Author Topic: What's wrong with this Pole Position? Should I buy it? (Read 4829 times)

Magnet_Eye · « **on:** July 17, 2006, 05:31:56 pm »

Ok, so a guy locally to me has a Pole Position for sale. he says this is wrong with it:

"The game began to freeze up and the center of the monitor would flicker, this was stoped by unplugging it and plugging it back in. The problem has gotten worse and I have no room. Probally something as easy as Mem but I don't work on these machines."

Anyone have any idea if it's an easy fix?

Q*Bert_OP · « **Reply #1 on:** July 17, 2006, 06:53:40 pm »

That sounds like either a ram failurre, or low voltage on the +5v line.

Q*Bert_OP · « **Reply #2 on:** July 17, 2006, 06:57:25 pm »

Yes, buy it.

SirPeale · « **Reply #3 on:** July 17, 2006, 08:45:53 pm »

I'll also second voltage problems if it's freezing.

Ken Layton · « **Reply #4 on:** July 17, 2006, 11:27:55 pm »

Burnt edge connector foil traces. I'd still buy it if I were you.

Dav · « **Reply #5 on:** July 18, 2006, 02:55:14 am »

It would have to be dirt cheap. I wouldn't just assume it's an easy fix when those boards had so many problems. Working Pole Position boards run roughly the same price as a working game, so for me personally I wouldn't even pay the gas to go get one. I trashed my last one out when I couldn't give the cabinet away,

Magnet_Eye · « **Reply #6 on:** July 18, 2006, 06:36:24 am »

ok, the guy wants just $50 for it. and the cab looks to be in good shape. he says all the controls work good. just that weird problem.

a couple pics:

i need to know by this afternoon.

Dav · « **Reply #7 on:** July 18, 2006, 10:26:15 am »

If you really like Pole Position and you're willing to spend another $200+ if neccessary then it's a good deal for you.

ChadTower · « **Reply #8 on:** July 18, 2006, 10:38:33 am »

Good deal for $50 but PP is definitely not an easy game to keep running. That's the reason one of the most mass produced games of all time has so few of them still out there.

Q*Bert_OP · « **Reply #9 on:** July 18, 2006, 11:40:57 am »

Wow, it looks like it's in good shape...I'd still buy it.

D_Zoot · « **Reply #10 on:** July 18, 2006, 12:15:21 pm »

If you can look at the boards before you buy it you should. Slide the boards and on the board facing the inside of the cab find the battery along the bottom edge. Is it leaking or is there green corrosion around the battery? If so, and if the battery corrosion is severe then you could be in for a long and expensive haul.

Simple common fixes are (as mentioned above): Bad edge connections at the boards, failing AR2's (power supply boards), bad connections and overheated fuse holders at the power brick all causing low voltage to the game board. There are a couple of different mods that you can do (once repaired) that will help avoid these issues again.

In a nutshell -

Battery = no leakage, then for the money it's hard to beat, battery = leakage then proceed with caution, expensive board repairs could be in your future.

D

Q*Bert_OP · « **Reply #11 on:** July 18, 2006, 12:28:44 pm »

You might be able to part it out, and make your money back.

RayB · « **Reply #12 on:** July 18, 2006, 01:51:26 pm »

For $50, take it!

Magnet_Eye · « **Reply #13 on:** July 19, 2006, 03:07:39 am »

ok, well I bought it. I'll be begging you guys for help in getting it fixed in a matter of days!

Q*Bert_OP · « **Reply #14 on:** July 19, 2006, 11:47:16 am »

If you don't already own a digital multimeter, get one now!

RayB · « **Reply #15 on:** July 19, 2006, 02:46:46 pm »

Oh, sorry, Pole Positions are impossible to fix.

ChadTower · « **Reply #16 on:** July 19, 2006, 03:22:14 pm »

Plus they cost $500 to recycle.

Dav · « **Reply #17 on:** July 20, 2006, 04:46:43 am »

Quote from: ChadTower on July 19, 2006, 03:22:14 pm

Plus they cost $500 to recycle.

http://widel.com/pics/pp.htm

ChadTower · « **Reply #18 on:** July 20, 2006, 09:07:53 am »

Holy CRAP that little girl is strong.

Dav · « **Reply #19 on:** July 20, 2006, 10:34:33 am »

Quote from: ChadTower on July 20, 2006, 09:07:53 am

Holy CRAP that little girl is strong.

