Do you have a volt meter?

Do you know how to solder?

http://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-bulletproofing-williams-system-6

Since I am SO extremely jealous (that pin is on my want list) I am charging $75.00 an hour for online tech support.

JK,

Remove batteries, assess if corrosion damage to boards, report back here
Get a DMM and measure power supply voltages, report back here
Count LED boot flashes@ power on, report back here.
Read:
http://pinball.flippers.info/system6resources.asp
http://www.firepowerpinball.com/

If it boots, it works. You're more than halfway there. The rest is troubleshooting. This pin can be a difficult place to start.

As vid says, get a voltmeter. Get a soldering iron.

Read every document on http://www.firepowerpinball.com/. Great simplified schematics there.

Figure out how to do a switch test and do one. Most likely you have loose or dirty connectors.

Go to firepowerpinball.com read the owners manual. Wealth of information!

Start with making sure there are 3 pinballs in the ball trough.

Were you able to add credits? Are you able to set it to free play (adjustment 18 = 0)?

If you can't do either one of these you won't be able to start a game.

viperrwk

joekiss, confirm if your machine is actually booting or not...how far does it get? (do you have normal attract mode and dislays and the problem is you can't add the credits, or do you have credits in the machine and just can't get a game started?)

How about the question I asked earlier, are there batteries on the MPU board and have you checked them for corrosion (powdery green or white substances or battery acid leaking on the battery holder or MPU board?)

Do you own a voltmeter or DMM and if so do you know how to use one? Always a great idea on a new game to get a handle on the power supply health - even if it works. We can help you determine this.

OK sounds like your booting fully into attract mode.

Let's see if you can get into game adjustments or diagnostics:
Open the coin door and set the alternate action switch auto advance UP, then momentarily press the advance pushbutton. You should see an "04" in the credits display, function 00 in ball in play and game ID in in player1 display. If it does this then go ahead and turn the game off then back on again (this tells us your cpu test buttons work, they are read directly by the CPU)

If that worked now you need to get to switch test to find out if your credit button works.
Set the alternate action switch DOWN and press the advance pushbutton. All displays should go blank. Set alternate action switch UP and press advance again - this is the display test. Press advance again - this is the lamp test. Set alternate action switch up and then advance again - you've got an 02 in the credits display and you are in solenoid test. Set switch to UP and press advance and you should have 03 in the credits display. This is the switch test. Operate the credit button and you see an 03 in the ball in play display (this is the switch number).

Firepower should not play any speech or sound effects when booting up. This could be an indication of solenoid / sound drive problems.

Do what wayout said and test switches and solenoids using the coindoor diag buttons.

Okay, the part where they gave you a firepower.. I'm still stuck there.

There will definitely be plenty of help to you here. Just a little green, it's on my list as well. Many resources for firepower available.

If you're turning the game on and it says anything or has any sounds, you have a problem right there. Even with attract mode sounds set to on (L2 ROMs) the machine should be quiet when you power it up (could be different with different ROMs but I've only tested the L2.) Chances are you have one or more solenoid transistors acting funny.

Still follow the suggestions already given you by wayout but you are probably in for a new 40 pin connector at least.

As an aside, it seems that attract mode sounds for FP using the L2 ROM happen approximately every 4-5 min after you turn the machine on or after the end a game. But the settings don't work quite as advertised. The manual indicates that if adjustment 34 is 01, 11 or 12, you should get attract mode sounds with 01 being the factory default (no extra ball, attract mode sounds.) However, I've only heard attract mode sounds when this setting is either 11 (extra ball when lit after 5x) or 12 (extra ball when lit with 5x.) I'm guessing if you want no extra ball and attract mode sounds you need to set adjustment 34 to 10. I will have to experiment and try that.

viperrwk

Start button is stuck shut = "Firepower" being said at power up?

Won't allow any other players to be added.

Won't allow credits to be added either untill start button opens.

Just a stab at it.

If it was set on freeplay, then yes. But then it would also kick out a ball and start a game.

Well I just tried this and after 5 min I got attract mode sounds. I've not tried to see about the no extra ball but I'm guessing it should work.

viperrwk

Viperrwk, If you set the game to free play, 18=0, is there a way to still have the knocker sound when you earn a high score credit or get a match?

I didn't know there were attract mode sounds. I have not spent a lot of time in the System 6 menus. Still a bit Japanese to me....

Pafasa. Get the operators hand book on IPDB. It describes all the audit settings. Cycle through with the coin door. Change setting with start button. Make sure the coin door is open when you power down and make changes.

The knocker doesn't do anyhting when freeplay is turned on. Maybe it knocks if you manually add a credit, but you won't here any knocks for matching or replay score.

From memory the attract mode sounds are turned off by default.

Thanks Barakandl, I do have the handbook, just have not gone through it looking for attract mode sounds. I had the game set to free play and right away noticed the missing knocker, so I set it back off free play.

Hope this hasn't derailed this thread too much, sorry. Maybe this is useful info to the OP anyway.

Back on task, I am going to test out my theory about the start button at lunch today. I'll report back my findings.

This.

At power on you should just get lights and displays. Still sounds like it is booting somewhat correctly - getting nothing when you power on is typically much tougher to troubleshoot.

If you can get into audit and/or test mode you can at least be assured there is going to be a semi-clear path forward.

No. The problem is the knocker will only sound when it adds a credit, such as with a match or coin drop. With max credits set to zero in free play, when you match you can only get the match sound but since it can't add a credit will not fire the knocker. It is possible that the L6 or Oliver's ROM might do this but I cannot verify this in the emulator.

