How to reset high scores on pinball machine

[ace3093]

I just picked up a Gottlieb 'Roller Disco' pinball machine and I was wondering if anyone knows how to reset the high scores? Or if it is even possible? 

[FrizzleFried]

...remove the battery for some time....though some will retain their memory for a while so you can't just pop it off and then on...give it a while...

[ace3093]

I was thinking that same thing but I can seem to find a battery on this machine.

[CheffoJeffo]

Definitely get a manual ... sadly, Gottlieb forced ipdb to stop making it available for download.

[shardian]

There is a small, red pushbotton on the CPU in the backbox. Press that button to reset the hi-scores

[shardian]

Well, here is a better description of the process to wipe the high score to date in picture form. You have to go into book keeping mode and hit the reset button when high score to date is displayed.

[FrizzleFried]

I noticed my MPU had a little blue square button that didn't seem to do anything.  Same as the little red button?

Also,   no one seems to want to answer this question over at KLOV...

Are flippers controlled by the MPU at all?  I removed my MPU to add a battery to it,  I put it back and my flippers don't work.  Bad timing on something else dying or could I have jacked something up on the MPU to cause this issue?

[shardian]

I noticed my MPU had a little blue square button that didn't seem to do anything.  Same as the little red button?

Are flippers controlled by the MPU at all?  I removed my MPU to add a battery to it,  I put it back and my flippers don't work.  Bad timing on something else dying or could I have jacked something up on the MPU to cause this issue?

This is direct from the Misc. section of the M3M repair guide for your era pin:

# "My Bally game works fine except for the flippers. They do nothing. All fuses are Ok, as are the flipper EOS switches."
This is a very common problem. There is a relay on the solenoid driver board that turns on the flippers during a game. The power to this relay is through brown jumper wires between two header pins, adjacent to the relay. If one of the wires break, comes loose, or their solder points go cold, the flippers will no longer work. On the back side of the solenoid driver board, look for the two brown wires and resolder them to the connector header pins.
# "How do I reset the replay values and high scores?"
This can be done by pressing the red button on the MPU board when the game is powered on. Note this is the button on the MPU board, not the red (self-test) button inside the coin door!

[shardian]

As to are your flipper MPU controlled, the answer in most cases is no. There is no reason for  a flipper to even go thru the MPU with the exception of games that have a special CPU actuated flipper (Embryon is one of them I believe).

[FrizzleFried]

As to are your flipper MPU controlled, the answer in most cases is no. There is no reason for  a flipper to even go thru the MPU with the exception of games that have a special CPU actuated flipper (Embryon is one of them I believe).

My pin is a STERN pin though?

I know the MPU is similar/same as Bally though,  right?

EDIT: Nope...no brown jumper wires on the backside of the Stern solenoid driver board.  (this is OLD Stern BTW).

[shardian]

As to are your flipper MPU controlled, the answer in most cases is no. There is no reason for  a flipper to even go thru the MPU with the exception of games that have a special CPU actuated flipper (Embryon is one of them I believe).

My pin is a STERN pin though?

I know the MPU is similar/same as Bally though,  right?

The electronics in the two are pretty much the same according to the repair guide.

[D_Zoot]

As to are your flipper MPU controlled, the answer in most cases is no. There is no reason for  a flipper to even go thru the MPU with the exception of games that have a special CPU actuated flipper (Embryon is one of them I believe).

Actually, they are, in a way.  The CPU/MPU controls a relay to provide/kill power to the flippers so that they don't continue to operate during game-over mode.   The CPU/MPU is in control of turning them on and off, via a relay.


Friz, random thoughts for you:    Are you getting power to the flipper coils in game mode (guessing not)?  Can you hear the relay kicking on/off ?   If the relay has a clear case on it, can you see the armature moving on/off?   Relay activating = power side problem,  relay not activating = control side  problem.


D
   

[shardian]

The battery does not "look" like a AA battery. It is a big black box thing near the bottom that should say "Data Sentry" on it. That is, unless it has been removed in the past. If it is still there, then it needs to be replaced with a remotely located 3-AA case battery supply. This is all covered in very good detail in the Marvin 3M System 1 guide.

http://www.pinrepair.com/sys1/

[ace3093]

Thanks for the info. I will look at it tonight after work and see if I can locate the data sentry device. I dont think my board looks the same as the one shown.

[shardian]

If your board does not look like that, then you have an after market replacement. In that case, throw out everything I have said and look at your board to tell us who manufactured it. The two available are the Pascal board and the Ni-Wumph.

[shardian]

I have seen quite a few system 1 boards, and I have yet to see one with a stock AA Nicad battery.
Forgive me, wise pin master god dude for my supreme inadequacy. I have not just read "the guide". I have 3-4 of every board in a system 1 on my work bench, and I have read everything I can get my hands on for them.

[FrizzleFried]

Just jump the relay and see what happens.  If the flippers work then, I'd just leave the problem alone - in home use nobody is gonna pound on the flippers.

How does one "jump the relay"?  I have the clear type...box structure on the solenoid board... simply jumper the two lugs on the solder side?

[ace3093]

I can't seem to locate any name brand for the board. So I took some pictures. I did notice there is a small button on the right side of the board. When I press it the green led lights up and the machines resets but the high scores still stay the same. Any help will be great! thx 


I figured it out!!! thx for the help everyone. 

[shardian]

You have a Ni-Wumph CPU board.

http://www.ni-wumpf.com/index.html

[ace3093]

I finally figured out how to reset the scores. But it is disappointing to hear that the board is not that great. I received the machine for free so I can’t really complain. All I can say is that I am happy the I have a working machine! Thanks everyone for the information and all the help.

My next goal is to get a Star Trek NG machine I remember playing that all the time when I was is high school.

[shardian]

While the Pascal board is superior to the NiWumph, the NiWumph is not that bad. There are some ground modifications that you should verify are done. The main problem with the NiWumph is that a locked coil can fry the custom chips, thus resulting in you either sending the board in for repair or ordering a new set of chips. The Pascal board is immune to this.

Take a quick look at this and see if these ground wires have been added to your pin: (Note the picture that shows where the wire should go on your specific board.)
http://www.pinrepair.com/sys1/#ground

[ace3093]

I will take a look and see if there grounds have been added. I am not the greatest at electrical soldering so I hope the person who installed it did it right. With my luck they didn't. I don't really want to attempt it myself and break anything.


Here are some pics of the machine.

[ace3093]

Sounds like a good idea. I will just keep it like it is. As long as the high scores are default I am happy.