So I'm called by the operator to get the back box lit on his location Roadshow .
The only background I received was that the lights were out and that 2 techs were sent to have a look on two occasions and both were confounded.
When i got to the machine and removed the translight I saw that the insert panel has all bulbs replaced with LEDs and that only about 5 were barely lit basically just ghosting.
The first order was to check for a burned connector but it was in perfect shape as were, at least visually, the pins.
Next I checked the related fuse by removing it and also tested the fuse holders continuity. Both were good, which I figured, due to the dimly lit leds and the playfield's GI being lit.
I then checked to see which strings that the dimly lit bulbs were on and it turned out they were on the same string.
All of the stings wires and sockets looked in perfect shape no burns exposed wires etc.
I thought that maybe the wires in the non working strings may have come loose in the connector even though they appeared very tight and clean.
I used my IDC tool to punch them in tighter and there was no change.
Next I broke out the DMM and tested pins voltages which appeared correct ugh.
I then swapped the j120 and j121 connectors as the j120 was the playfield GI and J121 being the panel insert just in case there may have been a bad trace on the reverse side of the PDB. When I made the connection swap the Playfield GI remained lit and the insert was the same with the 5 dimly lit leds. (Note the connectors were installed in reverse when I got to the machine)
So with all of these tests I decided to test continuity from the IDC connector to the first sockets on every string and what do you know My DMM batteries died ugh
Without the DMM I decided to make a visual of the insert wire harness as there may have been breaks somewhere in the middle that I could not see. Took about 20mins to remove the Harness and with a visual it looked brand new.
Stumped and getting pissed that an insert GI was getting the better of me I thought {Let me pull a dimly lit led and put it into a non lit led socket)
With the swap out of a dim with a non working led, the dim LED lit in the different socket and again only dimly.
I then swapped it out with another dead LED and it lit again and just as dim as usual.
I then swapped a dead led into a known working socket and it didnt light!!!!!!!!!
I then said to myself are you f,,,ing kidding ? Can all of the Leds just be bad?
I installed a new LED and it lit perfectly. I did the same with random sockets and all of the new LEDs lit right up.
So it turned out that the entire insert had Blown LEDs what the Hell! When does that ever happen? Not only that they all looked brand new.
What a huge waste of time going over all of those steps when it was a matter of all of the LEDs being blown, of course it didnt help that my DMM batteries died as that would have saved the 20 min wire harness removal.
One note is that the LEDs were odd and of a kind I had not seen before. The "Bulb" portion was very thin almost but not quit tube shaped. They were not Cointakers or Ablaze I have no clue where the operator got them from but I will ask him.
So 2 other techs failed to figure out the issue and were stumped and I can see how, as nothing made sense.
Anyone else come across this type of situation?