Reset the connector to the GIs, j121 and j120. If that fixes the GI issue, and even if it doesn't, you should replace these connectors with trifurcon pinned molex.

As for the resets, this could be a power connector, or a bad bridge/cap. Re-seat all power connectors (the thicker wires) on both the driver and CPU board. Also re-seat the connectors out of the transformer. There is also a Z connector I believe for IJ between the cpu and driver, re-seat both ends of this.

If this works, it will do so for another 3-8+ months, but indicates there is a connector that needs to be replaced. It is a quick and dirty sollution.

If it does not, I would check your wall voltage, make sure that is at least 118v, and then recommend the bridge/cap replacement. Some say to just do the bridge, but the associated cap is key also.

There are other possible things that could be bringing the 5V down as well, but inmy experience, these things are the most common, with connectors being the #1 in williams, contrary to what clay notes in his guides (again, just my experience).

Don't forget J101....

I had this problem with my IJ last month. Just tightening the screws on the power board (ground interface) and it went away

Yes, normal.

An article i found about the issue>
http://www.pinballeon.com/reset/ereset.htm

The dimming you are talking about is normal. At first, it sounded more like it was constant, that is why I noted what I did.

If the resets start again, post, and remember that you will have to check 5v at the CPU board. A connector is giving some resistance. You will have to reseat in a certain order to figure out which one.

That's Leon's page. Leon is an excellent pin tech. But that suggested mod is questionable.

A better process can be found here:
http://www.pinwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Williams_WPC#Game_resets

It's almost like PinSiders have never heard of PinWiki...
--
Chris Hibler - CARGPB #31
http://www.Team-EM.com
http://webpages.charter.net/chibler/Pinball.htm
http://www.PinWiki.com - The new place for pinball repair info

That's Leon's page. Leon is an excellent pin tech. But that suggested mod is questionable.

A better process can be found here:
http://www.pinwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Williams_WPC#Game_resets

It's almost like PinSiders have never heard of PinWiki...
--
Chris Hibler - CARGPB #31
http://www.Team-EM.com
http://webpages.charter.net/chibler/Pinball.htm
http://www.PinWiki.com - The new place for pinball repair info

That's because everyone quotes Clay's stuff for the most part.

Most of us have downloaded all the PDFs of clay's guides and continue to use them as though they never went away. Thanks Clay, you have solved more problems than you realize.

The theory behind it is fine. It's just a little "hacky".

If the problem ever goes away by "just" reseating a connector, that's your que to order new connectors and pin headers.

Simple can be different for the range of skill people have. Simple to Hibler may not be so simple to me

When I get resets, I change out BR2 and its capacitor. If that does not fix it, change out all the bridges and capacitors and of course check and reseat all connectors and replace the burnt and corroded ones.

If that does not fix it, it can also be a cpu problem with the chips.

If you don't know board repair, find someone locally or send them off to someone who does board repair.

If you don't want to pull the boards, call a in-house repairman.

Did you also check your wall voltage? It should be 117-123 volts I think.

A bad neutral to your panel can reek havoc with things!

Indy,

He said ground interface, one of the steps in the PinWiki procedure, here,
http://www.pinwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Williams_WPC#Game_resets

If you haven't worked through this step-by-step procedure, then you're really just taking potshots. Try it, and let us know The results.
--
Chris Hibler - CARGPB #31
http://www.Team-EM.com
http://webpages.charter.net/chibler/Pinball.htm
http://www.PinWiki.com - The new place for pinball repair info

I don't want to sound rude, but I'm gonna preach on this subject again.

With all due respect, this is horrible advice. I've fixed my fair share of pins, not as many as Chris Hibler has, I'm sure, but I've seen more damage done by just swapping parts without properly diagnosing problems. Traces lifted, plated through holes broken, spaghetti messes of jumper wires, etc. When fixing one problem, people create 3 or 4 more.

The first part of any repair should be *properly diagnosing* the problem. Don't even think about plugging in a soldering iron or removing any boards until you've done some basic tests.

Just saying something 'looks good' isn't enough. Lots of blown fuses 'look good'. Lots of people who die of heart attacks 'looked good'. Lots of connectors look good, but once removed, you can see tarnished or burnt pins, etc.

Check out the reset section of pinwiki. If something doesn't make sense, ask. If you need more advice, ask. Get a cheap multimeter. Learn basic functions, like how to test voltage, check diodes, check continuity, etc.

