(Topic ID: 210036)

Cyclone Relay Question

By guitarjunkee

6 years ago


Topic Heartbeat

Topic Stats

  • 11 posts
  • 2 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 6 years ago by wayout440
  • No one calls this topic a favorite

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#1 6 years ago

The lights on the playfield and the back board stopped flashing on and off. About a year ago I replaced the backboard relay and one of the playfield relays along with a new Pin Score power supply and every thing worked great. I decided to add some post LEDs around the sling shots and that is when everything went haywire. The lights stopped flashing on the playfield but still worked on the backboard and then vice a versa. I disconnected the LEDs I installed, and after about a week of playing everything went back to normal, so I thought. It started again and now none of the lights flash on and off. I'm wondering if it's the relay on the circuit board or a problem with the power supply.

#2 6 years ago

Probably a connector or header problem. Look for cracked through hole soldered headers. Do the relays click when they are supposed to? This will help determine if the problem is upstream or downstream from the relays - or determine if it is the relay trigger circuit or the GO string the relay is supposed to be switching. Use the coil test in diagnostic mode.

If you don't find the problem, let us kniw , this can be narrowed down with a DMM/voltmeter

#3 6 years ago

I apologize, I wasn’t completely clear. When the machine is on and idle certain GI lights will turn off and then back on again and you can hear the relays click. When playing the game and achieving certain goals like double score, millions, jackpot, etc. the lights on the play field and backboard will blink on and off, and again you can hear the relays clicking. All my GI lights stopped turning on and off and none of the relays are making a sound. This isn't a flasher problem, all my flashers are fine, and I tested them. The problem lies within the general illumination relays. I'm Shure the relays under the playfield and back board are fine since I replaced them about a year ago unless something burned all 3 of them out. There is a relay on the main board, the power supply and I think the driver board, not sure of the name of the board. Anyway how would I test these relays to see if on is bad? And would adding 8 LED lights have caused this problem. Thank you guys for your help!!

#4 6 years ago

If the GI relays are not clicking then you need to determine which transistor is the switch that grounds the trigger that completes the ground for the relay trigger signal. Ground that transistors mounting tab. If the GI works when you ground the tab, then the problem is the transistor or upstream from it. If it does not, the problem is downstream from the transistor.

#5 6 years ago

I understand what you are saying, but how do I make that determination without frying my board? How do I test that? Or should I send it in to someone that knows how to test it?

#6 6 years ago
Quoted from guitarjunkee:

I understand what you are saying, but how do I make that determination without frying my board? How do I test that? Or should I send it in to someone that knows how to test it?

Look at the solenoid chart in the front of the manual. It tells you which transistor controls the GI relays. In Cyclone, Q9 controls playfield GI and Q16 backglass GI.

#7 6 years ago

To test, use an alligator clip test lead, one end clipped to a suitable ground such as a board mounting screw, and touch the other end to the transistor tab, briefly. As long you don't hold it on there long, you won't damage anything. Just a quick touch to test.

2 weeks later
#8 6 years ago

I tested both transistors and they are both fine. I did notice the diagnostic led blinking in the board. I'm not sure if it should or not.

#9 6 years ago

So when you grounded the tab, the GI lamps turned on, correct?
This test does not test the transistors themselmselves. it is to test the wiring and GI relays downstream.

Yes, the diagnostic LED should be continually flashing.

#10 6 years ago

All GI lights are on and working properly. when I did your test the GI lights didn't switch off, the relays didn't engage. I tested the transistors according to a video on YouTube and they checked out. I plugged in the post lights I added just to see what would happen with the flashers and the Ferris wheel now stopped working. I checked all the fuses and they are all ok. I followed the wires from the Ferris wheel and the relays and they both end up at the Aux Power Driver Board. I double checked with the wiring diagrams.

#11 6 years ago

First, I would recommend not adding anything and focusing on one problem at a time. Let's table the ferris wheel for the moment.

The solenoid table in the manual show the pf GI is solenoid #10 and wiring is 8P3-10 via 5J2-8, 5J6-8. The number "5" in those last numbers is a code that refers to the aux driver board. If you look at the schematics, you'll see the purpose of this is for the coil circuit to pickup a flyback diode. Coil diodes were removed from the playfield coils and given a place to live on the aux driver board to improve reliability.

As I said earlier, grounding the tab tests the solenoid circuit downstream from the MPU driving transistor. Since it didn't work, the following possibilities:
a bad connection anywhere along the output path from MPU Q9 to the pf GI relay (MPU out, In and out of aux driver, and playfield connectors)
failed relay
failed flyback diode.

From here you can rule out the relay (yes, you replaced it...but ground the trigger wire at the relay board to be certain it works.)
Check connectors 1P12-2, 8P3-10, 5J2-8, 5J6-8
Check diode D10

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