Help! All flipper coils stuck on!

toolguy

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Not sure what the heck happened here, but my WPC Corvette machines flipper coils, all three coils and ZR1 engine coils are stuck on. I've since disconnected the flippers from the board.

This all started when I removed the fliptronics board, but only to clean behind it...

I've been reading my manuals and it appears to me it could be the fliptronics boards BR1 bridge?

I removed the flip tron board again, checked all the transistors for continuity and all have it, so I believe their not shorted. Fuses are good. I could understand if one coil was stuck and it's transistor being blown, been there with machines before. This board was also repaired three years ago, but the BR was not replaced...

Also, not sure what this also means, but before the machines boots now, the DMD displays some random dots, then the proceeds to boot like normal giving me the engine error for the stuck coils. Never had these random dots displayed before.

Anyone have any ideas with all this?

Thank you!
 
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you installed the connectors on properly ?

"one tooth off"
or
not all the way pushed down ?

Yup, all correct. I got into the habit of checking everything twice closely with a flashlight before I power up after a disconnect.

Oh and my ribbon cables are newer too.

I also checked for pinched wires, blew off the board front and back in with air case a stray solder ball, or old splash let go and wedged itself into something.

I'm rally baffeled with this one!
 
Did you put the ground wire back?

Well I never took it off, referring to the main ground strap. Is there another?

All I did is disconnect all the connetors to remove the board and re-connected them.
 
Ribbon cable red stripe pin one each end ?

Next step is with high power interlock on coin door disengaged, go into tests and see if flipper buttons work. You may have lost opto power.

LTG :)
 
Ribbon cable red stripe pin one each end ?

Next step is with high power interlock on coin door disengaged, go into tests and see if flipper buttons work. You may have lost opto power.

LTG :)

Hey Lloyd!

Checked the ribbon cables and red stripe goes the the appropriate pins on each board and is not crossed.

I disconnected the ZR1 engine and flippers so I don't burn them up. Went into test and the flipper butttons are working per the test and acknowledgement on the DMD.

I also let the game boot and it plays like normal, all LEDs on the main board are on or flashing like normal. Game plays and functions like normal too.

The only error given is the engine too.
 
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Found some info on ONE stuck flipper and its usually chip LM339 on the fliptronics board.

Any other suggestions?
 
probably won't be the bridge on the fliptronics board as that would only cause the game to reset or the flippers to not work
what you have is weird, if all the transistors activate, sounds like some transistors are shorted ?

how did you clean the board ??

if you want to test - what does it do when you have everything connected except for the flatcable ?
if all coils still immediately lock on then the problem definitely is on the board (and either an IC or all transistors shorted)
 
probably won't be the bridge on the fliptronics board as that would only cause the game to reset or the flippers to not work
what you have is weird, if all the transistors activate, sounds like some transistors are shorted ?

how did you clean the board ??

if you want to test - what does it do when you have everything connected except for the flatcable ?
if all coils still immediately lock on then the problem definitely is on the board (and either an IC or all transistors shorted)


I've not connected everything and unplugged the flat cable. I can try that though.

Otherwise, when all connected, even the flat cable, the flippers lock immediately upon power up, before boot up. After boot up, the ZR1 engine locks its colis.

As for the board, I did not clean it, I just cleaned the metal plate behind all the boards screwed to the back box. I took the board off, inspected it for abnormalities front and back and then reinstalled.

I have removed and installed all socket chips on the board, that made no difference...

Thanks for the help too BTW!
 
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if they lock up immediately on bootup it won't be the cpu sending the wrong data, so disconnecting flatcable probably won't change anything
I assume you can't switch boards with another game ?

I'd try measuring the transistors, maybe they are somehow all shorted and bad ?

about the random dots - do a factory reset ?
is the metal ground braid still connected (also to backbox/dmd/..) ?
 
if they lock up immediately on bootup it won't be the cpu sending the wrong data, so disconnecting flatcable probably won't change anything
I assume you can't switch boards with another game ?

I'd try measuring the transistors, maybe they are somehow all shorted and bad ?

about the random dots - do a factory reset ?
is the metal ground braid still connected (also to backbox/dmd/..) ?

Ok I did not put the baord back in less the ribbon cable, but I won't try that since you said the above. Glad you think its not the CPU.

Yes, I can't switch the baords. I do have another, but its hacked bad, was working but I've since taken parts off of it, so its not complete. I might switch the couple socketed chips from it to this board eventually to try and see if it just might be one of those chips.

I have since ordered a new BR for it and the two LM339 chips and sockets. I figured for $10, Ill try to fix it myself before possibly sending it out.

Did not try a factory reset yet.

And yes, the ground is stil connected, always been too.

I did read one posting on RGP that someone replaced all 8 transistors before to fix a flipper issue. He tested all 8 in the board and on the bench and all tested fine. Obviously there still was a short though. He did not have the same issue I currently have though...
 
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Well both LM339 chips and bridge were replaced, no change. At least now I have those two chips socketed! LOL!!!

So from there I replaced a chip from the junk board to the good board. When I did that, I lost my sound, got a sound error and the left fipplers pulsed then stopped, then after a few seconds, flipped once on their own. Lastly the display was slow to show up and move through attract mode. All different issues then what I started with!

Did a factory reset and that did not change anything...

So I don't know what's up here, but it's time to send the flipper board I guess, to Clive at coinopcauldron! Sucks to be me but Clive will fix it up for me!
 
UPDATE:

Issue was ribbon cable from ZR-1 engine board going to PCB was reveresed.
 
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