(Topic ID: 282251)

Flippers issue Nitro Ground Shaker

By Sea_Wolf

3 years ago


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Topic Stats

  • 12 posts
  • 4 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 3 years ago by barakandl
  • Topic is favorited by 1 Pinsider

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#1 3 years ago

Need help guys. I’m an EM guy with a love also for the early SSs. Unfortunately I’m pretty much a noob when it comes to issues on the driver boards.

My issue is that on My NGS, which is really clean and fully functional except for occasionally both flippers go dead in the middle of a game and will stay that way until I mess with the J-1 connector on the solenoid driver board. I’ve cleaned and lightly sanded the pins and the wafer connectors along with the wires seem to be intact and no hint of burn.

After piddling with the J-1 connectors the flippers will work fine. Sometimes for one game, other times for 50 games. Is there a way to test? And could I need a new Flipper enable relay? Like I said, I’m more of an EM guy and appreciate any help.

Danny

#2 3 years ago

Have you checked the pins on J1 on the board for colder solder joints? Perhaps the solder needs to be reflowed.

Also, maybe the J1 connector needs to be repinned.

#3 3 years ago
Quoted from Nokoro:

Have you checked the pins on J1 on the board for colder solder joints? Perhaps the solder needs to be reflowed.
Also, maybe the J1 connector needs to be repinned.

Thanks for the reply. I just got home from work and will check and report back.

That makes a lot of sense.

#4 3 years ago
Quoted from Nokoro:

Have you checked the pins on J1 on the board for colder solder joints? Perhaps the solder needs to be reflowed.
Also, maybe the J1 connector needs to be repinned.

Just checked the solder joints on J1 8 and 9 and they look pristine under the magnifying glass. Nothing seems loose or cracked.

Haven’t repinned the J1 connector although it shouldn’t take long and might have time to do that tomorrow.

#5 3 years ago

Definitely repin the connector before checking out the relay. Can you hear the relay clicking on and off during the game? It should not do that. Should just click on and off with each game.

#6 3 years ago
Quoted from chuckwurt:

Definitely repin the connector before checking out the relay. Can you hear the relay clicking on and off during the game? It should not do that. Should just click on and off with each game.

Thanks, I’ll pay attention to the relay clicking tonight. Unfortunately I won’t be able to repin till this weekend.

Hopefully update soon.

#7 3 years ago

Just double checking that the Flipper Enable Relay is the one I circled in the picture.

I can’t hear it click at all before, during or after a game even with the sound board off. I also can’t hear it click while doing the solenoid test mode using the little red button in the coin door. (Not sure if that means anything.

I’ll repin this weekend to eliminate one possible cause. Thanks for the help.

E9D9223B-7C47-447A-B834-45DF7D98347E (resized).jpegE9D9223B-7C47-447A-B834-45DF7D98347E (resized).jpeg
#8 3 years ago

I was able to repin connectors for J1 last night and still no flippers. Then I got a break. My brother in law as over and as I plugged the new connector in I asked him to check the flippers after starting a game and still no response. As he kept pushing the Flipper buttons I adjusted the Flipper Enable relay and voila’, they started working full time.

It appears that the relay was not making good contact. It is now. It makes sense since both flippers were not working or working always at the same time. I guess if it happens again I might have to replace the relay but for now everything is good.

Thanks for the help guys.

#9 3 years ago

Nice!

What does the flipper enable relay do? I mean, it obviously enables the flippers, but why a relay? Is it like the solenoid expander relay on later Bally’s?

#10 3 years ago

The MPU sends i signal over to the driver board that says, turn on the relay. The relay completes the flipper circuit allowing the cabinet buttons to fire the flippers. When the relay off the flipper circuit is broken so you cannot flip in attract mode/game over.

If the relay is fluttering with flexing on the board and it kills **both** left and right flipper at the same time along with an audible click noise. Then i'd say your issue probably is at driver board J4 or MPU j4. very common for SDB to have cracked solder joints and very common for MPU J4 to get spit up on by the leaking battery.

#11 3 years ago
Quoted from barakandl:

The MPU sends i signal over to the driver board that says, turn on the relay. The relay completes the flipper circuit allowing the cabinet buttons to fire the flippers. When the relay off the flipper circuit is broken so you cannot flip in attract mode/game over.
If the relay is fluttering with flexing on the board and it kills **both** left and right flipper at the same time along with an audible click noise. Then i'd say your issue probably is at driver board J4 or MPU j4. very common for SDB to have cracked solder joints and very common for MPU J4 to get spit up on by the leaking battery.

Is there a way to test or should I get out the magnifying glass and inspect MPU J4 and SDB J4?

I think I’ve bought 2 driver boards from you. A sound board for the NGS and a Lamp Driver board for my Eight Ball. Am I headed down that road If the flippers stop working again?

#12 3 years ago
Quoted from Sea_Wolf:

Is there a way to test or should I get out the magnifying glass and inspect MPU J4 and SDB J4?
I think I’ve bought 2 driver boards from you. A sound board for the NGS and a Lamp Driver board for my Eight Ball. Am I headed down that road If the flippers stop working again?

It is probably something simple like bad connector. If the issue is on the female side of the plug then a new board would not help. I would probably rule out connectors first.

busted solder joints are visible to naked eye. google up cracked solder joints and you should get good examples. it may take pulling the crimp contact out of the housing to see if the female side crimp is snapped off or heavily tarnished/corroded. If it seems like it is at the driver board side check J4 P7

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