TECH SS (Scared Stiff): Ball In Shooter Lane Is Being Auto Plunged...

NM

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TECH SS (Scared Stiff): Ball In Shooter Lane Is Being Auto Plunged...

...Ball in shooter lane is being auto plunged even though A2.06 Timed Plunger is off.

Any idea what's going on here?

This problem just started out of the blue: never happened before in the six months or so I've had the game.

I haven't performed any recent repairs and haven't changed any settings; I just turned it on one day about a month ago and it's been happening ever since.

Manually checked verified every switch in the game (in T3) by either opening it or closing it and they're all working perfectly.

Got any other suggestions of what else to check?

Thanks in advance.
 
OK, more data from additional gameplay:

1. On Ball 1, the problem never occurs--everything is normal.

2. However, on Balls 2 & 3, the problem occurs.

3. When I get an Extra Ball, the problem also occurs.

4. And when I lock a ball (Lock 1 or Lock 2), the problem does not occur either.

5. Also observed flakiness to the spinning Spider Wheel: works correctly some of the time; other times it stops on its own (without pressing a flipper).

Thanks again.
 
have you checked the connectors? sometimes they come loose. check the connections to the main boards as well.
I had to take my spider motor out and clean it up. I gave it a shot of compressed air and it now works properly. Is the spider loose? the motor maybe spinning, but the spider maybe loose. Do the lights on the back box move (ie when spin the spider comes on, do the lights for the various items light up?) The spider will only spin for a minute or so. The game usually says "Hurry up the spider is waiting." or Use the flippers to stop the spider. then if nothing is presses in a few more seconds, the game will stop the spider to prevent the motor from over heating.

Sometimes the game will auto plunge the ball when the ball is drained and the display will say Ball Saved. Does that work?

there's a couple of suggestions.
 
have you checked the connectors? sometimes they come loose. check the connections to the main boards as well.
I had to take my spider motor out and clean it up. I gave it a shot of compressed air and it now works properly. Is the spider loose? the motor maybe spinning, but the spider maybe loose. Do the lights on the back box move (ie when spin the spider comes on, do the lights for the various items light up?) The spider will only spin for a minute or so. The game usually says "Hurry up the spider is waiting." or Use the flippers to stop the spider. then if nothing is presses in a few more seconds, the game will stop the spider to prevent the motor from over heating.

Sometimes the game will auto plunge the ball when the ball is drained and the display will say Ball Saved. Does that work?

there's a couple of suggestions.

Great suggestions D.E.

I hadn't thought to check the connectors. Duh. I'll check the Spider motor connector and all the connectors to the PCBs.

I was initially thinking it was a double switch closure issue; but checked each switch manually in T1 and everything was fine.

Next I thought it could be a trough/divot or trough opto issue; but everything checks out fine in T1 & T3. Might try filing down some tiny divots on the trough to see if that helps, but first I thought I'd just put the entire Trough Assembly (A-19963-1) in the game from my AFM (since it's completely torn down for PF restoration).

But will first try your suggestions in the next few days to see where we're at.

Many thanks for the suggestions.

Great Avatar BTW!
 
I did have a couple of problems with the ball trough on my machine. I disassembled it, files it down straight and beveled the edges a little so that the balls would roll smoothly though there. Cleaned up the optos and that solved a couple of problems with the balls not being counted for or acting up. I've seen this a few times on this machine.

Also check the spider motor itself. Does it spin freely or not. I've heard of these motors getting dirty brushes inside and clogging up. It maybe as simple as a blast of compressed air to clean them out.

Good luck.
 
UPDATE:

Well I thought I may have had the problem solved (thanks to TBullet), but the data turned inconclusive unfortunately. Here are the details:

1. Pulled the trough and swapped both opto PCBs--result: no change, problem persisted.

2. Pulled the trough again and filed down the divots--result: no change, problem persisted.

3. Went with TBullet's idea of backbox connectors associated to the Spider hole's backbox PCB: reseated both connectors with an IDC insertion tool and had encouraging results: played 8 games, problem didn't recur (considered this a victory because previously I couldn't play 2 games without the problem occurring).

