Hi Everyone, Happy New Year!

I do not have much experience with EM pinballs and I have a problem with my Capt Fantastic. The problem does not always occur and my guess is there is a switch somewhere that needs adjusting or cleaning.

If I push the start button more than once the game only starts in one player mode. The first time I hit the start switch a one player game starts fine. A second time hitting the switch and the game resets back to the start of a 1 player game. It would seem to me somewhere there is a switch that allows a second, third or fourth player to be added but only as long as you were not past the first ball.

I do not know what to check and any help would be much appreciated!

Bob

I do not know. This is the only EM machine I have and you should consider me a beginner! I do not hear any abnormal sounds like relays energized that shouldn't be. Where is the game over relay located? What should I look for?The game does advance through all five balls and plays well.

I tried it both ways. Starting player 1 and immediately starting player 2 before shooting the first ball (and with no points yet scored) and also after shooting the ball and scoring points. I get the same result both ways.

Any Idea of the location of the reset relay?

Bob

I would like to learn as I go with new problems as they occur. My time is somewhat limited.
I repair all of my solid state games and I was a car mechanic for 25 years. I know the difference between parallel and series circuits. I know what relays and solenoids are. I have watched a few EM videos; mainly to repair the score reels on a Gotleib game that I had and recently sold. I am very handy on most repairs.

I am really struggling in finding the location for each item within the game. Some items are labeled but most have lost their labels. I have the CF manual but it is no where near as comprehensive as the later SS manuals. I am not sure what the game over relay is doing but I will try to locate it and write back.

Thank you very much for your willingness to help!

Bob

It does not score any points prior to shooting the first ball into play.

Thank you to all who have posted info to help me!

I located the game over relay and found that when I press the start button to key up the second player (prior to shooting the ball and with all score reels still at 0) one of the coils in the game over relay energizes and changes the state of the various switches within it.

If I keep trying, on occasion the second and subsequent players do in fact key up as would be normal (indicating an intermittent problem). When that occurs, there is no action within the game over relay.

Where should this lead me to look?

Bob

HowardR,

I checked the ball count unit switches and I found one out of adjustment! On ball one it was barely (and somewhat intermittently) making contact (should have been NO). Sometimes the game would cue up players 2,3,4 and sometimes not. After adjusting this switch the game cues up players 2,3,4 100% of the time now!

As a bonus, I looked at the coin unit and found one of those switches out of adjustment as well. Prior to this it would try to cue up more players after player 4 (when the other mis-adjusted switch would allow it). Now with four players selected pushing the start button does nothing!

Thank you very much for your help!

To all others who sent me information, thank you as well!

Signed, Happy Capt Fantastic Owner (Bob).