(Topic ID: 218285)

Play field lights wont work on my Triple Action pinball

By Needpinballhelp

5 years ago


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#1 5 years ago

Hello everyone,

Been working on this Williams Triple Action pinball machine. Was able to get everything work great except the play field lights. The back lights on the display all work fine.

I have traced all wires, checked connection, and fuses. Can't seem to find anything wrong.

Any advice or help would be appreciated!

-1
#2 5 years ago

If you're talking about these playfield lights that have a Yellow wire on one side and a Blue wire on the other side then diagnose this circuit with Alligator clip jumper wires.

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#3 5 years ago

It's either B or C on the Lock relay. One does backbox, one does playfield.

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#4 5 years ago

The preceding posts have this covered, but don’t forget the Jones plug. With age the contacts can become weak and/or oxidised.

And it will be "C" on the lock RE.

#5 5 years ago

Ohh.... and welcome to Pinside where you will find tech support 24/7 from around the world......

#6 5 years ago

I will check these tonight. I am new to working on my own machines. I also apologize in advance for my ignorance with proper terms or names of the machines.

I kept getting confused because everything seems to be working, even the backbox lights.
But not the play field lights. Fuses were good and all lights were getting power when I checked them but don't turn on.

Then I became even more confused when testing the sockets using the tester I have. Once I check for power and the tip of my tester connects with the bottom of the socket. The light will come on. But as soon as I do that and the light comes on. The machine trips the tilt.

#7 5 years ago
Quoted from Needpinballhelp:

The machine trips the tilt.

This is new information. if the machine tilts the PF light don't go out on this machine. I'll need to look at the schematic some what.

#8 5 years ago

Do the Back Board lights stay on when the PF lights go off?

Does the tilt light come on when the PF lights go out?

#9 5 years ago

Hey everyone,

Sorry for the delay. I had to order some fuses as I now have a fuse blowing. The fuses keeps blowing every so often.

I checked the lock relay. I also added some pics. Once I press the left flipper I hear and see the relay engage. When the relay engages the back box lights are on but no play field light.

I cleaned all the contacts but that didn't work. The solenoid looks burnt. Can that be the problem. The pic of the fuses and with the empty spot is the fuse that keeps blowing.

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#10 5 years ago
Quoted from Chrisbee:

Do the Back Board lights stay on when the PF lights go off?
Does the tilt light come on when the PF lights go out?

The PF lights have never come on. The pic shows when I check to make sure the light is getting power. When I do this....that specific light I am testing will come on and the rest are still off. Once I remove my tester, that light goes out like the rest of the lights.

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#12 5 years ago

The Lock RE coil is on all the time the game is on, lights on ETC, so it does get hotter than other coils. It will be working or not working, from your comments, sounds like - working.

The fuse you are blowing is on the 24v circuit. When this fuse blows the game will shut down. Even though it can be related to your PF GI ( Play Field General illumination) not working, I think you have two issues.
As for the PF GI’s, check for broken wires and check the Jones plug, (Blue wire).

As for your coil fuse, since it blows every so often, see if you can see what the ball hits when the fuse blows. Look around for broken wires or modifications, new looking solder, ETC….

#13 5 years ago

Can you also use the "PF GI Tester", take a better pic showing us how you have it set up.

#14 5 years ago

I will check the Jones plug and take better pics tomorrow.

I have one extra fuse left until new ones come in again.

#15 5 years ago

Jones plug seems good. Clean and no broken connections. This first pic is of the playfield. The machine is on and no lights.

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#16 5 years ago

This pic is of me testing a light while the machine is on. Once I touch any light socket. The game is ends but that light I am testing glows.

#17 5 years ago
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#18 5 years ago

This pic is of the same light I tested before testing it.

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#19 5 years ago

The lamp you are testing in the picture appears to be a feature lamp (via the spinner unit) and not GI. To make the Test lamp come on, it must be connected to common side of the transformer (Yellow wire) in that picture, correct me if I’m wrong.

So let’s work on the GI first. For the GI lamps to work we need a circuit starting from the common tap on the transformer. Electrons leave the transformer via the Yellow wire to the Jones Plug then through the GI Lamps than via Blue wire back through the Jones to the 15 amp fuse. From the fuse travel along the Blue/Yellow/White Wire to switch “C” on the Lock Relay (See post #3). From here, if the Lock RE is energised, via Green/Yellow/White wire back to the transformer. And that’s it.

