Data East GI issue.....continues

swayze2

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I just picked up a batman and have this thing almost 100%. The last issue I am seeing is the right GI lights are dead, and the 3 GI in the back. They all have purple wiring. The power supply is good, (brand new) and the 9 pin connector has been replaced. Any one have any ideas?? Please KLOV!
 
Make sure you are getting continuity through that new connector. Most of the data east GI problems I've seen are caused by that connector.
 
If fuses are good and you have a meter, start at the power supply and check for voltage at each connector. Do you have the schematics?
 
lights

most likely a problem with the connector on the ppb board. sometines the wires pull out of the plug or the plug overheats. just had this problem on my dataeast gnr pin. if you need i can look and tell you what plug to look at. hope this helps!
 
Just tried a different connector at the PPB board. The original looked perfect. Still giving me the same problem...
 
lights

you may also check for cold solder joints on the ppb board. mine had an issue with that also. usually you can move the plug to get the lights to come on for a second if you have a bad joint. im sure you know this but test the gi voltage at the power supply if good then move to the ppb board. there is a relay that turns the back box gi on and off. check to see if that relay is working in the test menu under coils. it should display on the screen and click it on and off. if you have a bad transistor or a bad relay the voltage may not get thru. the voltage is usually on unless the relay is triggered from the transistor. so i would bet the trans is ok. i dont know if this helps or confuses the situation. pm me if you need something more specific. good luck!
 
So the connector on the PPB I can move so the GI are actually using a different Pin? That actually sounds like a good idea. If that does not work is it most likely wiring?

Thanks
 
lights

sorry, no you cant move to another location. i mean you can move the plug wiggle it or push up on it. if it has a bad joint the lights should come on for a second. if they do all you have to do is reflow the pins.
 
I just picked up a batman and have this thing almost 100%. The last issue I am seeing is the right GI lights are dead, and the 3 GI in the back. They all have purple wiring. The power supply is good, (brand new) and the 9 pin connector has been replaced. Any one have any ideas?? Please KLOV!

I am assuming that you have a manual, and know how to replace board connectors (soldering) and wire connectors (crimping) and have the proper tools for those operations, and you also have a volt-meter and know how to use it.

There are way too many connectors in the design of the Data East GI Circuitry, and as a result, the reliability of the whole GI circuit is rather bad, as you well know at this time.
The best way to fix the GI lights is to systematically go through the entire system from the transformer to the light bulbs and replace any and all connectors, fuses, and bulbs that are bad.
First start at the transformer in the bottom of the cabinet. There should be a connector with four large yellow wires on it. Make sure that you are reading 6-7 VAC at that connector and that that connector is in good condition (not discolored and brittle). Now move to the connector that will be in the upper right of the power supply, typically this connector is on a "pig-tail" of 4 yellow and yellow-white wires that have a connector at one end and are soldered to the power supply on the other (CN9). Measure the voltage of the GI power at this point, you should be getting the SAME voltage (within 0.1 volt or so) as the previous measurement, if you are not, then there is an issue with this connector or the previous connector, replace BOTH SIDES of the connector. The next link in this chain is the relay on the power board. You should be able to test this in the Diagnostics menu, if not, during attract mode this relay is "on" and the voltage at the output of this relay should be the same (within 0.1 volt or so) as the previous measurements. Next in the chain is a 9 pin in-line connector (CN8), this one has, brown, yellow, purple and green wires on it. Replace BOTH the connector on the board and the connector on the wires, if you only replace one, you are not fixing the problems that you have. This connector typically gets very hot and will fail over time. The next connector is on the PPB Board, this is the J5 connector, replace both it on the board and the mating connector on the wires. Then on the PPB Board, replace the fuse holders for F1, F2, F3, and F4, and put new fuses in them. These fuse holders were very poor and will often crack and cause contact to be lost to the fuses. There is one last connector in this string, and it is in the cable harness to the backbox. I have yet to see an issue with the backbox connector, but you will want to look at it if the backbox lights are not working. At this point the voltage that you should read at the bulbs should be almost the same as the one that you measured at the power supply CN8.
Now that all of the connections and fuses are new, the GI should be shining so brightly that it blinds you, provided that you have good bulbs in the system.

I am sorry if this is a little long-winded, but after having to do this to EVERY data East machine that I have owned, I have come to the conclusion that the only way to make the Data East GI circuit bullet-proof, is to shotgun the whole thing. At the very minimum I replace CN8 (both sides), J5 (both sides), and all the fuse holders on the PPB in the GI system. Once this is done, it will last the rest of the life of the pinball machine in home use.

Good Luck, let us know how it works.
Goose
 
Well I traced everything to the PPB connector and played with that. I did not get light no matter what I did. This is getting pretty frustrating.......
 
Well I traced everything to the PPB connector and played with that. I did not get light no matter what I did. This is getting pretty frustrating.......

You can't just "play with connectors" to get the GI working. You will need to replace what is broken. The GI circuit was undersized for continuous use that these machines normally saw, and as a result the connectors overheated and built up a layer of oxidation that does not conduct. BOTH sides of the connector will need to be replaced because both sides got hot and both sides were damaged by the heat. Then there is the issue of the poor fuse holders on the PPB board that Data East used. Most of them have metal fatigue, or oxidation, and do not clamp tightly onto the fuse. Once these components are replaced, then you will see improvement.

Follow the voltage, where it stops, replace those parts. I have had GI connectors so burnt that jiggling the connectors did not do a thing, only replacing the connectors will fix that issue.
 
Thanks for your help Geese. Okay here is the update: I have replaced the connectors on the PPB and the the fuses. This time I noticed that the lights dimmed for a second and went out, after checking the fuse it was pretty warm and seems to be blown. Every new fuse I put in lights for a second and goes out..... Oh boy, could this be a wiring short?? How the heck do you find that?
 
Thanks for your help Geese. Okay here is the update: I have replaced the connectors on the PPB and the the fuses. This time I noticed that the lights dimmed for a second and went out, after checking the fuse it was pretty warm and seems to be blown. Every new fuse I put in lights for a second and goes out..... Oh boy, could this be a wiring short?? How the heck do you find that?

There are 4 circuits for the GI circuit, Fuses F1, F2, F3, and F4, If you remove all of them, what is the GI voltage at the power supply board (CN8)? Are all of the fuses blowing, or just one? If you add them back in one at a time do all of them blow, or only one?
 
Okay, so it was F4 on the PPB board. I replaced the fuse and it popped again. So I decided to replace some of the bulbs that were not coming on. The second one I pulled would not come out, I had to really work it out, it looked like part of the bottom was melted. After replacing this and the fuse again, everything fired up bright as can be! But now I am a little concerned about that socket....

Thanks again for everyones help~!
 
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