(Topic ID: 59809)

FT insert lights

By Bole909

10 years ago



Topic Stats

  • 10 posts
  • 4 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 10 years ago by catboxer
  • Topic is favorited by 1 Pinsider

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#1 10 years ago

Hi guys - I have been fixing up my FT and among other stuff I changed ALL the light bulbs on it.
I must say - seeing it light up was really really amazing

I'm relatively new to the hobby and I'm not technical but I do find my way around the pin with your help and guides online.

Question :

I have noticed that following lights don't work :

Left Fish Tail
Lock 2
Stretch the truth "5x", "2x" and "actual size"

If I move the plastic socket from the non working light to another slot, it works (light bulb and socket).

What could be causing this issue, how to test it (please be detailed as I'm not good around multimeter) and how to fix it?

Thanks so much again, this is an amazing community.

#2 10 years ago

I don't have time to be super detailed... but I had some similar problems and the solder around a couple connector pins had to be reflowed. Mine were visibly cracked but you may not be able to see it necessarily.

I can't picture how the left fish tail and the S-T-T bulbs looked... but I believe Lock 2 and Lock 3 are part of a board. You could just unscrew that board, disconnect the cable, and resolder those pins to see if it works for you. I know you say you're not good with a multimeter but this would be a good place to learn probably. You just need to check the board for continuity basically... put one multimeter lead on one spot and the other on another and see if your multimeter beeps.

Luckily... all of the connections and solder joints on those boards under the playfield are easy to work with. The joints and traces are big enough to see and follow with the naked eye.

#3 10 years ago

Thanks a lot for help - I'll remove the board from playfield and inspect it.
Any other "common" problem? Are there diodes and if so, how do I test them?

#4 10 years ago

it definitely sounds like the solder needs to be re-flowed. It should be an easy fix, just be sure not to have the soldering iron too hot or don't leave it on too long.

Did you also need tips on soldering, or are you already familiar?

#5 10 years ago

Thanks so much guys - you don't know how helpful you are.
All the pin repairs I made were based on this forum's tips

Just to make sure : I should check the male pins of the connectors on light boards, on the "otherside" where they go through to see if there is something wrong with the solder?

I'm bad at soldering but slowly getting hang of it

#6 10 years ago

Thanks so much guys - you don't know how helpful you are.
All the pin repairs I made were based on this forum's tips
Just to make sure : I should check the male pins of the connectors on light boards, on the "otherside" where they go through to see if there is something wrong with the solder?
I'm bad at soldering but slowly getting hang of it

everywhere the arrows are pointing(just an example board shown) is where you need to solder on your boards... if youre new at soldering you should probably remove them from the machine

bly-kisslamp.jpgbly-kisslamp.jpg

#7 10 years ago

do each of the two parts for each hole. The arrows above just show on one part of each hole but do both.

Also, maybe the best 10-15 minutes you could spend before doing this would be by going to YouTube and searching: 'How To Solder' ... the first couple vids are amazingly helpful!! You'd be quite surprised at how easy it is, just as long as you have the right equipment and technique. Also, tip for the future: soldering is pretty much inevitable with pinball. If you have a cheap soldering iron, it would be advisable to get a entry-level Weller to help get the job done. Something like this is great:

http://www.frys.com/product/2818734?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

#8 10 years ago

My specific problem was with the male pins on the board. It wouldn't be terribly difficult to flow a little more solder in those pins. Just don't gob it on so pins touch.

Still, you'd probably want to visually inspect it or test it with the multimeter before you dug in.

You can practice with some spare wire too if you're worried about diving in on the board. I'm not a pro by any means but the boards on these systems aren't too bad.

#9 10 years ago

Thanks guys, about testing procedures: before reflowing the connector sockets on the board, is it a good test to see if when light bulb plastic socket is inserted, two big solder pads on the board get continuity? If multimeter beeps, does that mean that the sockets on the board are good?

#10 10 years ago

Check the connector on the back of the stretch the truth. I want to say I had the same problem and it was a frayed wire that was breaking the lamp matrix. I believe some of the lights you listed are in the same row or column. Check the lamp matrix diagram in the manual.

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