Enjoying a Pro I just picked up last week and looking forward to the topper, which is on back order. Also rigged with an inexpensive audio jack from pinball life, and I'm enjoying the headphones option (as is my wife, working from home in the office down the hall). Am having a strange problem with the upper flipper that I'll post about once I do a bit more experimentation and documentation.

I have sent a version of the below message to Stern tech support for help, and I will post the reply from Stern here as well, but I thought I would post this to the community to see if you have any insight and on the off chance that anyone else has had a similar problem on this or any other Spike 2 machine. I sure am puzzled, and I wonder if this is a node board or wiring issue, but I'm probably overlooking something more obvious. Here's the issue:

Having a vexing problem with the upper flipper of my Led Zeppelin Pro. It sticks up in the hold position occasionally during game play and even more consistently in switch test mode. Once stuck in the hold position, it will only drop if struck by the ball or touched by my hand.

I have checked the flipper mechanism's mechanical integrity and all related solder connections on the cabinet switches and the flipper assembly, and everything looks good. The flipper EOS switch is closed when the flipper is at rest and open when the flipper is engaged, as it should be. Once the flipper is stuck up in the hold position during switch test mode, it does not drop on its own, even when I turn the machine off, which is puzzling but seems in a sense to eliminate any mechanical issue. Yet if I put the flipper into the hold position mechanically, whether the machine is on or off, it always drops down to its resting position, which also definitely seems to eliminate any mechanical issue.

In the below, message1 (in white lettering) is what I get when the upper flipper is engaged in the hold position by activating the switch in switch test. I activate the switch by closing it by hand briefly and the flipper engages, then the switch opens but the flipper remains engaged.

In the below, message2 (in colored lettering) is what I get after engaging the flipper by way of the above process and then holding the switch for the upper flipper closed by hand. During this process the flipper also remains engaged.

Any thoughts?

message1 (resized).JPG

message2 (resized).JPG

Yes, a good idea. I took it apart completely--in part just to make sure a sleeve was in there! Checked the bushing, stop, and everything else I could think of that could be influencing it mechanically. It never sticks up in the hold position if I activate it by hand--only if I activate it via the cabinet switch. Appreciate the suggestion very much, though.

Of course, that's totally logical. Sometimes, I reverse my logic and miss the obvious. I guess I was focusing too much on the fact that I couldn't replicate the problem purely mechanically and thus thought mechanical was eliminated. Thank you!

Your suggestions make perfect sense, and I have plenty of flipper coil stops to spare. I will tinker and post when the problem is resolved. Dang it, I had the flipper apart already and should have just flopped the stop with another one as the first thing I tried.

This stopped the issue with my LZ flipper sticking up. It was not the bushing but the stop. Swapped the stop for the upper right flipper with that for the left and the problem disappeared, including in switch test. The simplest of solutions often eludes me. I don't know how many times I need to re-learn that lesson, but I'm grateful that pinsiders--and my wife--are there to help me re-learn it.

Can someone with a Zep Pro please help me troubleshoot this parts problem described below? What I need to know is the part number for the harness in your Zep Pro that connects in the backbox to CN4--CABINET NODE. The part number will be on a tag about a foot from that connector in the backbox. The part number for the harness I have is 036-5600-54.

I ask this because I went to hook up the expression lights in my Pro but could not because my harness that runs to CN4 is clearly missing a connector and the associated wiring. According to the expression lights installation instructions and the video by Tim Sexton, that connector should be an unused white five-pin that sits in the harness near the cabinet speaker. But my harness clearly has no such connector or wiring and I'm guessing that the wrong harness was installed in CN4. I plan to write to Stern to ask for a new harness, but I want to be sure to get the correct one and verify the part number--in addition, I'm curious if other Pro owners have hooked up the expression lights and had to get a different harness than factory to do so. Any help to shed light on this problem is appreciated.

Following up on my above request, I wrote to Stern and got a same-day reply confirming that the harness used in my Led Zep did not have the correct connector for expression lights hookup. This was due to the harness available when my machine was manufactured. As a fix, under my machine warranty, Stern is sending me a y-connector and harness that will power off the cabinet node board, which will allow me to hook up the expression lights mod. Thanks to Stern for fast and helpful tech support.

Not yet, but I will update once I do.

I'd be interested in those pics if they show how you managed this, along with some further detail if possible. Getting tired of waiting for the promised part from Stern.

Thanks also to notbodied for the pics and explanation. My skills are limited, so I will wait for the fix from Stern. I wrote again to the tech support person at Stern who had responded to my initial request and he forwarded it to the parts department, and I heard from the parts department yesterday that the parts would be sent to me ASAP, so we'll see. The tech support person also sent me a PDF called "Expression lights TEE Power Adaptor Kit Game Accessory, Installation Instructions." If that's of any use of you, howitzer11, and you don't already have that PDF, let me know and I'll send it to you. It does clear some things up related to the hardware and hookup, assuming one waits for and uses the Stern fix.

