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Flipper help

Chris Bardon

Chris Bardon

Well-Known Member
Nov 15, 2012
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Mississauga, ON
If by "stop working" you mean that the flipper is getting stuck, check and see how much vertical play you have on the flipper-can you move it up and down at all, or is it tight to the PF? General rule of thumb is that you want a little movement-about 2 business cards' worth.

If instead it's just not responding at all, then the first things I'd check would be to get the game into that state, then go into the menus and check the switches. Are the flipper button and flipper EOS switches working correctly? You could also check the coil stops/sleeves and see if those are damaged.
 
Menace

Menace

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Staff member
Nov 14, 2012
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Santiago de Aurora
Could be cold solder joints on the flipper PCB inside the lower cab too. Pop the coin door open and look for the PCB screwed to the left side of the cab. There should be LED's that activate when you press the flipper buttons, make sure they are all lighting up.

D
 
Golden Graham

Golden Graham

Active Member
Nov 19, 2012
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Essex, Ontario
Mike.
Thanks for the offer on the switch bodies. Sadly, I have a ton of switches and bodies, just not the proper wireforms/arms.
I will have to keep looking and see who sells them as Marco is out.

Doug.
That PCB board you mention. When I press the left flipper (the working one), red LEDs light. I press the right flipper and I get nothing. Is that evidence of a cold solder joint? Do I just look for a break? As you know, I am not the most skilled soldered...it shouldn't be too hard to just add a bit right?

Thanks guys.
 
Menace

Menace

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Nov 14, 2012
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Santiago de Aurora
Golden Graham said:
Doug.
That PCB board you mention. When I press the left flipper (the working one), red LEDs light. I press the right flipper and I get nothing. Is that evidence of a cold solder joint? Do I just look for a break? As you know, I am not the most skilled soldered...it shouldn't be too hard to just add a bit right?

Thanks guys.
Click to expand...

Before you dig in too deep, start by cleaning the flipper switch and the EOS switch with a q-tip and rubbing alcohol. Also look for any broken wires on the flipper button and EOS switches, especially the EOS as I've seen a number of these with broken blades as of late. If you have one handy, get a test lead with alligator clips and jumper across the two EOS solder points and try the flipper again. If that works then you've got an issue with your EOS.

Report back with your findings.

D
 
Golden Graham

Golden Graham

Active Member
Nov 19, 2012
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Essex, Ontario
On the PCB board you told me about, if I reseat one of the large molecules connectors and then pull it out ever so slightly, the flipper works fine. I have to think there is a cold solder joint like you said.

The last issue I have is that my laser kicker won't fire. All of my switches work, but I cannot get that coil to fire. Is that a faulty coil? The diode is fine. Wires are connected fine. I was trying to trace the wires to the head (assuming that's where they go). Am I looking at a fuse?

Thanks man.
I would love to get this perfect to sell (it really is a nice example and these issues JUST came up)!
 
Menace

Menace

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Nov 14, 2012
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Based on your description of that connector I would 100% say that header has a broken / cold solder joint. Pop that PCB out of the game, touch up each and every header with new solder and you should be back in biz.

As for your lazer kicker, if you have a DMM test the voltage on each lug of the coil. (black on the ground strap in the cab and use the red to probe each lug of the coil.) You should have a good coil voltage on both lugs! If you don't have any voltage on the lugs, there is either a blown fuse somewhere, a broken wire / connector. If you have voltage on one lug, then the coil winding is broken likely at one of the coil lugs. (this can be repaired) If you have voltage on both lugs then you've got a PCB issue.

D
 
Menace

Menace

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Nov 14, 2012
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Ground strap will be the silver ground braid running through the lower cab connecting all the metal bits together. Just slide the black lead of your DMM in behind the strap somewhere. Put the meter into VDC or the flat line with the dots (usually the second setting on the dial if it's a Fluke). As for voltage, anything more than 25V I think would suffice. I know in WMS games its anywhere from 50 to 75V, probably similar in a DE game but I can't recall off the top of my head. As long as you get something more than 25V that's good. (you're just trying to eliminate a loss of voltage)

D
 
Golden Graham

Golden Graham

Active Member
Nov 19, 2012
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Ok. If I touch my black DMM to the braid and my red DMM to the lugs..(the soldered ends right?)...
No matter what I have my DMM set at, there is really no reading at all.
 
Menace

Menace

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Nov 14, 2012
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Yeah, game on and in attract mode you should see voltage on all lugs of every coil. If you have zero voltage on either lug of that coil, start looking for a blown fuse, or a broken wire.

D
 
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