(Topic ID: 278758)

Player unit reset problem with Williams A-Go-Go

By rlbohon3

3 years ago



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  • 6 posts
  • 3 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 3 years ago by rlbohon3
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#1 3 years ago

I'm working on a Williams A-Go-Go and one problem I'm trying to resolve now is that when I'm in a 2, 3, or 4 player game, the player unit doesn't want to reset back to player one after draining ball #1 of the last player. In other words, for a 2 player game, when ball #1 drains for player 2, it does not reset the player unit to player 1, and it does not advance to ball #2. Instead, it advances the player to player 3 (even while in a 2 player game) and continues with ball #1. Likewise, for a 3 player game, when ball #1 drains for player 3, it does not reset the player unit to player 1, and it does not advance to ball #2. Instead, it advances the player to player 4 (even while in a 3 player game) and continues with ball #1. Same thing for a 4 player game.

Observing the player reset solenoid while someone else plays the game, I don't see it attempting to energize when it should be resetting back to player 1 after draining the ball for player 2,3 or 4 (for a 2,3, or 4 player game). However, if I shut the game down while on player 2, 3 or 4, and then restart a game, it will reset the player unit back to player 1. So, that tells me the player reset solenoid is working, but it's just not being told to reset at the end of the a ball for a 2, 3, or 4, player game. I'm thinking there is a switch not making contact in the coin unit, but I'm having a hard time chasing this down in the schematic (file:///D:/Williams_1966_A_Go_Go_Schematic_Diagram_continuous.pdf). If not that, what else could it be?

Any tips?

#2 3 years ago

Check this NO score motor sw. D.

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#3 3 years ago

This has come up a few times recently. The Player Unit won't reset until the Ball Count advances which won't happen until you can complete the circuit through the Player and Coin units. Have a read through https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/williams-grand-prix-revival#post-5781235 to get an idea of how the circuit should work. It should give you a start anyway. Your schematic is very similar to the one posted there.

/Mark

#4 3 years ago
Quoted from currieddog:

Check this NO score motor sw. D.
[quoted image]

Thanks. I checked that switch and it's working correctly.

Quoted from MarkG:

This has come up a few times recently. The Player Unit won't reset until the Ball Count advances which won't happen until you can complete the circuit through the Player and Coin units. Have a read through https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/williams-grand-prix-revival#post-5781235 to get an idea of how the circuit should work. It should give you a start anyway. Your schematic is very similar to the one posted there.
/Mark

Thank you. I read through the other post to get an idea (had to spend a fair amount of time digesting it); then I looked at the schematic for A Go-Go and yep, it has basically the same circuit.

For the Coin Unit, I feel like I went through it: removed the spider, cleaned the contacts (both board and spider sides), checked/adjusted the spider legs to make sure the contacts are being pressed against the board, replaced the clock spring, and reassembled. By manually moving the solenoid plungers, it seems to be stepping and resetting correctly and the contacts on the spider seem to be landing in the center of the board contacts.

For the Ball Count Unit, I did basically the same thing (didn't replace the clock spring, but it seems to be stepping/resetting fine).

For the Player Unit, it is seemingly difficult to really remove and access much of the mechanism. I haven't figured out how to really remove it as it bound by all the wires going to it. However, I was able to carefully remove the plate with all of the spring loaded contacts that ride on the board. A couple contacts seemed to not move very freely in the plate. The springs weren't pushing the contacts all the way back out. After cleaning w/ some alcohol, they're all moving freely in the plate now. I was hoping that was the smoking gun but unfortunately the problem is still there.

I cleaned and checked the contacts on the Player Reset Relay as well, they seem fine.

As for what activates the Player Rest Relay, I might be getting closer. I noticed that whenever the game fails to reset the player back to player 1 when it should, the Player Reset Relay is not activating. Alternatively, when the game properly resets to player 1, the Player Reset Relay does activate. Looking at the schematic, I see a switch called "Ball Unit EOS MK". Maybe my mind is just getting too wrapped around the axel at this point, but where is this switch? Ball Unit? Is that the same thing as Ball Count Unit? I realize this is an end of stroke "make", but where is this switch located? Maybe that switch isn't "making" properly (will know hopefully once I find it).

Thanks for the help.

Capture (resized).PNGCapture (resized).PNG
#5 3 years ago

I think it's a normally open switch that gets closed by the advance arm on the Ball Count unit. If you think about it the Player Unit should reset back to player 1 whenever the Ball Count advances. As with the other posts though I think the problem is getting the signal through the Player Unit, Coin unit and the few other switches to advance the Ball Count Unit.

Try bypssing part of the circuit with an alligator clip test lead to see when the Ball Count does or doesn't advance. That should help you find the problem switch(es).

#6 3 years ago

Well, I think I finally fixed it. It seems there were a few issues and as soon as I fixed one thing, a new behavior would happen. I lost count at how many times I swore I was going to drag the game to the curb and light it on fire.

The Ball Unit EOS switch was one of the problems. Then there was a new symptom with the game not wanting to allow more than two players. It was a EOS (break) switch on the Coin Unit way out of position. I probably caused that while working on the Coin Unit at one point. After cleaning the contacts on the plate on the Player Unit, no other issues there. The Ball Unit has a couple other switches that open in the ball 1 position that I had to clean. It seems that the EOS switch that is made when the Ball Unit step up solenoid fires is very sensitive to being correctly adjusted. Gap too close and it won’t reliably step up the ball in play. Gap too much and it doesn’t reset the player correctly.

Anyway, it’s working now (except for the match feature). Looking forward to bringing this game back home to its owner. He’s never seen it work since buying it.

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