What's new
Pinball info

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Flipper wiring has blown a fuse

Fuse still blows when lamps have been removed. I removed backbox lamps too for completeness.

When you say a solder blob, like the pic above; they obviously have solder on the lugs... are you saying I'm looking for solder elsewhere on the sockets?

As I mentioned previously - check each socket for any possible lug contact causing a short. Sometimes a lug can get bent over and inadvertently touch something.
In some games sockets in densely packed areas have little shrouds around them to prevent this.
 
Yes where you may have soldered the flippers and a blob had dropped down
I can't see anything. The bottom is hard to see though, I had my torch and each lamp hasn't got any solder on it it shouldn't have.
As I mentioned previously - check each socket for any possible lug contact causing a short. Sometimes a lug can get bent over and inadvertently touch something.
In some games sockets in densely packed areas have little shrouds around them to prevent this.
I've got the sockets hanging out freely now but still the same. I'll attach them all back without bulbs a bit later and try again just incase they're catching something as I lower playfield.
 
Fuse didn't blow until I plugged J126 in

So something connected through J 126 is causing it. If all the flashbulb sockets are detached, and maybe even empty, you could check for any short circuit with your meter; without anything in a socket, and with the supply and return connectors detached from the driver board, there shouldn't be any ohm or continuity reading between the supply terminal (with the Red-white wire) and the return terminal. Should you find any short, it could be deprived of its earth return by disconnecting the return wire, to break the circuit. Insulate the end of the loose wire, though.

Or if as I think J 126 only serves flashbulbs, you could go without them in the meantime by leaving it disconnected. Provided that a fuse survives with the supply connector on, to feed the gun motor,
 
Last edited:
Another way to narrow it down is remove J126. Put a fresh fuse in. Offer the connector up, but DONT plug it on. Just lightly rest the contacts against the pins. Any short will cause a spark when the pins touch, identifying the out put with the short on it. Then use the manual to identify the destination. bear in mind that if theres a short on the playfield, its likely that the driving transistor on the circuit board is also short, and will need to be replaced.
 
Another way to narrow it down is remove J126. Put a fresh fuse in. Offer the connector up, but DONT plug it on. Just lightly rest the contacts against the pins. Any short will cause a spark when the pins touch, identifying the out put with the short on it. Then use the manual to identify the destination. bear in mind that if theres a short on the playfield, its likely that the driving transistor on the circuit board is also short, and will need to be replaced.
I think it's either J126 pin 1 or pin 2. If it's pin 1, then this is the same socket that sparked a week or so ago.

This time I did notice without J126 on, there was a little orange spark on the fuse (it's not a slow blow fuse, I'm using normal ones while this troubleshooting goes on).

When I touched the pin, there was a bigger flash.

I'm going to have to get a pro to take a look, I fear I'm going to end up doing more damage than good.
 
I've fixed it and feel ridiculously stupid. @Sgt GrizZ was right.

It was right infront of my eyes. I'm too busy looking on the packed area of the playfield, but the issue was these two lugs pressed against each other - which was near the flippers. So when I was working on it. I must have pressed them together accidentally.

So, it was J126 pin 1. Other than fuses, does anyone suspect I've done any other damage?
 

Attachments

  • C82002C5-E0BC-4186-AB38-5D4097F39725.jpeg
    C82002C5-E0BC-4186-AB38-5D4097F39725.jpeg
    96.1 KB · Views: 16
Ok, all good for the fuse however, did a flasher test and the hot dog (the connector in question, stayed on and then I started smelling a burning smell and it got very hot. Immediately switched machine off.
 
Looks like it's Q42 I need to replace. May even have a go at replacing it myself, which will fix it and then cause a fresh problem 😂
 
It could be diodes on the coil. Transistors on the board.
In some cases maybe the coil itself.

Could be many things.
Coil? I'm talking about the flasher transistor. The flippers are fine. I burned the transistor by having two lugs closed together on a 906 flasher socket (which are weird looking).

I'll buy replacement socket lamps and a transistor and, of course, new LEDs to replace my melted ones.
 
Back
Top Bottom