MrDoots
Member
I am attempting to troubleshoot this on my own, but I'd thought that I'd post the issue here to see if anyone could shed some light on it.
Heres is how it all went down chronologically;
1. Hard Drivin' game was working fine. Only thing that was not working was the marquee light. No big deal, right?
2. I open up the marquee. I find a single fluorescent bulb and a fluorescent bulb starter.
I figure the bulb is burned out. Buy an exact replacement at Lowe's. Install replacement, but still no light.
3. I figure it's the starter and plan an buying a replacement. Curiosity get to me. Last night while doing some research on the interwebs I find a post (not on KLOV) that suggests the contacts have closed in the starter due to age. They say all you need to do is slam the starter on the floor or a table to open up the contacts. I do this and hear a loud pop and see a small flash from the starter. It also looked like a little glass fell out of the holes in the top of the starter. I put the starter back in the marquee and now nothing works. The monitor powers on, the lights on the coin door come one but that's it. I open the back and check the PCB, which does not appear to have any power. When I power-cycle the game one of the small LEDs on the PCB comes on then goes out. It also does this when I power off the machine.
4. Dumb me figures maybe 'opening' the contacts on the starter wasn't such a hot idea. On my way home from work I buy two new starters.
5. I put the new starter in the marquee and flip the power switch. The starter and the bulb flicker for about 15-20 seconds and die out. The monitor comes on, but no picture. The same LED on the PCB illuminates for a few seconds then goes off. The coin door light comes one. Still no lights on the marquee.
WTF did I do, that I now have a 475lb paperweight in my house? I've read that many fluorescent lights from before 20 years ago have fluorescent bulbs starters and well as the bulbs. Can using a bad/broken starter fry the whole works? At no point did I hear any crackling or smell anything burning. I'm hoping I just blew a fuse somewhere.
Doots
Heres is how it all went down chronologically;
1. Hard Drivin' game was working fine. Only thing that was not working was the marquee light. No big deal, right?
2. I open up the marquee. I find a single fluorescent bulb and a fluorescent bulb starter.
I figure the bulb is burned out. Buy an exact replacement at Lowe's. Install replacement, but still no light.
3. I figure it's the starter and plan an buying a replacement. Curiosity get to me. Last night while doing some research on the interwebs I find a post (not on KLOV) that suggests the contacts have closed in the starter due to age. They say all you need to do is slam the starter on the floor or a table to open up the contacts. I do this and hear a loud pop and see a small flash from the starter. It also looked like a little glass fell out of the holes in the top of the starter. I put the starter back in the marquee and now nothing works. The monitor powers on, the lights on the coin door come one but that's it. I open the back and check the PCB, which does not appear to have any power. When I power-cycle the game one of the small LEDs on the PCB comes on then goes out. It also does this when I power off the machine.
4. Dumb me figures maybe 'opening' the contacts on the starter wasn't such a hot idea. On my way home from work I buy two new starters.
5. I put the new starter in the marquee and flip the power switch. The starter and the bulb flicker for about 15-20 seconds and die out. The monitor comes on, but no picture. The same LED on the PCB illuminates for a few seconds then goes off. The coin door light comes one. Still no lights on the marquee.
WTF did I do, that I now have a 475lb paperweight in my house? I've read that many fluorescent lights from before 20 years ago have fluorescent bulbs starters and well as the bulbs. Can using a bad/broken starter fry the whole works? At no point did I hear any crackling or smell anything burning. I'm hoping I just blew a fuse somewhere.
Doots