However, today on the 9th game played, the problem recurred.

So, that means one of two things:

1. We found the problem and reseating the connectors with an IDC insertion tool was a temporary fix; or:

2. We never found the problem to begin with.

Unfortunately I don't have the correct new 0.156 IDC connectors on hand to make the attempted repair. Also, upon closer inspection, noticed some oxidation on the PCB's male leads and sanded it off with an Emory board and reseated the connectors again with the IDC insertion tool.

So, until new parts arrive, suppose all we can do here for the moment (till we can rule this possibility out with the new parts) is just to log more games on the machine and see if the problem recurs (played 6 games now since the 2nd temporary repair attempt).

Thanks TBullet!

Will update the thread as games are played and as the new parts arrive.
 
Well crap: problem recurred 9 plays later after reseating the connectors--again.

Someone suggested I swap CPUs with another game next.

Suppose until the IDC connectors arrive that's what I'll do--unless there are any other suggestions?

Really puzzled on this one.

Thanks again.
 
Hey no problem. I hope you get the problem fixed.

One problem I had with my machine was that when the flashers on the claw globes flashed, they would quit after awhile. I check my fuses and noticed that #107 was blown. I replaced it and noticed it was blown again. I checked the connectors, no they were fine. checked the bulb connectors, they were fine. Made sure I had the correct fuse in there, yes, that was ok. Then I checked the flasher bulbs. Sure enough, some had swapped a 922 for the 906 that was supposed to be in there. I cleaned the connectors and replaced all the bulbs to the proper 906's and the problem went away.

You mentioned that the connector was corroded. Sounds like an intermittent issue and would possibly suspect a loose solder joint on the board. My Space Invaders Deluxe had an issue with that. Pull the board and check those solder joints. Maybe reflow them to make sure they look ok. My batteries started to leak on my game and luckily I caught them in time before any damage was done to the board. I cleaned up a few solder joints at that time as well.
 
NM, have you done any mods to her yet?

I did the skull pile LED's, I added a 250 watt sub to her, (the growl sound now sounds like it should from inside the machine), I"m working on the flickering candle leds for the skull pile and have been adding a few led bulbs to certain areas like the Lab and claw flashers.
 
You mentioned that the connector was corroded. Sounds like an intermittent issue and would possibly suspect a loose solder joint on the board...Pull the board and check those solder joints. Maybe reflow them to make sure they look ok.

Another good lead to pursue; thanks.

Should also mention someone suggested I test the diode on the shooter lane switch; so I pulled one end and it's testing fine: 0.5.

Also suggested was swapping CPUs & possibly sending the opto board under the PF out for testing--make sense?

Should also be noted the intermittent flakiness with the Spider Wheel is gone; only remaining issue is the unwarranted Auto Launch--never on Ball 1, only on Balls 2 & 3 and an Extra Ball. Was starting to think it's a software bug; but that can't be: game played fine for 6 months and this problem started out of the blue.

Back to square one. Uggh.

NM, have you done any mods to her yet?

...I'm working on the flickering candle leds for the skull pile and have been adding a few led bulbs to certain areas like the Lab and claw flashers.

Game came fully modded with all the glow in the dark stuff (bones, inlanes, flippers but no claws), LEDs in the deadheads, boogeymen mod in the slings, lighted Stiff In The Coffin, backboard decal, coin door decal, pinball pro speaker system, glow in the dark eyeball shooter, colored cliffy posts, LEDs.

I think the only mod the PO didn't do (besides a topper) is the candle mod. I know guys have attempted this but it never seems to flicker all that well in the end--so interested to hear how yours turns out. Seems the guy who made the only mod FS that works well isn't selling them at the moment (but has a waiting list):

http://scaredstiff.nelsonamusements.com/

Thanks again.
 
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