question about games not coming on?

needhelp

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I am looking at buying a game...Don't know much about it...all I know is it don't come on...I am going to look at it today or tomorrow...wanting to know how to tell if the monitor works, and the power supply works (would pcb board cuase it to not come on too)..without putting a multimeter to it..because I am wanting to for a multicade game..just needed some pointers on Diagnosing problems..with little to go on..


thanks,
Need help
 
You can't really tell any of this without the game powering on. The monitor may flash or have neck glow but that doesn't mean that it works, just that it is likely repairable. The power supply may be outputting faulty power keeping the PCB from booting, or the PCB could be fried.

Power on the machine and look for neck glow on the monitor, marquee lights, coin door lights, etc. Of course, if the machine is cheap enough just grab it without testing - sellers have been known to increase the price if they find out that a fix is simple...
 
hard to do without putting a multimeter on it, thats the purpose of buying a dead game, to bring home and fix. You could tinker with it before you buy it, could be as simple as a door switch not being pushed in (got 2 so far like this). Course, Ive noticed if you tinker and accidentally "fix" it before you bought it, usually its no longer for sale or the price jumped drastically

just about everyone here will tell you to bring it home before working on a dead game, just open it to verify that its all there
 
"Doesn't come on" can be caused by all sorts of things. It could be something as simple as the interlock switch. Most games have interlock switches that prevent the game from powering on if the back door is off. If the door is missing, warped or damaged, it might not press the switch down. Similarly, if the bracket holding the switch is bent, it might not be lining up right. If you pull out the switch button so it clicks out - it'll make it stay on.

Check for a marquee light, humming or noise of any kind, coin door lights, any sign that the game is getting power at all. If it is, then investigate further.

The monitor may be working, but the game's power supply is bad, so it's not coming up - listen for whine from the monitor, look for neck glow, etc. Watch the screen while you switch the game off after it's been on for a few minutes, you should see a flash as the raster collapses.

But, if you want it for a multicate project, it doesn't matter if the game board works or not, or if the power supply is good even (you can use a computer power supply easily if the original is dead, and new arcade power supplies are only $20). The only thing you really care about is the monitor. If you don't want to learn monitor repair, then you'll want to see the monitor come on, or do something...

And, if it's a dead game, and it's cheap... can't be too picky - if the cabinet is good, then fixing the electrical stuff will be a good learning experience.

-Ian
 
Having a multi meter is a must. It may be as simple as a blown fuse (yeah right) but you just never know. What ever you do don't do ANY form of trouble shooting with the seller present. If you'd happen to get it working (for instance by pulling the interlock switch out) then the jerk could pull the deal out from underneath you or up the price on it and there's not a think you can do about it.

However since it's for a multicade - base your price around the cabinets condition and the monitors tube. If the tube has fairly bad burn in you better offer a price based on the cabinet by itself because the monitor is worthless to you. "Unless you don't mind burn in" heh
 
Oh, and always check to make sure the picture tube isn't broken. Last game my friend got as "plays blind" had a broken picture tube. Of course, I wound up with that monitor and fixed it anyway - but you probably want to look for it first, and know what you're in for ahead of time. And, if you can point to "this is broken", the game might get cheaper.

Personally, I always just check over a dead game to make sure everything is present inside, all the boards and parts, no mold, etc. I don't troubleshoot it, or try to fix it - just look to make sure everything is there. I know that if the parts are there - even if they don't work, I should be able to fix them. But if you aren't comfortable repairing monitors, or want something that'll be a quick project without having to rewire, replace power supplies, etc, then you might have to investigate further before buying.

And, if it's a good solid cabinet that you like, and it's real cheap, just buy it :)

-Ian
 
You can't really tell any of this without the game powering on. The monitor may flash or have neck glow but that doesn't mean that it works, just that it is likely repairable. The power supply may be outputting faulty power keeping the PCB from booting, or the PCB could be fried.

Power on the machine and look for neck glow on the monitor, marquee lights, coin door lights, etc. Of course, if the machine is cheap enough just grab it without testing - sellers have been known to increase the price if they find out that a fix is simple...

hard to do without putting a multimeter on it, thats the purpose of buying a dead game, to bring home and fix. You could tinker with it before you buy it, could be as simple as a door switch not being pushed in (got 2 so far like this). Course, Ive noticed if you tinker and accidentally "fix" it before you bought it, usually its no longer for sale or the price jumped drastically

just about everyone here will tell you to bring it home before working on a dead game, just open it to verify that its all there

"Doesn't come on" can be caused by all sorts of things. It could be something as simple as the interlock switch. Most games have interlock switches that prevent the game from powering on if the back door is off. If the door is missing, warped or damaged, it might not press the switch down. Similarly, if the bracket holding the switch is bent, it might not be lining up right. If you pull out the switch button so it clicks out - it'll make it stay on.

Check for a marquee light, humming or noise of any kind, coin door lights, any sign that the game is getting power at all. If it is, then investigate further.

The monitor may be working, but the game's power supply is bad, so it's not coming up - listen for whine from the monitor, look for neck glow, etc. Watch the screen while you switch the game off after it's been on for a few minutes, you should see a flash as the raster collapses.

But, if you want it for a multicate project, it doesn't matter if the game board works or not, or if the power supply is good even (you can use a computer power supply easily if the original is dead, and new arcade power supplies are only $20). The only thing you really care about is the monitor. If you don't want to learn monitor repair, then you'll want to see the monitor come on, or do something...

And, if it's a dead game, and it's cheap... can't be too picky - if the cabinet is good, then fixing the electrical stuff will be a good learning experience.

-Ian

Having a multi meter is a must. It may be as simple as a blown fuse (yeah right) but you just never know. What ever you do don't do ANY form of trouble shooting with the seller present. If you'd happen to get it working (for instance by pulling the interlock switch out) then the jerk could pull the deal out from underneath you or up the price on it and there's not a think you can do about it.

However since it's for a multicade - base your price around the cabinets condition and the monitors tube. If the tube has fairly bad burn in you better offer a price based on the cabinet by itself because the monitor is worthless to you. "Unless you don't mind burn in" heh



I want to thank all of you for the response...I will check on these things when I go look at the game today..


thanks again,
need help
 
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