I'll begin from the beginning and try to keep this short:

I have the following boards installed on my Bally Flash Gordon:
AS2518-54 Power module
AS2518-35 MPU
AS2518-22 Solenoid Driver
AS2518-61a Squawk n Talk
AS2518-23 Lamp driver
AS2518-52 Aux lamp driver

I also have the Alltek Strobe which works fine.

Initially, when I turned on the pin the entire startup mode took place just fine. Lights, sound, solenoids. The only problem i needed to troubleshoot was the machine would not actually start when the push button on the coin door was pressed. Prior to today I'd normally shut the pin back down, restart it multiple times until the circuit finally worked. Last night that process failed and an occasional "ping" instead of the start up tones would sound off. So I decided to look into it.

First I ran a test sequence and everything except the 3rd switch was fine. The 3rd switch has always showed a fault and I don't know what it is...but play hasn't been affected thus far. Just to eliminate any issues I first checked the MPU LED sequence and got 7 flashes plus the initial first flash when the power switch is first turned on.

Secondly I pulled all the fuses and verified they'd ohm out. After I reinstalled all fuses and turned the game back on, the play field would not reset. I still have seven flashes on the MPU. I reran a test sequence, everything is the same except for the individual test of the playfield components. Only 2, 15, and 16 fire. Everything else is dead.

Since the fuses were the last thing I messed with I pulled the power module and noted CR 5-8 and the fuse holder for F5 looked like they could use a reflow. So, using a heat sink, I reflowed them. When tested the diodes had .498 to .512 when I did a continuity test and showed open when reversed. I called them good.

Reinstalled the module and still no solenoids and still have seven flashes on the MPU. The displays and backbox lights light up so I don't really think the module was ever a problem despite pulling and reinstalling fuses being the last thing worked on.

My MPU battery is wired separate from the MPU. The fuse on the solenoid driver is good. The two other fuses (I think a HV fuse is one, not sure what the other does) that are in the cabinet and next to the transformer and power module have continuity.

I reapplied power moments ago and now the push button works fine, but the solenoids are still out.

I had planned on replacing the MPU and solenoid driver anyway due to their age but am hesitant to do so now if I can't isolate the issue. I may be putting good boards into a bad pin that still needs attention.

This is the only pin I own. I can solder and know how to use a meter. It's been years since I have read a schematic but I have them for this box. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

p.c.

EDITED: The flippers work when the flipper buttons are pushed. If I manually drop the drop targets, they will not reset. All other targets work and record scores. The saucer switch works but will not kick the ball out nor can the ball be kicked to the plunger when started.

I found a page regarding the under playfield fuse. It's good, it was checked with the other fuses. I have +5VDC on TP 3 on the solenoid driver board.

Bump. Any help from anyone will be appreciated. I've had this pin for a couple years but this is the first serious issue I've had to deal with.

Thanks for the replies.

Ok so Quench, I mean the top single drop target. When I run through the test sequence it flags but that's always been an issue. The top level single drop works normally anyway. It always perplexed me if the flag on the test was an issue or not but since it will drop, pop when told to pop up and score I've never really bothered to look into it.

Regarding the fuse, I have 42.3Vdc at one side of the underplayfied fuse and about 10.xx vdc on the other side. I'm no genius but I'll wager a bad fuse that reads continuity but isn't necessarily allowing proper flow. Thoughts? Flippers do work in this scenario.

Pinster68, I have that reference and honestly did not dig too far into it as I thought since all I did was pull fuses and reflow a few diodes that this would be related to that last thing I worked on. So yeah, I owe that reference more regard.

I also noticed one of the flipper coils' plastic mount is cracked. Although it looks as if all wires are still connected, this would be the right side flipper. I think, not certain, this is a legacy issue but the flipper has always worked fine.

Any further thoughts will be helpful. Thanks alot for getting back to me on this.

AGEguy

Just in running the test without manipulating any switches it shows closed. The drop is not UP.

Ok, I'll run down a fuse and swap it out. It'll be a few days before I can get that specific fuse. I'll post once I have a fix and/or have looked at the upper single drop.

Actually, I had a 250V 1 amp on hand. The existing fuse was a 250V 2.5A so I swapped. BINGO. Fired right up. Who knew the continuity test would show good but the fuse actually was failing to route all the necessary voltage to energize the solenoids...?

But now I am back to the original original problem. The push button on the door will not start the game.

Nope it's a slow blow. Surprised to see previous owner had an over amped fuse in the circuit. Never a good thing to put in a higher amp fuse than the circuit calls for.