New to the club! This is the earliest manufactured machine that I have and I am seeing some things on it that I don't have any experience with. Please help out a DumbAss(tm)!

Firstly: It looks like Kneissl has mostly answered this question but I wanted to confirm that that is indeed the case. In my Whirlwind there's a double contact leaf switch for the lower and upper flippers, whereas on this BK2K there is a single contact leaf switch for the right flipper. Is the double contact leaf switch what is referred to as "two stage flipper" (reference http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=152)? From what I can see, there's a stacked switch on the lower right flipper assembly that completes the power wire (blue-yellow) that is daisy-chained and powers the upper right flipper. In essence this is like a double contact but delays the contact until the lower right flipper EOS switch is opened. The flipper circuit schematic implies this.stacked_switch.jpg

Secondly: The pop bumpers have a stacked switch as well. Is this part of the original special solenoid design where the closure of the skirt switches triggers a firing of the solenoid without CPU intervention? It looks like for the bumpers there is an orange / <color> wire that connects back to 1J18 that feeds into the 7402 as an input to drive the special solenoid transistor. Is this correct? Is there any harm in not rebuilding this part of the mechanism (i.e. will the software trigger the solenoid anyway based on the skirt switch closure)?

I figured out the pop bumper switches are special solenoids (not CPU controlled). The slingshots are CPU controlled. This was probably the crossover machine.

I just rebuilt the shooter mechanism. The spring broke when I was cleaning it so I replaced it with a standard 10-148-1 (silver). Williams only started documenting the shooter mechanisms in WPC manuals onward. That spring doesn't appear to be strong enough to deliver the ball to the upper playfield.

I've rebuilt shooter mechanisms before and they're very simple. It's possible I did something incorrect.

Does anyone know if indeed 10-148-1 is correct? If not ... is the correct spring a higher blue or red tension spring?

Thanks for the follow up Kneissl. I took the shooter mechanism out of my Rollergames that has a red spring. It works. I guess I'll be getting a red spring.

The upper skyway loop doesn't loop cleanly. I put the post sleeve (back) in (my game came without one and the metal post was quite worn). I know there's information earlier in this thread that I'll go back and read. If anyone has any hack tips (short of removing the post sleeve - I'd rather not do that as metal balls on metal posts transforms the balls into sandpaper very quickly) I'll take them.

On mine the pop bumper lamps draw from the GI violet/white-violet string on the upper playfield. You can wire them in parallel. I've circled where the wires draw from the PCB.

bk2k.jpg

Hope that helps.

Oh ok. I thought you want to know where the tap was. As I mentioned ... you can just wire them up (daisy-chained) in parallel. There's nothing electrically complicated about these pop bumper lamps as this is a Steve Ritchie game and they are GI unlike a Pat Lawlor game where the pop bumper lamps are typically controlled. As long as it's electrically correct it will work and you won't blow a fuse. Just daisy-chain from one wire to consecutive wires of each pop bumper lamp on one side and the same on the other.

Yes. It sure looks like the GI connector. I believe that connects to 2J6 on the interconnect board. The hacked up connector on the right with the incorrect colored wires in the photo.

IMG_3416 (resized).JPG

The flipper circuit is not CPU controlled on this System 11B game. Pressing the flipper button will always fire the flipper solenoid if the flipper relay is enabled.

Page #94 of the manual. The backbox interconnect board schematic. The system detects when the flipper is energized in U3 on the backbox interconnect board. Check the wires. Also check if the switch registers in the switch test. It's GRN-GRY and WHT-BRN. There's a procedure for testing these. Check http://www.pinwiki.com for the details. If you connect GRN-GRY and WHT-BRN and the switch registers in the test then it's likely you need to replace U3.

Page #80 of the manual. The "memory protect" is BLK-RED and WHT. This is the coin door interlock switch. Check you coin door for the switch.

NO! Do not connect those wire to anything. Those are for switch #9 (or #21). That's "Playfield Tilt". Those wires should be left alone. Under no circumstances should you connect those to coil or EOS.

You should be able to find the EOS switch wires in the backbox at the interconnect board. U3 detects flipper coil activity and closes the (internal) switch across the GRN-GRY and WHT-BRN wires. I'm not an electronics expert but I believe it's an opto isolator that essentially is an optical switch based on voltage or current flow.

The connector information for the interconnect board is on page #94 of the manual. You can also find connection information on page #97 of the manual. According to it, you can find all the wires at 2J1. I think those connect straight to the CPU board. I say "I think" because I'm not at a BK2K to verify. It should connect to 1J8 and 1J10. You can try the Pinwiki individual switch tests for #9 (#21).

I think the only optos in this machine are on the drop target boards and aren't something you would typically test short of just raising and lowering the drop targets. The opto referred to is in the opto isolator. It's embedded in the U3 IC so there's no way you can physically test it by interrupting the beam. Again ... I'm not an circuit design and logic expert. This is my simple way of trying to understand what the IC actually does at a 10,000 foot level.

