Got my taxi cleaned and waxed, took it for a test drive, but the pop bumpers aren't working anymore?

For the record, I didn't go crazy taking everything off, just as far as the spin out and ramps and put them back on. There was a light out on the front pop bumper so replaced that.

I believe the fuse is F3, and that looked blown, so I replaced it, didn't work. Looked at F3 again and looked popped again, and points were scoring from somewhere for no reason? Replaced again, worked when I hit them with my hand, so shot the ball in the spinout, and instantly didn't work again, and fuse looks blown.

Any idea what I could have done? Didn't mess with anything underneath, so not sure how to track down what's happening.

... oh, and now I'm out of 2.5a fuses lol

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Switch test, I'll give it a go. Will I need the fuse in F3 or will it show without it? I'm waiting for fuses in the mail.

Ok, so the switch test points to 17, 19, and 21 which are all the pop bumpers. But if the fuse isn't in for those right now, that's why it shows up, right? New fuses should arrive today.

I think I found the phantom scoring culprit. It looks like it was the the switch on the left side of the right tamp at the top of the loop. The wire is hitting itself there in the switch somehow and I think I bent it out of the way so it won't do that anymore (I hope).

So three questions:
1) that wouldn't be frying the pop bumper fuse, right?
2) when I got the pin, the front pop bumper light was out, so I replaced it. Could that be blowing the fuse? Is it connected to F3?
3) from the question up top, the switch test calling out the pop bumper switches because the fuse isn't in place? I checked under and I don't see anything out of the ordinary.

Ok, I can confirm it is not #2, the bulb I put in.

Also, when the fuse was in before it blew, the speakers had a loud humming sound. I noticed that before the other times the fuse was blowing. Does that give anyone any thoughts to what's going on?

Haha, Santa lost his head on mine!

Ok, so had a tech come to the house for my pop bumper issue ( kept blowing the fuse right from start up), I’m trying to remember what he said the problem was. I think was not getting power to release? (I could be way off.) the solution though was to jumper the front bumper to one of the others. Has anyone seen this? He also said it’s a problem in the board, but hoping by describing the solution he put in place it might help someone know what’s going on. Can take a pic.

Right, that’s what’s happening. He is the first guy I had brought out to look, I have been figuring things out myself more on the Space Station I have as until recently the taxi was fine. (That’s what I get for cleaning and waxing.). But I also just learned about how to check continuity, so maybe I’ll start there and work my way back just to confirm it’s something in the board. (They guy said he did that already but I need the practice and like to confirm anyway.) where from the board do the bumper lines start?

I had it wrong, looks like the pop bumpers are fine, it is the flipper he jumped from one to the other. I think it is the right dflipper that is connected to the pop bumpers correct?

Also, new issue that started my third game in tonight ... the drop targets for pinbot don’t reset? Once down they don’t come up at all, not during the game, not during the solenoid test. I don’t see any obvious connection problems. Where does this run through? I also need to look up the fuse, but they all look fine, and Lola still works.

Hmm, no continuity between the solonoid connectors of the pinbot drop target. I appear to have it on the yellow-purple side, but I don’t see where the brown with blue line runs to, but as there is no read between each tab on the solonoid that has to be the break.

How do solonoid work? Is it running any way through the optos board next to it?

I just did my first crimp job on an idc connector. Got a deal on the crimp tool and then got the courage learn to do this from now on. The connector that runs half of the back box lighting was burned. Easier than I thought it would be, don’t know what I was afraid of??? Haha

I also fixed my Pinbot drop targets ... optos just needed to be cleaned. Phew

I’m looking at the schematics, which connector controls the GI for the sling on the right side?

Man, you did it again ajfclark, following the wires I got to the transformer(?) board on the bottom right side under the playfield. There were some cracked solder joints on the connector down there. Reflowed solder (pumped I know what it means and how to do that now haha) and boom! All lights working! So much more light! The right sling was out, the lighting under the blue dividers by the C-A-B were out along with the under ramp lights. Instantly fixed!

I should take a picture of my plastics on the slings, I’m noticing everyone else has blue triangles. Mine probably came from another game, yet I kind of like them!

Yeah, that thing, works great now!

And that picture is interesting... on my Space Station, I had 3 lights out on the middle inserts. Saw some cracked solder joints on that connector too, so reflowed, and 2 of the 3 are going. The 3rd though, I can faintly see some light coming to it, so with that picture I’m wondering if I should look at the non connector things like that?

I’ve had my Taxi for about 4 months now, and i only recently noticed I have different plastics on my left and right slings than everybody else. I thought the news guy was on purpose, and the green kind of goes with other green on the playfield haha. Had no idea what the other guy was for on the right, but it’s a world where pinbot needs a taxi ride, so didn’t question it lol.

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My pinbot drop targets and GI back at the ramps, and right sling went out again. When I fixed it last time it was just cleaning the optos, and the lights fixed by by reflowing solder to the relay board on the bottom right of the playfield. It looked like one of the pins burned before so thought I would replace the connectors, but didn’t fix the problem this time. Is there a fuse that runs all these? I know they are all connected. Replaced the connector in the back box last time too, so that’s why I’m wondering if there could be a fuse issue. The board itself was also a little burned from the pin. Could that be it?

Ok, GI is back and working ... thinking maybe one of the crimped ends wasn’t all the way in.

However, I can’t get anything out of the pinbot drop targets. Reflowed solder to just about all of the board behind it, tried cleaning the optos again. Was my about taking out the coil to see if something is not attached that I can’t see, but not sure where to look next.

Aaaaand fixed! Took me awhile to find the break in the coil wire. Had to pull it out to find it. Glad it was once again an easy fix, that taught me something new!

I could use some stuff if you still have it. My right taxi plastic has Santa’s head missing haha. I could also use some insert decals as my taxis are really worn down, some faces and some people. Is it possible to just scrape off the old and stick on the decals? Or is it a larger process?

Totally the deal of the year. Congrats!