EM help needed 🙏

[paddythegreek]

I’m beginning to think it might have been easier to do jobs for her indoors than buy an EM project.
Ok I’ve cleaned the stepper assemblies in the backbox and double checked I’ve put them back together correct.
Now after connecting up the cab plugs to the backbox and switching on all that happens is the lock relay pull in and the GI lights are lit.
Dropping a coin thru either coin switch does nothing (neither does moving the lever with my finger). If I put credits up manually on the credit wheel and press start bugger all happens. I have 55v across all 3 terminals on one coin switch and 55v across 2 terminals on the other switch.
There are around 15 relays all in a row along the bottom of the cabinet that I’ve cleaned all the switches on. The score reels are all set to zero after I’d cleaned them and reinstalled them. Help !!! Ken

 

[pinballmania]

What’s the game and do you have a schematic. Bit late now, but I wouldn’t of cleaned any contacts until you needed to. Induces more problems than it solves.

 

[pinballmania]

If you push the scoring motor off of its home point, does it turn and rest back at a home point?

 

[DAD]

Bit late for me to say this - but I usually clean one thing at a time and then test - then if something is wrong I know it must be the last thing I cleaned.
Now you have rather more places where a switch may have got misaligned :-(
However, not to worry

Have you seen the attached document from the IPDB website? - it describes the steps that should be happening in the start sequence which should be very helpful to work through.
The schematic is also on ipdb if you don't have it.

I would start by manually operating the coin relay to see if it runs the trip bank reset motor and energises the reset relay.
Also check that when you manually operate the coin relay it remains "locked on" briefly until the score motor runs
If it doesn't, recheck the switches on the coin relay - if you have a multimeter with a continuity buzzer you can use it to check if current is being passed through the contacts when the switches are closed.
If you have used a flexstone to clean the contacts you may find that has left a non conductive dust residue - I get rid of that by dragging a business card through, but I generally avoid flexstones and use a needle file instead these days for that reason

One other thing to be aware of on these old Bally's is that the fuse holders tend to be poor and lose tension/fracture - it's generally a good idea to replace them
I'ts probably not the problem in this case, but if you are in any doubt about any of them, check that the circuit is complete even if the fuse itself is good

A useful technique in troubleshooting EM's is a long piece of wire with an alligator clip on each end - if you have a circuit that passes through numerous switches you can jumper over sections to see if the circuit then works - in that way you can narrow down where the fault is

 

[DAD]

sorry, just realised we are talking about trail drive, don't know why I thought it was an El Toro, but the principles of the start sequence will probably be the same - they are only 18 months apart in age

 

[paddythegreek]

What’s the game and do you have a schematic. Bit late now, but I wouldn’t of cleaned any contacts until you needed to. Induces more problems than it solves.

Bally Trail Drive and yes I got a schematic.
It did nothing before I cleaned the switches. I used 2000 wet n dry on the switches followed by a bit of business card.
Not tried moving the scoring motor off it’s point, I’ll try that tomorrow.

 

[paddythegreek]

Fuse holders are all good and look as if they’ve been replaced