I've got my two first issues with a TZ. It's been playing perfect for a year, until this week. First thing is the powerball isn't recognized when it comes out of the trough. Is there a sensor I can adjust for this? The second is the upper left flipper works only occasionally now. I did take it apart, clean it and put it back together, but that didn't seem to do anything. I can move it about 1/4 of the travel, then engage it with the button, and it does flip and remains up till I let go of the button, but doesn't really do more than that. The tip of the plunger was a little rough, so I filed it a bit till it was smoother, but that didn't help at all. It is still hit or miss if it flips, and 99% miss right now.

Anyway, let me know your thoughts for fixes.

Barry

I think this one has the magnet boards in it. On the right flipper burron, it flips both upper and lower flippers and turns one two lights for each right flipper in the switch edges test. On the left flipper button, it turns one two for lower left flipper and one for the upper left flipper, and it doesn't flip the flipper, related?

Yes, the powerball is recognized on switch 26. It's closed when a steel ball is in the, and open when the powerball is there. Odd that in gameplay it's not though. Maybe it's was just a fluke.

Aha, I see that's second light in the DMD is for a switch located in the flipper assembly, so if it's not flipping it doesn't light.

Yup, the powerball switch is working, was a fluke. The upper left flipper is still down though.

Yup, everything is still soldered nicely. I'll have to measure voltages, fuses are fine.

Did some testing. Measuring voltage from the upper right flipper, I get 45 volts on one side and zero volts on the other side when pressed. This is the flipper that operates.

On the left upper. I measure 45 volts on one side and 24 volts on the other. I did notice that the left flipper soneloid is a non Williams part while the right one is Williams. I'm guessing this isn't the first time this flipper has stopped working, and the solution was a new solenoid back them.

Thoughts?

I changed the title centerflank, good idea. The powerball issue was just a fluke. I haven't had it repeat. The sensors for the powerball are working. The flipper is the difficult issue at this moment.

Time for taxes but I'll pick this up in the evening. I did look at the fliptronics board last night, it's all clean and orderly, all fuses are fine. I didn't pay close attention to see if any wires to see if there are some that are crimped. I'll look close tonight.

Any other suggestions, I'd love to hear it.

I've checked the wires, looking closely at them, and unseating/reseating connectors, no change. The EOS switch is fine. I can close that manually and it registers. If I move the flipper up a bit by hand before engaging the left button, it'll move all the way by itself (slowly) and switch that closed too.

I don't have another machine to swap boards out which is the next popular thing to do (at least from what I've read in other posts). Instead, I ordered a flipper rebuild kit, and another coil, along with new rubbers, post stops, cushions, and a few other things to baby my TZ. Have I mentioned I love this game? Got to get her back to perfect shape again!

I'll report what happens with the new parts. Nice job on your cleaning M_M. Yours plays like mine now, lightning!

I received the parts last week and finally had the time to install. I tried the coil first, and sure enough, replacing the coil fixed the flipper. I'll save the rebuild kit for later!