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Dead Vector - any ideas pls ?

DRD

DRD

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I went to look at a vector today. It was advertised on eBay for £900. I saw the guy turn it on, if fired up properly. I played a game.

I turned it off then removed the glass, looked under the playfield. It was fine, so I lowered it. I looked inside the backbox. It was fine. I closed backbox.

Turned the power on and it wouldn't work.There are just the gi lights on the bottom of the playfield going now. Nothing on the score panels. You do get some music out of it on startup too, but no speech

The led on the motherboard gives one flicker then 6 flashes on startup

This caused a hugely difficult standoff. The seller considered they had a working game. I had seen it work, once. But it didn't work now and there were no obvious loose connections. This was his only game and he knew very little about pinballs, I know a bit more but only a fraction of what some guys on this forum do

I am hoping this will be simple. I didn't want to leave him with a dead machine, that felt wrong. But I didn't want a project, I wanted a working machine. Before I got there we had agreed 600 for it, which I thought was a pretty full price (though back glasses are excellent, as is playfield). So I gave him 500 with the promise of more if it is an inexpensive fix. If repair over 100, I am out of pocket.

Some folk would have walked away, but I felt he was an honest guy and that this was just a freak event/ loose connection. He said he had not been under the playfield in the year or so he owned it as it had been reliable. Certainly he had bought it from a guy with a collection if a dozen games, including some very well chosen examples (the game was listed on pinballowners.com under the previous owner too) so I felt positive about this before I got there.

Might anyone have ideas on what is wrong ?

Many thanks
 
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I believe some games won't start if all the balls aren't present. To what extent the games look dead I don't know.
Is it possible that when you lifted the play field a ball got dislodged / stuck somehow?
 
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If you raised the playfield and lowered it powered up possibly may have shorted one of coil wires to earth see below

Seventh Flash * *:
The Lakers Guide: no seventh flash means PIA U10 (6821) is bad, or there is no + 43 volts DC for the solenoids (power transformer fuse F4 is probably blown), or U14 is bad.
Techno Guide: The Us CPU chip monitors PIA1 port CB1 (U10). If transistion from high to low are detected, the CPU decides that the zero crossing detector is working. If U14 fails and the CB1 line is stuck high or low, the test will also fail. The zero crossing detector circuit input is the + 43 volts DC line that is used for the solenoids. If the fuse in that line (F4 on the power transformer module) is blown when the game is turned on, the CPU will not flash the LED the seventh time.
 
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Thank you so much for the suggestions. I have had my addams for about 15 years, but have never owned a game as old as this before.

To a novice like me, this level of insight is so valuable. The solenoid was indeed the cause, on the right slingshot. Once I replaced the fuse, I could see that this pinball is clever enough to hunt for balls. But again, many thanks for the suggestion.

The right slingshot had worked loose, the screws holding one edge were in the floor of the machine. The plastic on the solenoid had snapped, in turn the coil wire had snapped, this must gave caused a short. The 5a fuse was blown in the base of the game. How few fuses this thing has compared to my TAF and TZ.

I think that as the owner had done nothing to this game for a year or two, it seems like everything is loose. Every nut or bolt I have touched so far needed nipping up. Be that backbox hinges, mechanisms attached to the playfield etc.

The lower edges of the 4 sides of the machine have largely fallen off/ rotted away. So I am not sure what is holding the hardboard floor in. I don't think there is too much weight down there, but it am minded to strengthen this up a little.

Might I ask whether this needs a fix, or do I leave alone. I would imagine that gluing a wood bead that traps the hardboard would be enough, and this would be invisible unless you looked at the underside. Photo shows the missing plywood underneath the game.....
 

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If you feel the need to then replace the wood then by all means go for it. I probably would do it personally that OCD bit we tend to have.
 
Does the hardboard at the bottom support any weight ? I don't want to make work for myself, but if this is a part I ought to strengthen, I will do it.

By the way. If anyone fancies a vector I came across a pair for sale for £500. One working. One donor. I only dealt with the guy via email, but I saw pics of the working machine. A bit tatty for a novice like me to renovate

Thank you
 
It doesn't hold any weight is of fixed personally but I'm realy anal if you've seen the extent ive gone to on my project firepower. That's had a new bottom and both ends lol


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DRD said:
Does the hardboard at the bottom support any weight ? I don't want to make work for myself, but if this is a part I ought to strengthen, I will do it.

Thank you
Click to expand...

The transformer/rectifier assembly, on its metal panel, is mounted onto the wooden crossmembers inside the cabinet, not the thin base panel itself. So you should be alright with adding some beading.
 
Has the weight of the speeker on it ,but the base panel keeps the base square ,if it is really bad just glue another base panel underneath
Have you got it back up and running now?
 
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