If you select the switch test (I can never remember whether it's level or edge) and you engage the flipper the switch should register. Again ... I've not tested this myself because I'm not at a machine and the BK2K I have easy access to has an alkaline damaged CPU board that I need to fix. If you press the left flipper and the switch registers that's great. If you press the right flipper and the switch doesn't register then you know that's the most likely place where the problem is.

If you just want a recommendation without doing any investigation then I'd say it's probably U3. But don't take my word for it. I've done ZERO investigation on your machine. You could just replace U3 and see if it fixes it. I wouldn't do that without having a better idea through investigation.

Ultimately it boils down to the wires that trigger U3 (is the flipper energized), the opto switch inside the IC (are the optos inside the IC fried), the connections from the IC to the switch matrix or the wires from the interconnect board to the CPU board. You mention that pretty much everything works except lane changes and high score name entry. That's most likely to be the right flipper switch registered from U3.

You've established that switch #58 (or #82) registers. Great. You've established that the switch #57 (or #81) does not register.

I apologize for specify #9 (or #21) above. I was confusing it with the previous request for the switch color wires for the playfield tilt.

You still haven't established where in the path of switch #57 it is broken. There are two things that can try to gain more confidence.

1) Do the 4N25 optocoupler test from Pinwiki.

http://www.pinwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Williams_System_9_-_11#4N25_Opto_Couplers_in_the_Switch_Matrix

You know the left flipper works so verify that U2 is "good". You know the right flipper does not work so verify that U3 is "bad".

2) Do the switch matrix row/column test from Pinwiki. You can focus on column #8 specifically for row #1 and row #2.

http://www.pinwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Williams_System_9_-_11#Switch_problems

This will ensure that the CPU can actually detect switches #57 and #58. I suspect there's nothing wrong on this side of the optocoupler and the CPU switch matrix is fine. To be sure though you should test it.

If I were a betting person I'd bet that U3 is "bad".

Great! Confirmation that the switch actually registers on the CPU board. Wiring between CPU board and interconnect board is solid. There are only two (obvious) places that I can think of.

1) The "input" side of U3. The side that detects the flipper engaging.
2) The "output" side of U3. The side that closes the switch (#57).

You tested U3 and it tests good. You used a "cheapo" DMM. I first tried testing diodes with my cheapo DMM but I could never get results I understood. So I sprung for a "expensivo" DMM. It works well for me. That's not to say cheapo DMMs don't work. It probably says that I just don't know how to use them for this purpose.

I've tested transistors and diodes in circuit and they've tested bad. I pulled them out and they tested good. I've also tested them and they tested good but I still replaced them and replacing fixed the problem. There's no scientific evidence for knowing the circumstance when it tests good but is still broken. If this were my machine I'd replace U3 based on the evidence here.

This should fix it. The interconnect board on a lot of System 11 machines has burned GI and that's likely the wiring jobs you're seeing. If the new board doesn't fix the problem then there's something elsewhere that was missed.

If you don't want the old interconnect consider selling it rather than tossing it. Or perhaps use it for learning but I wouldn't advise that because I think that board sounds repairable. I would learn on a board that's not repairable. If you're going to toss it I'll send you postage for a flat-rate box to have it mailed to me. I'll fix it. I don't have a spare interconnect board and could use one for differential diagnosis.

This thread (https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/adding-led-flashers-to-system-11-games) has more information and a fix.

Not sure if this helps ...

https://www.pinwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Williams_System_9_-_11#System_11_.22Adjust_Failure.22_and_.22Factory_Setting.22

Are you sure you are trying to enter diagnostics? Sounds like you are trying to reset the high scores.

That switch is the "High Score Reset" switch. It is switch 8 (18) and is part of the switch matrix. It requires a diode.

system11_coin_door_switches.jpg

The diagnostic switches are separate inputs to the CPU board at 1J14. They are not part of the switch matrix.

It's factory. The manual shows the flipper wiring.

bk2k_flipper_wiring.jpg

It is good that you are trying to understand the WHY.

Normal lower/upper flippers are wired with a cabinet double leaf switch. The first closure completes the lower flipper. The second closure completes the upper flipper. This allows the flippers to be energized independently of each other but always the lower first and upper second. You can hold (cradle) a ball on the lower flipper while using the upper flipper independently.

Simultaneously energizing the lower and upper (a hard press of the cabinet button) will draw high current from the flipper supply at the same time. This will drop the voltage and potentially affect the amount of current that can be delivered. The strength of the power stroke of the flipper is related to the amount of current that flows through the solenoid.

The wiring on Black Knight 2000 is different. The wiring on the right flipper removes the voltage supply from the upper flipper until the lower flipper completes the power stroke. When the lower flipper EOS opens and closes the second switch in the stack the second switch provides the voltage supply to the upper flipper which will then energize. This changes the current draw from parallel to serial. The lower flipper draws all the high current first and when it has completed the power stroke then the upper flipper is then energized and draws high current.

