I started working on a Bally KISS that a picked up a while back.

I imagine the issue was caused by me, as it would seem too coincidental that it would happen now if this wasn’t me. Here’s what I was doing.

I had everything working, and was replacing some dead bulbs. I was trying to get to a screw in a plastic in the back of the play field area, so I moved the playiekd out about 2 inches. I heard a buzzing and smelled a burnt smell, so I cut the game’s power off immediately. I then went searching for what may have burned.

I discovered there are a couple of fried wires coming off the transformer, which lead to power supply board.

I was going to replace the power supply board and re-pin the harnesses any ways, but what should I do about the transformer now?

Did my moving the play field cause that to burn up? Is it something I can repair, or do I need to get a new one? Is this a part that is too dangerous to keep in the game if it had this issue? Is the transformer something that is best to send out to an expert for repair?

I have never dealt with any power supply stuff before, so I’m at a real loss at what to do.

As always, it’s one step forward and three steps backwards.

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TBH, i didn’t check the fuse amps yet. It is a game I picked up a little while back, and it was unknown if it had issues, or was working. I had simply set the game up, connected all the wires/boards, and I turned it on to see what would come on at this point. I hadn’t gotten too far in to it when I made this goof.

I’m going to the redoing the wiring in the transformer, and I already had the new rectifier board, pins, and harnesses. Unfortunately, I wish I would have gotten the rectifier in before today, as maybe it would have prevented this extent of damage...especially if there are wrong amp fuses in (I will check that tomorrow for curiosity sake).

Thanks for the reply and input!
—Ed

“Easy fix, but time consuming” is a-okay in my book...lol.
Thanks for the reply and input!

I already have the rectifier board, pins, and harnesses, as they were going to be my next item to do—too bad I didn’t get them in sooner, as maybe this wouldn’t have been as bad.
I ordered a set of wires for the transformer from a Pinsider who sells them as sets, which includes the correct colors and sizes, etc. for under $10 deleieved, and with instal instructions, I figured it would make things easier all around.

While I hadn’t originally planned on rewiring the transformer to the rectifier board, I guess doing it when I am going to put a new rectifier is a good time to do it.

And yes, I will check the old fuses that were on the board, tomorrow, out of curiosity. I bought the game in unknown working order, so I was still early in checking stuff when I made this rookie mistake moving the PF with power on, thus shorting it out.

I will check out the bullet proofing the power supply.,,thanks!

Thanks again, I will post updates Incase anyone is interested in how it turned out...lol.

Thanks again,
—Ed

All good advice, thank you! I will be rewiring the transformer ASAP. I already had a new rectifier board aaiting to go in, and I had planned to do the pins/harness work when I put the new rectifier in... too bad I hadn’t gotten them in yet, as maybe this could have been prevented.

I will check the fuses for curiosity sake tomorrow. I had barely gotten in to much when I made this screw up.

My biggest concern was if I would need to source a new transformer, but that doesn’t seem to be the case yet.

Thanks again for the reply and info!
—Ed

Okay, one step forward and five steps back. I redid all of the wires from the transformer going to the rectifier board. I also replaced the rectifier board. Game was starting to come back to life, so I figured I should redo the pins in the harnesses, especially those on the rectifier board.

Here is where I screw up so much that I don't even have words do describe my stupidity.

I got new displays, which required me to build them. I finished one, and thought, hey, I should try it out. I put it in the way I think it should go in, and the harness is having such a hard time going on, that I think it is about to break. I then look at it and see (HERE IT COME.... be ready) that if I flip the harness, it will fit. And yes, it fit so perfect this way that I think I must have messed up something in my build, and this must be right. I turn the game on .... displays dead. I replace 2 dead fuses (one on the rectifier and one on the driver board--granted, the driver board may have been from the original issue).

So, here I am, no displays, no game booting....and feeling really really dumb. I know we all have to learn...I just get really frustrated when I realize how dumb of mistakes I am making in some of my learning lessons.

any advice on what I should do next? (and I fully expect the "what you should do next is sell all your pinball machines")