How to Efficiently Ask for Pinball Repair Help (EM)
Credit for this thread Vid1900
HAVE YOU CHOSEN THE RIGHT FORUM.
Pinside as many forums for Technical help – Have you picked the one that best suits your game? This forum "EM Tech" is for Games built pre 1980, for machines that are Electro-Mechanical. If your machine is full of electronic components than this forum is not the one for you. For other machines try:-
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/forum/tech-early-80s-solid-state
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/forum/tech-alpha-numeric-games
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/forum/tech-dot-matrix-games
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THE COMMUNITY
There are a bunch of Pinsiders who are glad to help others get their games working again.
To efficiently get your game diagnosed, you need to give these pintechs some solid information about the current state of the game.
We "Can't see it from here", so you need to be our eyes and ears (and nose) on the ground.
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NAME OF GAME, MANUFACTURER AND YEAR:
We need to know the EXACT game , the year of production and the Maker.
Why the maker? A common title like "Time Machine" could be from Data East or Zaccaria. Four different companies made a pin called "Space Shuttle"
Why the year? Gottlieb "Hot Shots" could be the 1973 version, or it could be the 1989 version (Wow you say, I did not know there was a 1989 version…). Bally Fireball could be the 1972, 1978, or 1985 version.
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DID IT EVER WORK IN YOUR POSSESSION?
It is important to know if the game was working yesterday, or did you buy it broken?
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WHERE DID THE GAME COME FROM?
Did the game come from a pinball collector, from the side of the road, or from an operator who put every bad part he had into one "it probably needs a fuse" carcass?
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WHAT WAS THE LAST SERVICE YOU PERFORMED?
It can be a huge timesaver to know what the last service you (or anyone else) performed on the game.
If your Slingshot is machinegun firing, did you recently install new rubbers?
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BLOWN FUSES:
What fuse? Fuses usually have a designation printed near the socket, something like 8amp, 15amp…
What Value? Did someone put a 1A fuse in a 10A location?
Burnt or Corroded Fuse Clips? Good Fuse Clips are shiny metal, not black or pitted. How do yours look?
Although occasionally you see a "burned up fuse", most fuses require a meter to verify they are in proper working order. You have to remove the fuse from the clips to test it.
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SMELL:
Does the game smell like burnt coils or contacts?
Literally put your head in the backbox or under the playfield and track down what board/coil/area smells burnt.
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OBVIOUS PAST WORK PERFORMED:
Are there wires with electrical tape?
Are there stepper unit board/wire repairs?
Is one pop bumper mech not like the others?
Are a bunch of mounting screws missing?
Is there plastic covered wire when all other wires are cotton covered?
Look around; is there anything that looks out of place?
It's normal for an old pinball game to have been serviced, but we need to know what has been done.
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DO YOU HAVE A VOLT/MULTI-METER:
Some very simple tests with a $15 Multi-Meter can quickly diagnose a game problem.
Do you have one? What kind? Do you know how to use it, or do you need detailed instructions?
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CAN YOU SOLDER?
Many pinball repairs require soldering. We need to know if you are able to do it.
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DO YOU HAVE THE SCHEMATIC?
Schematics are the road maps of EM’s. You may find one on line in PDF or Jpeg format, but it does not beat having a full sheet schematic for your machine. Next time you order parts, include the schematic for your machine, best $20 you will spend on your EM. Just make sure it is a full sheet version, the smaller versions are hard to read.
Reading them!! Don’t worry; there is lots of help here for that.
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YOUR LOCATION?
Many times a local Pinsider can fix a game in minutes that would take many days of online posting.
If your profile does not list your location - list it in your post!
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PICTURES:
I'm typing this in 2015.
Every phone takes good pictures. Everyone owns some kind of digital camera. Post good pictures.
Good pictures means:
1. Well lit: bring an extra lamp into the room and light the game up. You can't work on a game in the dark, and you can't take pictures of a game in the dark either.
2. Focus: if you took a picture, and it's out of focus -TAKE ANOTHER PICTURE! It does not cost anything to do it until you get it right. Don't try to hold the camera at arms length, lock your elbows close to your body and steady yourself.
3. Lift the playfield all the way up: Many newbies don't know that instead of using the Prop Rod, you can pull the playfield forward and lean it against the backbox. THAT'S how you take a good under playfield picture.
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PROPER TITLE FOR HELP:
If you don't post a good descriptive title, don't expect that any of the good techs on Pinside will ever read it.
BAD TITLES:
"Game Broken"
"Can't Figure Out Problem"
"Smoke"
"Help a Nube Out"
"Question"
GOOD TITLES:
"Weak Flippers on Monty Carlo After Rebuild"
"Score reel keep resetting, Space Shuttle"
"I Keep Getting Shocked When I Touch Both my games"
"Bally Fireball EM Not Resetting"
"No Lamps on Gottlieb Baseball after Move"
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Generally, DON'T PM or EMAIL TECHS DIRECTLY !
If you get help in the forum, the dialog and answers help EVERYONE in the future.
Don't be selfish, post your problems.
Once you fix the game, BE SURE to update your post with the resolution, even if the solution was to send a board out for professional repair or calling in the local pintech.
Aarau
Twin Cities, MN
