For count down, was the ni-wumpf MPU set for the correct game?

Yeah, that power supply is a pain to service. But once you either refurbish it or replace it with an after-market power supply, it's usually fine.

I don't tin the edge connectors unless absolutely necessary (usually only if they're pitted and worn). Solder splash can sometimes be an issue if you do that for every contact and aren't careful. I normally clean off the contacts with a pink rubber eraser, and they're fine after that.

I know a lot of techs won't even touch system 1 games, but once you address some of the problem areas, I've found them to be fairly reliable.

I remember in the early 80's Gottlieb had a System 1 board buyback program. As I remember it, you could turn in System 1 boards and get $200-$300 off of a new game. The System 1 reputation had hurt the company that bad. I used to have a flyer describing the buyback program but I cannot find it now. Someone here probably has one.

I bought 36 System 1 games from Warehouse Of Games in St. Louis for 35 bucks a game. Most of them were in beautiful shape. They had traded in all of the boards towards new games.

Some problems can be attributed to the cpu-to-driver board harness and/or the power supply-to-cpu board harness.

I'm in the same boat. Worked on a Pinball Pool and started with replacing the power supply before it showed any signs of life. Then I spent a lot of time trying to get it to boot reliably and fix a bunch of switch, lamp and memory issues. All of the edge connectors were clean and beautiful. Finally installed a Ni-Wumph and all issues went away. With the other things it needed (drop targets, a couple broken plastics, shop job) the owner was in over $400 in repairs. That's a lot of love for a System 1.

Now I'm working on another System 1. Again, had to replace power supply. Now it sounds like it boots, but no switches work, no displays, no lamps. The woes continue...

I can't imagine that the System 80 platform was much better. It's amazing that they hung onto it for as long as they did.

Gottlieb you either love or hate them sometimes all in a span of 5 minutes. Sold my 1st system 1 Count-Down then proceeded to get another system 1 Genie and not to long after that went on to get the the system 80 that drives pin guys wild. I love my Black Hole no amount of trash talking will make me sell it. I guess i drank something or was exposed to some bad stuff. Because i know of 6 systems 1 that are broken not far from me and the owners aren't ready to to part with them yet I have asked even had the cash in hand one time. Even offered to fix them for them. No luck so i leave my number and figure they will call all at once someday. Meanwhile i can have my fix of nightmare machines with my 3 Dataeast machines.

As to your current issue i see somebody doing some connector pinning in their future get a good crimping tool. Save some time and get a new mpu to driver card cable if not needed this time well you get lucky and have it already for the next one.

I would get with Ace at Niwumph to ask him about the countdown reset issue, he is great and can possibly point you in the right direction.

I stopped servicing almost all solid state Gottlieb games a couple years ago. System 80 is just as bad or worse than System 1, they just added more crap on top of their already bad design choices. I'll work on System 3 if I'm in the mood, but no System 1 or 80. It isn't necessarily that System 1 games are hard to work on, it is just there is so much ground work that has to be done to even get to a solid starting point. Every older platform has its pitfalls and stuff you have to do to make the game reliable, but the early Gottliebs throw more crap at you.

-Can't download manuals (legally) and owners often don't have them.
-Fewer compatible parts meaning I'd have to stock oddball electronic and mechanical parts
-Ground mods take up time and have to be done
-Edge connectors
-Poor diagnostics
-Often unrepairable MPU boards meaning the owner has to spend hundreds of dollars on a game that is only worth hundreds of dollars
-Power supply is frustrating to repair and means more money the owner has to spend if you don't want to bother and put in a replacement. This is bad because power supplies are the MOST repairable board in a game. I almost never replace a power supply, I repair it. Plus someone that is fiddling around can hook up the power supply incorrectly!

Then add in that for every 30-40 repairs I'd do for a Bally or WMS game I'd do one solid state Gottlieb. So the demand isn't there in the first place. So I found it not worth my time and frustration to mess with them and stock the parts. It is unfortunate because I don't necessarily hate the games, I hate the platform.

I could go on, but I've got other stuff I have to do today.