I had the same issue with the bowling release post. In the end, the plunger didn‘t come back up anymore because of contact with the metal guide of the assembly.…
My solution was to give the post more guidance, using a normal coil sleeve, cut to the right size.
Now the center post works very smoothly and 100%

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while playing yesterday, my screen went black for 3-5 seconds, then came on with a small blue window that said “HDMI”, and then it returned to being normal. Not super comforting. Anyone else have this issue and did it develop into anything serious?

Perhaps loose hdmi cable? Would reseat it.

Hey Rensh ! Any idea when the upgraded pins will be available? Just picked up my Lebowski last week from Cointaker so would like to have a spare set just incase. Thanks!

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/a-lotta-ins-a-lotta-outs-tbl-maintenance-thread/page/20#post-6754465

Gotcha ! Sorry I must have missed that when I asked last time. Apologies!

Rensh - Can you confirm with the bowling launcher should start rotating before a ball is fed into it? I believe that it should not, and I need help diagnosing why it would be doing this so I can fix it? When the launcher stays centered and doesn't move until the ball is fed into it, the feed works perfectly. But when the launcher starts moving directly after I select the ball I want to bowl for, that's when the ball doesn't feed properly into the launcher. The feed can't happen correctly when the ball is being fed into a moving target

How about the sensor when the ball is at rest - does it register the ball in diagnostic mode?

The launcher should not be moving before the ball has reached it. I think CPR999 is right, the switch below the alley is giving the incorrect information. If you can run the test mode and check the switches, I think you should find the issue. Hopefully it's just an opto alignment issue or something super simple like that!

The launcher should not be rotating when ball is launched from below up to the launcher. It should be more or less in middle position.

As suggested check the switches, especially the one positioned where the ball rests against the shooter coil.

Appreciate the help but don't fully understand what I'm supposed to check in this case. Do you mean the switch at the bottom on the bowling alley where the ball sits before it's fired up to load into the launcher? If yes, what exactly am I checking? I need to know what it is supposed to look like so I can compare with mine.

Thank you!

It’s the one indeed where the ball sits before it’s fired up.

Plenty of pictures in the service faq to compare but real test is in switch test. Try the test explained page 36 service faq. See if it triggers the ball bottom switch.

Appreciate the clarification and will take a look later today and will report back

I ran both the bowling opto and bowling stepper tests and everything seems to be working 100% in test. I've attached a pic of the switch test with 5 balls in the trough, the bowling ball at rest at the bottom of the bowling mech, and the coin door opened. Seems correct to me meaning no switches seem to be behaving incorrectly.

I also slightly bent one of the metal guide arms at the top of the bowling mech to guide the ball a bit to the right when it loads into the launcher.

I'll need to play test later. To ensure I understand the bowling mech correctly, what triggers the bowling launcher to start moving left and right? I would assume that would be what is causing my issue.

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I think a video would be best to get a better idea of what’s happening.

In the service faq also is described that the bowling alley launcher has two switches, they work in switch test? Page 34 service faq.

How this looks you can see at https://1drv.ms/v/s!Akxb0qhsDk6RgeBACI5sqiT-FhnFEg

The launcher is working 100% in terms of it's operation and the switches in all tests. What is happening in gamplay is that, once I select a ball to bowl for, the launcher starts it's rotational movement and doesn't always wait for the ball to load. I am trying to understand why it would be doing that only about 50% of the time. If the code has a delay built in to wait for the ball to load before the launcher moves then I'd say it's a code bug. If not and a switch tells the launcher to move, then what triggers that switch?

Are these the correct reinforced targets? https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/A-18530-5R

I started getting freezes over the weekend and eventually determined a couple targets are most likely the source of the issue. They don't show up as stuck switches in the test, but I think the contacts are close enough together that they probably mess up the PROC while in game after one or both take hard hits. I'd tried some manual adjustments to the targets to get the contacts a little farther apart, but haven't had any luck yet. Those targets have taken a beating.

