I doubt if it "blew" like a fuse or something.

That's not what thermisters do. They just prevent a spike of normal range current from "shocking" the electronics when the game is first switched on. I have seen one leg break off of a thermister before like that. I think the joint just fails from thermal cycling (hot/cold).

That other gadget soldered across both the Black and White terminals is a MOV (metal oxide varistor). That is the one that blows up when there is a big surge of power (like a lightning strike) to save the machine. If the MOV blew from a big power spike, it looks obviously fried.

You should be able to replace the thermister and it should stay good for years and years.

RM

Yes.

Like I said, the thermister is not absolutely necessary - it can be replaced with a short piece of wire heavy enough to handle wall current, but it's probably best to replace it.

You could use a piece of wire temporarily, then open it back up again when the replacement thermister comes in the mail. That way you can play the game in the mean time.

If anyone disagrees with me, feel free to chime in.

RussM

Possible, but unlikely. Worth checking, I guess.

The days of electronics parts at a local store are almost dead.

RM

Wow, Russ, your knowledge is awesome on this! Good stuff, man!

I'll be surprised if the varistor is not gone as well.

This should go without saying, but from here on out, do all work with the power off, and machine unplugged, just in case something lies within that switch.

Glad it worked out.

RussMyers

Have the same problem. I have to change the ntc thermistor. The thing is I live in Athens Greece and the current here is 230 volts and for the line filter I use 4 A slow blow fuse not 8 A. Should I put a different ntc thermistor? Any help for a new whirlwind owner?...