Charlotte, NC
I have a Party Zone pinball that I can't seem to find the source of a problem between the flashers and the Captain B Zarr eject saucer.
Noting that every single flash bulb was burnt out on the game, I was in the process of installing new bulbs for each flash circuit with the game in test mode for each of the distinct flashers. I quickly realized that if I installed just one of say the two or three flashers for each circuit, that the eject hole would try to fire... essentially, when the flasher was energized, the eject solenoid would weakly fire as well. Left in for anything more than 3 pulses, and the flashers would all burn out.
I also noted that with the playfield flash lamps installed, but NOT installing the backbox flasher for each associated circuit, would alleviate the problem. Meaning no backbox flasher, no eject firing, and flashers would not burn out.
Also of note is that the flashers that are affected are only the ones on the High power side of connector J126 on the power driver board. The 4 other flash lamp circuits are on J122 and J123.
I've tried a known working Driver board from another game and the results do not change from board to board, so I'm convinced it's somewhere in the wiring or playfield. I have checked EVERY flash lamp socket for shorts, or frayed wires that might connect to any wiring on the solenoid circuit. Nothing has been found that would cause the short as described.
The power for the flash lamps is fed by the Black/White wire coming from J107, but that also feeds the 4 flash lamp circuits that do NOT cause the eject to try and fire, so I'm stumped as to where else to try and determine the short may lie.
Just for information's sake, the Captain Head also has an issue where the activation of the switch for the rear VUK sends the head into a non stop clockwise spin until the wires wrapping around the mechanism bind it up and cause a malfunction and it shuts down the motor. The Head Direction and Head On/Off transistors also run through the J126 connector, just like the problem flashers. Not sure if this is completely unrelated or not, just noting what I've found.
Where and how would you continue to diagnose where this short could lie? I'm all ears.
Thanks