Yes - it's function 34 in the adjustment menu. The manual is not particularly clear here. The default is 01 which the manual says should have attract mode sounds but no extra ball (but does not work.) If you want attract mode sounds the settings are 10, 11 or 12. Adjustment 34 also controls extra balls. There's at least one interesting sound the machine makes in attract mode that I had not heard in game.

I probably should have started a separate thread about this - apologies to the OP. But lots of us stand ready to help you when you are.

viperrwk

Viper,

I think you have that backwards. 01 should be extra ball, but no attract mode sound.

Tried out my theory on mine at lunch. Held in the start button and powered it on...........bad theory.......disregard my posts on this idea.

I hate the internet. You're correct. Thanks for catching me out.

This scan is correct:

http://pinball.flippers.info/FirepowerInstructionbooklet.pdf

It's dated March 1980.

The scan on IPDB is earlier - January 1980 and doesn't mention attract mode sounds at all. No wonder why people may not think the machine has attract mode sounds.

This page is wrong - typo when transcribing the scan above:

http://gamearchive.askey.org/Pinball/Manufacturers/Williams/instruction/firepower/index.html

This was the one I was reading earlier. My bad.

viperrwk

What numbers are you getting in your display when you turn it on? It may be botting up into audit mode...

-Terry

meant 'booting into audit mode' .....

I must have missed the post where your truthfulness was questioned.

Without knowing the history of the pin and the capability or otherwise of the previous keeper this will be almost impossible to diagnose.

I would suggest (if not already done) following Clay's repair guide and at a minimum replacing interboard connector (I usually do both male and female) and replacing ROM sockets (I also replace the ROMs). See if that improves things and report back.

It has also been posted to check for corrosion which you haven't addressed.

Not really sure what the pics are showing apart from a switched off machine.

Also a bit confused with this thread. Are you also Pafasa or did he just hijack the thread?

Andy

OK the service switches seem to be read by the CPU o.k., which is good and indicates you probably don't have a serious problem with that board.

What about the second part of my post, now that you can get into audits can you get into diagnostics to run solenoid tests and switch tests?

Sorry you're confused Andy. I did hijack the thread. My apologies to joekiss. Hope the info brought up in my hijack is useful to you.

That Firepower looks to be in nice shape. I'd fix it.

I'm in the middle of a pf swap with a CPR repro. IMO (limited as my pinball experience is) Firepower is one of the best pins out there so yes, fix it

Andy

At the risk of hijacking again, I also have a CPR Firepower and I intend to do the swap this summer. I'd love any feedback on issues or difficulties you run into. I have heard that they can be quite a challenge sometimes.

Not for Firepower, but here's a playfield swap blog from Black Knight.

http://www.siegecraft.us/blackknight4.htm

-Hans

One of those in my future too! Thanks!!

I have owned a Firepower for two months and can say that I've never heard it say "Firepower" when powering on. That said, I really can't help with your issue as I'm a pinball noob my self.

But I will say your back glass is in stellar shape! The paint on the spaceship wings all flaked off on mine when I removed it to take it home.

Good luck, LTG!

Definitely worth saving!

If it still won't let you add credits, make sure the ball trough switches are making contact when the balls are in.

I had the same problem with mine when I got it. Drove me nuts. Switches tested ok manually in switch test, but the gap wasn't tight enough to register when a ball was resting on it.

With the balls out and the playfield up, press the three switches closed with your right hand, then press the start button with your left and see what happens.

If it works, gap the switches a little tighter.

As for the flippers,working in attract mode, you're going to have to replace one of the logic chips on the driver board. It's ok to leave it as it is, but in order for the relay to be turned off at game over the logic chip IC8 (pretty sure it's IC8 if memory serves me) should be replaced.

One of the best pins ever made, you'll definitely enjoy it once you getting working.

If it's set for free play it won't let you add credits, nor will it deduct credits when you start a game.

Should still take credits though if it's set for pay to play, but there aren't enough balls. Just won't start a game in that situation.

-Hans

Hmmm, so you got into audit mode but then could not get into the diagnostics tests mode? That's going to make it much more difficult for you. If you operated the switches correctly it could be:
-defective test switch(s)
-broken wire in test switches circuit
-bad connector at CPU board
-logic problem with CPU board

This is looking more and more like it is not a casual quick repair for someone without any electronics experience. Be sure you're in it for the long haul before you make a commitment. Do you know any electronics or how to operate a multimeter?

There are no 9 volt batteries in a Firepower. Do you mean AA batteries?

Replace any batteries when you get a new game, then replace them yearly after that. And find out how to mount them off the circuit board. Corrosion on boards is expensive and time-consuming to fix.

But verify how you're running the test. Power on, displays show 0s and high score. Coin door open, test switch to "Auto". Push test button, displays go blank. Push test button, displays show 0-9. Push test button, lamps flash on and off. (There are several more tests after this.)

Is this not what's happening for you?

I think the next step is to find a collector or technician locally who can look at the game and give you some guidance. It's probably not hard, but it will be much more difficult if you aren't familiar with these games.

I like my Firepower. I suggest you get it fixed, play it, then decide if it's a keeper.

Sure no worries. PM me when you are about to start.

Andy

Bummer you are having such a hard time. Where are you located? I may be interested if you are close enough.

Close to 8 hour drive each way for me. Too far for a project machine. If not for the drive, I'd be in at the +-$400 area. I'd probably have to send the boards out and that gets me close to what I can get working Firepowers for around here. Not sure if your market is the same though. Good luck either way, but I hope you can get it repaired instead of sold.