Ever found corrosion or green gunk on your pinball machine’s circuit board?
That’s what happens when batteries leak — and it’s one of the most common, expensive problems in pinball repair.
Why Battery Damage Is Such a Big Deal
Most older pinball machines use batteries on their CPU or MPU board to save your settings and high scores. It’s a simple system — until those batteries start to corrode.
When that happens, acid creeps onto the board and eats through traces, connectors, and components. In the worst cases, it can destroy the entire board. Replacing or repairing that damage can easily cost a few hundred dollars, and it only gets worse the longer it sits.
Upgrade to NVRAM for Permanent Protection
So, how do you protect your game? Easy — you replace the batteries with NVRAM.
NVRAM (Non-Volatile RAM) is a small chip that stores memory without the need for power. Once it’s installed, it keeps your game settings and high scores saved, even when the machine is turned off — no batteries required.
That means:
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✅ No more leaks or corrosion
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✅ No more replacing batteries every few years
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✅ Permanent protection for your circuit boards
Pro Tip: If you’ve got more than one game, check them all. It’s common to find a few machines that still have the original batteries sitting on the board.
How NVRAM Works
When you shut off your pinball machine, your settings and scores are stored in a memory chip. Traditionally, those batteries powered the chip while the game was off.
With NVRAM, the chip itself retains memory without any power source — which means no battery backup is needed.
When to Make the Switch
If you’ve got any game from the 1980s through early 2000s, you should check it. Machines from Bally/Williams, Data East, Stern, and others often shipped with battery-backed RAM.
Even if your board looks fine now, those batteries will eventually leak. Making the switch now prevents damage before it starts.
Check out our Repair page to see how we can help you out.
Can You Do It Yourself?
If you’re comfortable soldering, replacing the chip is pretty simple — but if not, there are techs (including us!) who can handle it for you.
When you bring your board in, we’ll inspect it for battery damage, clean up any corrosion, and install the NVRAM chip properly.
If you’d rather ship it in, we can walk you through how to remove it safely first.
Why It’s Worth It
Think of NVRAM like preventative maintenance. It’s a small upgrade that saves you hundreds later — and it keeps your high scores safe for good.
Once it’s done, you’ll never have to think about batteries again.
Want to upgrade your machine or need help removing old batteries? Contact Hot Rod Arcade — we can install NVRAM for you or walk you through how to do it yourself.