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Getaway Ramp issue

Optimus Prime

Optimus Prime

Registered
Joined
Mar 8, 2016
Messages
101
Location
Ireland
Hi, hoping you can help me out, fairly new to pinball so im lost. The ramp on my Getaway yesterday started clicking and not going down. I tried to "fix" it, but seem to have made it worse, its now constantly in the middle area, not quite up not quite down.

The Ramp test always says "up" it never goes down. Im not familiar with what the mech under the table should look like when its working so dont know where the issue is. Ive included two videos below. one of the ramp and one of the mech underneath that controls it. Any suggestions would be appreciated.



 
Hi,

The lifting ramp on Getaway is much the same as on earlier games like Pin-Bot or Road Kings, AIR. The high-powered coil seen pulsing in the lower video operates the metal 'crank arm' to lift the ramp flap, using a cam attached to the arm, which pokes through a slot in the metal ball-guide rail. The crank/cam/ramp locks in the raised position when a spring-loaded latch drops over a projection on the lower edge of the crank, to stop it from simply lowering again when the h/power coil turns off. When the ramp is required to lower, a smaller coil retracts the latch and the spring action of the main coil returns the crank to the 'down' position. A micro switch keeps track of the ramp status (I think it's 'closed' when the ramp is raised).

In the lower video, the lifting coil doesn't seem to be moving properly, as if it's fouling on something.

The clicking sound you mention was probably the smaller coil attempting to release the latch, and the larger coil is working, so this seems to be a mechanical problem. I'm working from memory here, but some issues I recall with this set-up are the pivot 'axle' for the crank arm coming loose from the main bracket, the operating cam coming loose from the crank arm, and wear in the latch (though that tends to stop the ramp from locking in the raised position).
 
Hi, thanks for the reply, i guess ill probably have to take the whole thing apart? I also think that the switch is constantly closed, from looking at the way the lifting coil is on it, when it moves up and down, i dont think the switch is opening. you can kind of see that in the video.
 
Keith!
I've seen this before (I think)
Pull the playfield out into the half way position and take a good look at how it works.It's a neck breaker tbh.
There's not much too it.
As Jay said the "hold" latch isnt catching.
It prob just needs a bit of adjustment/bending to get it into a sweet spot.
 
Ill have another go at it the weekend, was at it for a couple of hours last night and gave up. Its not the easiest part to get a good look at haha. initially it was just catching and not going down, but of course i made it worse trying to fix it.
 
If i remember correctly its just a case of adjusting the bracket that holds the small coil,

This vid shows your problem.
Altho im not sure about this guys fix
Skip to 6.40

 
I watched that video last night, the part he has the bolt in, that doesnt move on mine like it does in that video when he takes it out. is it supposed to move? is that the bracket that needs adjusting?
 
I get issues now and again with my ramp, If the ramp is down and should be up, slacken the screw which is for the above mentioned bracket, manually lift the ramp so it stays up, then tighten the screw.
I know it is not very technical in the explanation but that's because I'm not technical, it works for me and I didn't use a hammer so for me that is a result.
Hope it works for you.
 
the problem is those two latches,
You'll find that they don't touch because the wider one is out of alignment .

Its as simple as the coil fires and pulls down and those two latches lock.
Then the small coil fires pulling the wider latch, disengaging the latches and the spring pops the ramp back to the resting position.


getaway.jpg
 
Cool, ok ill have a good look at it again this weekend, im away with work now until Thursday night. you need to nearly do a hand stand to see whats going in there ;) .
 
I fixed the Ramp. I think. It's working now when I do a test. The "test " on power on on the dmd is still telling me there is an up down error and check switch 74.

Also I've a new problem. When I'm playing and I lose a ball it's not registering. After a bit it "looks" for the lost ball by flipping everything then it registers. Any idea what that is ?
 
Yep good call, looks like this wire came off this switch, probably when i was trying to fix the ramp.

gamersireland.ie_wp_content_uploads_2016_04_1.jpg


Ill solder it back on.

Do you know.. if i have fixed the ramp.. but the test menu on power on keeps telling me there is a ramp issue, is it still broken?

Or do you have to manually clear those test menu error messages somehow?

Thanks
 
Optimus Prime said:
Yep good call, looks like this wire came off this switch, probably when i was trying to fix the ramp.

gamersireland.ie_wp_content_uploads_2016_04_1.jpg


Ill solder it back on.

Do you know.. if i have fixed the ramp.. but the test menu on power on keeps telling me there is a ramp issue, is it still broken?

Or do you have to manually clear those test menu error messages somehow?

Thanks
Click to expand...
Once the switch has been made the error messege will go away.
I tend to go round all the soldered joints and give them a little tug. I'd say 90% of the problems I've had turn out to be a wire fallen off
 
Error is still there. And now I've a divertor issue too whatever that is. So ramp and divertor and whatever switch 74 is. Feel like I'm going backwards haha
 
Diverter is on the supercharger. Check it in test mode. Will check where switch 74 is when i get home. Play a game with the glass off and make all the switches by hand. See if the error goes away. Possibly a switch that hasn't been made in a while. Not necessarily a broken switch
 
Hey Darren. I've solved the switch issue now. It was one of the lock ball switches and it's grand. The ramp, despite it not giving an error, is still acting a bit weird. It's going down when it shouldn't and up with the ball on it. Sending balls into lock when it shouldn't. but straight back out. It's flicking up and down sometimes too.

Is the divertor the gate on the supercharger ?
 
This things is breaking my heart today haha.. i found another loose wire, i think it came off when lifting the playfield up and down, caught in a screw where the lock bar goes.

gamersireland.ie_wp_content_uploads_2016_04_loose.jpg

So i took the other wire off the contact and cleaned it up, then soldered both wires back on.

Its working mostly ok now.. the kick back is working it wasnt earlier, everything seems fine, no errors on power on, BUT the ramp when making the right loop still seems slow to lift, a couple of times the ball has hit it. also the 3rd flipper seems to not work every few presses now as well haha..
 
Check all the wires in the back box are OK. I had the ramp flapping up and down, no kick back and various other issues. All stemmed from a lose wire on the board.
 
Thanks , everything is working now except the ramp seems to be slightly slow on lifting when the ball is hit up the right loop. I think ... Think it might be because the ramp is slightly too low and the ball is hitting it before it has a chance to lift to its full height. So I'm going to looses the bolt on the arm thing and move it up a bit and see if that works.
 
I'd just have a play around with the ramp assembly. Take it to bits and clean everything and put it back together. Sometimes the problem can just go away like that. Ramp problems are common on hs2
 
Optimus Prime said:
This things is breaking my heart today haha.. i found another loose wire, i think it came off when lifting the playfield up and down, caught in a screw where the lock bar goes.

So i took the other wire off the contact and cleaned it up, then soldered both wires back on.

Its working mostly ok now.. the kick back is working it wasnt earlier, everything seems fine, no errors on power on, BUT the ramp when making the right loop still seems slow to lift, a couple of times the ball has hit it. also the 3rd flipper seems to not work every few presses now as well haha..
Click to expand...

I managed to tear one terminal off a slingshot coil when sliding the playfield forwards - another reason to turn the coil 180 degrees, placing the terminals away from the coil stop end.

re. Switch 7,4; it's 'Top Lock', a common 'false report' on this game.
 
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