What do you have the BACKLIGHT setting at on the ColorDMD? Turning it down will reduce the current draw from the 12V supply.

On all the wide bodies and shadow I recommend a separate power supply with running colorDMD. He gave you good advice above. Rather than debate it give it a try and report back. If that solves it, I would put a larger fuse in. The job of the fuse is to protect the circuit due to a short. If you know the constant drain is slightly more then just up the fuse.

Since you didn't have a problem before cleaning and adjusting the crane, it's possible you introduced a short on one of the motors. Try running through the motor tests in the game menus and see if activating one blows the fuse.

For that matter, you should also run through the solenoid and lamp tests to make sure one of them isn't shorting into the 12V.

Overfusing is not generally a good idea. The fuse is supposed to be the weak link that breaks down in order to protect other components. It's better to look for the root cause.

Generally the fuse is designed to protect wiring and traces from melting much like the breakers protect the wiring in your walls, but if you truly needed that extra amp for your 12v power supply you may be overloading it and it may burn up before its life cycle, overfusing is terrible advice. Check your crane again like color dmd said.

Do you have other stuff piggy backed on the 12v backbox connectors J116 J117 J118?

I think you also have the long led strip under the games cabinet from JudgeDreads. I too have that but had to disconnect it when I added the ColorDMD. To much draw on the 12v. I had the exact same symptoms as you in your first post.

I would sooner add a separate power supply than I would overfuse. Overfusing is a bad idea. Often leads to burnt traces and holes in PCBs.

F115 protects your regulated +12, I would recommend looking at the regulated +12, inspecting cap C2 as it often leaks on boards with original caps installed and eats through the traces underneath it, and if the +12 is low, you might consider replacing the 7812 with the ezsbc replacement part to bring it up to 12

Edit: Now I realize you were talking about F116 which protects BR5 and the unregulated +12. The heatsink idea might not be a bad thing - although I still think I'd rather go with an external power supply.

I had a similar issue with my STTNG blowing a fuse (I think it may have been the same one) and replacing the BR corrected it for me. It was heating up like crazy, along with the fuse, and the fuse would blow after a few minutes of play or just by setting in attract mode for a while. I replaced the stock 200v BR with a 400v and added a heat sink to it and the problem went away. I think adding mods is just pushing these aging components over the edge.

If you want to coat your game in powered mods, which is fine, just use an extra power supply... and fuse that extra power supply. This can be done neatly and after the line switch.

I have been in the head of overly modded games and it makes me concerned when i see alligator clips bodged onto 5v and 12v sources.

The circuit wasn't made to run colorDMD and a ton of led lighting strips. When you add to the circuit you can expect it may need to output more amps than it originally needed to. In that case, the root cause is adding all the extra components and overfusing may be required.

This is not the recommended way to install mods of course lol.