I'd only replace if something isn't working. Which I haven't run into yet.

LTG : )

I never have in almost 20 years. But the last few games, with problems that I've had, have been ribbon cable problems. Maybe not a bad idea after all.

Only if they don't work. I have only had one bad ribbon cable. Considering the cost, not worth doing for no reason.

I usually always replace on 20+year old games. So much that I make my own now. I've seen them cause stuck on flash lamps,coils, display glitches and sound issues. Some of my customers have had previous repair people reseat their connectors to solve an issue only to have it reappear later. These games are getting old and replacing original ribbons is good insurance to prevent a failure. JR

I've had pretty good luck pressing the top and bottom halves of the connector body with a pair of channel locks. Also, if possible, rotating them end-to-end and keeping red stripe to pin 1 on both ends.

I don't replace them until they fail...like any other item in the game.

I put new ribbon cables on every game I sell as a routine part of the restoration. Ive seen too many flaky intermittent things happen with old ribbon cables. When you feel the difference on how tight the new cables feel compared to how loose the old ones are, you know it's making a tight connection.

Agree with those saying to replace 20 year old cables, *especially* if they are causing issues that seem to be fixed when you reseat. These cables are ~$5. I would liken it to repinning Molex connectors, and reflowing solder/replacing headers when going through a game.

What is involved in making your own cables? Where do you get the parts?

no

I've never replaced them as part of preventative maintenance, although I have been known to pull them out and clean them if they're disgustingly filthy. If your DMD is exhibiting "glitchy behavior", the ribbon cable is a good thing to look at or replace. However, in terms of "regular maintenance", in my experience, those ribbon cables/connectors are just as reliable, if not more reliable than all the IDC cables/connectors in your TZ backbox. I'm always careful when I fiddle with ribbon cables because it's easy to accidentally bend a connector pin on the circuit board... or connect a cable improperly (the ribbon cables are not keyed).

A few years ago I had an STTNG that worked perfectly, except I noticed that the shield lamps never dimmed. They were on or off, but never dimmed like they were supposed to. A real head-scratcher. Wanna guess what the problem was? One pin (the zero cross signal) on the ribbon connector between the CPU and power driver boards was bent over, not making a connection.

Caps dry out and lose capacitance. Sometimes the effect isn't obvious. Sometimes it causes games to go haywire, reset, and/or result in incorrect voltages (which can cause a variety of problems/damage).

I only replace ribbon cables if I suspect a problem with it.

It doesn't hurt but I have seen some new cables not work well. Unless you are having problems I wouldn't replace them. No reason to go replacing a bunch of parts and doing work if everything works fine.

The female part is only half the connection. The male pins tarnish too. If there was a corrosion issue that made the female plug compromised, the male pins are also likely compromised as well.

If you look closely at male pins, you can see ones going bad. They will look dull like the finish has come off.

Clean them with a good contact cleaner like DeOxit and inspect again (you also want to clean the female side). If they're still tarnished then replace them.

I'll add my vote to not replace them unless there is a problem. Other than corrosion, which will affect both male and female, the ribbon cables don't go bad just sitting there. Most of the time they are damaged by being improperly removed (pulling on the cable instead of the connector) or the wires being pinched.

If you go to ebay you can buy ribbon cable pliers and raw cable and female headers to make your own cables.

Usually i just see how much resistance it take to remove a ribbon cable. if it comes off really easily, it's probably time for a replacement.

Also Pinball Life sells a ribbon cable tester. It's expensive but i really like it and it does work well.

Thank you for the advice in this thread. DeOxit was recommended above. Are there any practical differences you have found in using the 5% versus the 100% DeOxit for this purpose? (I'm asking because it seems like using the brush applicator packaged 100% DeOxit would seem to be a little easier to apply sparingly for this purpose than the 5% spray.)

According to the manufacturer, the main difference is that the 100% DeOxit leaves behind extra lubrication. http://store.caig.com/s.nl/ctype.KB/it.I/id.309/KB.218/.f That would seem to be a disadvantage if you were trying to keep the connections in the backbox nice and tight, no?

I usually replace originals on home calls. They can cause all sorts of issues including locked on coils and flashlamps if they are failing. Almost 30 years is past useful life in my opinion.

Hm, interesting. My Simpsons Pinball Party is resetting at times, but didn't for a few days after I reseated the connection between the power(?) board and CPU board, as suggested. A new cable for a few bucks can't hurt.

No, I only replace them if they are bad.