Half of my LOTR coils not working!

So I just got my LOTR about 3 weeks ago. No issues at all until yesterday, when suddenly my auto launch started going off continuously. It stopped for a bit so tried playing a game
That is when I noticed that half of my coils are not working. I checked all connections thinking I pulled something out when I had it open last, but cant find anything. Ran the coil test, there is where I saw everything not working. Don't know what would make over half of all the coils not work!!? I am stumped. Any advice would be great. And yes, I checked the fuses!

#2 7 years ago

DJT

Taxman

In Memoriam

OP
Quoted from vader1979:
So I just got my LOTR about 3 weeks ago. No issues at all until yesterday, when suddenly my auto launch started going off continuously. It stopped for a bit so tried playing a game
That is when I noticed that half of my coils are not working. I checked all connections thinking I pulled something out when I had it open last, but cant find anything. Ran the coil test, there is where I saw everything not working. Don't know what would make over half of all the coils not work!!? I am stumped. Any advice would be great. And yes, I checked the fuses!

You are going to hear check the fuses again. Because you did not say you checked the fuses "with them pulled out" and not in place.

#3 7 years ago

EAP

vader1979

Inactive member

Yes, the fuses were checked taken out of the game. All 13 on the Driver board, and one on the small pcb in upper left of backbox.

#4 7 years ago

DJT

Taxman

In Memoriam

See what is common about the coils (listing would help). See if there is a common wire. Trace it back to the board. Check continuity from the connector to a coil. The narrows it from the board to the playfield.

If there is continuity it is on the board and the next step is following the power back. No continuity and it is finding where the break is, probably at the first coil unless a coil in the chain is working then it is between two of them.

#5 7 years ago

MIL

Thrillhouse

Beehive Pinball

Salt Lake City, UT

9y 89,050 885 24

I had a very similiar problem with my LOTR that turned out to be a faulty transistor on the driver board. A coil would lock on and burn up and most of the other coils wouldnt fire but it never blew a fuse.
Quick diagnosis: Visually inspect all of your coils and see if any of your paper wrappers are discolored or burnt starting with the launcher coil. Then take a look at the transistors on the driver board to see if you have one that appears fried. Q2 is the trans for the auto plunger. On mine it was very apparent that i had a bad transistor but a visual inspection may not be enough to find the issue. Replace the bad components on the board first otherwise you will just end up burning up multiple coils on the pf.
The proper way is to get your multimeter and begin testing each of the transistors to see if one is bad. If one tests as faulty consult the schematics and test the corresponding coil to make sure that it hasnt burnt up after being locked on. You may need to send your board out or have a tech come if your not comfortable doing board work yourself.

#6 7 years ago

SMW

Razorbak86

Pinside member

9y 89,300 2,069

It's hard to give specific advice without knowing exactly which coils are not working, but I thought I should at least mention that there are 3 fuses under the playfield (left flipper, right flipper, and loop diverter), so don't forget to check those, too.

#7 7 years ago

EAP

vader1979

Inactive member

So if I need to send my boards out, could any of you recommend who would be good to mail them to? Thanks. I'm not comfortable with electronics at all. I checked fuses, checked everything for lose connections and reseated plugs. Checked everything visually for scorch marks as well. And still the same. So thinking I just need to send them out. At the least it will tell me if it's the boards, or anything else.

#8 7 years ago

MIL

Thrillhouse

Beehive Pinball

Salt Lake City, UT

9y 89,050 885 24

Dont just blindly send out boards. Do you have a multimeter? If not you want to get one, harbor frieght or walmart should carry them locally. I would search here or on google for how to properly test all the points and components on the board before sending them out. The boards may not even be the issue.

#9 7 years ago

EAP

vader1979

Inactive member

I have a multimeter, as I tested the fuses with it, but seriously, I suck at electronics. Cant read schematics, and just don't like dealing with it. I have had very bad luck in the past working too much on them. I am an arcade machine guy. I can restore a game back to mint condition cosmetically. But electronics have always been my crutch in this hobby. And I have tried to learn, and have learned a lot since I started, but I know when I need to get help, and I think I need it now.

#10 7 years ago

MPS

Msch

Inactive member

9y 47,050 1,273 16

OP
Quoted from vader1979:
I have a multimeter, as I tested the fuses with it, but seriously, I suck at electronics. Cant read schematics, and just don't like dealing with it. I have had very bad luck in the past working too much on them. I am an arcade machine guy. I can restore a game back to mint condition cosmetically. But electronics have always been my crutch in this hobby. And I have tried to learn, and have learned a lot since I started, but I know when I need to get help, and I think I need it now.

If you aren't willing to learn basic electronics, maybe owning a pinball machine isn't for you. Do you have any local reputable techs in your area?

#11 7 years ago

LUD

lb1

Pinside member

Bay Area, CA

11y 66,800 1,242 1

My first guess wouldn't be a board problem but a connector problem. You don't even need to read the schematics to do a basic diagnostic. Look at the coil list and see if the coils that are a problem are on the same connector. Check the voltage at the coil and see if you have the right voltage. Could well be that the + voltage isn't working.

The auto launch problem could be a switch problem and not a coil one.

#12 7 years ago

EAP

vader1979

Inactive member

Quoted from Msch:
If you aren't willing to learn basic electronics, maybe owning a pinball machine isn't for you. Do you have any local reputable techs in your area?

