Judge Dredd keeps resetting

MmSadda

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Most Recent Update:
I discovered that when I hit the start button (which causes it to reset) It seems the two upper flippers are kicking. Didn't notice this 'til tonight.
Connector J101 is a bit toasty but not absolutely shot I don't think; I tried cleaning it up, which had no effect.



Update: The reset seems to be tied to any solenoid firing. What does this tell us?

Process I'm following (Per pin wiki) - what I've tested exactly
Step 1: measure line voltage - voltage at auxiliary power connector is good. Voltages at all test points are within normal tolerances.
Step 2: Examine flipper coil diodes and solder joints - voltage drops across diodes are consistent between the two flippers, and both show the same voltage drop measured at the wire as they do measured on the diode itself.
Step 3: Examine the "cube shaped" molex connector in the cabinet - Disconnected, visually inspected, and reconnected connectors. No visible corrosion or damage; no effect on things.
Step 4: Examine other wiring harnesses and the connectors - Checked voltages at test points. Made sure all connectors in backboard were seated properly. No effect.

Original post:
Hey guys, I could use a little help.

I got a Judge Dredd pin a week ago. It had occasionally reset itself at random points during gameplay a couple times before today. Now, it's basically resetting every time I try to start a game. I replaced the cord, though the plug-in on the back of the machine may be ever so slightly loose. I'm wondering if the game might have some other issue, though.

I'd had the same thing with my Fish Tales when it first got here, but that went away after a couple days; this has just gotten worse with time.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Collin
 
Last edited:
Does it reset when you push the flippers or when a coil tries to fire? Could be the 5V getting dragged down on the CPU board. There are some jumpers that can be added to ensure the proper voltage gets to where it needs to go. I have had similar problems on my IJ, TZ, and a JD I used to own and doing this (and replacing the connector J101 I think it's J101 - its to the right of the filter caps) resolved my problems.

I documented my fix here...
http://home.comcast.net/~mtpacifico/_pinballs/twilightzone/twilightzone.htm

- Mike
 
I had the exact same problem on my Judge Dredd. I replaced the Bridge Rectifier BR2 and the associated big capacitor C5 on my driver board. The solved the issue and the game has never reset again.

Clay
 
Update:
I discovered that when I hit the start button (which causes it to reset) It seems the two upper flippers are kicking. Didn't notice this 'til tonight.
Connector J101 is a bit toasty but not absolutely shot I don't think; I tried cleaning it up, which had no effect.


Does it reset when you push the flippers or when a coil tries to fire? Could be the 5V getting dragged down on the CPU board. There are some jumpers that can be added to ensure the proper voltage gets to where it needs to go. I have had similar problems on my IJ, TZ, and a JD I used to own and doing this (and replacing the connector J101 I think it's J101 - its to the right of the filter caps) resolved my problems.

I documented my fix here...
http://home.comcast.net/~mtpacifico/_pinballs/twilightzone/twilightzone.htm

- Mike
Hey Mike, Thanks for the help! Initially it seemed random, then started doing it every time I hit the ball launch button. Now it appears that any time I fire a flipper, or hit the start button (which kicks the ball up with a coil/solenoid), it resets. I just noticed that the start button is also activating the two upper flippers... very odd. Going to follow your steps further when I get a chance.
Check the incoming line voltage. If it drops below 115VAC, that will cause resets. Is your game on the same circuit as something else that draws a lot of current?
Also, check out pinwiki. Lots of good info there.
http://www.pinwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Williams_WPC#Game_resets
Good luck!
Thank you! I've started using that pin wiki as a step-by-step guide, and documenting my progress in the original post. They're great!
I had the exact same problem on my Judge Dredd. I replaced the Bridge Rectifier BR2 and the associated big capacitor C5 on my driver board. The solved the issue and the game has never reset again.

Clay
Clay, thanks for the input! I've heard that I shouldn't jump to doing the bridge rectifier, but have gone through most of the steps that lead up to that on Pin Wiki, and may do that soon. How difficult was that part to source? Any recollection of how expensive it was?
 
DING DING DING! We have a winner. Michael Roma, you rule! ;)

J101 is a bit charred, cleaning it up and re-seating it helped a lot; further cleaning and adding in a bit of spark plug boot grease got it back to 100% playable!


The lights still dim a bit when both sets of flippers are in use; kinda wonder if I shouldn't still check the caps at some point. For now though, it's playing great!

Thanks, everyone, for your help!
 
Glad I could help. I would def replace the header pins for J101 and do the jumper mod at a minimum to make it more stable. in the meantime enjoy the game, JD is lots of fun.

- Mike
 
Are the jumper pins the ones in the female end of the connector?

I really should look into those jumper mods, too.
 
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