Maverick
Data East, 1994As I was replacing all of the drop targets on on my Maverick, I noticed that I have drop targets, that when you hit them, they don't register any points. I pulled out the switch banks and checked the switches. Verified with an ohmmeter that the switches are opening and closing. So if my switches are opening and closing, how come I don't register any points when the targets are hit ??
Thanks.....
Quoted from Pinminister:As I was replacing all of the drop targets on on my Maverick, I noticed that I have drop targets, that when you hit them, they don't register any points. I pulled out the switch banks and checked the switches. Verified with an ohmmeter that the switches are opening and closing. So if my switches are opening and closing, how come I don't register any points when the targets are hit ??
Thanks.....
Do the switches register in the switch tests in the game diagnostics?
wayout440, thanks for getting back to me. When I put the game in diagnostics , go into switch test, when I press all 17 drop targets only 10 of them register. I have 7 drop targets that are not registering when they are hit. Like I said earlier, I pulled out all three switch banks and verified operation of the switches, can you tell me why I have so many that are not working?.
Thanks again.....
In the switch matrix diagram below I have highlighted the 17 drop targets in yellow. Please identify which ones are not working. This is important information to help determine where the problem(s) are in your game. There can be several possible causes.
As an example, a poor contact between the wire on the backbox connector CN8-3 or to the first target in the chain (switches are daisy chained together in rows and columns) or a failed transistor Q53 would cause the entire column of 8 targets in column #3 to not respond.
Some helpful information can also be found here: http://techniek.flipperwinkel.nl/desega/index3.htm#switch
mavswitch.jpgwayout440, I checked the switches again and these are the ones that are not registering: 18, 26, 27, 34, 35. Also, I don't know if this anything to do with my problems, I posted this last week but nobody replied. When I had the play field lifted last week I noticed a 2 connector black and gray connector laying in the bottom left corner of the playfield. I don't know if this came off when I lifted the playfield or if it is even used . I do not see any place for this to go. I have attached a picture of this connector again, if you could tell me where this goes I would really appreciate it.
Thanks again for your help on this.....image-93.jpgimage.jpg
Wayout440, is it possible you can tell me what that connector plugs into on the top of the playfield? I'm looking at mine again and I can not find a black/gray connector going to the top of the playfield. Also can you shed any light on my switch problem. I don't see any thing that these switches have in common.
Thanks again .....
Quoted from Pinminister:Wayout440, is it possible you can tell me what that connector plugs into on the top of the playfield? I'm looking at mine again and I can not find a black/gray connector going to the top of the playfield. Also can you shed any light on my switch problem. I don't see any thing that these switches have in common.
Thanks again .....
The connector grey and black wires run to the opto transmitters for the Lauren Belle lock switches. Without the transmitter LEDs getting power, your lock switches 45 and 46 should be failing switch tests. 
The switches you reported failing might appear scattered, and don't necessarily have to be caused by one problem, there could be multiple problems. I noticed one thing common, switches 18, 26, and 34 are in the same row. One wire could have broken off one switch causing all three to not register. Or a totally different switch in row 2 could have a broken wire that daisy chains over to these switches.
With scattered multiple switches out I find it is usually easiest to start at one end of a row or column and work my way through checking continuity from the backbox connector and then one switch to the next in the daisy chain. It's a pain, but usually I find a broken wire, diode or something eventually- and often the culprit is on a working switch that feeds off to the switches that have failed.
Thanks for the info. Way out440, it's going to be a couple of days before I get a chance to spend some time on it, I'll let you know next week my progress..
Thanks again...
Quoted from Pinminister:Thanks for the info. Way out440, it's going to be a couple of days before I get a chance to spend some time on it, I'll let you know next week my progress..
Thanks again...
Your Welcome, and good luck. Let us know what you find.
