these in its "Sony" kit.

Sega CDX CPU board 1EA4B13A00400

Six capacitors.

Sega CDX power board 1EA4B11A09301

Six capacitors.

Sega CDX CD player board 1EA4B11A09202

Console5 also lists two polymer capacitors (C634 and C735, which are long-lived and not part of its kits), so check whether yours are polymers before you replace them. The CDX and MultiMega use the Sanyo SF-C93 laser, and the replacement must be the 10-pin version, not the 8-pin one.

Shopping list

263 capacitors in all, grouped by value. Buy a few spares.

• 109 x 10 µF, 16 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 39 x 100 µF, 6.3 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 31 x 10 µF, 50 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 16 x 47 µF, 6.3 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 7 x 220 µF, 6.3 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 7 x 330 µF, 16 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 6 x 0.47 µF, 50 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 5 x 1 µF, 50 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 5 x 22 µF, 16 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 5 x 100 µF, 16 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 5 x 1000 µF, 6.3 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 3 x 4.7 µF, 50 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 3 x 33 µF, 16 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 3 x 47 µF, 10 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 3 x 470 µF, 10 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 2 x 3.3 µF, 50 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 2 x 22 µF, 10 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 2 x 470 µF, 6.3 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 2 x 470 µF, 16 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 1 x 4.7 µF, 25 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 1 x 22 µF, 25 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 1 x 22 µF, 6.3 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 1 x 33 µF, 10 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 1 x 47 µF, 16 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 1 x 100 µF, 10 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 1 x 220 µF, 10 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 1 x 330 µF, 6.3 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay

Console5 capacitor kits for this machine

Console5 sells ready-made capacitor kits. Kits come in different versions, so match the board number in the kit name to yours and check the listing before you buy.

• Sega Cdx Cap Kit

Skip the sourcing

• Ready-made kit: Amazon · eBay
• Already recapped: Amazon · eBay

While you are in there

• Need the machine itself?: Amazon · eBay
• A box of spare capacitors: Amazon · eBay

Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. These links only search by name. Disclosure

Step by step

1. Photograph both sides of the board before you touch anything. Zoom in on every capacitor. The photo is your map when you are three hours in.
2. Unplug it, take out the batteries and let it sit. Old power supplies and CRT parts can hold a charge. If your machine has a tube, leave the tube and its board to a professional.
3. Open it up and keep the screws sorted. A muffin tin or an egg carton works. Different screws go in different holes, and the holes never forgive you.
4. Look for leaks. Clean any sticky residue off with isopropyl alcohol and a soft brush. A leaked capacitor leaves brown crust and can eat copper traces. Look at the traces under it, not only the part itself.
5. Mark the polarity of every capacitor on the photo before it comes off. On an electrolytic, the stripe marks the negative leg. The board usually shows a half-shaded circle or a bar for the same spot.
6. Remove the old capacitors one at a time. Surface mount: add fresh solder to both ends and rock the part off, or use flux and a low-melt alloy. Through-hole: heat one leg at a time and clear the hole with wick or a pump.
7. Clean the pads and check for lifted pads or damaged traces. Clean flux off with isopropyl. A bad pad needs a jumper wire, not hope.
8. Fit and solder the new capacitor, matching polarity. Same capacity, same or higher voltage, and it has to physically fit. Work from the smallest parts up.
9. Clean the flux off and look at every joint. A good joint is shiny and shaped like a tiny volcano. A dull blob or a ball is a cold joint: reflow it.
10. With a multimeter, check for shorts across the power rails before you power it on. Use the continuity or resistance setting. A reading near zero means stop and look for a solder bridge.
11. Power it up and test everything: video, sound, controls, the lot. If something is wrong, check polarity first. It is the most common mistake and the easiest fix.

Tools

• Temperature-controlled soldering station. Steady heat so you do not cook pads. Most recaps are done between 320 and 350 C. Top: Hakko FX-951 · Mid: Hakko FX-888D · Budget: Pinecil
• Good solder. Rosin-core 63/37 flows and looks right. It is cheap and it matters. Kester 44 63/37
• Flux. Flux is what makes old joints let go and new joints flow. MG Chemicals flux pen · Chip Quik flux syringe
• Low-melt alloy (for surface mount). Melts old solder on both ends of a surface mount part at once, so it lifts off cleanly. Chip Quik SMD1
• Desoldering tool. Clears the old solder out of through-hole pads. Top: Hakko FR-301 · Mid: Engineer SS-02 pump · Budget: Solder wick
• Fine tweezers. For holding small surface mount parts exactly where you want them. ESD-safe tweezers
• Board holder. A third hand for the board, so both of yours are free. PanaVise circuit board holder
• Magnification. You cannot fix what you cannot see. Surface mount parts are tiny. Top: Stereo microscope · Mid: Head visor · Budget: Lighted magnifier
• Multimeter. Continuity, shorts and rail voltages. The one test that saves boards. Top: Fluke 117 · Mid: Fluke 101 · Budget: AstroAI
• ESR and capacitor tester. Checks old capacitors and your new ones before they go in. Top: Peak Atlas ESR70 · Budget: LCR-T7
• Isopropyl alcohol (99%) and a brush. For cleaning leaked goo and flux. Use the high-percentage kind. MG Chemicals 99.9% isopropyl
• Brass tip cleaner. A clean tip transfers heat. A dirty one does not. Hakko 599B
• Fume extractor. Pulls the smoke away from your face. Hakko FA-400 · Budget: Small bench fan
• Precision screwdrivers. Most old gear uses a mix of Phillips, Torx and security bits. iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit
• Kapton tape. Heat-proof tape to protect parts that sit close to the one you are changing. Kapton tape

Safety

• Good airflow, or a fume fan. Solder smoke is not for breathing.
• Safety glasses on. Solder spits and clipped legs fly.
• Iron in its stand when you are not holding it. Know where the cord is.
• Touch bare metal first, or use a wrist strap. Static kills old chips.
• No tube, no mains power supply. Leave those to a professional.
• Wash your hands after, especially if you used leaded solder.

Values are shown as published in the guides above, and boards changed during production. Check the board in front of you. A recap involves hot tools and, on some machines, dangerous voltages. You do it at your own risk.

More

• All recap guides
• The interactive Recap Bench
• Fix a dead vintage computer
• Sega Mega-CD (Japan) on the timeline
• Sega CD on the timeline
• Sega Genesis CDX on the timeline