For troubleshooting, I checked the USB connection from the PC board to the PROC and all of the connections under the playfield. I was able to play 3 long games with the targets disconnected so I'm pretty sure I've narrowed it down to them.

Yes

Figured I'd cross-post a potential solution for anyone who has a rug that requires a really hard shot to register a hit. I spent a bunch of time trying to readjust the switch to make the rug register shots more effectively and ended up finding a great solution: move the switch lower.

I've attached two pics. The first is the switch the way it was installed at the factory. The second is the adjusted position. You can see from the pics that it was screwed in at an angle from the factory. The adjustment has it a bit lowered and the screws are parallel.

I also tried removing the switch and moving the switch blade to the inside mounting nubs but that didn't work...made the rug barely register at all.

Now the rug registers hits much more easily and is playing perfectly. You don't need to nail the shot and can even hit it with a backhand! Hope that this is helpful to all the dudes out there!

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Anyone else have their spotlight turn slowly down towards the player after a number of games? Granted I have the Donny coffee can in mine, but I notice that on airballs and big hits around that area, the spotlight turns a few degrees and ends up blinding me until I glass off and turn it.

It is not turning at all from the top portion where the nut secures it to the post. It is turning from underneath the playfield.

The annoying part is, with the boards in the way, there is not enough room to get a proper socket on the nut underneath. The only thing I’ve been able to do is use needle nose pliers to try and tighten it while not slipping and destroying a board.

ezatnova #54590 I have the same thing happening to my spotlight with the Donny coffee can mod.

I’ve got a few loose posts, but unfortunately those nuts underneath the playfield are not accessible without removing a whole bunch of stuff. Maybe someday I’ll find the motivation…

I might try to come up with some creative solution like fishing line to hold the coffee can up near the wire ramp, or something.

Did you try carefully sliding a small open end wrench from the side between the playfield and the board to hold it? A long while ago my light was loose and turning and that’s how I snugged it up...

‘The annoying part is, with the boards in the way, there is not enough room to get a proper socket on the nut underneath’

I’ll check that out. Shame there just isn’t 1/16” more clearance around that nut!

Worked for me as well

But now with a "EU Made" pinball you should also buy some metric tools.
For us europeans was the same with our US pinballs .. we had to buy a second set of tools ... now its your turn

I took out the 5 oblong targets, got them bent them back into shape, put them back in, and made sure none of them were sticking. I still had frequent lockups after that. Through a lot of troubleshooting I believe I have narrowed it down to a single target (Light to the right of the Dude ramp - SW17), that when connected and after a hard direct hit, will lock up the game.

The question I have is why would a single target that isn't sticking cause this lockup issue? Maybe a bad diode?

The other question I have for Rensh is about the PROC and that bad powerpin solder issue. My serial number (486) is very close to the range of serials (490-540) that might have that issue. I don't think this is causing my issue since it only seems to be with the one target, but I thought I'd check if you have seen anything like this before. I did the basic PROC troubleshooting, moving the connector over to USB3, reseating the connectors, reseating the memory on the motherboard, and checking the log file (no PROC lost messages there). The only thing I haven't done yet is replace the USB cable.

I found one 1/4” socket that was “slim” enough to JUST fit in there! Snugged ol’ Donny down really well now. Only an airballs should be able to budge him.

I hate when his mortal remains are messed with. I’m sure his dying wishes were not to get all rotated around all the time.

I got my EA 70 game a few months ago and noticed that one of the lights on the EA apron does not work. Anybody have an idea what could be wrong with it. It’s just one light on the board that does not work. Bottom right light.

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Update: Issue solved…the ribbon cable for the Apron light board was loose in the connection under the playfield. I reseated the cable and all the lights are now working!

I think I’m having the same issue, mid game seems to be off one of the targets, it goes into search mode and won’t recognize the ball in play or drained. Test report never stays up after reboot. I also have a couple targets that are regularly sticking, I was planning on looking into it more this weekend.