Wayout440, here's the latest. Turns out my two stand up targets next to the ramp were not working either. So I had a total of nine switches not working. Took your advice started in the headbox, went row by row, column by column, switch by switch. Six hours later I'm happy to report all switches are working. I found three broken wires in one row alone, there was a broken diode on one of the switches on the 4 bank drop assy., there was an IDC connector that had the wire pry up just enough on one side so that it was open, and also a broken wire on one of the switches on the 5 bank drop target assy. So thanks again for all your help. Also, to the4horse thanks for the picture. Unfortunately even with the pictures provided, I can not find a connector that goes up to the playfield. Everything appears to be working ok. Is it possible that this machine may have been modified at one point and this connector is no. Longer needed.?? I just got this machine a couple of months ago , so I don't know anything about its history. Can you tell me what colors the other connector is that goes up the playfield? Sorry to keep asking about this but it bugs me that I can't find where this goes. Once again thanks for all the help....
Quoted from Pinminister:Wayout440, here's the latest. Turns out my two stand up targets next to the ramp were not working either. So I had a total of nine switches not working. Took your advice started in the headbox, went row by row, column by column, switch by switch. Six hours later I'm happy to report all switches are working. I found three broken wires in one row alone, there was a broken diode on one of the switches on the 4 bank drop assy., there was an IDC connector that had the wire pry up just enough on one side so that it was open, and also a broken wire on one of the switches on the 5 bank drop target assy. So thanks again for all your help. Also, to the4horse thanks for the picture. Unfortunately even with the pictures provided, I can not find a connector that goes up to the playfield. Everything appears to be working ok. Is it possible that this machine may have been modified at one point and this connector is no. Longer needed.?? I just got this machine a couple of months ago , so I don't know anything about its history. Can you tell me what colors the other connector is that goes up the playfield? Sorry to keep asking about this but it bugs me that I can't find where this goes. Once again thanks for all the help....
Ah, good you are solving the issues 
As far as the connector goes, which I believe supplies power to the opto transmitters:
Take off the three screws and lift the Lauren Belle top to have a quick look. The black and grey wire should be feeding the two opto transmitters on the right hand side of the wireform. If that wire is there, you can follow it to satisfy your curiosity and piece of mind. If it is not, look at the transmitters, they should be illuminating brightly red. This game used visible red LED opto transmitters. Perhaps you have different colored wiring feeding the transmitters from a previous repair or modification...I dunno.
At least they (the lock switches) are working, right?
wayout440, took the Lauren belle off, I don't see any black/gray wire, I don't see any optos. The only thing I see are two mechanical switches which are the lock switches, and they both work. The only opto I see on this game is one on the right side of the paddle wheel entrance. I've attached another picture with the Lauren belle removed.image.jpg
Quoted from Pinminister:wayout440, took the Lauren belle off, I don't see any black/gray wire, I don't see any optos. The only thing I see are two mechanical switches which are the lock switches, and they both work. The only opto I see on this game is one on the right side of the paddle wheel entrance. I've attached another picture with the Lauren belle removed.
Well, that would explain why you don't have wires coming off the connector anymore. Someone modded this game and removed the optos because they couldn't fix them properly.
wayout440, I forgot to mention yesterday that another pinsider emailed me a couple of weeks ago when I first posted this, and he said that his machine also does not have that 2 pin connector connected to anything. He didn't know why or what it was for, but said he would have one of his knowledgeable tech. buddies come over and ask him. He emailed the other day and said his friend looked at the machine and said " that it should have been connected to a two pin connector coming from the paddle wheel opto, but along the way someone cut off the other two-pin connector and connected those wires coming form the opto directly into the wires leading into the "unused" two-pin connector. Does that make any sense?" So I don't really know what he means by that but it sounds like both of our games have been modded in the past. Anyway, today I'm going to change out all the rubber, get rid of the red and white and go to black, give it a good cleaning and call it good. Thanks for all your help with this as you can probably tell I don't do a whole lot of pinball repair so all the advice and tips are greatly appreciated.
And to the 4horse, yes I did stand the playfield up and look in from the side, like I said no optos.
Machine plays g
It was a common repair because the optos failed on these games from day one. usually only the paddle wheel entrance optos are replaced with a reed switch, but some owners also replaced the lock optos with mechanical switches.
Thanks for the information. I need to ask one more question about this game and forgive me for as dumb as it sounds, as I had the playfield up, one of the tee nuts that holds the lane changers in place fell out. The tee nut is located underneath the flipper assy. I need to take out the flipper assy. to get at this. My question is how do you remove the flipper bats inorder to pull out the flipper assy. I thought they would just lift off but they're not coming off and I dont want to break them. Does something else have to be removed to pull the flipper bat off??