The wiki pretty much walks through most of the reasons for the resets. Agree with Chris, follow the wiki.

Bridge and cap replacement are seldom the issue in my experince.

The pinwiki list is very thorough, and althought doing that I'm sure would find the issue, I would do the coles notes version first, then go to that if it doesn't.

Check the wall voltage. In warmer months, when heat goes up, and power gets used more, machines already struggling near the threshold of a proper voltage before the failsafe resets are exposed.

I have found in almost all of my wpc reset issues the issue is in the connectors for the 5v from the driver board to the CPU, and in the Z connector, with machines using this (IJ, TZ).

I would first check the 5v at the driver board for a value. If its a solid 5v, check the point it leaves, through the Z, and into the cpu, and at the CPU. If you notice a drop in this, I would be inclined to replace these connectors first with molex/trifurcons.

DO NOT unplug any connectors prior to doing this, as if its a weak connection, it may become temporarily stronger from this, and not allow you to properly diagnose it.

Hello. My IJ started doing the same thing whenever I'd press just the left flipper button.

Mine turned out to be a bad diode on the flipper coil. After replacing it, I've been good ever since.

I agree following the procedure on pinwiki. Sorry I assumed that was a given since the following posts from "experts" instructed the OP to do so.

I test the bridges and change them when bad and a few times they test ok and were actually still causing the problem. I guess I have been cursed with a lot of faulty BR2's because almost every reset issue I have had is due to BR2. Guess I am lucky too in a way since that makes the target easy to find

Hey look what I found in Clay's guide. Guess I am not the only one with bad bridges.

"On WPC-S and prior games, a bad BR2 bridge rectifier, its associated C5/C4 filter capacitor, and marginal terminal pins on connector J101 are probably the most commonly failed components relating to game resets. As a general rule, if the wall voltage is good (above 116 volts) these three things are what I replace first when there is a reset problem. I replace ALL FOUR ITEMS (BR2 bridge, C5 cap, C4 cap, J101 terminal pins) at the same time. Again this is my first line of attack when repairing reset problems, and 95% of the time it works."

When Clay wrote this the boards were newer, and less likely to get damage. Now as they age they are more prone to damaging through board continuity and damage to traces.

And the 95% includes reseating all connectors when moving the board in and out of the game. So no way of knowing what percentage of that 95% got fixed in spite of Clay's work.

LTG

You mean like a heavy appliance on the same line, like an air conditioner, now that warmer weather is here ?

In all of this have you checked your wall outlet voltage and what your game is wired for ? If wall is 100 and game is wired for 120, you have a problem.

LTG

Like I said, bridges and caps almost everytime. I agree to follow test procedure but these things are prone to failure.

Glad to hear its up and running

I don't deny that these problems are often caps and bridges.

I'm very sensitive on the subject, because I've fixed a lot of these that were 'fixed' by other people who didn't know what they were doing, and suddenly, the problem is larger because they have lifted pads, installed a cap backwards, put the wrong part in, etc.

For some reason, hobbyists who won't spend 15 minutes learning how to use a $10 multimeter to check a diode, resistor, or voltage test point will decide they can fix their resetting game by buying a bridge and a couple caps, and diving in head first.

When they have 'fixed' the board, it still resets, or won't even boot far enough to reset, because they managed to tear a few traces while they had the board out of the machine, or worse.

Why people are allergic to a multimeter, but have no problem plugging in a soldering iron, I don't know.

Just like the frequent threads that pop up where someone has a reset problem, and you ask them what they see at a test point, and get no response, or 'it looks good'.

The OP here made the right choice - consulting a professional when he decided it was out of his comfort level.

Clay's guide is a great resource, as is PinWiki, but both of those resources also indicate you should do your homework and try to determine what is bad before shotgunning parts.

I'll help anyone. People are what make the hobby for me, and when I started working on pins, I was a novice, too. Clay's guide and RGP are what kept me in pins - without it, I would've bought one, gotten frustrated, said screw this, and quit. Without Clay's guide and advice I got from people on RGP, I would not be where I am now. I buy project games that don't work, knowing I can fix them, either with knowledge I already have, or guidance from other collectors who have been there, done that!

But if people ask for help, and they can't take a couple voltage readings, I'm not going to 'guess' that it might be replacing a few caps and bridges, because it could be something completely different. I want to *help* people, not hinder them.

I am also glad the IJ is up and running, being enjoyed!