I saw that on mine when I first got it, and that's a little different than what I'm seeing now. Just guessing, but you probably have 1 or more targets where the contacts are just a little too close together resulting in intermittent sticking, especially if you get warnings and then they go away before you can see what they were in the test report. If it had history log would help since it only shows the active issues. Try slightly bending the blades on any that look like they might be a problem to get the contactors a little further apart and see if the issues go away.

For my issue, I ordered a replacement reinforced target for the one that is causing the lockups. I'm really hoping it might just be something like the screws somehow got through their insulation and are shorting the blades together on hard hits to it, since a simple target replacement would fix that. Seems like a good theory anyway.

Bowling alley seems to work fine, but getting the error “bowling opto stuck closed” in test report.

The main opto beam in the front of the pins doesn’t trigger in switch test. I’ve reseated all the connectors, any other ideas on what to test? Or is this maybe a non issue given the bowling alley works?

The only function of the opto is that tbl knows to pull the pins which are calculated to drop. So from a software point of view everything still will work on the display.

Are the pins still being pulled up when ball is released?

Than, is the light pad not blocked eg are the transmitter and sensor still in long with the holes? Reseated the connectors on the 2 optoboards I think. Crimping on cabling looks OK?

Found the opto connector plugged in one pin off. Error went away, thank you.

Currently having an issue with my mini playfield. In test report it says MPF scoop stuck closed. I'm having trouble even locating what its talking about. Where is this switch. I've gone over every switch it seems that is involved with the mini playfield to no avail. Currently no switches work on the miniplayfied either. Both parking switches and back mini ramp switch are inactive too. One of the parking lights is stuck on too. Any helps or threads to point me in the right direction is appreciated.
Thanks

I installed the new reinforced target this afternoon and played several games with no lockups. The new target from Marco on the left is a little different from the one I replaced on the right, but no issues with it. The backing foam on the old target had gotten very compressed, and it may have been shorting on the back of the bracket through the insulator on hard hits. I should be able to re-use it after replacing backing foam.

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See my reply in the pinside mail you also sent. In short, check the ribbon cable running from mpf to the mmb below main playfield.

I was having same issue... was the ribbon cable

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Quick question on my flipper placement. The right one seems a bit offset up. Is this by design ? Fairly certain this is how it was when I got it. There’s no holes for alignment like Stern or JJP. Rensh any input ?

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That right flipper is definitely off.

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They actually both seem a bit off. I’ll have to realign them tomorrow. Thanks for the photo.

Both look off, should align straight with the plastics. My right came loose and needed to be realigned & tightened when I got mine.

They are both off for sure. Was it like this after unboxing? Hope not as that would mean new glasses for Barry ……

More likely-hoped they were not tightened enough and moved during flipping I guess.

Anyway, easy fix. Align them as the picture and you are good to go again.

Haha! I don’t remember them being that off when i unboxed it. Must be gradually moving a bit. I can craddle and nail the Walter ramp over and over with ease. Lol! Thanks everyone for the input. Time to pull the glass.

Needs tightening - easy fix as previously noted.

FWIW: there may be a default manufacturer's setting, (which may vary depending on the particular game) but there is no "right" or "wrong" flipper position. Totally up to owner per their personal gameplay preference.

Flippers adjusted! I’ve got another question. When I go into the test modes all the other tests function properly but the solenoid tests don’t do anything when I select them. I’m I missing something ? I tried with the coin door open and closed but can’t seem to get any solenoids to fire in test. I go to flippers, select left or right flipper and when I press the menu button down it highlights but that’s it. Am I doing something wrong ?

…when coin door open, you have to pull the white switch on the left to get the voltage on the coils for testing.

Ahhh…yep that’s it. I tried pushing it in before and using the flipper button itself but that’s obviously not what you do. Used the select button this time and bingo! Thanks man. I really should have known that. Too many J’s !