Thanks..
There's a hex screw on the assembly that secures the flipper shaft. unscrew and pull flipper bat and shaft out from top of the playfield.
here's a tutorial explaining why the opto wire harness isn't used anymore.
http://www.pinballrebel.com/game/pins/mav/fix/fix.htm
the allen screw with the red cap on the end. loosen it and then remove the one piece bat/shaft from above playfield.
You're welcome. Lonnie and Lyman made a fun ruleset with the 17 drop targets. rebuild the flippers and enjoy a great game.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-upgradingrebuilding-flippers
http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=248
Quoted from sanctumwear:here's a tutorial explaining why the opto wire harness isn't used anymore.
http://www.pinballrebel.com/game/pins/mav/fix/fix.htm
That tutorial doesn't explain why the optos are not used, but shows a mechanical switch "workaround" for those that can't fix the optos...which are actually easy to service. Most of the time the problems are simply broken wires or cracked pads on the opto modules. I serviced mine and have never had a problem since.
This is a link to the technical service bulletin for troubleshooting and repairing the optos:
http://arcarc.xmission.com/Pinball/Stern%20Service%20Bulletins/sb/sb67.pdf
Thanks to both of you for the information. I have to get some new tee nuts so it will be a couple of days before i finish up. Hopefully no more problems....
Quoted from wayout440:That tutorial doesn't explain why the optos are not used, but shows a mechanical switch "workaround" for those that can't fix the optos...which are actually easy to service. Most of the time the problems are simply broken wires or cracked pads on the opto modules. I serviced mine and have never had a problem since.
The top right paddle entrance opto board was always having issues caused by vibration from the VUK. Sega service department recommended the change after it became a common problem for operators. I'm sure now in a home setting it holds up fine.
Quoted from sanctumwear:here's a tutorial explaining why the opto wire harness isn't used anymore.
http://www.pinballrebel.com/game/pins/mav/fix/fix.htm
Since I'm having troubles in that my game won't lock the pinballs and it seems related to this thread, I'm hoping for some help.
Okay it seems to me that the work around reed switch is specifically only for right above the paddle wheel. What I don't understand is a work around mentioned earlier in this thread of mechanical switches that were used to replace the optos that lock the balls.
I'm talking specifically in the area where there's a total of two receivers and two transmitter opto boards sitting side by side attached to part of the wireform. They are the ones that let the game know to lock ball one and the ball lock number 2. These aren't the optos that sense the ball entering the paddle wheel. They're switches 45 and 46 I believe.
Quoted from WesleyCowan:Since I'm having troubles in that my game won't lock the pinballs and it seems related to this thread, I'm hoping for some help.
Okay it seems to me that the work around reed switch is specifically only for right above the paddle wheel. What I don't understand is a work around mentioned earlier in this thread of mechanical switches that were used to replace the optos that lock the balls.
I'm talking specifically in the area where there's a total of two receivers and two transmitter opto boards sitting side by side attached to part of the wireform. They are the ones that let the game know to lock ball one and the ball lock number 2. These aren't the optos that sense the ball entering the paddle wheel. They're switches 45 and 46 I believe.
Really, fixing the opto's is not a usually a big deal, mine have been completely trouble free since I repaired them when I got the machine. If they are missing, they could be even built from scratch. If you want to sub the optos with some other switch, you can do this as well. It would just be a matter of mounting them that would be the biggest challenge, I'm sure someone has done this somewhere. You could use rollover type switches (sticking the trip wire into the habitrail) or reed switches...again, the biggest problem would probably be figuring out exactly how and where to mount them.
IMO, I would just repair the optos and be done with it.
Quoted from wayout440:Really, fixing the opto's is not a usually a big deal, mine have been completely trouble free since I repaired them when I got the machine. If they are missing, they could be even built from scratch.
I'm understanding you could get the resistors, transistors and leds to make one. But how about the PCB itself. I don't understand how you could make the board itself.
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Saginaw, MI
Coolangatta