Dammit...I killed my X-Files

[Fatsquatch]

Update #2

I've got in touch with a Stern tech about the damage to my machine, and was told the following:

Any number of things could of happened to the circuit boards in your game when the flash lamp socket hit the file cabinet assembly. I'm suspecting the 20V source for your flash lamp was induced into the switch matrix (Q6) and possibly the +5 V circuit.

This is what my tech had mentioned to me when discussing what might have happened to cause such damage.

Do you have another CPU board you can swap into the game to verify whether or not there's any other problems? If the fault is only with the CPU board and not display controller or I/O boards, I would start swapping the IC's that are in socket. (U209, U210, U212, and U213 if in socket) U213 is usually the first IC to fail causing reset issues.

My tech had installed a new CPU board that he had available, and other than the DMD being dead, he said the machine functioned and played just fine.

 

[Deadly]

I had emailed someone on RGP about fixing a Williams board for me (before I decided to man up and fix my own shiz). This person offered to take my board in on trade and wanted $250 for his. Well, in essence he was getting my board for free as everyone else sells these boards for $250. Was wondering if you were getting screwed over by the same person is why I asked.

Anything is possible. Could this small mistake of yours taken out that many components? Well sure it could have but not damn likely.
As pointed out earlier - the tech shouldn't even want your board if it's unrepairable. I call BS on that. And because of this very reason I question the other two devices he claims as bad.

Call Stern tech support and talk with them about your Whitestar board. Or contact Florida pinball salvage and see if he has anything laying around for you at a decent price. Either way you have sympathy whether you want it or not.

 

[Fatsquatch]

Call Stern tech support and talk with them about your Whitestar board.

*see my last post*


I'm just waiting to hear back on how much I owe for the DMD driver board repair and whatnot, and then I'm gonna go pick up the machine.

I'll just follow the protips from Stern and have a go at the board myself. Since the CPU board didn't get smoked or anything, I feel there's a damn good chance that replacing the ICs (as suggested by Stern) will bring it back to life. Well, as long as there wasn't some unmentioned mishap that damaged the board even further while it was out of my possession. (I hate to be a negative nelly, but since I seemed to have utterly destroyed a machine by sparking a lamp socket, it would appear that anything is indeed possible...and quite likely.)

 

[Deadly]

*see my last post*


I'm just waiting to hear back on how much I owe for the DMD driver board repair and whatnot, and then I'm gonna go pick up the machine.

I'll just follow the protips from Stern and have a go at the board myself. Since the CPU board didn't get smoked or anything, I feel there's a damn good chance that replacing the ICs (as suggested by Stern) will bring it back to life. Well, as long as there wasn't some unmentioned mishap that damaged the board even further while it was out of my possession. (I hate to be a negative nelly, but since I seemed to have utterly destroyed a machine by sparking a lamp socket, it would appear that anything is indeed possible...and quite likely.)

I'd have to assume there's not too many people here or on RGP that haven't F'ed up a board by doing something stupid. I know personally I've blown some shit up too - so don;t feel bad about what happened. Learn from your mistake and move on. That Whitestar board seems to be a real PIA to fix. I've read many many stories on these things and it appears hardly anyone has a real good handle on how to fix those things. I suppose you should invest into a cheap logic probe. Come to think about so do I

 

[Fatsquatch]

I'd have to assume there's not too many people here or on RGP that haven't F'ed up a board by doing something stupid. I know personally I've blown some shit up too - so don;t feel bad about what happened. Learn from your mistake and move on.

Thanks; it does make me feel better to know I'm not the only person to do something careless and stupid.

Over the last month that it was "in the shop", I had quit beating myself up over it, but after hearing what it would cost to have repaired...well...that once again had me greatly disappointed for F'ing it up so badly. I expected to have to drop some coin to get it back in shape, but wasn't really expecting to hear that the cost of repairs almost equaled the cost (worth) of the machine.

Super ouch!

 

[MES]

It seems to be a common problem on Sega Whitestar games. I have seen the same symptoms on forums for SP, Twister, Godzilla and other Sega games. I don't know what the spark might have done, but the one common problem for others has been acid damage near the battery pack on the CPU. Mine looked perfect, except for a very small amount of corrosion on one of the batteries, but there was a problem with the CPU rom chip leg making contact with the socket to the trace on the board. Turns out it was a bad socket. Replaced the socket and put the same rom back in and all was good. It might not hurt to take the board out and check for continuity from the chip legs to test points on the board to make sure in is not a bad socket.

In the picture attached it shows where I tested the leg and the test pint on the board and got no signal. If I tested the chip leg from the back of the board and the test point I got a tone. Problem was in the socket. You might just want to try re-seating the CPU chip to see if that might do it. I'm no expert, but I had the exact same relay, no display, blinking lights, dimming led on CPU board, and no sound.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

 

[super8man]

I would post your issue on RGP - They have been a huge help to me in fixing my Gorgar and Seawitch pins over the past couple of years. Between them and the pinball repair website (I recommend downloading and saving the information - it's an incredible resource. In fact, I printed it all out and had it spiral bound into multiple volumes...and that was just for the Bally and Williams sections. Thankfully I do not have a Gottlieb machine!).

And yes, it sounds like you guy is charging top shelf retail prices. At those prices you may just want to buy a non-DMD pin and keep on playing!

Cheers,
Mike

 

[Fatsquatch]

Looks like this X-Files fiasco is nearing the end, as my machine is home and fully working (well, except for the DMD).

In the end, I bought that new CPU board that my tech had in stock. My plan was to pay him for his initial work (repairing the DMD driver board and time spent trying to fix the CPU board) and then work on the CPU board myself under direction from one of the techs at Stern. To my surprise, the price for that initial batch of work was $240, and when he told me that for an even $450 (plus my bad board) he'd add the new CPU board in the mix, I decided to just go ahead and do it.

So while I doubt that I would have ever had any problems with the CPU board I originally had (had I not blown it up), I guess it's nifty having a brand new board in there. (I'm trying to find a silver lining in all of this. )

I have a bud who may have a new DMD in stock that he's gonna sell me at cost (from an operator buyout a while back), so I may get a little lucky on that. Still, though, at the end of the day, I'm gonna end up with about a $1,400 X-Files. (Original cost of machine, plus repairs and other parts I replaced on it before hosing it.)

I thank Jeebus that it's actually a really nice machine, and with all of these new parts on it, just perhaps I could recoup a good bit of my investment if I ever did decide to trade or sell it. *shrug*



And remember kids, DO NOT dick around under the playfield with yer machines turned on -- especially with flasher sockets.

 

[EnduroExpertFSR]

by harrison tn is that like the other side of the river from chattanooga harrison tn? who is your "tech"

 

[MES]

I learned to hang glide near Chattanooga at Lookout Mountain. Beautiful area.

 

[EnduroExpertFSR]

yea im sorry about your luck. i love this area, wish i knew more pinball people than myself