Tales from the crypt meltdown

[SteveB-TftC]

Hi all, need some advice, just got the game all back together and polished ready for its first play in over 10 years, it didn’t seem to register the balls properly but I carried on, the first ball was ok but then the game became stuck in a loop where it says one ball missing, it launches, the flippers don’t work and it goes back to push start.
am I looking at a new motherboard or are there other options? Thanks.
View attachment IMG_3760.MOV

 

[DAFlippers]

Do a switch test and work through the problems one at a time. You may have a string out, dirty switches, broken switch or anything so do fault finding in a logical manner.

David

 

[Sgt GrizZ]

Start with the simple stuff.

Correct number of balls in the game ?
Check the trough switches are all operating - use switch test and test with balls.

 

[SteveB-TftC]

Start with the simple stuff.

Correct number of balls in the game ?
Check the trough switches are all operating - use switch test and test with balls.

It has the correct number of balls but thinks otherwise. all the tests are ok, I tried a reset too but no luck. Stuck in this loop. Would a new cpu help perhaps? I’m very new to this as you can probably tell lol

 

[Sgt GrizZ]

It has the correct number of balls but thinks otherwise. all the tests are ok, I tried a reset too but no luck. Stuck in this loop. Would a new cpu help perhaps? I’m very new to this as you can probably tell lol

If you swap cpu and it’s a flaky switch causing an issue then no
Is every switch checking out ok ? Do the active switches test with no balls in the game , and then with balls in the game .

 

[SteveB-TftC]

If you swap cpu and it’s a flaky switch causing an issue then no
Is every switch checking out ok ? Do the active switches test with no balls in the game , and then with balls in the game .

Absolutely. So I will do those tests and let you know… will have to be tmrw, many thanks for the advice.

 

[SteveB-TftC]

If you swap cpu and it’s a flaky switch causing an issue then no
Is every switch checking out ok ? Do the active switches test with no balls in the game , and then with balls in the game .

you were right, had a couple of trough switch problems which we fixed with some solder, and she works a treat, or she did for 4/5 games then had the same problem, so I will be ordering new switches from pinparts tmrw. Many thanks, I really did fear the worst, had no idea a switch could cause such a problem! It was great to have my first game on it.

 

[Sgt GrizZ]

you were right, had a couple of trough switch problems which we fixed with some solder, and she works a treat, or she did for 4/5 games then had the same problem, so I will be ordering new switches from pinparts tmrw. Many thanks, I really did fear the worst, had no idea a switch could cause such a problem! It was great to have my first game on it.

Good news

This video is useful info also - Chad (of Pinball Code legend) explains how the extra switch at the ball eject in those DE troughs can cause issues.