Just got a Mario Andretti 1995 DMD Gotlieb

Stinger357

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From what I understand there were only like 1201 of them made. It is a great game, very face and fun! But I am having 1 puzzling issue with the translight, the bulbs behind it wont light up to illuminate the backglass. I read on pinrepair it is usually a blown f8 fuse, but I am not electronic savy in the least so I wouldnt know how to check the fuse. If that is even the problem. I have pushed in all the connectors I could see behind the backbox and they are all in secure. Any one have any idea what I can do to get my backlight to come on? I don't have a 15amp fuse laying around I guess I could go to radio shack and get one, but I'm just kinda lost here this is my 4th pin I have owned. This is my first DMD and I absolutely love it! The other one I have now is Pin*Bot. It plays perfect. So any help on what I can do to try and fix this myself?

Thanks in advance,
Ace

P.S. I have added some pics of it in this thread. Also will be adding a video of it in action so wait for it.
 

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Mario

Cool pin. I like the theme but they usually go for a premium in my area because of the race tie-in. Borrow a fuse from something else for a test?
 
Well I put in a 30 amp fuse 32v in f8 and it didnt seem to affect anything. I hope I am putting it into f8 correctly. The old F8 fuse seems to look good no burn marks etc...also in pinrepair it says to make sure sol.25 is not open or stuck on the A insert illumination relay? Anyone know where that might be? I pic by chance of what it would look like and what I should do to it? I am stumped here. I wouldnt think all 20 bulbs are burnt out in the backglass. Anyone that has worked on gotlieb post 1995 any help here?
 
Well I put in a 30 amp fuse 32v in f8 and it didnt seem to affect anything. I hope I am putting it into f8 correctly. The old F8 fuse seems to look good no burn marks etc...also in pinrepair it says to make sure sol.25 is not open or stuck on the A insert illumination relay? Anyone know where that might be? I pic by chance of what it would look like and what I should do to it? I am stumped here. I wouldnt think all 20 bulbs are burnt out in the backglass. Anyone that has worked on gotlieb post 1995 any help here?

the pic on pinrepair .com shows it right next to speaker in the bottom of cabinet but i suppose it could vary from game to game.

looks like transistor on the driver board at locationq26 controls that relay.
either that relay isnt working or here is a wiring or driver board issue.

if you cannot test any voltages there due to lack of expereince etc, you could manually close the relay by hand to see if it tured stuff on, or also check to see if the relay is moving and closing switch like it should, but with out the desired effect of turning the back box lights on...

"A" Insert Illumination relay (used on most games). This relay is much like the Tilt relay with a single normally closed switch, but instead controls the backbox General Illumination. When the A relay is energized, it turns off the backbox General Illumination. This is used during game play for dramatic emphasis. Controlled by driver board MosFET Q26 (aka Sol.25
 
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The first thing you need to do is pull that 30amp fuse back out of there and throw it in the trash. Nothing uses a 30amp fuse, and the purpose of a fuse is to blow so that it doesn't burn up the more expensive stuff in the game!

The next thing you need to do is to read some tutorials online on simple things like a digital multimeter, and how to test if fuses are good or not. It doesn't cost much, and man if you're going to have coin op equipment, ESPECIALLY pins which are temperamental as hell, you really, really need to have some basic knowledge of simple things like connections, resistance, and how to check continuity and voltages.

I know you're like "fuck that, I don't need a meter!" but you really do! I didn't want to mess with one either when I first started doing it, go buy a cheap one because you'll probably catch the first one on fire anyways, and then read a few simple beginner tutorials online on how to check fuses.

Good luck!
 
the pic on pinrepair .com shows it right next to speaker in the bottom of cabinet but i suppose it could vary from game to game.

looks like transistor on the driver board at locationq26 controls that relay.
either that relay isnt working or here is a wiring or driver board issue.

if you cannot test any voltages there due to lack of expereince etc, you could manually close the relay by hand to see if it tured stuff on, or also check to see if the relay is moving and closing switch like it should, but with out the desired effect of turning the back box lights on...

