Remove the bulb, until you figure out what transistor drives it and replace the transistor that is shorted and keeping the flasher on.

LTG : )

That's a nice advantage to LEDs - if they lock on, they don't melt stuff.

RM

And replace it with an LED flasher which will run cooler when stuck on.

Exactly. One of the many benefits to LEDs!

(I think your problem with the melting dome would only look appropriate in the Williams machine, aptly titled 'Fire!').

That's probably why the bulb was removed by the previous owner.

Find and test the associated drive transistor - probably shorted.

RM

Slow the heck down.

Learn the difference between resistor and transistor.

Get an old board and practice on.

When you are good at removing and replacing components then remove your board and fix it. Mark all connectors and pictures to get board back in right.

Your manual can tell you which transistor it is.

Ed will have the transistor http://www.greatplainselectronics.com/ I doubt Radio Shack will.

LTG : )

Which flashlamp is it?

Wow. I'm having the exact same issue on my LOTR right now! Need to figure this out myself.

Which flasher is it? On mine, its the one on the bottom right, near the flipper.

Bottom right is flasher #14 powered by Q14. Need to check that transistor. Turn game off, put MM in diode test and place black lead on tab of transistor and red on each outside leg. If one reads 0.00 it is bad and needs replaced

I ran into that on a LOTR, was the IC upstream from the transistor doing it - if you run into one of those, socket it.

LTG : )

I've had this problem 2 times before. Once on Goldeneye and transistor replacement was the fix. The other was on TZ and for some reason, after I changed the incandescent flasher to LED, the problem went away and never returned (year and a half now). My guess is the lower power draw had something to do with the TZ fix and the transistor is still suspect. You can get the transistor number from the bulb matrix chart in the manual, if my memory serves correctly. Make sure you have good solder (makes a huge difference) a solder sucker and a decent soldering iron. The solder points on the transistor are small so, don't bridge them or lift your traces.

What are you referring to when you say this? I just like to know as my brain is a sponge on this great website. Always trying to learn.

If you have to replace an integrated circuit that is soldered directly to the board, if it's one you may need to do again in the future - for instance a switch matrix one like an LM339. It is best to put a socket onto the board after removing the integrated circuit so you can just plug a new one in.

Integrated circuits have lots of legs, and removing and resoldering all of them increases the risk of damage to the board.

You don't do things for transistors and simple things.

LTG : )

If you have to replace the IC that is further upstream from that transistor.....Instead of soldering the new IC on the board, solder a socket to the board for that IC. Makes future repairs easier.

Interesting, and Lloyd said he had this happen too. Appears to be a somewhat common issue on LOTR then?

I'd replace the transistor first. Then the IC upstream from it next.

LTG : )

Great thread! Learning here by reading. Thanks!

Me too!

Hi Ron. My brother-in law lives out near fletchers! You and him are perhaps neighbors!

My apology for the O.T. comment. We will take it private pm if there is more to talk about

If he's not getting any zero readings why replace the transistor? I mean why bother reading it if you are still going to replace it? Just wondering, as I still have to diagnose my problem as well and I have yet to pick up a multi-meter.

My guess is he is saying that replacing the transistor is easier than the IC, so replace it just in case your test was bad first. I'd probably retest the transistor, then replace the IC, with a socket like suggested earlier.

Great! I lurked in this thread off and on. Glad you were able to get It fixed. I learned a lot as I followed along!

If you want to change the title of this thread, you should click edit on the first post of the thread.

Can you confirm which transistor it was on the board?

As an update to this thread, it was the transistor at Q14.

I tried to test it with my multimeter, but there were no 00 readings, just like Pinhacker said. Replaced Q14 anyway. It did the trick and my flasher works great!

As an aside: I swear that replacing this transistor also had a positive impact on the sound quality for some reason. Sounds are crisper and more clear than they were. Very strange.

Drawing power from the sound board, limiting the high tones? No clue.

Yeah, no clue here either, but that makes as much sense as anything that I could think of I guess.