Help with TOM trunk

So i just picked up a TOM, and after maybe my first 3 games, I am having issues with the trunk not registering hits. The prior owner told me about the little switch that I can turn and make sure the red light goes out. I did that, powered the machine down, but still having the problem.

No that I truly understand the test, but i did the trunk test and it seems a little odd too. It shows all 4 sides open, then one will say closed. Just seems kinda flaky.

Can anyone who knows this machine well possibly help a very green newbie?

#2 10 years ago

CSC

cscmtp

Pinside member

If this helps, this was the little switch (to the left of the red light) that I used a small screwdriver to turn and it made the red light go out as I was instructed. Or am I way off here?

IMG_0405.JPG

#3 10 years ago

MAT

Digimatt

Pinside member

Fort Wayne, IN

10y 56,550 170 5

You've got it. Adjust it just so the light goes off and you should be good to roll. Pinbits makes a great auto eddy sensor that I highly recommend.

#4 10 years ago

HAZ

hank527

Pinside+ Addict

13y 128K 5,436 249

Test it by holding a ball on the other side and it should turn red

#5 10 years ago

TOM

mot

Inactive member

Sharpsville, PA

11y 60,650 1,833 5 18

The trunk rotating and the trunk registering hits are two totally unrelated things. Problems with one will have absolutely nothing to do with the other.

The trunk test has to do with rotating the trunk. It tests the motor, and the optical switches that register which direction the trunk is rotated.. In each of the four positions, one switch should be open and the image on the test screen should accurately reflect the rotation of the trunk. I don't think you have any problems here.

The switch that detects when the trunk is hit is an Eddy switch under the playfield right in front of the trunk. It's basically a little metal detector. Technically, the ball doesn't need to hit the trunk to register, it just needs to roll over that switch. The sensitivity of that sensor can be adjusted by adjusting a potentiometer under the playfield. You can use the switch test to test it out by holding a ball up to the sensor on the top side of the playfield. I can say with certainty that this is all you need to adjust.

Lloyd directed someone on how to do this just yesterday. (See, you're not alone!) See his directions here: http://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/theater-of-magic-drain-eddy-switch-fault-help-please#post-1469602

#6 10 years ago

MAT

Digimatt

Pinside member

Fort Wayne, IN

10y 56,550 170 5

After looking at the pic make sure your adjust the trunk eddy board it's way up the playfield left side by the trunk.

#7 10 years ago

CSC

cscmtp

Pinside member

Quoted from Digimatt:
After looking at the pic make sure your adjust the trunk eddy board it's way up the playfield left side by the trunk.

That is the one I did. With the playfield all the way up leaning towards the backglass, it was the board to the immediate left of the trunk area. I turned it and the light went out but its still not registering hits.

#8 10 years ago

CSC

cscmtp

Pinside member

Tried adjusting all 3 and the same results, it won't register a hit. And when I went to the switch test mode, it was acting VERY spotty. Sometimes it would register a hit when I pushed the trunk, but most of the time it would not. Could this be a lose or bad switch?? If so, is that something I can tighten or no?

#9 10 years ago

SKY

Skypilot

Pirates Life Pinball Co

11y 155K 6,687 32 2

cscmtp,
Do the other two eddie boards work OK?

#10 10 years ago

CSC

cscmtp

Pinside member

how would I know? What exactly do they activate? I am brand new to the game ,so not sure I know what each one does. But when I play the game, it seems all the roll overs and areas of the playfield work fine, except for the trunk.

#11 10 years ago

SKN

Skins

I'm terrible about terminology but I think the term is banded diodes. What's up with the third one up from D3 just below the connector? Is that solder all over it?

#12 10 years ago

SKN

Skins

OP
Quoted from cscmtp:
how would I know? What exactly do they activate? I am brand new to the game ,so not sure I know what each one does. But when I play the game, it seems all the roll overs and areas of the playfield work fine, except for the trunk.

There are three eddies. One at each outlane for hocus pocus magnet save and the third is the trunk eddy switch. He's asking if the magna saves at the outlanes work.

#13 10 years ago

CSC

cscmtp

Pinside member

Quoted from Skins:
I'm terrible about terminology but I think the term is banded diodes. What's up with the third one up from D3 just below the connector? Is that solder all over it?

I should have mentioned, that picture I found online, that is not mine. But great eye, it was on a page talking about solder causing a problem, and the guy cleaned it and it fixed it. But again, that isn't my actual board.

#14 10 years ago

CSC

cscmtp

Pinside member

let me se

Quoted from Skins:There are three eddies. One at each outlane for hocus pocus magnet save and the third is the trunk eddy switch. He's asking if the magna saves at the outlanes work.

I will see with the glass off if I can get the hocus pocus mode lit and see if hte magnet save works (that is where it holds the ball when its about to go out the out lanes right?)

#15 10 years ago

SKN

Skins

OP
Quoted from cscmtp:
let me se

I will see with the glass off if I can get the hocus pocus mode lit and see if hte magnet save works (that is where it holds the ball when its about to go out the out lanes right?)

Correct

#16 10 years ago

CSC

cscmtp

Pinside member

If all you have to do is hit the hocus pocus targets a bunch of times (and she says "you have the magic") then mine is not working. As I hit the targets, heard her say that, but when I rolled the ball over the out lanes it didn't grab or hold it.

#17 10 years ago

CSC

cscmtp

Pinside member

And I should say, when I FIRST got the pin inside, I had played 2 or 3 games and I saw those magnets works, and the trunk worked too. So not sure what happened, but now neither is working. I really appreciate you guys trying to help me by the way!!

#18 10 years ago

SKN

Skins

Go into switch edge test mode. Roll a ball over the area in the outlane where the starburst for the save is. See if it registers.

#19 10 years ago

SKN

Skins

OP
Quoted from cscmtp:
And I should say, when I FIRST got the pin inside, I had played 2 or 3 games and I saw those magnets works, and the trunk worked too. So not sure what happened, but now neither is working. I really appreciate you guys trying to help me by the way!!

The eddy pots (the thing you turn) are notoriously flaky. Game vibrations send them out of whack, moving the game certainly can. People put a dab of nail polish once dialed in on them to lock them in place. Pin bits sells (though out of stock a lot of times) auto adjusting eddies that eliminate this very issue.

#20 10 years ago

MVM

markmon

Inactive member

Hillsboro, OR

13y 98,300 13,010 21 81

OP
Quoted from cscmtp:
And I should say, when I FIRST got the pin inside, I had played 2 or 3 games and I saw those magnets works, and the trunk worked too. So not sure what happened, but now neither is working. I really appreciate you guys trying to help me by the way!!

What is going on is you turned the screws. The way you do this is this. Put the game into switch edge test. Then lift them playfield and find the eddy board. If you turn the screw until the led on the board is on, the switch edge test should show the switch as closed. If you turn it until the led is off, the switch test will show the switch is open. What you want is for the led to be adjusted so that its off but rolling a ball over the sensor on the playfield turns the led on only while the ball is over the sensor.

The trunk position and other switches have nothing to do with this particular problem so it would be best to focus only on this. Do not test during game play. Test with the switch edge test using the methods given above.

#21 10 years ago

CSC

cscmtp

Pinside member

Thanks markmon, earlier when I turned the switches I was not in switch edge test, so I will try that now. Ty!

#22 10 years ago

CSC

cscmtp

Pinside member