Yes, good perspective. Understood. Sometimes ASAP means "As Sternly As Possible." I've been waiting 6 months for a promised replacement for a damaged cabinet for an NIB game under warranty as well. We'll see . . .

PMed link to PDF.

I have put a topper on the Pro. Looks and works great. It's routed so it will be a bit before I can get a photo, but I'll post one later if no one else does.

A cheap mod is an audio jack from pinball life or pinnovators as well as the lighted speaker panel kit. A very expensive mod is the topper, now available from some distributors, but you pay a pretty penny for that. I have all three and love them.

I agree, but I'd say you'd best check to be sure that you have the necessary harness connector (should be a free white connector in the bottom center of cabinet lying next to the speaker) before you attempt to hook them up or get them. If you read through this thread you'll see that some of us did not have that connector in our LZ Pro pins, which is necessary to hook up the expression lights, and we're still waiting on the parts from Stern to address the issue and enable the expression lights power supply hookup. Also, note that you really need to remove the playfield to hook up the expression lights, so it's much easier with two people.

Yes, you are!

Instructions from Stern for hooking up expression lights IF your machine was missing the proper harness and connector from factory to do so. A few of us with Stern Pros bought the expression lights then when we went to hook them up found out we were missing the necessary hardware, which Stern has promised to send (still waiting for the hardware, but Stern sent me the PDF for when it comes).

I have two routed LZs and the gates came off on both. What I did was reinstall each gate and simply put a drop of solder on the top end of the gate so that the straight end couldn't slip back through the assembly. The games have been played a few hundred times since and have operated properly and remained in place.

Nice fix and nice pics. Thanks!

The demo video by Tim Sexton shows the playfield removed, and I found when I installed my lights that it was definitely worth removing the playfield and having two people on hand to do it. You could probably accomplish the installation without removing the playfield, but because of the nature of the recessed lights, the number of screws involved and gaining easy access to all of them, and putting on the decals, removing the playfield is worth it, IMO.

For my money, Cointaker is a great choice for lit frames for translites:

https://cointaker.com/products/backlight-led-frame-stern-spike-2-translites

https://cointaker.com/products/backlight-led-frame-for-stern-spike-1-translites

This is typically a result of the rear of the autoplunger and shooter rod rubbing slightly against each other--even just the C-clip on the shooter rod may be rubbing. There is no one solution. Some bend the autoplunger arms a bit as Levi suggested; some add washers to the housing around the shooter rod or cut the shooter rod spring a bit to shorten it. A non-invasive experimental fix is to create a spacer by attaching something thick that is sticky on one side (say, a command strip or a thick tape such as that used under side rails) to the underside of the metal assembly so that the nylon portion of the plunger rests against this spacer instead of the metal (see image below). This added spacer, which can easily be removed, can raise the rear of the autoplunger just enough that it no longer rubs against the shooter rod, and both the autoplunger and shooter still do their jobs effectively. This issue and approach are not specific to LZ, but can be applied to any game.

Good luck!

autoplunger.png

Took my Zep out last night for a "Rock the 80s" concert and cancer awareness fundraiser in State College, PA, set on free play. Made one Led Zep fan--complete with a LZ tee-shirt--and others in 80s costumes very happy.

LZ1 (resized).JPG

LZ2 (resized).JPG

Indeed. Several people just wanted their pictures taken with it. The number one question I get when I take pins out to events: "Is anyone still making these?" Sad, but true--especially for a college town that had two great pin places just 20 years ago, one of which served as a test spot for early production models in the 90s.

Sorry to be leaving the club, but just posted my Led Zep Pro FS. $6,000 firm with lots of mods, including topper and expression lights. Will be bringing to Pinfest if it doesn't sell before then. Posting a note here in case any LZ owners know someone who's looking.

https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/ad/156259

From memory, I think I paid about $900. I bought it directly from Cointaker during one of my visits.

From what I can tell, several suppliers do have the toppers in stock:

https://www.thepinballcompany.com/product/led-zeppelin-pinball-topper-by-stern/

https://littleshopofgames.com/product-category/toppers/stern-toppers/

https://gameroomgoodies.com/products/led-zeppelin-topper-by-stern-pinball

Thanks so much, Yes, RUSH toppers are double that.

The LZ topper is definitely cool as can be. Some people disable the "search light" activity as either a distraction or because of the motor noise. I think the action is cool, but not everyone would agree, especially depending on the playing environment. And I'd say adding an audio jack, as I did, is a must. Much better game immersion.

Agreed on all counts. A nice tribute corner and a beauty of a machine. I will miss mine!

Yes, I get that same feeling when I'm actually playing LZ due to the movement of the spots, especially when I plug into the audio jack. Often makes me think my wife ventured down to the basement to watch (which isn't a bad thing ).

Good to know you can turn them off just during attract mode, Brian. Thanks for that tip.

In the manual, there is just one page devoted to wiring harness installation. Photos from that page are below. Hope this helps.

LZ Topper 1 (resized).JPG

LZ Topper 2 (resized).JPG