(Topic ID: 206005)

Stern Stampede - Bonus Stepper issues

By Budski

6 years ago



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  • 9 posts
  • 4 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 6 years ago by Budski
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#1 6 years ago

Working through issues with my Stern Stampede and am having issues with the Bonus Stepper coil as it steps up and staying energized when you start the game or sometimes in the middle of the game. I have cleaned the stepper unit but it is an intermittent issue. I am guessing it is a switch that is holding the coil energized but I am not sure where to start? I do have the schematic but I have very low knowledge of how to read one but I am learning. Thank you in advanced for the help.

#2 6 years ago

Do you have knowledge of which targets on the playfield advance the bonus? Look at the playfield and see what causes the game to advance the bonus. Typically it's drop targets and outlanes. Look at the switches associated with those for one that's gapped too closely. Start there and see if you can find anything obvious.

#3 6 years ago
Quoted from Budski:

Working through issues with my Stern Stampede and am having issues with the Bonus Stepper coil as it steps up and staying energized when you start the game or sometimes in the middle of the game. I have cleaned the stepper unit but it is an intermittent issue. I am guessing it is a switch that is holding the coil energized but I am not sure where to start? I do have the schematic but I have very low knowledge of how to read one but I am learning. Thank you in advanced for the help.

Steppers should have a EOS switch on the stepper itself that 'breaks' or releases the relay that holds to fire the coil. Make sure that switch is opening properly.. and then trace back to the relay that fires the coil.. and see what triggers that relay. You may have an intermittent switch setting that relay off.. or extra feed switch that is sticking on. The ipdb schematic is a little flakely in the scan so its hard to read.

#4 6 years ago

Thanks guys, I went through the targets last night before I wrote this post they looked okay but I will check again and maybe I missed one or two. I will also check the switches on the stepper...I'll report back on the results.

#5 6 years ago

Here are the switches that activate the Bonus stepup coil.

Pinball (resized).pngPinball (resized).png

#6 6 years ago

Okay I looked at all of the playfield switches and the connections to see that none were touching causing to energize the bonus up stepper and they are all adjusted properly and not hanging up. I tried to look into more symptoms. It locks in the "end of game" relay and that is when the coil locks in on the bonus stepper. If I put a coin in the coin mech. It advances the motor, zeros the scoring reels and then locks that "end of game" relay. I believe that relay is locking in until the end of the game? When I manually unlock it the coil is no longer energized. I also checked the stepper switches and they are gapped and cleaned properly. Thank you in advance on where I should direct my attention. I am starting to understand schematics a little better but by no means am I out of the beginners box yet.

#7 6 years ago
Quoted from Budski:

Okay I looked at all of the playfield switches and the connections to see that none were touching causing to energize the bonus up stepper and they are all adjusted properly and not hanging up. I tried to look into more symptoms. It locks in the "end of game" relay and that is when the coil locks in on the bonus stepper. If I put a coin in the coin mech. It advances the motor, zeros the scoring reels and then locks that "end of game" relay. I believe that relay is locking in until the end of the game? When I manually unlock it the coil is no longer energized. I also checked the stepper switches and they are gapped and cleaned properly. Thank you in advance on where I should direct my attention. I am starting to understand schematics a little better but by no means am I out of the beginners box yet.

Looking at the Game Over relay... which is what I think you are referring to? It's a latch/trip relay.. meaning it's the kind that once fired, stays engaged without the coil being held on, until tripped.. it's intended to stay on for long periods. And game over trip is fired when ball count = 0. So from that I assume 'game over' relay is intended to be in the latched position during the full game.. and 'released' when balls = 0.

The stepper coil releases when you break the game over relay because that relay problem has switches to cut the coil power feed. Look at A-2 area on the schmatic. see that 'game over re' switch and the start re switch on the grey-white bold line? That's what's keeping the coils from firing at all when those relay's aren't in the right spot.

If you are labeling the coil correctly (which we are then following on the schematic)... it's pretty simple what can be causing that bonus step up coil to fire. It's either the end of stroke switch on the 0-90 unit (the ten's unit).. or some playfield switch which we can't read on the IPD scan. Something 'advance lane switches' it looks like. One of those switches is closed when it shouldn't be. From the playfield photo... I assume the 4 inlane/outlane lanes all have a switch that is in parallel here and are represented by one switch on the diagram. I'd look at those four lanes. I don't know if the rollover buttons are also in that mix.. but I'd check there too.

Start with the Ten's unit.. and make sure the EOS there is opening and not getting hung up. Then look at those Playfield switches that should advance bonus.

#8 6 years ago

I inspected the 10s Unit and it looks good and I cleaned and re-gaped the switch. It works good and is not hanging up. The printed board looks like it has seen better days, but it is clean and appears to be working good.

I checked all of the roll overs, outlanes, kick outs and targets that advance the unit. None are closed. I have one kick out that looked tight so I opened it up like it should be but it did not fix the issue.

The knocker is not working but I will assume for now that is a separate issue. It also has coin mechs. that I don't know if that has anything to do with since not of my other pins have had these mech. in them.

This pin did not work when I purchased it and I got it this far but this issue has me stumped. Thanks everyone for the help.

#9 6 years ago
Quoted from flynnibus:

If you are labeling the coil correctly (which we are then following on the schematic)... it's pretty simple what can be causing that bonus step up coil to fire. It's either the end of stroke switch on the 0-90 unit (the ten's unit).. or some playfield switch which we can't read on the IPD scan. Start with the Ten's unit.. and make sure the EOS there is opening and not getting hung up. Then look at those Playfield switches that should advance bonus.

Well I finally found it flynnibus. Thank you all for your guidance. I had checked the 10s Unit contacts, looked to make sure the tabs were not touching on the blades by the solder joints. Didn't see anything wrong until I started manually pushing the rollovers and watching the 10s Unit. I saw a arc between the blades by the solder joints. I found an old pc of loose solder laying on the lower blade and it was arcing between the 2 blades. Not sure where it came from as the only soldering I have done on the machine was much lower. May have been there along time and all my moving of the machine bounced into the just the right spot.

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