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Bally Vector Trough Issues

Jumbosinbad360

Jumbosinbad360

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When starting a game the ball doesn't get fired into the shooter lane. I know the trough switches must be registering the balls as vector wouldn't start a game without acknowledging the 3 balls in the trough..
Also if I "take" a ball out after starting a game and dropping it down the drain it doesn't get registered.

So a bit of a weird one....also checked all fuses and connectors are seated on the mpu board.

Any suggestions please.....
 
Got to be one of those switches I reckon. Or connection at board is flaky - have you tried wiggling the connectors whilst trying to start - see if its a cracked solder joint / loose wire? Might be worth pulling the board and having close look.

http://techniek.flipperwinkel.nl/ballyss/rep/index3.htm




    • Multi-Ball Games and what is Required to Start a Game.
      Some Bally multi-ball games require ALL the pinballs to be in the right place before a game will start. If a pinball is stuck or missing, often the game will not start. Sometimes a wire coming off the trough switch can also cause this problem. In either case the game appears to be broken, when the fix is really just unsticking a ball or re-attaching a trough switch wire. Here are the games that are effected by this:
    [FONT=verdana,arial,helv,helvetica][SIZE=-1]Multiball Games that Won't Play Because of Switch Trouble[/SIZE][/FONT]
    [FONT=verdana,arial,helv,helvetica][SIZE=-1]Game[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana,arial,helv,helvetica][SIZE=-1]Balls[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana,arial,helv,helvetica][SIZE=-1]Symptoms[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana,arial,helv,helvetica][SIZE=-1]Trouble Switches[/SIZE][/FONT]
    [FONT=verdana,arial,helv,helvetica][SIZE=-1]Centaur[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana,arial,helv,helvetica][SIZE=-1]5[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana,arial,helv,helvetica][SIZE=-1]All zeros on;
    flickering displays.[/SIZE][/FONT]    		[FONT=verdana,arial,helv,helvetica][SIZE=-1]#01 Ball Trough #4
    #02 Ball Trough #5
    #08 Outhole
    (starts with #01 or #02)[/SIZE][/FONT]
    [FONT=verdana,arial,helv,helvetica][SIZE=-1]Elektra[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana,arial,helv,helvetica][SIZE=-1]2[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana,arial,helv,helvetica][SIZE=-1]Won't start;
    displays blank.[/SIZE][/FONT]    		[FONT=verdana,arial,helv,helvetica][SIZE=-1]#01 Outhole
    #02 Left/Right of Outhole
    (starts with #1 or #2)[/SIZE][/FONT]
    [FONT=verdana,arial,helv,helvetica][SIZE=-1]Embryon[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana,arial,helv,helvetica][SIZE=-1]2[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana,arial,helv,helvetica][SIZE=-1]Will always start regardless[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana,arial,helv,helvetica][SIZE=-1]#05 Left/Right of Outhole
    #08 Outhole[/SIZE][/FONT]
    [FONT=verdana,arial,helv,helvetica][SIZE=-1]Fathom[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana,arial,helv,helvetica][SIZE=-1]3[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana,arial,helv,helvetica][SIZE=-1]Won't start;
    displays blank.[/SIZE][/FONT]    		[FONT=verdana,arial,helv,helvetica][SIZE=-1]#01 Outhole
    #02 Left of Outhole #1
    #03 Left of Outhole #2
    (starts with 1&2 or 1&3)[/SIZE][/FONT]
    [FONT=verdana,arial,helv,helvetica][SIZE=-1]Fireball II[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana,arial,helv,helvetica][SIZE=-1]3[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana,arial,helv,helvetica][SIZE=-1]Won't start;
    displays blank.[/SIZE][/FONT]    		[FONT=verdana,arial,helv,helvetica][SIZE=-1]#01 Outhole
    #02 Left of Outhole
    #03 Left of Outhole
    #18 Right of Outhole[/SIZE][/FONT]
    [FONT=verdana,arial,helv,helvetica][SIZE=-1]Vector[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana,arial,helv,helvetica][SIZE=-1]3[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana,arial,helv,helvetica][SIZE=-1]Won't start;
    displays Ok.[/SIZE][/FONT]    		[FONT=verdana,arial,helv,helvetica][SIZE=-1]#01 Left of Outhole #2
    #02 Left of Outhole #1
    #03 Outhole[/SIZE][/FONT]
    [FONT=verdana,arial,helv,helvetica][SIZE=-1]Xenon[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana,arial,helv,helvetica][SIZE=-1]2[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana,arial,helv,helvetica][SIZE=-1]Won't start;
    displays blank.[/SIZE][/FONT]    		[FONT=verdana,arial,helv,helvetica][SIZE=-1]#02 Ball Release #1
    #28 Ball Release #2[/SIZE][/FONT]
    [FONT=verdana,arial,helv,helvetica][SIZE=-1]Game[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana,arial,helv,helvetica][SIZE=-1]Balls[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana,arial,helv,helvetica][SIZE=-1]Symptoms[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana,arial,helv,helvetica][SIZE=-1]Trouble Switches[/SIZE][/FONT]
    • The above switches can be checked in diagnostic switch test. On games with sound cards (Lost World and later), this means pressing the red self-test button inside the coin door FIVE times. For chime games prior to Lost World you only press the test button four times. If the above switches are mis-read by the MPU, this can cause a game to not start, more than one ball being served to the shooter lane, no multi-ball, or some other strange behavior.
 
