Hi guys,

I have the following problem: After works under the playfield all lamps of column 4 of the lamp matrix grid are always on.

This means that the following inserts are always on (partly flashing): shoot again, the "e" from fuel, the left return lane, the left pop bumper, the gravemarker on the left ramp, the middle coffin-lock, and a spider on the right loop.

Also when I do the single lamp test, all lamps of the whole column 4 are on.

I have standard bulbs, no LEDS.

Can anybody please help me how to fix this?

First of all thank you VERY MUCH for the fast answers.

@ schudel5

I was just looking in the backbox (I suppose these transistors are located there?). U14 looks different than the transistor you posted. I have a lot of transistors looking like your picture with a Q at the beginning. Unfortunately I have just a thin "Metallica Pinball Service Manual" (with no detailed drawings - do you all have just this small manual?). There is one you can download at the Stern side (still things are missing there). Do you have your information from that manual? Can you maybe tell me the side where you have found that information.

@ LOTR_breath

Actually two things happened. When I opened the lockbar (clamps) to take the glass out I got a small electric shock. I did not check after that for any problems with the lamps.

Then I changed the lamp 22 (middle lamp at the entrance of the fuel lane - not in column 4) as it was not working properly (lamp went on and off without any reason).

Luckily I also have a Spider-Man. I will look at the manual.

My U14 looks like this. Actually I am quite afraid to change such a tiny little thing ...

Is there any way to check whether it is really this part that is broken?

MET_resized.jpg

Interesting. When opening the lockbar I got the electric shock at the left side with all the wires at the start button and so on. Maybe there can be the fault?

Unfortunately the lamps go out.

For ME this actually sounds quite complicated But I guess if there is no other way I have to do it.

This "sounds" more easy but actually I have no clear idea how to do that. Put the wires of a lamp into two small connectors and put one of these onto J13 (so that the wire connects the pin that controls column 4) and the other one in any of the J12 pins?

BTW I have a digital multimeter - does that maybe help me in any way more easy to find the problem?

I appreciate all the help you give me!

Actually you are right ....... I will see if I manage to do that this weekend.

There was no time over the weekend but today I tried as "herg" recommended.

I used two test leads to connect a bulb to column 4 and unfortunately the lamp always stayed (slightly) lit. When I checked column 4 via the service menue the bulb also flashed.

I made a 2nd check and connected the bulb with column 3 and it worked as it should. The lamp was only lit when I checked column 3 via the service menue.

So am I right to assume that the SAM Power Driver board is broken and that most probably U14 is damaged? (Everything else is running as it should)

If so, is it generally possible to fix U14 or is this impossible and a new power driver board is required?

Thanks for your input!