Lamp Issue, Multiple Lighting When Only One Should, Diode Reading .63 Okay?

jalpert

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Lamp Issue, Multiple Lighting When Only One Should, Diode Reading .63 Okay?

I'm trying to figure out why a BUNCH of lights on my White Water have a problem where they light when they shouldn't. In several instances, 2 lights are lighting when only one should.

Per pinrepair.com I have been testing some of the diodes and I should get a reading between .4 and .6. On some of the diodes I am getting a reading just barely about .6, .63 for example.

Could a .63 diode reading be causing the problem or is the .4 to .6 just a general guide and .63 is okay? Thanks!
 
I'm trying to figure out why a BUNCH of lights on my White Water have a problem where they light when they shouldn't. In several instances, 2 lights are lighting when only one should.

Per pinrepair.com I have been testing some of the diodes and I should get a reading between .4 and .6. On some of the diodes I am getting a reading just barely about .6, .63 for example.

Could a .63 diode reading be causing the problem or is the .4 to .6 just a general guide and .63 is okay? Thanks!

.63 is okay. Close to zero or open is not. In your case you'll be looking for shorted diodes.
 
.63 is okay. Close to zero or open is not. In your case you'll be looking for shorted diodes.

So, I tested all the transistors on the driver board, I tested all the diodes they are fine, I looked for shorts etc but I didn't see any..... what now?
 
I fixed it. I did have a short, I needed to look for the shorts at the connector level, not lamp by lamp. Fixed a short and now all the lamps are working properly.
 
So where was the short at? I'am asking so I know how to identify a short when I need to. Feels good to do it yourself huh? I bet, congratulations on the fix.
 
Here is what I did. Remember, I am new, so this could have been skill, this could have been luck, I dunno but here it goes:

I opened up the backbox and I disconnected 2 molex connectors, 1 for the lamp rows and 1 for the lamp columns. I know which ones they were because the lamp matrix page in the manual literally told me the location.

I set my digital multi meter to test mode, the mode that plays a tone when there is a completed circuit. (or will beep when the red lead touches the black lead)

Each pin on the connector is 1 column or 1 row of the lap matrix. For example, lamp 34 is row 3 column 4 or pin #3 on the row connector and pin #4 on the column connector. I started at pin 1 of the row connector and touched every pin of the column connector. Then I went on to row 2 etc. In my case, the DMM sounded at lamp number 55. I knew that my problem had to be near lamp 55 (row 5 column 5)

I figured the best places to start looked closely were 54,45,56,65. This was my best guess as a place to start because if 55 was shorted than I figured the problem had to be a connection that was physically close to it.

I started at 54 and that's where I found my issue. I had installed some LEDs a few days prior and when I took a look at the lamp socket the two leads that had wires soldered on to each other were touching. I slid them apart and everything went immediately back to normal.

Hope this helps!

So where was the short at? I'am asking so I know how to identify a short when I need to. Feels good to do it yourself huh? I bet, congratulations on the fix.
 
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