I had similar issues with my Abra Ca Dabra and the culprit was the AX relay in the back box. They're just super tricky to get adjusted, have to be just right. I thought I had a switch bent so it was closed, but it turned out there was a microscopic gap. Bent it slightly more and everything suddenly was happy.

I'm still too new to EMs to start giving you really great advice, but you might want to browse the thread I started recently:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/em-tech-abra-ca-dabra-wont-start

I had similar issues, and there's some really solid advice in there about the chain of sequences for startup and what to trace through.

Two separate, but likely related issues.

Nothing on the playfield will work until the Ball Count unit steps to Ball 1, and closes the zero position switch on the backside of the Bally Count unit.

Since the trough switch itself doesn't cause the Ball Count unit to step, that indicates the problem lies upstream.

And since the Ball Return relay isn't firing on its own, that also indicates the problem lies upstream.

As it turns out, both those paths share some switches in common. And those are:
- the 6th position switch on the Ball Count unit (needs to be closed; also is on the backside of the unit),
- a normally closed switch on AX (Red on one side, Slate+Red on the other),
- a normally closed switch at motor 2B, and
- a normally closed switch at motor 1C.

If any one of those four switches is open (gapped or dirty contacts), then you'll get the behavior you describe.

I'm just saying, check your AX relay again. Clean it, check every contact carefully, they're tricky. Because I thought mine was working and checked too, but there was a just slightly gapped switch that messed things up.

When setting a switch the adjustment should create enough contact to create a wiping action of the contacts. This keeps them clean. This is easy to do on a single action switch but with AX relays and others that use make/break switches it's a bit more tedious. None the less though after adjusting and when you're checking you should see the leaf move a wee bit when contact is made. This way you know for sure that contact is being made.

Is the one your showing as motor 2B sitting on a black lifter? Or is that the one above it? (can't quite tell from the picture angle.)

(I ask, because 2B would be at the level between the top and bottom score motor cams, and not on a dog bone lifter.)

Otherwise, maybe time to break out the jumper wires.

The jumper wire can be just across one switch pair, or from one side of one switch pair to the other side of a next switch pair in the same logic path. So for example, from one side of 2B to the other side of 1C, or from the 6th position ball count switch to the other side of AX, or all the way to 1C (need a long wire).

Since switches in the same logic path are both on the score motor board and in the backbox though, that means there's a jones plug involved as well. A bad connection there will behave as an open, and could also cause the issue. Could be a jones plug from the playfield (since the trough switch signal and the ball return switch signal have to come from there), or could be from the backbox because the 6th pos. ball count switch is there.

So could use a meter to check the signals across the jones plugs.

Yep. Just on the back tabs. Jumpering along the path to the 'O' relay might be easier than the Ball Count unit, since 'O' is on the score motor board along with the motor switches.

But I'd still try testing continuity through the jones plugs first.

The jones plugs have a female end that's screwed into the score motor board or in the backbox, and then a male end that's at the end of the cable harness. The signals have to pass through the connection made when the plug is installed in the receiving end.

So with the plugs installed, testing that there's continuity from where the wires are soldered on the tabs on the female side to where the wires come out on the male side is what I mean. If either side of the jones plug is corroded or dirty, continuity can be lost right there.

The signals involved in this particular path have to pass through a couple of these, so yes, seeing that the signal is able to get through from the female side of the plug to the male side is helpful.

With the plugs installed, you can just put one meter lead on the female tab, and the other lead on the hole on the backside of the male plug and check them all, going down one row at a time (for example).

OK, here's another quick and simple test. If you manually activate the 'O' relay (press down on the armature plate), does it lock in and hold on its own while the score motor runs and tries to kick the ball out? Or after you manually press it down, does the armature plate just come back up?

If it locks in and holds, then that indicates that motor 2B, AX, and 6th pos. Ball Count switches are all working (along with the lock in switch on O), since that path must all be closed for the O relay to lock in. It will stay locked in until motor 2B opens. If the lock in is working, then that means the problem lies with motor 1C, or the outhole switch, or the jones plug from the playfield carrying the outhole switch signal.

If it doesn't lock in and hold though, then that indicates the problem is among motor 2B, AX, and the 6th pos. Ball Count switches (or jones plugs carry that signal).

This is easier to try than jumpering, and the Ball Count unit shares most of that same path. So it can be used to isolate which segment of the path has the open, and then use a jumper wire on that part of the path only to isolate exactly.

If the lock in path to 'O' is working, when you manually press the armature plate down (aka 'ladder stack'), then it should feel like the coil "grabs" it and holds it on its own for a full 1/3 rev of the score motor.

If pressing it doesn't get any hold action from the coil, then that means the lock in path has an open. So sounds like the open is among motor 2B, AX, and the 6th pos. Ball Count switches (or jones plugs carry that signal), or I guess possibly farther upstream from that.

The rest of the path would include the switch on the Hold relay (R), a normally closed switch on the Start relay (S), the bounce switch, and the fuse. But the game wouldn't be able to reset if the latter two weren't working.

The game could get through a reset if the switches on R and S were open though. Worth checking those too.

in the AX picture above it looks like a broken tab to one of the switches. check it out

tab.JPG

(We hates reworking switch stacks!)

Or maybe two?

Good eye!

Correct.

Current behavior is now correct.

The normally open switch on R that is in the path to the Ball Count and O relays is RED-BLK on one side, and RED-GR on the other.

RED-WH on one side and RED-BLK on the other.

Unlikely, since the issue was due to an open, not a short. And if the Ball Count started working, then it wasn't the 'O' relay switches. That suggests the issue was either Start or Hold.

Coils make a loud buzzing sound when the circuit feeding them doesn't open up and de-energize them. Doesn't mean the coil's fried (it would need to stay on solid for a few minutes first).

Check the Ball Count unit manually to make sure it can still step up and down OK. If the ball trough switch got stuck closed, then it would keep the "add ball count" solenoid on solid (and it makes the loud buzzing). So check the trough switch to make sure it's opening too.

As far as I can tell that's normal, my machine does that too.

The four rollovers feed the 1B, 2B, 3B, and 4B relays, which in turn feed the series relay, Q. Could be Q that's buzzing with its armature plate. Some cleaning of it might help. Or it could have a wrong spring, wrong coil, other possibilities.

Yeah, if a ball happens to stop on top of a rollover for some reason it keeps buzzing. I just assumed it was normal, if it's not I'd be happy to work on fixing it.

Any rollover, or specifically for #1? If just for #1, then could be the armature plate on the 1B relay buzzing.

I'd be curious to hear too. My Sky Jump buzzes on roll over also, I just assumed it was normal. But these are the only EMs I've owned so far.

I had this same symptoms after my ACD sat used for a couple years. Cleaning the contacts on the ball count unit in the head fixed the problem.