can someone help me with a TRON coin light bypass??

vintagegamer

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can someone help me with a TRON coin light bypass??

My nagging coin light issue is driving me batty on my TRON. I have no problems with running a wire to a different source to see if that will help me get them lit. In the 2+ years that I've owned the game, they lit ONE TIME, BRIEFLY, and it was the result of me twisting the harness that connects the coin door harness to the main harness. I can't find a broken wire, testing for juice with the multimeter isn't faring well, and I just want the f*ing things to light up.

Is there a jumper or bypass wire I can run from another power source on the game to make them light once again? Help pls.
 
sounds like a grounding issue...

check your bulbs

check voltage at lamp

check continuity from - to ground

check voltage at that plug

trace your + wire back to the power brick, if nothing at the source, get your schematic out and find a + you feel comfortable using.
 
you know, i had a similar issue with a ms pac i used to have. fuse was fine, bulbs were good, grounds were good, traced the wiring and checked all corresponding pins, and after i did that the lights miraculously started to work. always wondered if there was a pin or something not making contact.
 
you know, i had a similar issue with a ms pac i used to have. fuse was fine, bulbs were good, grounds were good, traced the wiring and checked all corresponding pins, and after i did that the lights miraculously started to work. always wondered if there was a pin or something not making contact.


My Ms. Pac is the only other game I have that has this issue.. LOL. I thought if I could get it sorted out on my TRON, then the fix on my Ms. Pac would be cake. But I haven't gotten through the first part of that yet. :( It is really frustrating. I'm not a total moron when it comes to wiring, and I know what the 2 wires are that feed the coin door lights so, I don't get what it is that I'm missing. Unless it all comes from something on my linear PS not working properly. I checked the voltages on the wiring on the linear PS and posted it some time back, and I seem to recall the wire that I thought was the one going to the going door (orange with red stripe) was sending juice all the way up. I keep wondering if it is in fact a ground issue, but I thought when looking through the front that I DID see a ground strap mounted in near the left side of the coin door. It's times like this when I wish you guys all lived nearby. :(
 
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The yellow ground strap shouldn't have anything to do with your coin door lights. That's an earth ground. Your coin door lights are DC voltage. The voltage leaves the power supply board at connector J5-pin14....and the return (re: ground) is at connector J5-pin11. Stick your meter probes into those connectors and see if you have 12-15 volts DC. If you don't, something's up with your power supply....or those connectors (battery corrosion, maybe?).

Edward
 
The yellow ground strap shouldn't have anything to do with your coin door lights. That's an earth ground. Your coin door lights are DC voltage. The voltage leaves the power supply board at connector J5-pin14....and the return (re: ground) is at connector J5-pin11. Stick your meter probes into those connectors and see if you have 12-15 volts DC. If you don't, something's up with your power supply....or those connectors (battery corrosion, maybe?).

Edward

Thanks Edward, that helps to explain alot for me. I will check that out and report back. I think when I looked before it was only around 9V, but I will doublecheck.
 
Well here's my latest findings..

1. checked the voltage at pins 11 and 14 on J5 (they are the orange wire with red, and the green wire with red/brown), they are varying between 10.3 and 10.4 volts (this is supposed to be pushing 12V)

2. checked the wires where the molex connector for the coin door and the main wire harness come together and found the following:

a. if I check the 2 wires on the wire harness side, I still get the 10.3-10.4 volts
b. if I check them from behind the connector on the coin door side, the reading is 0. The wires that match on the coin door side are orange with blk stripe and grey with another color on it (can't remember at the moment)

3. Going off of the conclusion that the problem lies in the coin door molex connector, I took 2 wires and pushed them into the main wire molex connector, and then put the other end of them into the molex connector for the coin door, and again no lights.

4. I then took those 2 wires and put the ends that were originally for the coin door molex connector, and directly touched the first coin light in the series, and nothing happened..

What in the fuck. Am I just supposed to not have coin lights on this game?

Oh, one other update: I tried adjusting the 12V pot near the fuse on the linear PS to get the voltage to go up, and nothing happened. I tried this with the game both off as well as on.

The funny thing is, the other wires that work the coin credit function, and the vibration switch, are all getting 4.7v and work fine. The only other thing that is not getting voltage is the counter, but I would imagine that would only get juice when the coin credit is actuated, no?
 
Well here's my latest findings..

1. checked the voltage at pins 11 and 14 on J5 (they are the orange wire with red, and the green wire with red/brown), they are varying between 10.3 and 10.4 volts (this is supposed to be pushing 12V)

2. checked the wires where the molex connector for the coin door and the main wire harness come together and found the following:

a. if I check the 2 wires on the wire harness side, I still get the 10.3-10.4 volts
b. if I check them from behind the connector on the coin door side, the reading is 0. The wires that match on the coin door side are orange with blk stripe and grey with another color on it (can't remember at the moment)

3. Going off of the conclusion that the problem lies in the coin door molex connector, I took 2 wires and pushed them into the main wire molex connector, and then put the other end of them into the molex connector for the coin door, and again no lights.

4. I then took those 2 wires and put the ends that were originally for the coin door molex connector, and directly touched the first coin light in the series, and nothing happened..

What in the fuck. Am I just supposed to not have coin lights on this game?

Oh, one other update: I tried adjusting the 12V pot near the fuse on the linear PS to get the voltage to go up, and nothing happened. I tried this with the game both off as well as on.

