My 1978 playboy pinball backglass lights a the sudden won't turn on? I turned the game on the other day and the static backglass lights are out. Everything else works and plays like it should. The lights that blink in the back box work but the ones that stay on all the time don't work. I've checked all the fuses, reseated the connectors, everything looks fine. Have no idea what is causing this??
Quoted from Shogun00:In other words, the backbox GI (general illumination) lights are out.
Any lights out on the playfield?
All the other lights and everything else works like normal. Just rge lights behind the back glass are out
Quoted from Jasenwm:I'm stumped. I checked the fuses, reseated the connectors and checked all the voltage. Weird how litterly every light and function works but the back glass lights??
If the voltages are correct on the appropriate connectors that are attached to the Rectifier Board/Transformer assembly, find the break between those connector pins and the lamp sockets. There are probably two circuits for the backglass lamps.
Usually, the connector pins are the problem.
Quoted from MrBally:If the voltages are correct on the appropriate connectors that are attached to the Rectifier Board/Transformer assembly, find the break between those connector pins and the lamp sockets. There are probably two circuits for the backglass lamps.
Usually, the connector pins are the problem.
Quoted from Jasenwm:I'm stumped. I checked the fuses, reseated the connectors and checked all the voltage. Weird how litterly every light and function works but the back glass lights??
It's not weird, this stuff happens all the time on 45 year old games. You don't have a lot of things not working, you simply have ONE thing not working (those lights are all tied together). It's not like your game suddenly developed a dozen problems.
As has been said many times it's probably a connector. Reseating it might not work if the connector is in bad shape. Maybe send us some photos of the fuses and rectifier connectors and we'll see if anything is amiss.
Also, remove the fuses from the holder before testing them, they will sometimes test good installed even if they are bad (I just had this happen on a Congo with a GI issue).
Quoted from CrazyLevi:It's not weird, this stuff happens all the time on 45 year old games. You don't have a lot of things not working, you simply have ONE thing not working (those lights are all tied together). It's not like your game suddenly developed a dozen problems.
As has been said many times it's probably a connector. Reseating it might not work if the connector is in bad shape. Maybe send us some photos of the fuses and rectifier connectors and we'll see if anything is amiss.
Also, remove the fuses from the holder before testing them, they will sometimes test good installed even if they are bad (I just had this happen on a Congo with a GI issue).
Ahhh I didn't remove the fuses before testing them. The machine was off and unplugged but I'll try that. I'll take some pics asap
A blown G.I fuse will test good in circuit because the meter will get a "good reading" the other way around through the transformer and lamps which are very low resistance. So you must remove the fuse to test it effectively.
Having said that, the entire G.I in this game is fused by one fuse. So if the playfield G.I is working the fuse is not the problem.
As MrBally stated, there are two sets of G.I circuit wires to the backbox that are connected together at each end. It would be a little unusual (though not impossible) for both circuits to fail at the same time. Pictures of the J3 connector on the rectifier board and also the block connector next to the backbox insert door will help.
You should check with your meter set on AC voltage if you measure around 7.8 volts AC at one of the actual lamp sockets that isn't working which will tell you if there's connector issues. On the chance you do get good voltage at a lamp socket it could be that all the backbox lamps are blown.
Quoted from Quench:You should check with your meter set on AC voltage if you measure around 7.8 volts AC at one of the actual lamp sockets that isn't working which will tell you if there's connector issues.
Did you check this? How is the topper wired in?
Quoted from tomdrum:Did you check this? How is the topper wired in?
The topper is wired into the back box wiring. That black wire coming in from the top is the topper wiring
16466914609026610268216995761295.jpg16466924248082923729386957367170 (resized).jpg16466924441564262543599345649821 (resized).jpgOn the rectifier board, the J3 connector plug 10 orange wire and 11 red wire are the GI Buss. Confirm voltage there. Then J3 pin 1 green wire and pin 2 white are the backbox GI return. Check for voltage there. I bet if you just re-pin the entire the J3 the problem is fixed. The GI lamp circuits are always fried from the machine location history, being turned on for hours on end.
Quoted from tomdrum:On the rectifier board, the J3 connector plug 10 orange wire and 11 red wire are the GI Buss. Confirm voltage there. Then J3 pin 1 green wire and pin 2 white are the backbox GI return. Check for voltage there. I bet if you just re-pin the entire the J3 the problem is fixed. The GI lamp circuits are always fried from the machine location history, being turned on for hours on end.
Thank you so much I'll try it!
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