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Anyone coming Windsor way that can help me with a SWDE issue

Golden Graham

Active Member
Nov 19, 2012
429
96
28
48
Essex, Ontario
Hi.
I am still trying to fix two issues with my SWDE before I sell it. Is there anyone passing through the area that may be able to lend a hand?

1. I cannot get the handle to fire the ball (I have to use my right flipper). I have replaced the fire button, the diode, the switch inside and out and still get nothing. I am not to good with understanding switch matrixes but from what I can tell, they all look and work fine. No error readings or shorts. Could this be a problem with a transistor on the board?

2. The top row of lights in the backbox will not light. I have replaced ALL fuses. There looked to possibly be a burned wire in the 6 wire molex connector (the white molex was darker around one wire). I just cut that wire out and twisted them together. Can I even do that??

Either way, any help or suggestions would be hugely appreciated!

Thanks
Kyle
 

spiroagnew

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Dec 1, 2012
1,334
311
83
Scotch Block, ON
www.creditdotpinball.com
Re: Anyone coming Windsor way that can help me with a SWDE i

2. I had a bank of backbox lights out in my Rollergames that ran to a burnt Molex housing. I didn't have to re-pin the connector I just had to reflow the solder on the male pin on the board as the heat had loosened it from making a proper connection. As good as new.
 

DRANO

Super Member
Nov 15, 2012
2,827
519
113
Mississauga
Re: Anyone coming Windsor way that can help me with a SWDE i

Sorry Kyle,
Not coming until January again :)

So, I know jack about DE, but if you've run a switch edges test and your button is testing fine, and the coil is also working (since you're able to fire it with flipper), I'd have to assume the two things just arent "talking" to each other.

Could be a connector bewteen the MPU and solenoid driver boards? Maybe? Bad ribbon cable or header pins? Something not wired right? It could eve be a bad chip somewhere on the MPU. You'd have to look at the schematics.
Has it always done this or is this a newer issue?
I would start by tracing the wire from the switch back to the board. Then see what connector sends that signal from the MPU to the driver board.

As for the lights. Always a good idea to re-pin all those wires into a new housing and even replace the headers (or try re-flowing solder first as Rob suggests). Take a peek at the back of the board near that connector. You could have some damage or broken traces if the heat was exceptionally bad.

However, this advice is worth the price paid.
Good luck.