The funny thing is, the other wires that work the coin credit function, and the vibration switch, are all getting 4.7v and work fine. The only other thing that is not getting voltage is the counter, but I would imagine that would only get juice when the coin credit is actuated, no?

I'll try an answer some of the questions...

1) This is an unregulated circuit....10VDC is fine, though, I am surprised by that. Most 12VDC unregulated circuits will read "high" as opposed to "low".

2-4) kinda strange. If I'm understanding correctly....you just kinda shoved wire up into the connector....maybe it didn't get a good "bite".

Also, This 12VDC unregulated line has nothing to do with the 12VDC regulated line that the 12V pot controls. You might want to re-check the 12VDC line and re-set the pot.

At this point, I would just rule out all the connectors and wiring. I would tack two wires to the back of connector J5 pins 11 and 14 on the power supply board. I would grab a new light socket and tack the other end of these wires to it....install a new bulb...and fire it up. If my light doesn't light.....something's up with the power supply board. If it does light....you've got an issue with wiring, connectors, bad light socket, bad bulbs.....or some combination of all the above.

Edward
 
Thanks again Edward- I like your idea but I don't have an extra light socket like that floating around. I'll probably either have to live with the coin lights as-is or take the hit and buy the switcher supply at some point. I never believed so much could be involved for the stupid coin lights.
 
If memory serves-the molex plugs are for the coin counter +5vdc unregulated white wire coming out of connector5 pin 1 from ps to coin meter then white/yellow(probably very faded) wire from coin meter to pin 21 J5 connector to sound board. Return is from J5 pin 20 white/brown wire to ps connector 5 pin 10. Molex unplugged on mine as I recall. Bad diode on coin meter was probabaly blowing the 10 amp fuse so past owner disconnected. The game will still register credits without the meter set up of course. The coin lights are 12vdc, and were described in previous post. One of my coin lights did not work because ground wire coming from connector 5 pin 11 gray/red or green/red? wire went to the one coin light socket and completed circuit with orange/red wire connected to ps conn5 pin14. But ground wire that connects between left and right side light sockets was detached hanging loose. There should be 4 wires soldered to one socket(2 on each tab) and only two soldered to the other. Check your ground wire at light socket for good continuity(low resistance) to ground point on power supply board and also at outlet cord 3rd prong. Check the 12vdc wire has good connection and test those 4 weird looking diodes on power brick above filter caps. Test all fuses with meter for continuity to make sure none are blown. Or maybe just put in a new and correct 12volt lamp.
 
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Of course I can't verify that all the wiring to my coin door and its connectors were all original or looks identical to yours.
 
Well the funny thing is, I just got my coin lights on my Ms. Pac up and running last night, and I have either 2 or 3 switching supplies sitting in my garage, so I'm toying with the idea of fixing my coin light problem the same way as what worked on my Ms. Pac. It's either that or shelling out a minimum of another 50 bucks for a rebuilt original supply, or for the adapter to use a switcher as the main power source for my TRON. And right now I can find much better ways to spend 50 bucks!

The wires powering the coin lights come from pins 11 and 14 on the J5 connection. Mine have 10.3-10.4 volts making it to the molex connector, but after that connection the power is gone completely. So I'm guessing the pins on one of the ends of the wires are broken inside the connector.

Thank you very much for providing your insight though!
 
Switcher

Dont run the game on a switcher. It will hum and not save high scores. I have a Tron here. I will take some pics of the coin light circuit. Maybe that will help you fix it.
 
Dont run the game on a switcher. It will hum and not save high scores. I have a Tron here. I will take some pics of the coin light circuit. Maybe that will help you fix it.

I think the high score thing has been resolved with the newer adapters, but for now I was just planning on installing a switcher I had lying around to supply the 12V for the coin lights, nothing else.
 
I think the high score thing has been resolved with the newer adapters, but for now I was just planning on installing a switcher I had lying around to supply the 12V for the coin lights, nothing else.

That's not much of a load for a switcher....nothing on the 5VDC line. You'll probably severely shorten the life of that switcher. In my previous post...I stated to use a "new" bulb socket. I just said that because you're having so many problems. Those bulb sockets can (and do) go bad. I'd hate for you to be chasing your tail over a $1.50 light socket. Just do as I stated before....but use one of your existing light sockets.

Edward
 
That's not much of a load for a switcher....nothing on the 5VDC line. You'll probably severely shorten the life of that switcher. In my previous post...I stated to use a "new" bulb socket. I just said that because you're having so many problems. Those bulb sockets can (and do) go bad. I'd hate for you to be chasing your tail over a $1.50 light socket. Just do as I stated before....but use one of your existing light sockets.

Edward

I actually don't think it's the light sockets, as the one time that the lights "did" come on for me (while moving the harness around), both came on simultaneously, then went off simultaneously when I let go of the harness. I guess that's my dumb fault for letting go of the harness. :D
 
I actually don't think it's the light sockets, as the one time that the lights "did" come on for me (while moving the harness around), both came on simultaneously, then went off simultaneously when I let go of the harness. I guess that's my dumb fault for letting go of the harness. :D

have you tried going through the harness again to find out where that short it? you can cut that section out and splice in another piece of wire with a butt connector and that should fix the issue.
 
have you tried going through the harness again to find out where that short it? you can cut that section out and splice in another piece of wire with a butt connector and that should fix the issue.

It's right where the 2 molex connectors come together (wire harness and coin door harness). Even if I got that straightened out though, would 10.3V kick the lights on?
 
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