Overheating Flipper Coil

[Onze]

My left flipper coil keeps overheating causing a weak flipper. I've checked the EOS switch and that's activating fine. The flipper mechanism seems all fine, nice and clean sleeve and the plunger and coil stop seem in good condition. The flipper opto seems good, I've cleaned the opto and I don't get any issues with it in switch test mode. I can't swap the left flipper opto to the right easily as they're different on the Judge Dredd machine. All of the other flippers are fine, even the top left one. I'm thinking there is something wrong with the fliptronics board and it's not sending a lower voltage when the flipper is in the hold position? Is their anyway I can verify this? Can I use a multimeter to see whether low voltage is being sent to the flipper when in the hold position or do the flipper coils not work like that?

 

[Carl Spiby]

Pretty sure you can just clip the meter probes onto the lugs on the coil and see the voltage there.

 

[Onze]

Pretty sure you can just clip the meter probes onto the lugs on the coil and see the voltage there.

Thanks, but I don't know which lugs I'm clipping my meter to etc. I tried grounding one of the meter probes and then attaching the other probe to each lug in turn. I get the same results on the left flipper as I do on the right.

 

[pinballmania]

Measure dc volts at sw1 and sw2 on the connector to the flipper opto. Should read 12v at rest and ideally less than 1v when you press the flipper button. If over 2.5v then the opto is bad and needs to be replaced, it will cause the overheating problem.

 

[Onze]

Measure dc volts at sw1 and sw2 on the connector to the flipper opto. Should read 12v at rest and ideally less than 1v when you press the flipper button. If over 2.5v then the opto is bad and needs to be replaced, it will cause the overheating problem.

Cheers Andy. SW1 controlling the lower left flipper was reading around 3.4 volts and SW2 controlling the upper left flipper was reading about 2.7 volts. I guess I was just getting away with it with the upper flipper? I compared this to the right flipper opto board and both SW1 & SW2 were both reading around 1 volt. Anyhow, now to find a replacement opto board or am I better replacing the opto components on the board? Judge Dredd has a different left flipper opto board than most other machines that's harder to source, you don't happen to have one?

Off to the For Sale / Wanted folder for me.

 

[pinballmania]

Replace the optos. £3 a piece

Andy

 

[Onze]

Replace the optos. £3 a piece

Andy

Have you got stock?

 

[pinballmania]

yes, i have suitable replacements. they are not oem, but do the job.

 

[Onze]

yes, i have suitable replacements. they are not oem, but do the job.

Thanks Andy, I will keep you in mind for future replacements. But for now a friend will be sorting me out with a couple of spares he has.

Many thanks for the tech knowledge.