There is a black and yellow wire running from a black battery/solenoid (right side of pic). Any idea what purpose this is serving? Doesn't look factory, especially since the top of the solenoid is wrapped with electrical tape. Machine is working 100%, but just curious.
Definitely a hack. Looks like someone tried to "install" a huge capacitor to either smoothen out the 5v power supply or eliminate batteries.
the batteries are working properly because high scores and settings all remain.
Previous owner had the machine quite a while, 8 years I think, but it was routed before then I am pretty sure. I think the owner before him did it. There are no other hacks that I can tell, at least none as obvious as this one.
Is it a bad hack (assuming there is a such thing as a good hack), something that is going to come back and bite me later on? Machine does take an extra second or so to turn on, but like I said, the machine works perfectly. I'm way out of my league on this one for sure.
This could be replacing the batteries in there, do you see batteries wherever they are supposed to be located in this game? If you are supposed to be seeing batteries somewhere, but don't, then chances are this capacitor has replaced them. If there still are batteries then it's possible that it's there to filter one of your lines a little bit. Definitely a hack.
If it were me, I'd first think about looking at the schematic to see where it's hooked up and what its function might be. Then I'd be too lazy and I'd just yank the thing out and see what happens 
batteries are there, in the right place, and working. I will go by the mantra that "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Quoted from Lermods:Machine does take an extra second or so to turn on, but like I said, the machine works perfectly.
That's because that freaking ginormous capacitor takes time to charge up before the CPU even gets any voltage (why is it so big in the first place?). If someone took the time to band-aid a weak 5v power supply I would leave it the way it is until you can get the driver board diagnosed by someone, because chances are it's otherwise unplayable. Again, the issue seems to be a weak 5v power supply, meaning you would need to check the transformer connectors, driver board connectors, bridge rectifiers, capacitors, and connections to the CPU board. Looks like whoever did this ran a wire to the back side of the driver board. Sigh...
See this guide on troubleshooting the issue:
http://www.pinwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=A_disciplined_process_to_eliminate_WPC_game_resets
Quoted from jar155:Hacks always fascinate me. They're bad, yes, but I always wonder why certain operators went with a fix that often looks to be more trouble than the proper repair.
probably because you can do it in the field without removing the boards. I have a transistor "surface mounted" in pin bot because we were having a tournament on it. I'll fix it correctly some day 
The wires are running behind the board, any idea where they might go if it is a power issue they tried (and relatively successfully) to correct? I can't see them coming out the bottom.
Any pinsider is free to come by and check it out...free beer and some avenger, TSPP and TAF play is the best I can do!
Probably bypassing C5, which is the original (and most likely failing) smoothing capacitor for the 5v power supply. But instead of replacing C5 (if that's the problem) they just installed this hack. For crap's sake, you have to remove the board to install the jumpers, why not fix the problem properly while you have it out?
Quoted from Crash:Probably bypassing C5, which is the original (and most likely failing) smoothing capacitor for the 5v power supply. But instead of replacing C5 (if that's the problem) they just installed this hack. For crap's sake, you have to remove the board to install the jumpers, why not fix the problem properly while you have it out?
out of solder? a really weird brand of lazy?
I'm just curious to know what value that capacitor is.
My guess, like others have suggested, is that someone was trying to solve a 5VDC stability issue. This hack would be the same that the famous Leon Borre suggested a while back.
I personally would remove it and repair the problem (if any) correctly per the steps in the PinWiki. I say "if any" because the hack may have attempted to address a problem that no longer exists since you now own the game, like line voltage stability. But to you, that would mean sending the board to a qualified repairman.
Will it cause future problems? The theory is that it will, but that's never been proven or refuted.
--
Chris Hibler - CARGPB #31
http://www.Team-EM.com
http://webpages.charter.net/chibler/Pinball/index.htm
http://www.PinWiki.com - The Place to go for Pinball Repair Info
Quoted from Anim8ormatt:I have a transistor "surface mounted"
I hate surface mount technology
Quoted from barakandl:He used black alligator clip for the negative lead so no hack
What if whoever did the repair was color blind?
viperrwk
Quoted from viperrwk:What if whoever did the repair was color blind?
There is a difference between color blind and blind.
Even if you are color blind you can figure out some of them by the shades of what you do see.
LTG : )
Hmmm. Might an upgrade from a Ebay merchant! On second thought it is either a hack or a test that was not finished up the right way after.
So if he just used alligator clips on the cap itself. What do you think the back of the board looks like?
Came across a similar hack on a buddy's Corvette. Only it was implemented on the CPU rather than the power driver board.
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Quoted from stangbat:Came across a similar hack on a buddy's Corvette.
Yup, he saved a whole lot of money buying that one.
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