Hmm entering the switch test and it moans about switch 26 which is one of the drop targets....had a good look and the switch seems fine, so I am going to leave it until it gets a bit warmer!
 
This is what I think with the ltd information available, those balls are sticking in the trough, sometimes they will all roll into place and the kicker will fire one but sometimes after the kicker has ejected the ball, the next ball won't roll into place, sometimes it will as the drained ball knocks the whole lot down towards that kicker but sometimes not, what happens then is the kicker tries to eject a ball but there is nothing there, balls have moved enough to confuse the trough switches but not enough for one to be kicked out, after the machine fails to fire the ball out as it's not quite on the kicker, machine then goes into search mode to find the ball, solenoids fire but the kicker one won't as everything is checking out on the trough switches, maybe I am barking up the wrong tree but had the same problem once and this was the cause, solution, remove the trough, clean smooth the guide, remove any dimples and when you are refitting, drop a few washers between the mounts near the kicker solenoid to increase the trough angle, that helps the ball roll to where they are supposed to be.

Forgot to mention this was on a JM, and it was magnetised balls that was causing the lack of roll in the trough and not dimples, not sure about Vector being magnetised, good luck.
 
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No,just sayin' if you had said it was sold,someone would not have replied,therefore wasting their time
 
For the benefit of future Internet searches I'll add to this thread as it cost me a lot of time. I had this very same problem and while the ball trough switches tested ok 03, 02, 01 as the balls are rolled in, the game would start but no eject. Investigating what was/wasn't working by activating targets around the pf by hand I noticed that it would eject normally when in 2-ball play with a ball locked. This lead me to investigate switch 01 closer and I found it wasn't closing firmly enough if that makes sense. More contact cleaning with cardboard and a fettle later and we're off.

I like the way on these Ballys they report only the lowest number closed switch (and only one) and the switches are ordered so you can roll the balls in 03, 02, 01 and see each in order - I'd like to think that was by design!

I also learned that there at two switch 01 - 2nd left and 1st right of the Outhole. I'm not sure what the latter is for? Perhaps to detect if two balls end up in the trough somehow? The leaf switch isn't capped so likely wouldn't activate when the ball ejects over it in normal play.

upload_2016-2-7_9-32-25.png
 
The game will not start if it does not know where all three balls are...just
finished a Vector this past weekend and its fresh in my mind....if all three
balls are in it, you must adjust the switches that are hiding under the
"bowtie" that sense the second and third ball. when lifting up the playfield,
it is, unfortunately, so easy to bend the sensing wires with your fingers
trying to get a grip to lift the playfield---thereby dooming this game back
when it was new to average technicians fixing it in street locations....your
game will start once all three switches sense the balls.
Remember, the rear legs MUST have pitch on them a minimum of half way,
otherwise the balls will NOT roll through the sensing wires afte rthe first
ball kicks out. The 4th switch you see after the outhole switch is in parallel
with the second ball switch--in case a ball jumped over the outhole during
play...hope that gets you going!
Once more thing...if the top right connector on the logic board in the back is
the least bit loose, some of the switches on the playfield will not work---this
can ALSO cause this problem...so check that plug FIRST before taking bowtie
off!
Todd from TNT Amusements...our address is 1310 Industrial Blvd. Southampton PA
 
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