During a game on my ST:TNG, the left flipper suddenly went dead. First thing I tried was cleaning the flipper opto, still dead. Removed and checked every fuse in the backbox, all good. So, I ordered and installed a new flipper opto board, still dead. Since I don't even know enough to be dangerous when it comes to troubleshooting boards and resistors and the like, I ordered and installed a brand new Fliptronics board... left flipper still dead.

Can anyone offer any tips, in simple terms, that a non-tech, plug 'n play guy might use to troubleshoot and fix the dead flipper?

Thanks!

Found the origin of the problem: the hex nut and bolt had come unscrewed out of the link assembly for the flipper coil and fallen down into the cabinet bottom. But now, after reinstalling the nut and bolt, the left flipper locks on when I start a game.

Aaaaaaaaand after further searching the cabinet bottom, I ran across a curious little bushing that seemed like it might just fit over the link assembly hex bolt. Of course, it tucks into the plunger link to allow free movement, and since these come preinstalled in the flipper rebuild kits, I had never laid eyes on that bushing before. I don't know why a bound up link assembly would cause the flipper coil to lock on when a game is started, but the bushing fixed the problem.