So why do this? The most likely reason is to allow most of the initial high current draw to power the lower flipper to get the ball up the ramp to the upper playfield. The ramp is steep and the flipper solenoid is FL-11630. It's the strongest flipper solenoid Williams used when the machine was manufactured. Williams later introduced two stronger flipper solenoids (FL-15411 and FL-11629).

If you want something comparable you could change the cabinet flipper button to a double leaf switch and wire the cabinet switch like every other game with lower / upper flippers. Along with the switch change you can change the lower flipper solenoid to FL-15411 or FL-11629. This will increase the power stroke of the lower flipper to get the ball up the ramp in the case when someone presses the button and activates both flippers at the same time. The drawback is that now you have a stronger flipper hitting the drop targets on the lower playfield that can increase the risk of mechanical damage from the increased power. Not to mention the potential increase in speed through the U-Turn. It is fast enough already.

So many choices ... but in the end the only thing that matters is the game flips!

I don't know who you reached out to but I would imagine that they are all super busy. I assume those guys also charge a standard "call out" fee and then a subsequent per hour fee beyond that for time spent. I would not ask anyone to come out unless you have a specific reason for them to come out. That would be a waste of money. If you're looking for someone to work through this then you should look for someone in the local community rather than a repair company. You want a social relationship not a business one. The (small number of) repair people I know are always busy.

I have to agree that you should play the game first and do small things like adjustments. Graduate to things like sleeve replacements or flipper rebuilds before you jump to playfield swaps. Of course ... I don't know your experience level but you do state that you are new to pinball.

I know some of these local repair companies and I would not let them anywhere near my machines. That's my own personal preference and experience. I have had to repair their repair. Just because someone offers a repair service does not mean that they are competent. The same can be said for any business not just pinball related ones.

• There used to be a local Yahoo group that is now defunct. It moved to some place that I don't know about.
• There are local Fakebook groups but I understand most of them are about buying and selling rather than any social or technical help. I wouldn't know. I don't have a Fakebook account.
• You can either create a general thread asking for contact (not ideal as Pinside is national and international) or you can post a request in the PNW buyer/seller thread.

It's always easier if there's a specific problem that you have. Again ... I'd advise that you play the game until something breaks (because something WILL break) and then initiate contact.

Music test (00) goes to 04. Sound test (02) goes to 07. For both of them 00 means no music or no sound.

The machine cut factory mylar and wear at the drop point from the wireform gives it away.

The flashers in this game are all switched (A/C multiplexed). You should only have voltage present when the C side is switched in. This is typically momentary (seconds in duration) when the software energizes the A/C relay. How are you measuring this? What is your definition of "get voltage"?

You should quote which flashers work and do not using the manual descriptions. The better your descriptions the more likely you will get help. Bonus points if you using the table nomenclature (1C-8C).

bk2k_solenoid_table.jpg

First thing is to actually verify that the drive transistors for solenoids 1-8 work. Make sure that solenoids 1A-8A work in test. If they all work then 1C-8C should work as well if the flasher supply voltage is switched in with the A/C relay switch.

This is likely due to installing all LED flashers (no incandescents). This causes a brief flash of 3C/4C/6C/7C when the flippers are energized. There is a thread on this forum that describes this and how to prevent or fix it.

Those resistors on the interconnect board are not warming resistors. They are current limiting resistors. If I assume that the same flashers that don't work in the playfield are the same flashers that don't work in the backbox (insert) - you can verify with the wire colors to be sure - then the common point of failure is the interconnect board. There are board repair technicians out there who offer "repair" services that I have had to re-repair because they were not tested. The same thing applies to "I bought a new board so it can't be bad" - I have seen a brand new Rottendog board with an IC installed with a bent leg not in the socket. Clearly that board was never tested before being sold/shipped.

If it's still not working then you need to post a well illuminated, in focus and wider area coverage image. What you have posted does not contain enough information for me (a person who is remote) to make an assessment. If you want the assistance then post the image (well illuminated, in focus and wider area coverage).

Thank you for following the advice.

You have a LOT of non-standard wiring there. The GRY and YEL wires that are tied with black ties are all not factory. The WHT-BLU and WHT-VIO wires attached to the GI lamp board are also not factory.

I can't see the wire colors in the relevant bundles.

• Can you spread out the wires in the highlighted bundles (see below) and provide images of the wires? Color is important to be able to see clearly.
• Can you provide an image of the upper playfield interconnect board wiring? This board is located under the lower playfield at the back of it.

bk2k_upf_wiring.jpg

I ask because I am working purely on your images. I do not have a machine to compare to in front of me. A machine is usually not required since most of this stuff can be figured out from the manual and what's in front of you. It's been well over 5 years since I worked on a BK2K. My problem is that I am not in front of the machine. You are. This is why I ask for the images. Even more so with all that non factory wiring present.