Check your tilt relay in the cabinet and all of the tilts (pendulum, ball, slam switches). If it is tilted, it would do as you indicate.

I'm leaving town this afternoon for the weekend. I'll check back when I return.

Take a look at switch A on the #4 cam of the score motor. This switch should pulse the ball release coil kicking the ball to the shooter lane. It sounds as if it's not kicking the ball out and as it progresses, sees the ball still in the outhole and steps the ball count unit down. Make sure that the ball release coil is working correctly.

You mentioned a ball count relay that stays energized, I think you're referring to the ball index relay. This should stay on until you've scored points. This is used so that your first ball, should it fall back in to the outhole without getting any points, will not count. You may want to double check the switches on it as well, if it's energized, the Ball Reset coil (the step down coil on the ball count unit) should not pulse. (Note: there is still a path that it could, for that, check your Game and Coin relays, but check those second.)

These are the main circuits I see in the schematic (http://mirror2.ipdb.org/files/1483/Williams_1974_Lucky_Ace_Schematic_Diagram_continuous_jpg.zip) that I think you should chase down. If there are other relays in the game that are staying energized when you don't think they should be, gather that info and report back.

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I'm not familiar with why the tilt would cause this behavior, but I'm not arguing FrankJ either, I just don't know. Looking at the schematic however, it looks to me like the tilt relay shouldn't be energized if the ball is in the outhole at all unless you have a mis-aligned switch on the outhole relay. I suppose it's possible that it could be set up that if you tilt, you lose all remaining balls instead of just ending the game, but on a multiplayer, that would be a crummy thing to do if player 1 tilts and wastes player 2's game.

I agree with checking the tilts first. I really enjoy my Lucky Ace. I have a clear coated playfield installed. It's an awesome game and very fast for a EM.

luckyace_ccpf.jpg

it still sounds to me like the same concept I was suggesting earlier. did you check the switch A on the cam 4? That's the switch that should kick the ball out. If that switch is clean and gapped correctly, the only other switch that should be in play here is listed on the schematic as a make/break on the "HOLE RE." but I'm pretty sure that should be "OUTHOLE RE." since I can't find a HOLE relay listed anywhere else. If you have the manual, that should confirm it.

I just spent some more time with the schematic... the outhole switch is in the circuit for the BONUS RE, which makes sense since the bonus unit has to be at position 0 for the OUTHOLE RE to engage. You mentioned you lightly cleaned the steppers... does the bonus unit step cleanly and fully back to zero?

make sure you get that bonus unit all the way to zero. The outhole relay won't engage unless the bonus unit is at 0.

when you manually trip the outhole relay, it has a "keep alive" switch that keeps the outhole relay on until it's done with it.

Curious, what happens if the triple bonus light is on when the ball drains?

deep breath.

Were you able to verify that the bonus unit is stepping all the way to zero?

The circuit between the outhole switch and the outhole relay is actually sorta complex. To start with, lets make sure that the outhole relay does work. When it is energized, it should stay energized for a time. In order for this to happen you need two more things to be correct. Once you feel they are correct, to test, you can manually activate the outhole relay to see if it stays energized while the motor travels about 180 degrees.

• the keep alive switch on the outhole relay needs to be functioning properly, this is a switch that closes when the relay energizes and has a black/blue wire that should be common the outhole relay coil and a blue/red wire.
• The 5B motor switch must be functioning properly (this is the center make/break switch on the #5 motor cam)

Now, let's make sure the the outhole relay is ready to energize at all. You need two things to be in the proper positions.

• the bonus unit must be at zero. This is very important.

• The 6B motor switch must be functioning properly (this is the top Make/break switch on the #6 motor cam)

If you are sure that all of those things are working correctly, we can step back and examine all the steps necessary for the outhole switch to engage the outhole relay. The outhole switch is actually part of the chain of events that will engage the Bonus Relay. And before we get too deep, we can eliminate one switch from this chain by setting the tilt adjustment jack to "Ball" This will leave us with three things to worry about.

• the outhole switch itself needs to be functioning properly
• A switch on the outhole relay needs to be functioning properly. Look for the switch with Gray/White wire and an Orange/White wire. It should be Normally Closed.
• the IndexE motor switch must be functioning properly. This is the top make/break switch on the Index cam

Once all of these switches are verified, the Bonus relay will energize and begin the process of stepping down the bonus. Once the bonus reaches zero, the outhole relay should engage.

For the bonus to step down properly, you need these things to happen

• the switch on the bonus relay must be functioning properly. It should have a blue/red wire and a yellow wire. It should be normally open.
• The make break switch on the Double Bonus Relay must be functioning properly. It should have a red/black wire, a red/blue wire, and a blue/red wire.
• Depending on whether you are in single bonus or not, you'll need one of two switches to be functioning properly
  1. If in Single bonus: motor switch 4C (this is the center switch on the #4 cam)
  2. if in Double or triple: motor switch ImpulseD (this is the top most switch on the Impulse cam)

When the bonus reaches zero, the outhole relay should then energize. when the outhole relay energizes, it is finally time for the ball release coil to do it's thing. For that to happen we need

• The make/break switch on the outhole relay to be functioning properly. The wires relevant are yellow and gray/green
• Motor switch 4A must be functioning properly. This is the bottom switch on cam #4

The bonus unit cleanly getting to zero position is still the key to all of this. Everything else is just switches and are easy to verify. But the bonus unit getting to zero and doing so correctly is what you need. What I've covered here is the process of getting from the ball in the outhole to serving the ball back to the shooter lane (assuming it's not game over, that's handled through a different process)

If the bonus unit isn't stepping cleanly to zero, there is a series of switches that we can look at for that as well, but before doing that, do your best to visually inspect it. Make sure it is clean and resetting as far as it can. Make sure that it's not opening it's zero position switch until it's all the way at zero. I've seen games where the zero position switch has been messed with on a stepper and put back incorrectly causing the reset coil to stop pulsing before the stepper reaches zero.

Good luck! report back!