Congrats!

The motors will primarily stop if the timer hits the maximum step (#8). Check the limit switch to make sure it's opening and closing properly and is clean.

If I get really in a groove and am playing well - making my numbers - then I come down to my last ball and bring it back to the ball return two times, spending a little cool down time between plunges, I definitely time out before the final ball has settled. No big deal, pressing the R button brings it back to life by resetting the timer unit.

However, the timer unit cannot advance beyond step #5 until after the 5th ball is shot. In other words, the timer unit will not move freely until after the game is 'over' and the last ball is shot.

Playing for Extra Balls will also reset the timer.

Does that make sense? If you are experiencing a timeout well before then, then you definitely need to check your limit switch on the timer unit.

Nice find on the topper! I'm about to mount one of those on the Multi myself!

Terry, I'm sure others could describe it more eloquently, but I'll give it a shot.

When you are awarded the 'OK' feature on Bikini or Lido, you do not have to play the red letter game right away. In fact, instead of highlighting a letter on the backglass, a number is lit, indicating the number of futurity increase with two or more in the orange section.

Playing a futurity game is similar to a red letter game. Pressing the orange button on the footrail will play off the futurity game banked. There is a separate instruction card that indicates which odds and features are awarded for each futurity game number.

When the orange button is pressed, the current game immediately ends (or a new game starts), all the balls drop, and the odds and features rack up based on the earned futurity number.

What makes Bikini (and Lido) unique is that you can bank them. Earn a two increase in futurity? Rather than having to play a low level red letter game, keep playing until you earn another low level. Then you have a much better red letter (OK) game ready to play.

I'm using 'red letter' to describe the actual guaranteed free game. The futurity button provides this.

Don't know if that's more confusing? I'll re-read it later and see.

Yes, same question... But also, did they transfer those metal tubes or make new ones?

If they made new ones, how did they do it?

Steve is no longer making them with no future plans to make more (at the moment).

Is it only odds lamps or features too?

I'm leaning toward fuse block problem, though it certainly could be anti-cheat relay depending on your answer.

Number display uses 17v fuse and search requires solid 50v. I'm wondering if your anti-cheat might have a couple funky switches?

Does back glass show tilt when it happens? Do replays knock off?

Yep!

Look at the back of your backglass and match it up. Usually two lamps illuminate the word tilt. I don't recall off hand where it is on bikini.

The lamps might be dead, sockets cruddy, or tilt relay and or anti-cheat switch not making or dirty.

The lamps are all displayed along the top of the schematic, particularly, for the odds, beginning at L-13.

To troubleshoot stuff like this, I almost always work backwards (from the coil or from the lamp) - let's start with the basic yellow odds.

Let's look at what's in-line with the fuse (where the power is coming from):

1) One switch on the anti-cheat relay
2) One switch on the tilt trip relay
3) The 3A fuse.

Assuming all those are ok, let's connect the 'hot' side with the 'common' side to power that bulb:

1) Yellow score disc -and/or-
2) Spotting disc

It's somewhere in there.

That leads me back to either #1 or #2 in the first section above - it's either one (or more) switches that are misaligned (probably very slightly) in the anti-cheat or the tilt trip relay.

The Anti-cheat is located along the right-side wall of the light board when looking from the back door.

The tilt trip is within the trip bank and is much harder to see - it's about 1/3 of the way down and is comprised of two stacks of switches.

If I'm wrong, it wouldn't be the first time but I strongly suspect it's in one of those two places that you have an issue.

If it would help, I can pinpoint wire colors for you - sometimes that does, and sometimes it doesn't depending on the condition of the wires. Do you follow what I am saying above on the schematic?

One important thing to note is that the schematic is drawn as if there are no problems with wire insulation or other electrical issues. What you may be experiencing is a short that is causing your 50v to drop out (which would kill your anti-cheat, effectively stopping the game and killing any odds lights). Alternatively, remember that the zero or index position on all your odds steppers will not light any lamps. The game is supposed to be stepping them on first press and may not be. This could be due to several factors, the easiest of which is that there's a mechanical (read: dirt) problem on your odds steppers.

Next time this happens, I want you to go back into the back and check the position of your odds steppers. If you manually step one of them up, does it make a difference? What about if you press the relay armature for the anti-cheat?

Spotting disc is only used on coin flash. You have an issue that is preventing your odds from stepping initially after reset. Not anti-cheat related. I'll have to look at the schematic, but off-hand, I think @okorange's suggestion of shutter motor switch is a good place to start.

I call that a kiss.

Yes, futurity number does follow the green odds. In the 20 hole games, Bally changed the red letter to follow the red odds.

I'll be at a computer later and I can check the schematic. You're looking for the guaranteed single step-up on the odds discs. That is where the whole shooting match is falling over.

Here's a question for you - does the odds not stepping happen on a game after you've played for extra balls?

My suspicion is that EB trip relay #1 has a marginal switch or a single pole double throw that is not properly changing state.

Also, each odds stepper has a NC switch until it hits the 8th step. If that switch is not closed and clean, then your odds can't step. I would probably check that first because it's pretty easy to see.