Bonney Lake, WA
Just picked up a Spy Hunter. It’s been sitting for several years. No power to anything except the GI lights in the head. All fuses are good. Tried resetting all plugs. Any help on where to start from here
(Topic ID: 272042)
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Spy Hunter
Bally, 1984
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Look for an LED on the MPU. Does it light up? Stay lit all the time or flash? If flashing, how many flashes?
Need to check the 5vdc measurement on the solenoid driver board to see if it's providing the correct voltage to the mpu.
With the game off, disconnect J3 on the solenoid driver board.
Turn on game and with a voltmeter set to measure vdc, red probe on J3 pin 14, 15, and 16, black probe on cabinet ground strap in the bottom.
Can you test all the test points on the rectifier board? That's the board in the cabinet next to the transformer with several fuses.
Have you read through the Pinwiki? The MPU needs 12v to boot.
https://www.pinwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Bally/Stern#Bally_.2F_Stern_MPU_Board_LED_Never_Lights_or_is_Locked_On
Quoted from Melvyns28:the one
It's good to replace but still need to double check the test points.
Here's a good reference.
http://techniek.flipperwinkel.nl/ballyss/rep/index1.htm#tp
If the rectifier board checks out good, move on to checking the solenoid driver board test points.
Record a list what you measure on the test points of each board and then post it here.
I thought my voltages were good but after installing my new solenoid driver board following the new rectifier board. I don’t have 12 or 5 volts on the driver board. And no dcv voltage on the rectifier. I do have the correct voltage on the acv. I do have 43 vdc and 180 vdc only on driver nothing else. No power to mpu. I tested J5 and J6 plugs from transformer. All volts are correct on J5, J6 I tested pin 3 to 6 and got 9.5 volts but 1 to 5, or any other combo for that matter, nothing. Could it be the transformer?
Quoted from Melvyns28:Could it be the transformer?
It’s possible for a transformer to go bad but it’s relatively rare. Check the voltage on the output side of the transformer. If they aren’t within spec it’s probably bad.
Suspecting bad connectors from what you describe. The transformer is unlikely to be the problem and rarely fails.
In the picture in https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/spy-hunter-wont-boot-up#post-5730925
the connectors look pretty good. Can you unplug those again and take picture showing the plugs, just to be sure the connectors in there look good?
Do the same and take a picture of the plugs going into the solenoid driver board, especially J3?
That connector is the connection from the rectifier board, which is suspicious for possibly having bad crimp pins.
We also want to see if the rest of the connections besides J3 look good or not.
All the wires are all in their original loops and is un hacked. I bought this from a family who had it for the last 30 years. However it was in the garage. Does smell musty.
20AA05C5-126D-4B07-BBFD-7A5D0121A4F1 (resized).jpeg7E0CB373-BFB1-4ABE-B687-3750E8AE746A (resized).jpeg861B293B-FFCD-4303-93F1-27EE2C9D3209 (resized).jpegB201209E-1C6E-47F9-87E8-C34F2797A02C (resized).jpegB745ECF7-87F4-4BDE-8DCE-B99C6534F0EF (resized).jpegC459B43D-6AC8-4C13-9F25-BED0199C31A0 (resized).jpegThink all those are probably looking good. Maybe anyone else can spot anything in the pictures.
How are the connectors and crimp pins looking going into and out of the solenoid driver board in the backbox?
Maybe there could be some crimp pins that have popped out of the connectors, or if they are IDC connectors the wires may pop out too. Post pictures of all those and see if anything looks out of place.
Everything looks as it should. All plug in well. Just don’t know.
4F83055B-CC5F-43D6-973E-4617246A6524 (resized).jpegD4371240-0EBD-467B-8AD3-FF4FEDF35915 (resized).jpeg44D1EB21-3133-4270-994B-9A106AFD4919 (resized).jpegF0CEA09E-EDF0-43F0-B647-50C190E7A898 (resized).jpegABACC7FA-7DBE-4F25-B2FE-172556033E51 (resized).jpeg7457A651-1A03-4C86-BFA0-33C9F59F0868 (resized).jpegBA8385A0-FCC6-4EA8-A61E-27C7423CC519 (resized).jpegWith the game powered off, check for continuity from TP5 (J3 pin 12) on the solenoid driver, to TP3 (J3 pin 10) on the rectifier board in the cabinet. Should be an orange wire with no trace color.
Set voltmeter to measure either ohms or diode test (where it beeps for continuity). Red probe on TP3, black on TP5.
That wire is carrying the unregulated 11.9vdc which gets regulated to 5vdc on the SDB.
Is there continuity from the GND testpoint on the rectifier board in the cabinet to the GND testpoint on the solenoid driver board in the backbox?
With the game powered on, set voltmeter to measure 5vdc.
What do you measure on solenoid driver board with red probe on 5vdc testpoint and black on ground testpoint?
There might be something wrong with the solenoid driver board then. Have access to any other game that it can be tested in to see if the 5vdc is working in a different game and the MPU gets power?
Nope I only have new pins. I just got this solenoid board from Marco today. I installed it and no change at all from old. I re installed the old one with no change either. This is crazy. I’ll reach out to pnw pinball collectors if anybody can help with board swaps. I owned and sold a SH last year. I am have an opportunity to buy it back. I have a half a mind to buy it to try to solve this problem. In the mean time I’ll keep on this and post if I find the issue.
Game off: I would pull connector J5 from the rectifier board and set meter leads to check for 14.2 VAC between the 2 blue wires at pin 3+6 and turn game on. After noting the AC voltage, shut the game back off and plug J5 back in. Set your meter to check DC volts: red lead at Tp3, black lead on ground and turn the game back on. Do you get 11.9VDC at Tp3 on the rectifier board?
If you have the AC volts in your transformer's good. Nothing out of that circuit means there's something wrong with the bridge, the fuse, a trace, or a solder joint. On the rectifier board those are all really simple circuits. (I know the board looks new, but until you get that TP3 voltage present, nothing else matters. You have to fix that voltage first.)
Update. I did a process of elimination. I bought 20 4 volt fuses. I unplugged everything except J6 and turned on the game, of course fuse didn’t blow. I turned it off and plugged the rest of the rectifier plugs one by one, good so far. I plugged in J3 and turned on. Lights came on on the solenoid board. I repeated this process through the solenoid board with no issues. I next plugged in J1 in the sound board and fuse blew. I unplugged it and plugged in everything else. The MPU light it solid no flashes. I slowly plugged in J1 again and looking closely pin 10 sparks and fuse blows. Orange wire with yellow trace. Pulled play field and eliminate that. Unplugged coin door still lights on. Can’t find any grounded wires.
Quoted from Melvyns28:The MPU light it solid no flashes
Need to get the MPU to flash 7 times, until you get it to boot up correctly, the displays will be off.
The LED staying on can mean a number of things.
https://www.pinwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Bally/Stern#LED_locked_on
How does the MPU look, and battery corrosion? Post a picture of the front and back of the board.
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