"A" Insert Illumination relay (used on most games). This relay is much like the Tilt relay with a single normally closed switch, but instead controls the backbox General Illumination. When the A relay is energized, it turns off the backbox General Illumination. This is used during game play for dramatic emphasis. Controlled by driver board MosFET Q26 (aka Sol.25

That's likely the problem, but don't do all this with that huge fuse still in there! It's twice the size it's supposed to be, go get the correct value one at Radioshack, get about 5 of them while you're at it so you'll have extras to keep in the bottom of the machine.

I had a Freddy, same problem backglass lights wouldn't come on, the relay was misadusted a little bit. Bent the switches to make it work a little better and it worked great. On mine it was right on the right inside the door.
 
That's likely the problem, but don't do all this with that huge fuse still in there! It's twice the size it's supposed to be, go get the correct value one at Radioshack, get about 5 of them while you're at it so you'll have extras to keep in the bottom of the machine.

I had a Freddy, same problem backglass lights wouldn't come on, the relay was misadusted a little bit. Bent the switches to make it work a little better and it worked great. On mine it was right on the right inside the door.

its funny how gottlieb had little hints of there previous stuff from the em times still designed kinda em-ish
 
Yup. It is kind of funny... I've only worked on a couple system 80's, but I'll bet the relays were still on there too, I know they were on the System 1's and the System 3's.
 
Come to find out all the bulbs in the backglass were burnt out...what are the chances...lol...so problem is fixed now :)
 
Are you sure 15A is the correct fuse? That seems WAY too big. Never assume the one in the slot is the correct size, especially if there is a problem. You either need to check the manual, or look in the backox for a fuse legend.
 
^ It doesn't matter, he put a fucking THIRTY amp fuse back in. Enough to burn his house down if something goes bad. My car doesn't have a 30 amp fuse; no game I own has a 30amp fuse, but he's got one in the GI circuit of his pinball.
 
I played one once in MS still on location, two years ago. It was a fun game! Liked it!
 
^ It doesn't matter, he put a fucking THIRTY amp fuse back in. Enough to burn his house down if something goes bad. My car doesn't have a 30 amp fuse; no game I own has a 30amp fuse, but he's got one in the GI circuit of his pinball.

Amen to that. At this point, the thing might as well be wrapped in aluminum-foil, for all the failure prevention it's doing. That 30amp has GOT to be pulled out.

The circuit calls for a 10amp fast-blow, according to pinrepair's listing.
If a 15amp was in there, it's likely because a proper 10amp kept blowing. And if the 15amp went too..... then likely there's a circuit problem somewhere to be found. Just because it "works fine" for 10 minutes doesn't mean squat, an overloaded circuit could take hours to show it's real problem if it's over-fused..... sometimes with fire.

-hans
 
Once you see a few games catch on fire, you pay a little more attention to fuses and things, LOL.

BTW, building codes I believe call for 15amp breakers in light circuits in houses, because if the amp gets up over 15 it has the potential to burn through the thinner lines like in older light fixtures, etc.

I think 20amp is pretty standard for wall sockets.
 
Sorry guys I put the fuse that I removed originally from the circuit back in since it was not a fuse issue but all the bulbs were out. I am not positive of the amp but it was not a 30 I mistyped it was a 15A I believe. Whatever was in there is back in there now and it was not blown, like I said the bulbs on the backglass were all out that was the issue not the fuse. I will check to see what the fuse block card states should be in there and report back. But I believe the fuse is the correct amperage. But I will verify and see what it really needs, I understand now the risks of having too high or too low an amperage in your fuses, definately don't want a fire. BTW I also just picked up a TX-Sector from gottlieb today and will report on it as soon as it arrives..man these things seem to multiply fast, lol.
 
Just remember, if you put a larger fuse in the location, or anyone did, that circiut is now over fused and will eventually, if not instantly, blow up a board component.

Always use what the manual or illustration states, if that blows, you got an issue somewhere.
 
Yeah, the biggest reason to keep the right fuse is it saves all the stuff in the game from blowing up. Lot easier to replace a fuse than the compents it frys.

Yeah man they do multiply fast! At least yours work!
 
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