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(Topic ID: 108065)

Mario Pinball - launch button doesn't work

By matboz

9 years ago


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#1 9 years ago
OP
 
MAT

matboz

Inactive member

US Chicago, IL

9y 5,650 5 1

I have a Gottlieb Super Mario Bros pinball and recently the launch button stopped working. It is one of the lit up style buttons and the light is lit. I've removed the switch, and directly pressing the switch still doesn't launch the ball. I've replaced the switch and the issue remains. If I leave the ball sitting in the launcher the game can automatically fire it, so it is an issue with switching somehow.

Any ideas what I should check next?

I'm a little new to pinball maintenance, but am giving it a try.

Thanks!

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#2 9 years ago
 
DWR

rancegt

Inactive member

US Rio Rancho, NM

11y 34,650 799 5

If you know how to perform a switch edge test, that would be a good start. That will tell you whether the CPU sees the switch at all.

Do you have the manual for it? Gottlieb schematics aren't available online. There's something called a "Switch Matrix" in the manual. If the switch isn't showing up on the Edge Test, you'll need to test the other switches that share a row and column with the launch button.

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#3 9 years ago
OP
 
MAT

matboz

Inactive member

US Chicago, IL

9y 5,650 5 1

I do have the manual with schematics. I will take a look and post back. Thanks!

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#4 9 years ago
 
TOX

ChrisHibler

Chris' Pinball Repair

US Chesterfield, MO

12y 120K 9,993 46

A buddy of mine who doesn't post here, just added this to the Wiki. It may help resolve the issue for you.
http://www.pinwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Gottlieb_System_3#Repair_Logs
--
Chris Hibler - CARGPB #31
http://www.Team-EM.com
http://webpages.charter.net/chibler/Pinball/ndex.htm
http://www.PinWiki.com - The Place to go for Pinball Repair Info

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#5 9 years ago
OP
 
MAT

matboz

Inactive member

US Chicago, IL

9y 5,650 5 1

Thanks ChrisHibler, the description does sound like my problem. The resolution suggests cleaning the shooter lane switch with a business card. I don't really see how do to that, do you have any suggestions? The switch seems to move up and down and make contact properly. After moving it around some I played a game and all 3 balls launched, but then when I turned the machine off and back on it didn't work the next time, so it may need to be additionally cleaned. The only other odd thing I'm seeing is in my switch test I see switch #30 constantly activated which is a rollover drop down target. I can find it on my playfield (by touching random switches) and can't find where that would be in the manual.

Thanks,

Matt

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#6 9 years ago
 
DWR

rancegt

Inactive member

US Rio Rancho, NM

11y 34,650 799 5

Chris was talking about cleaning the switch contacts with the business card. Just slide the business card between the contacts, close the switch from the top of the playfield, and move the card back and forth a few times.

OP
Quoted from matboz:

I can find it on my playfield (by touching random switches) and can't find where that would be in the manual.

I think you mean that you can't find it on the playfield. There's a set of drawings in the back of your manual that show locations of switches, lamps, and solenoids. I believe it's after all of the schematics, etc.

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#7 9 years ago
 
NWB

bingopodcast

For Amusement Only Games

US Richmond, VA

11y 131K 5,841 26 9

Isn't the shooter lane switch on Mario a smart switch? If so, you can't clean with a biz card. If the switch is not registering in switch test, then you'll have to replace.

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#8 9 years ago
 
DWR

rancegt

Inactive member

US Rio Rancho, NM

11y 34,650 799 5

Quoted from bingopodcast:

Isn't the shooter lane switch on Mario a smart switch? If so, you can't clean with a biz card. If the switch is not registering in switch test, then you'll have to replace.

I think you're right, but I don't know for sure and I didn't want to complicate things. Smart switches usually have a tag to identify them as such.

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#9 9 years ago
OP
 
MAT

matboz

Inactive member

US Chicago, IL

9y 5,650 5 1

OK, so switch #30 which was constantly activated was just the drop target between the flippers that is typically down ... and thus activated. The Playfield Switch assignments section of the manual shows various smart switches are used in this game, but the shooter lane rollover is identified as a regular switch. So I will try the business card cleaning method first.

Thanks!

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#10 9 years ago
 
CMX

viperrwk

Inactive member

US New Haven, CT

12y 42,650 4,167

SMB is the only Sys3 game (unless you also want to count S&S) that only has an autolauncher. All the other ones have a conventional plunger and some (like Stargate) also have an autolauncher with the conventional plunger as well.

Gottlieb used conventional switches on the shooter lane rollovers and not smart switches so cleaning with a business card is the way to go. If the machine doesn't see the ball in the shooter lane the autolauncher won't fire when you press the launch button.

viperrwk

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#11 9 years ago
OP
 
MAT

matboz

Inactive member

US Chicago, IL

9y 5,650 5 1

Yep, the business card did it. Thanks a lot everyone!!

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#12 9 years ago
 
TOX

ChrisHibler

Chris' Pinball Repair

US Chesterfield, MO

12y 120K 9,993 46

OP
Quoted from matboz:

Yep, the business card did it. Thanks a lot everyone!!

Thanks for posting the resolution!
--
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

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