Repair Thread: Stern Lightning

[FrizzleFried]

Because KLOV is down and I dunno for how long,  I figure I will ask in here.   Keep in mind I am a pinball newb and will have to have my hand held doing just about anything...

Here's the problem...my STERN LIGHTNING has no flipper movement.  Nothing.  The relay does not click as I'd guess it should,  nor does anything move in the clear plastic relay housing.

They (the flippers) worked before I removed the MPU and cleaned up some battery damage.  Nothing afterwards.  All other solenoids fire as they are supposed to...

Someone mentioned bypassing the relay on KLOV.  Can someone explain to me,  in as simply/thorough way as possible,  how I am supposed to bypass the relay?   I was told to ground out the 'ground wire at the flipper switch (button?)...I tried,  with an alligator clip from the ground of the button to a ground strap with no success.

Any suggestions?

EDIT: BTW, all fuses check out...and there is a 1.5a slow blow under the playfield that checks out...but there is only like .8v or something going through that fuse...is that right?

[shardian]

This is right from the Marvin3m guide:

"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.



I could have swore you went thru this before...

[shardian]

If the wires are intact, then you can jumper that relay to see if the flippers work. If everything is kosher on the driver board and jumping the relay works, then you have a cpu problem.

[FrizzleFried]

This is right from the Marvin3m guide:

"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.

I could have swore you went thru this before...

I have a STERN ...though I know Bally and Stern are nearly identical,  I have no brown wires on the backside of my solenoid driver board (from my recollection the last time you posted that)...I will double check however.

EDIT:  Just checked...no wires.  It is an SDU-100.  There is no 2-pin headers anywhere near the relay.

[FrizzleFried]

Looking at the back of the solenoid driver board it appears the relay simply connects two contacts labeled FLIPPER 1 BUTTON and FLIPPER 2 BUTTON to two contacts on a different connector named FLIPPER 1 and FLIPPER 2.  Logic would dictate that all I would need to do is short the flipper 1 contact to the flipper 1 button contact,  right?

[FrizzleFried]

Yeah, sounds logical to me.  If you want to be absolutely sure, I'll pop out the board in my Seawitch and take a look for you. 

I just don't want to go blowing possible good parts.  If it's not too much trouble,  I would appreciate it.  If it is,  I'll roll the dice...My wife returned with the digital camera today also so I can take pix if necessary.

[FrizzleFried]

Does this sound right? I did some continuity testing. The connector that includes the L FLIPPER BUTTON pin shows continuity with the left button ground. The R FLIPPER BUTTON pin shows continuity with the right flipper button ground. All is good there...

Now this is where things get weird. I go to the next connector (same side board but above the relay). The R FLIPPER pin shows continuity to ALL lugs on both flipper coils... huh? The L FLIPPER pin shows no continuity to ALL 3 lugs on both flipper coils? Is that right? I'd have assumed I would have found the same scenario as with the buttons?

[FrizzleFried]

PBJim...

It worked.  There is something wrong,  I suspect,  with my MPU. 

Is there any negatives of keeping this hacked for now?  Should it be top of concern to get the issue with the relay figured out?   I just have it alligator clipped for now,  though I'll likely make it more permanent if there's no negative (other than the flippers can be flipped when game over)...

...but wait,  I am guessing that TILT will not work properly with this hack,  right?

EDIT: BTW Jim,  thank you.  I appreciate the help.

[shardian]

In a home environment there shouldn't be an issue. The only reason the relay is there is so kids couldn't pound away on the flippers without putting money in. That would wear them out pretty quick of course.

[FrizzleFried]

In a home environment there shouldn't be an issue. The only reason the relay is there is so kids couldn't pound away on the flippers without putting money in. That would wear them out pretty quick of course.

I've not tried yet,  but I'd also assume that the relay turns off the flippers during "TILT",  right?

If so,  does the rest of the switches turn off during tilt?  Meaning if the flippers DO work,  and I whacked the ball up in to the playfield during TILT,  will all the bumpers/switches/targets etc still work (which would be bad)?

I suppose it's not that big a deal being I KNOW I am cheating if I do that...

Also...what kind of voltage is going through those alligator clip leads?  I'd prefer to simply leave them as is,  but if recommended,  I'd solder up something more permanent.

Now to repair the one flipper that was blown when I bought the machine.  I noticed that the end of stroke switch was broken.  When I  pulled the coil off the plastic sheathing was all melted inside preventing the metal "poll" from sliding in and out freely.  My hypothesis:  The end of stroke switch broke...causing that flipper to over heat thereby melting the plastic insert...