http://www.pbresource.com/mansch.html

I just restored an Aloha two weeks ago. On this machine (same as all other Gottliebs of this era) you must trip the coin switch or push the start button (with credits on the replay meter) to get the machine turned on. Remember, *ALL* the switches on the coin door are 120 volts AC (line voltage) so be very careful. If those all check out, then look at the 115V Hold Relay and the 30V Hold Relay.

If you do have to knuckle under and buy a schematic, you can get it from Marco without the yelling:

http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/DOC1740

I'm in the same boat! Same machine. Managed to get the motor to turn by manually holding down the coin switch, but couldn't get it to hold. Sent the ball around with the switch held down, and as soon as it dropped into a hold, power off: can't get it to light up again. Checked all fuses: they look good.
I'm stumped!

Ethanterry:

Always check the switches on the 115v hold relay and 30v hold relay. Look for a wire broken off a switch blade. On the Aloha I restored, I found one of the wires had fallen off the switch stack on the 115v hold relay due to poor soldering.

Also, because the hold relays get used alot/constantly, the relay coils tend to burn up. So it's possible you have a bad 115v hold relay coil (it should be a Gottlieb # A-3498 coil).

KenLayton,

Thank you so much!

I'm JUST getting my feet wet here; first machine, a schematic, and a book on amateur electronics. I'm as beginner as it gets, but I'm learning a lot already. Thanks for being a great resource, and I'll watch the thread with great interest!

There she is! Bad soldering on the 115v hold relay!

Great advice. Thank you so much.

image_(resized).jpeg

That's exactly the same wire that fell off on the one I restored!

Be sure to unplug the machine from the wall when resoldering this relay. It handles all 120 volt AC power in the machine.

Swab the terminal with 99% isopropyl alcohol before soldering so the terminal is clean.

I saved a couple of my notes on the Aloha machine. The 30 volt hold coil is A-3498.

Hey gang!

I'm finally revisiting this machine, and trying to get it up and running again. Part of the reason I picked it up was to learn more about electromechanical machines, but even with manuals, schematics and YouTube resources, I'm not doing well without some actual guidance from another human.

Years ago, I fixed the bad 115v relay wiring KenLayton pointed out, and ran it happily for some time. (Not sure everything was working as it should have, but I could play.) I find myself with a busted machine once again, and I was hoping someone much smarter than I might be able to at least tell me where to begin based on this video I took. (Forgive the lack of editing and the background noise!) Any help is appreciated!

Cheers,

Ethan

That looks like hold relays problems again.

Oh, I’m sure it is. I’m ready to test them out, but I’ll admit I’m not sure how. Checking out some videos and documentation now!

Slowly figuring this all out- and having fun doing it!

I received the two hold relay replacement coils from The PBR today, and got to work installing them. The old coils were both pretty burned up. Unfortunately, replacing these coils didn't solve the problem. However, as I learn about how these old machines work, I think I might be getting closer to narrowing it down.

The old 115v relay coil was throwing a spark when I'd attempt to power the machine. It doesn't do that anymore. However, the Coin Chute Relay (the first thing that seems to fire when powering the machine) is throwing a spark.

I took the time to clean all the switches in the Coin Chute Relay and Hold Relays with the abrasive pad from PBR, and I'm almost positive they're making clean connections. My question is, is any amount of sparking normal, or does that suggest a dirty switch/bad connection?

I think my issue may lie in the Coin Chute Relay, but I don't know if that makes sense. Hoping to grab your opinions or provide more information!

Ethan

The more I look into this, the more I think it may be the most likely culprit- the coin door switches. I assumed they were working correctly, but after some adjustments, I'm able to get the machine to "stay on", which is to say that I'm able to get the motor switch stuck in the loop of death.

Does anyone have a photo of what proper coin door setup looks like? I feel like some of the leaf switches may have been bent or are out of place, but I can't seem to find their correct configuration.