So to make the GI lights working, there is one switch, one fuse, two Jones plug connections, wire and bulbs.

#20 5 years ago

GI Lamps, looks like the lamps under to orange spinner part are GI and normally found under plastics too.

#21 5 years ago

I have a couple of tests you can run to narrow down the Play field light problem.

(Jumper with the power off)
1. Jumper the lock re. (a wire with alligator clips) Blu-y-w and G-y-w. Turn on the machine and see if the lights appear.
- if the lights work clean and gap the lock re. Make sure the contact moves when the lock re. coil pulls. Sometimes it looks right but a good connection isn't made. (I know, this is my most common issue).

2. Remove the fuse and test for continuity
- if blown replace and test. If blows again then you have other issues.

3. With the Jones plug, unplugged.
- Check for continuity of the blue wire between the Fuse and Jones plug.
- Check for continuity of the Yellow wire between the Transform and the Jones plug.
- Check for continuity of the blue wire between the Jones plug and the light.
- Check for continuity of the Yellow wire between the Jones plug and the light.

If one of these fails then you know which wire to trace.

4. Jumper the blue wire at the Jones plug (Connect the wire on male and female side of the plug).
if the lights work Clean the male side of the jones plug

5. Jumper the Yellow wire at the Jones plug
if the lights work Clean the male side of the jones plug

#22 5 years ago

I will test these today and let everyone know. I appreciate all the help and again, I apologize for my ignorance of the machine and terms. This is all new to me!

#23 5 years ago
Quoted from Chrisbee:

The lamp you are testing in the picture appears to be a feature lamp (via the spinner unit) and not GI. To make the Test lamp come on, it must be connected to common side of the transformer (Yellow wire) in that picture, correct me if I’m wrong.

I chose that light because it was close with enough room for my phone to get a clear picture. Any light under the playfield will light up if I touch the bottom with my tester.

The lights include the spinner lights, bonus lights, bumper lights, lights under plastics, and so on. I hope I am making sense.

#24 5 years ago
Quoted from Needpinballhelp:

Any light under the playfield will light up if I touch the bottom with my tester.

To what have you connected the lamp end of the tester too?

If you think about this, it may help you find the fault. effectively you are taking the fault out of the circuit with your tester.

And don't concern yourself about terminology, we all were NEW to this once..... We like Newbe's asking question here at "Pinside EM Technical help department".

#25 5 years ago

Guess what folks......I have all lights working. I worked on my first EM machine!

Without the help from everyone this would have never of been fixed.

The problem was a broken connector under the Jones plug. I believe I was checking the wrong Jones plug previously. Not having the knowledge of reading the schematics telling me where everything was located.

I pulled every Jones plug one by one. I pulled one and found the broken piece. Soldering for the first time was a challenge but I was finally able to form a connection. Once the soldering was completed, the Jones plug back together. Turned the machine on and all lights were working.

Once again thank you all for the help. Hopefully no future issues!

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#26 5 years ago

Yahoooo!!!!!!

Once you have solved a problem like this, we should mark this issue as solved. To do that there is a tickbox above the 1st post to the right.

#27 5 years ago

Hi Needpinballhelp
You mention in post-25: "Soldering for the first time was a challenge" --- sad but true and by now not a problem any more - when I started to fix pins and so was using an solder iron: I used a cheap solder iron - it was hetting too hot - the Kolophonium in the solder-stuff vaporized - I could not get a good soldering. By now I have an (better) solder-station with a knob to turn - to adjust temperature on the solder iron - so the Kolophonium does not vaporize too early. Greetings Rolf

#28 5 years ago

I bought this after using a cheap Radio Shack one I had. No problems with this Weller model.

Weller WLC100 40-Watt Soldering Station

9 months later
#29 5 years ago

I am new to this forum. I have a Triple Action also and have the same problem. However, the suggested fixes are not working. I have one symptom not mentioned. The second fuse from the top burns out. I suspect a short is causing this, it where. Anyone else had this problem?

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