Quoted from hawkster1:I am not sure what component would have anything in common with both the flippers and the display lights
Hey Hawkster, it's sounding like you have a mains power issue with the game. To be honest it might be time to get a tech in to look at this. It's one thing to be repairing low voltage circuits, but toying with mains power issues for the inexperienced is dangerous.
A sparking issue left alone could cause a fire, so I wouldn't be leaving the machine unattended for any period of time.
If you're hell bent on trying to sort it out yourself, exercise extra care and common sense.
It's going to take careful observation on your behalf when the issue occurs to quickly look in the cabinet to determine where the sparking noise is coming from.
You can try unplugging the pinball from the wall socket and check the line cord and plug for any damage. Then (with the line cord still disconnected from the wall socket) check that the mains F6 power fuse is tightly seated on the rectifier board. Check the J2 connector at the rectifier board and if necessary reterminate it.
With the pinball plugged in and powered on, does gently wiggling the power switch cause any side effects? You can try wiggling cable harnesses in the cabinet taking special care not to touch any metals when doing so.
How long does it generally take for the issue to pop up? 10 minutes? 1 hour? other?