It's not that I am not willing, it's that I have alot of trouble with dealing with electronics. I have made things worse in the past from messing around with it, so it makes me very nervous. I am afraid I am going to blow something, or make it worse. I am doing my best. I own 12 arcade machines, 3 pinball machines. I can tear an arcade machine apart, but it's a different story with a pin. I am doing my best...

#13 7 years ago

ROB

Borygard

A smart man knows his limits and doesn't tear into something that he may make worse.

Sounds like a wise decision to me.

--
Rob Anthony
Pinball Classics
http://LockWhenLit.com
Quality Board Work - In Home Service
borygard at gmail dot com

#14 7 years ago

EAP

vader1979

Inactive member

I am trying to figure this out on my own. I did the cycle coil test in portal, and it looks like coils 1 thru 12 are working fine. Coils 13 thru 24, and flash 25 thru 32 are not. Switches are working. Looked in the book and coils 13-16 are on a high current, and 17-23 coil group is low current, and 25 thru 32 flash is low current group. Now how do I check these? On the Driver board? At the coil? Trying my best to learn how to do this, so please don't criticise. Thanks!

#15 7 years ago

EAP

vader1979

Inactive member

Here is the page that shows the location and groups of the coils. Basically 1-11 are working, the rest are not.

20170219_210944 (resized).jpg

#16 7 years ago

DJT

Taxman

In Memoriam

Edit: I see you answered.

#17 7 years ago

ROB

Borygard

Measure voltage on both lugs of the questionable coils.

Meter set to 200V DC range, black lead to ground strap, red lead to each coil lug, one at a time. If that is completely foreign to you, then cuddle up to some internet searches or YouTube videos and study up until it makes sense. Or, send out the driver board, or call in a professional.

--
Rob Anthony
Pinball Classics
http://LockWhenLit.com
Quality Board Work - In Home Service
borygard at gmail dot com

#18 7 years ago

EAP

vader1979

Inactive member

Something I just found, the L200 led light on the Driver board is not on. In the book on page 117 it is saying that it is not sending out +20v...if I am reading that correctly. So what is that then?

#19 7 years ago

EAP

vader1979

Inactive member

Putting 2 and 2 together, looks like I am not getting +20very. As all of the coils not working are on the low current coils

#20 7 years ago

EAP

vader1979

Inactive member

Coils 14, 15 and 16 do work, and they are high current coils.

#21 7 years ago

BSF

bflagg

Pinside member

Anna, TX

12y 62,400 741 3

Those should be fuse f7. Did you check to see if you have 20 volts either at the board or a coil? If not may be the bridge gone bad if it has a/c input and no d/c output.

#22 7 years ago

BSF

bflagg

Pinside member

Anna, TX

12y 62,400 741 3

Page 21 shows bridge 2. It also lists the connector and pins you can test for proper voltage.

#23 7 years ago

DJT

Taxman

In Memoriam

Agreed. That power comes from the transformer and goes through fuse F7 and a Bridge Rectifier. The most likely culprit is F7.

But there are other coils right? I am trying to see of a connector form the Xformer to the power board might be loose or something.

Editing again. Pull F7 and check with a meter. If blown make sure you replace with the proper one (should be 5 amp slo-blo)

#24 7 years ago

EAP

vader1979

Inactive member

Quoted from Taxman:
Agreed. That power comes from the transformer and goes through fuse F7 and a Bridge Rectifier. The most likely culprit is F7.
But there are other coils right? I am trying to see of a connector form the Xformer to the power board might be loose or something.

It's not f7, just tested it again and it is fine

#25 7 years ago

EAP

vader1979

Inactive member

To test the bridge 2, you put one on ground, and the other on J7-pin 1? And also j6-pin 10? And when I do that, it should show +20v? If not, then the bridge is bad?

#26 7 years ago

ROB

Borygard

Make sure the wires into the coin door interlock switch are attached and the switch is working properly.

--
Rob Anthony
Pinball Classics
http://LockWhenLit.com
Quality Board Work - In Home Service
borygard at gmail dot com

#27 7 years ago

AAA

pintechev

Inactive member

11y 91,300 4,437

OP
Quoted from vader1979:
To test the bridge 2, you put one on ground, and the other on J7-pin 1? And also j6-pin 10? And when I do that, it should show +20v? If not, then the bridge is bad?

If the bridge is shorted F7 would be blown.

#28 7 years ago

JLB

buffaloatx

Pinside member

Austin, TX

11y 48,300 608 16

I had this problem with my POTC. It was a flaky interlock switch. It caused all kinds of weirdness.

#29 7 years ago

DJT

Taxman

In Memoriam

Wouldn't that cut off the high power coils? He said the 50V coils are working.

#30 7 years ago

ROB

Borygard

Quoted from Taxman:
Wouldn't that cut off the high power coils? He said the 50V coils are working.

50V and 20V are separate wires into and out of the switch. They're not related except that they both go through the interlock.

--
Rob Anthony
Pinball Classics
http://LockWhenLit.com
Quality Board Work - In Home Service
borygard at gmail dot com

#31 7 years ago

EAP

vader1979

Inactive member

Don't ask me how it happened, but look what I found at the interlock switch!! Plugged back in, and I am up and running again!! Thanks,everyone for your help! I would of never seen that, and never thought about the interlock switch!

20170219_222643 (resized).jpg

#32 7 years ago

EAP

vader1979

Inactive member