NASCAR Issues

Arkansaw1983

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Please look at the videos I made and let me know what you think the problems are?

The machine does random things such as "slam error" and it does not have a slam switch. It came from an Arcade that used card readers. The ball will drain and not register even though all four trough switches have been replaced. Track mode does not work........

If I need to send the board in for repair, can someone give me a suggestion?

Thanks for looking.

https://camtasia.cvtc.edu/WDcamtasia/rkeysSpring2012/Pinball_1_-_iPad_-_20120109_02.12.17PM.mp4

https://camtasia.cvtc.edu/WDcamtasia/rkeysSpring2012/Pinball_2_-_iPad_-_20120109_02.12.51PM.mp4

https://camtasia.cvtc.edu/WDcamtasia/rkeysSpring2012/Pinball_3_-_iPad_-_20120109_02.13.06PM.mp4

https://camtasia.cvtc.edu/WDcamtasia/rkeysSpring2012/Pinball_4_-_iPad_-_20120109_02.13.19PM.mp4

https://camtasia.cvtc.edu/WDcamtasia/rkeysSpring2012/Pinball_5_-_iPad_-_20120109_02.17.30PM.mp4

https://camtasia.cvtc.edu/WDcamtasia/rkeysSpring2012/Pinball_7_-_iPad_-_20120109_02.40.59PM.mp4
 
I'd think switch matrix issue first.

Go over every switch in your game. Look for any not wired right, diode reversed, a short to switch wiring or switch lugs.

LTG :)
 
Check the switches in question in the switch matrix test. If the whole row lights up, you probably have a bad half moon transistor on the CPU. If it does nothing, I would check for improper wiring, or a break in the daisy chain. Unplug the coin door assembly. Does the slam tilt issue go away? Unplug the switches at the board. Does the slam tilt still go off? If so, that's definately a board issue.

Totally unrelated, but you should update NASCAR to the latest CPU/display rom, or it will drive you nuts.

Mike
 
"Go over every switch in your game. Look for any not wired right, diode reversed, a short to switch wiring or switch lugs." OK, I have a quick question, the playfield is a beast, is it supposed to lean vertically upright and leaned back? How far forward do I pull the playfield before it should go vertical. Sorry about this basic question.

"Check the switches in question in the switch matrix test. If the whole row lights up, you probably have a bad half moon transistor on the CPU."
Everything works in switch test. When I got the machine, an entire switch column was out and I replaced the transistor.

"If it does nothing, I would check for improper wiring, or a break in the daisy chain." What do you mean by the daisy chain? - Same column or row of matrix?

"Unplug the coin door assembly. Does the slam tilt issue go away? Unplug the switches at the board. Does the slam tilt still go off? If so, that's definitely a board issue." I will try that, the SLAM issue does not come up that often. Remember, there is no slam switch mounted in the game so this is really a strange one.

"Totally unrelated, but you should update NASCAR to the latest CPU/display rom, or it will drive you nuts." I am pretty positive that has been updated?

Thanks
 
"Go over every switch in your game. Look for any not wired right, diode reversed, a short to switch wiring or switch lugs." OK, I have a quick question, the playfield is a beast, is it supposed to lean vertically upright and leaned back? How far forward do I pull the playfield before it should go vertical. Sorry about this basic question.

-eject all balls from the trough and remove, lift front of plafield and pull forward until bottom rear of playfield is at end of tracks. Lift front to vertical, and lean it back against the head.

"Check the switches in question in the switch matrix test. If the whole row lights up, you probably have a bad half moon transistor on the CPU."
Everything works in switch test. When I got the machine, an entire switch column was out and I replaced the transistor.

-ok, but there may have been something that CAUSED the transistor to blow in the first place. I'm suspect of the card reader wiring... Any wires hanging loose in there? If improper voltages cross, that could cause the transistor to blow.

"If it does nothing, I would check for improper wiring, or a break in the daisy chain." What do you mean by the daisy chain? - Same column or row of matrix?

-correct. Each row or colum wire (green or white in Sega/Sterns case) starts at the board, then goes from switch to switch in it's respective row or column. If a wire is broken in between switches, then the switches beyond the break will not work. However, if you have an entire row or column not working, I'd bet you have a board problem or something wired wrong.

"Unplug the coin door assembly. Does the slam tilt issue go away? Unplug the switches at the board. Does the slam tilt still go off? If so, that's definitely a board issue." I will try that, the SLAM issue does not come up that often. Remember, there is no slam switch mounted in the game so this is really a strange one.

-doesn't matter that there is no physical switch. The wires exist in the matrix for a switch to be hooked up should you choose to do so.


"Totally unrelated, but you should update NASCAR to the latest CPU/display rom, or it will drive you nuts." I am pretty positive that has been updated?

-Check sterns website for the latest rev numbers. If the chips you have aren't factory labeled, you should be able to go into test mode and see what revision you have. If you need a set burned, John at "That Pinball Place" can do it for $20 or so.
 
I replaced Q2 of the switch column and the person before me had repaced Q3 of the switch column (the guy sucked at soldering!). In looking at the manual, it seems row 8 of the matrix may have an issue (U401). That would explain why the Upper Accelerator never works in track mode and the Test Car does not register when hit. I will check the plumb bob tilt to see if the row is out. I checked the switch row diodes and resistors with a meter. Can I measure a voltage drop across the resistors when powered up? You are correct is something else is blowing the transistors. I think when I ordered Q2 from Mouser I ordered a U401 chip just in case - would it be wise to replace it at this point? This week-end I will check the daisy chain (continuity testing I assume) and check the switches over. I will unhook the door harness as well. Question, if I wanted to convert this back to coin mechs would I need a different harness or anything or could I purchase a used coin door with mechs and simply hook it in?
 

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Wow... It sounds like that game really got zonked. Look very thoroughly under the playfield to see if you have any switch wires crossed with any coil wires. Unplug the coin door. If the wiring mess from the cardreader is beyond the harness plug into the cabinet wiring, repair it. You can plug n play a new or used sega or stern coin door, as long as it has the 2nd gen portal buttons (games Apollo 13 to present).

Mike
 
Update

I unplugged the coin door connections and the Slam issue seemed to go away. I enabled the track mode and the slam switch did not go away when everything was unplugged.
Looking at the total switch failures on the board and such, I replaced U401 because it contained all the rows of bad switches including the coin door and such. That solved nothing!

It goes into SLAM more often and quicker so maybe when I moved the playfield up and down I put a loose wire in contact almost permanently. I ended up with a new coil failure as well which is hard to understand. The coil did not get hot or anything; it just does not eject the ball. It just sits there and it displays coil malfunction. I will start looking there for crossed wires and such. I would doubt it took the transistor out because the coil did not heat up.

I will unplug the switches at the board next week end and go from there….

Question, what is the best method to unsolder those chips. I use the Radio Shack red bulb suction apparatus to unsolder components. That was fine for older boards but these newer boards are finer. Do you just cut the chip with side cutters first? Do you cut the chip off with a Dremel? I was very careful and cut some of the pins one at a time as I went with a side cutter. All in all I was pretty happy with the replacement but man there has to be a better way. About 2 hours to carefully change that chip out.
Thanks
 
Check mrpinball.com for someone parting a sega or stern from that era. Or eBay.

Mike
 
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