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Williams Flash tilt problem
- Thread starter pastiche
- Start date
The diodes and/ or capacitors on the tilt switches might be failing. I had exactly this problem on my old paragon. You may not notice failing components on your other switches, but you obviously do with the tilts.
you can just cut the leg on a capacitor to see whether this isolates your problem. The capacitor leg would then need resoldering and/ or replacing as necessary. Diodes and capacitors only cost pence
you can just cut the leg on a capacitor to see whether this isolates your problem. The capacitor leg would then need resoldering and/ or replacing as necessary. Diodes and capacitors only cost pence
Is the tilt on all of the time or does it activate while you're playing (and if so how do you make it go away)?
It is quite possible that you have a faulty diode elsewhere in the switch matrix. So that when a particular switch is triggered it erroneously triggers one of your tilts.
I am not familiar with old Williams SS games, I have never owned one. What I would do now is turn the game on, get it playing. Glass off. Trigger each switch in turn. See if one of them erroneously triggers your tilt switch as well. You might find that a rollover, or standup or indeed ANY switch can cause this phantom. Problems in the switch matrix throw out all sorts of random madness. But if you are methodical you will find it.
If it worked fine and only recently started doing this, then in all likelihood you have ONE problem.
There are useful guides to finding problems like this. This might be a start for you, but there are others if you do a google search ......
http://pinballrehab.com/1-articles/.../146-switch-matrix-theory-and-troubleshooting
I am not familiar with old Williams SS games, I have never owned one. What I would do now is turn the game on, get it playing. Glass off. Trigger each switch in turn. See if one of them erroneously triggers your tilt switch as well. You might find that a rollover, or standup or indeed ANY switch can cause this phantom. Problems in the switch matrix throw out all sorts of random madness. But if you are methodical you will find it.
If it worked fine and only recently started doing this, then in all likelihood you have ONE problem.
There are useful guides to finding problems like this. This might be a start for you, but there are others if you do a google search ......
http://pinballrehab.com/1-articles/.../146-switch-matrix-theory-and-troubleshooting
OP
OP
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2012
- Messages
- 115
it activates while playing, but seems to be random. I clear it by turning the pin off and then on again.
Is it slam tilting then? If so have you tried isolating and clipping the caps on the slam tilt switches, it could have several wired in parallel.
And it still does this even with all of the various tilt switches disconnected?
Start the game with the glass off ,then roll ball to activate one switch at a time or you can use a finger ,watch out pop bumpers do bite 
You will find the switch or switches that puts the game in tilt
Cut leg of the cap on that switch ,hopefully it will now be ok ,if not then it could possible be the diode ...
You will find the switch or switches that puts the game in tilt
Cut leg of the cap on that switch ,hopefully it will now be ok ,if not then it could possible be the diode ...
Hi, pastiche,
Activating one switch at a time to search for a faulty switch matrix diode won't necessarily find the culprit, more than one closed switch is usually needed to cause a 'phantom' closure. Flash isn't a multi-ball game, though, so there's not that complication. The same goes for 'lane change' contacts.
If it's a phantom tilt, then it won't really be random - it'll occur with a particular group of switches closed, possibly amongst others. Try to 'grab' what the situation is at the moment it happens, particularly the final 'real' switch operated. Since the only switches on Flash which would be closed longer than while in contact with the ball are the drop targets, I'd suspect they're involved somehow, either being the problem itself or helping to create the phantom.
Early Williams solid-state games don't have capacitors on matrixed switches, only the 'special' switches which trigger jet bumpers and slingshots.
Activating one switch at a time to search for a faulty switch matrix diode won't necessarily find the culprit, more than one closed switch is usually needed to cause a 'phantom' closure. Flash isn't a multi-ball game, though, so there's not that complication. The same goes for 'lane change' contacts.
If it's a phantom tilt, then it won't really be random - it'll occur with a particular group of switches closed, possibly amongst others. Try to 'grab' what the situation is at the moment it happens, particularly the final 'real' switch operated. Since the only switches on Flash which would be closed longer than while in contact with the ball are the drop targets, I'd suspect they're involved somehow, either being the problem itself or helping to create the phantom.
Early Williams solid-state games don't have capacitors on matrixed switches, only the 'special' switches which trigger jet bumpers and slingshots.
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Is this normal for an early Williams tilt? I wouldn't need to do this on a Bally for either a nudge (lose ball) or slam (lose game) Tilt.
Put it in switch test and give it a good hidin'....
Hang on, I know this pinball.... as one digit is not working on the master display, then you won't be able to know which switch is registering?
I have a spare master display for sale.
Hang on, I know this pinball.... as one digit is not working on the master display, then you won't be able to know which switch is registering?
I have a spare master display for sale.
No, Astyy,
It isn't, which gets me wondering if the machine isn't actually suffering a locked-up situation, rather than a phantom switch. Particularly as pastiche mentions it gets worse when warmed up.
pastiche, doesn't the game continue (or go to Game Over) once the ball comes to rest in the outhole?
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- Joined
- Jul 21, 2011
- Messages
- 2,468
Tilt it on purpose to see what affect a tilt has. It should just end a ball and serve up the next. Then activate the slam tilt. It should kill the game but allow you to start a new game subject to having credit. If your phantom 'tilt' doesn't act like either of these two situations then you don't have a tilt. You have a lock up. Sometimes reseating the driver board to cpu helps. But more often you'll need to replace those connections and also consider replacing the socket for the chips on the cpu.