Yeah, she takes after her mom.

Magnet_Eye · « **Reply #20 on:** July 20, 2006, 09:07:18 pm »

oh jeez, you guys aren't being very optimisitic!

Well, I just got the sucker. I am gonna take some pics of the insides to post up soon.

Hopefully I can get her running.

EDIT:

Well, I have had it on and running for the past 30 minutes. It hasn't froze or anything, but something is going on with the graphics from the get go. There are all kinds of horizontal "lines" going through the screen. the cars and road look are screwed up. and there is some flickering going on the monitor as well.

Oh and i was playing, and the top half of the graphics were getting really jumbled, and i shifted, which jarred the cabinet a bit, and it cleared up. as if it were something loose. if i kinda tap the side of the machine it makes the graphics flicker and jumble in and out. hmm.

any thoughts?

D_Zoot · « **Reply #21 on:** July 20, 2006, 09:38:39 pm »

Pull out the boards. On the far end there is a connector that connects the two boards together, pull it off and clean the edge with an eraser. Clean the main edge connectors are well.

Pull and reseat all socketed chips. *Be very carefull doing this so you don't break or bend any of the legs on the chips* If you are unsure about doing this, try laying each board flat and just push down on each socketed chip to make sure it's seated fully, sometimes that's all it takes.

Check your +5 voltage at the test terminals on the boards (marked +5), you should have 5.1 vdc -ish, if not adjust the power supply to get it.

Hopefully that should clear up your graphics glitches.

Did you check the board for battery leakage??

D

Magnet_Eye · « **Reply #22 on:** July 20, 2006, 09:50:11 pm »

the boards look good. there is no battery leakage.

I have a multimeter, will follow your advice and check everything out that i can. i'll post back later with results and some pics.

thanks!

Kevin Mullins · « **Reply #23 on:** July 20, 2006, 10:45:53 pm »

Need to take a look around the monitor connections also for bad/dirty connections, and bad solder joints on the connection headers and chassis.
Some of your screen issues may very well be monitor issues.
(especially because when you thump it and it effects it)

Magnet_Eye · « **Reply #24 on:** July 21, 2006, 03:03:29 am »

Quote from: Kevin Mullins on July 20, 2006, 10:45:53 pm

Need to take a look around the monitor connections also for bad/dirty connections, and bad solder joints on the connection headers and chassis.
Some of your screen issues may very well be monitor issues.
(especially because when you thump it and it effects it)

the board at the back was extremely dirty. i cleaned it up and now it isn't doing that wierd jumbly monitor thing at the top. one thing solved.

Magnet_Eye · « **Reply #25 on:** July 21, 2006, 03:05:49 am »

Ok, so I pulled and reset all the chips. and everything "looks" good. I also tested one of the +5 prong deals on one of the boards, it was giving me +5.12v. So, now I am at a loss.

Game plays fine. Just the weird horizontal lines through the game and the asphalt is white instead of black and stuff like that.

cdbrown · « **Reply #26 on:** July 21, 2006, 05:15:13 am »

pics pics pics

Come on ... you promised

Magnet_Eye · « **Reply #27 on:** July 21, 2006, 06:01:29 am »

Quote from: cdbrown on July 21, 2006, 05:15:13 am

pics pics pics

Come on ... you promised

ok, i will do that tomorrow. i have to borrow a camera from my brother.

CheffoJeffo · « **Reply #28 on:** July 21, 2006, 06:59:01 am »

My guess (whatever it is worth) would be that you have a monitor issue (the lines) and a video RAM issue.

Pics!

Cheers.

Kevin Mullins · « **Reply #29 on:** July 21, 2006, 02:04:07 pm »

Yeah gonna need a screenshot to help get a better idea of the problem.
The horizontal lines could be The SCREEN voltage on the flyback, but it's hard to say without seeing what they look like.
Are the lines thin and equally spaced about an inch apart?
That and whether the black is actually white (inverted) or if it's just washed out are two different things. Once again, hard to say without pic.
Need to also know if the monitor has been recapped recently. (always recommended)
Monitor type?

It's just gonna take a bit to narrow down the problems. You have to eliminate any monitor issues to see for certain if the boardset has video issues.
It would be nice if you had something else you could plug into the monitor just to see if you have similar problems on the monitor from another board.

Kinda like saying to yourself... "I have a known good working monitor..... now what's the problem with my board?"


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