Hoping someone can help. Have a Gottlieb
Vulcan em pinball game that will not start. The score motor/
counter and stepper unit will operate if I
manually push the stepper coil but game will not start. Tripping the start relay and reset relay doesn’t help. All lights are on
but won't start/reset. Manually set all scores to zero just in case this was holding it back. Also worth noting when it
stopped working a couple weeks ago it made a
not so good straining sound after pushing the
reset button a few times, hasn't worked since.
I have a short video a video if it helps but doesn’t appear I can upload it on forum. FYI I'm a true novice
at pinball repair. Any help is greatly appreciated.

I don’t have a schematic to this game, have purchased one but hasn’t been delivered yet, although as I mentioned have little repair experience and following it will be a learning experience in and of itself. I could not locate the subtract replay unit coil so I am already stuck at that point i.e. the beginning of start up. When I turn power on the game over relay pulls in, that is all that happens. Manually tripping the start relay only moves the counter motor. At this point should I manually trip the subtract replay unit coil and if so where is it located? Thanks for your help.

Tripping the coin switch will advance the play credits. Pushing the credit button does not pull in the start relay. Manually moving the score motor move the assembly 1/3 rotation and stops on its own. 15 amp 25 volt fuse tests good. I appear to be not getting past step 1 not HowardR’s sequence.
This Vulcan not at my primary residence and in 2 days I will be leaving as a complete failure…..frustratingly lol.

Thanks for your encouragement and to all those trying to help. I’m hoping in the end I’m looking over something simple, many of you may have already repaired it. The reset button works, nothing else happens, but something beyond that is preventing it from starting? I will try any suggestions you may have. Only relay that moves when powering on or off is the game over relay. Please let me know if anyone has any ideas.

I tested this fuse out of the holder but I’ll test again as it seems like something like that to me as well. Are there any other fuses that may be holding it back from starting?

25 volt fuse definitely tests good. Anyone with any other suggestions as to what may be keeping this Gottlieb em from starting up. All fuses good. Reset button good. Playfield and head light up. Score motor moves when manually advanced. When coin unit stepper coil is triggered then pushing the reset button will advance counter 1/3 turn. Only relay that pulls in and out when powered on and off is the game over relay. All scores are at zero.
I will not be able to work on the machine after tomorrow and am really hoping to make at least a little progress. I’ve purchased a schematic but won’t have it in time. If anyone has any ideas please help! Thanks.

No

Thanks to all that have reached out to help this novice with my #Gottlieb#Vulcan. Unfortunately I failed, game still not working, and had the leave the location where this machine is located and won’t be back for a few weeks (2nd home). I just received the schematic and now have to learn how to follow it. This is the 3rd pinball machine I’ve owned and I need to learn to troubleshoot problems as they come up. Have other game builds I’ve built i.e multicade / retropie, etc but pinball is complex to me. Special thanks to HowardR for the detail you provided. Hope to report sometime soon I figured out how to fix it with all your help.