I'm restoring a Space Odyssey, thought I had everything fixed but now a ball kicks out after game over relay activates. EVERYTHING else works great. I ran through the schematics, bonus relay, outhole relay, bonus unit 0 position, any other suggestions? Thanks.

I still haven't found the solution. Again, the game starts and plays as it should. During normal play, when the ball drains and contacts the outhole switch, the bonus relay is energized, the bonus unit reset coil fires and counts down the bonus. The 1,000 point relay fires and gives the player his points. When the bonus unit reaches the zero position, the outhole relay is energized through the zero position switch and the bonus SU coil fires once and the ball is kicked out to the plunger. The problem occurs after the last ball drains and contacts the outhole switch, everything works as it should as the bonus relay again activates the bonus unit reset coil and the game counts the bonus points down to zero, the game over relay is energized, the game over light comes on, the match light comes on, but the outhole relay is again energized as it would be during normal game play. Because the outhole relay is energized the bonus unit SU coil fires once and the ball is kicked out to the plunger even though the game is over. What removes power from the outhole relay after the last ball is played and the game is over?

I didn't find a short but I want to make sure I'm following your logic. The "0" position switch on the bonus unit seems to work fine. After a ball drains, the outhole switch activates the bonus relay and the bonus unit counts down to zero, the "0" position switch is activated, the outhole relay is then activated and the ball kicks out. All that works fine. After the last ball, when the game is over and the bonus unit counts down to 0, what should be keeping the outhole relay from energizing through the "0" position switch on the bonus unit?

The Game Over Relay is tripping and the Normally Closed switch on that relay is opening, but this all occurs a fraction of a second after the ball is kicked out.

OK, I agree with everything you say, and this is exactly what is happening, but the ball kicks out between your steps 3) and 4) (see below)

The way I think it should work is:
1) The Outhole switch closes which kicks off the Bonus Count (not shown)
2) Eventually the Bonus Unit Zero Position Switch closes which fires the Outhole relay (2nd coil down in the schematic)
3) Once the Outhole relay is active it closes a switch (upper left corner) so that the next time the Score Motor 3A switch closes the Ball Count Unit advances (the coil at the top right)

At this point, once the Outhole relay is active it also closes an Outhole relay switch (D) that pulses the bonus step up coil and ball release coil and the ball gets kicked out

4) When the Ball Count Unit advances after the last ball it should fire the Game Over Trip relay (lower right). This should also happen when the Score Motor 3A switch closes because there's effectively no delay through the Ball Count Unit.
5) When the Game Over Trip relay fires it opens a Normally Closed switch which should cut power along the right side of the schematic to the Outhole relay coil and to the Ball Release coil
6) Soon after all this Score Motor switch 4A closes which normally would fire the Ball Release solenoid (3rd coil down), but since power has been cut (both by the Game Over Trip relay switch and by the Outhole relay switch in the Ball Release circuit) it shouldn't happen.

First of all thanks for everyone's inputs, the game works now but I really don't know why...this is exactly why repairing EM's drives me nuts! I buy EM's that don't work and restore them. I've done about 50 over the last 17 years. I have a set pattern. I buy the schematics and instruction manuals. I go through the start sequence and make adjustments and corrections until I get the game to reset. In the process I always make sure the stepper units are clean and can move properly. I usually have to adjust a few of the score reels. I rebuild the flippers. Then I get to a point where the games pretty much plays as it should but sometimes I have one or two things that don't work right and I can't figure out why. On this game it was the ball kicking out after the game played perfectly and went to game over. When I get to this point, after scouring the schematics over and over, I always write in to Pinside for help on the tech forum. I read everyone's inputs, check the switch or circuit they suggest and make sure it is properly adjusted or cleaned or in proper order. Most of the time it's something I already checked but I go back and check it again. If the suggestion doesn't pan out I write in again. In this case I read MarkG's suggestion
, checked the game and found that score motor switch 4A was NOT stuck closed but I checked it, cleaned it and tested it and it was working fine. But, as I always do, after I play with a switch or relay or stepper unit, I play a game to make sure I didn't accidently make things worse. And on several occasions, like this one, the game works great, the problem is gone, even though I didn't adjust anything or change anything. I'm not complaining but I really want to know WHY it now works... I've had this happen at least 10 times over the last 17 years and I just write it off to the pinball gods smiling down on me. That and my monetary contribution to Pinside!