Me again, LOL

Ok, not sure what I did while I was changing the flippers out or when I was cleaning the Marilyn drop targets or when I reflowed the solder to the relay in the backbox but now it's acting a little weird and HOPING someone knows what this is and that it's an easy fix as I have no clue where to even look.

When I activate multi ball and then lock one ball in the Express Lane 1 (on the right) and the countdown begins, then drain the other ball, the machine releases the locked ball as normal but it continues to flash all the flashers like it does when the countdown happens when you are needing to lock the 2nd ball in the Express Lane 2 for the 300,000 score. Then what's even weirder is if you lose the last ball (BUT only if you previously locked a ball in Express Lane 1), the end of ball sequence doesn't occur, it just sits there flashing all the flashers, playing the music and the regular callouts. The only way I can get it to end the ball is if I shake the machine and get a danger, then it ends like normal.

The drained balls do get kicked towards the shooter so it does detect the balls there?

So what in the world did I do as it didn't act like this before I did the changes listed above.

Thanks again for any help.

Ok some more info:

It doesn't do the above if the 1st ball drains (only after the ball is locked in Express Lane 1) BEFORE the flasher countdown sequence, so near the end of the timer.

Also if any other targets are hit (main ones or ramps as slingshots don't stop it) the game will stop the flasher sequence and work like normal when the remaining ball drains. Previously I mentioned I had to trigger a danger tilt but other things work too but not the ball drain?

Again, no clue what would control this, resistors, switches, etc. but I checked the backbox and no broken resistor, transistor wires, no burnt or loose connectors. I checked all around under the playfield where I did the work and don't see anything disconnected or loose.

I am hoping this isn't a chip or rom issue as I don't think this was happening before I did those updates but perhaps it did and I just never did this exact sequence before?

Thanks again.

Tried that, all the switches work with the balls as when the ball drains, the outhole kicker shoots the ball towards the shooter and all those other switches in the trough (2 of them) work fine and register.

Oh and the shaking is to get it to tilt danger and once that triggers it goes to end of ball.

I did adjust the tilt bob mechanism, could that be the cause?

This is so frustrating.

See that's the thing, I can't say for sure that I did this EXACT situation or combination before these repairs since it seems it has to happen exactly the way I mention it and perhaps I just got lucky and did this. I checked all those things I listed above (flippers, drop target and relay) and everything seems to be secure and nothing else around them seem to be loose.

It just seems this would have something to do with the programming or game since all the ball drain switches work unless it could be somehow tied to that backbox relay but all I did was reflow solder to fix the flickering and dim backbox GI lighting.

Thanks again for any help and suggestions.

Well, if you saw my other thread about the backbox lights going out and dimming, that issue apparently isn't fixed as it happened again tonight. I reflowed all the joints on that backbox relay board and thought that would fix this but it didn't. I'm no expert at soldering but reflowing the solder wasn't that difficult.

So, perhaps the actual relay on the board is bad so I'll just order an entire new board with relay already installed to see if that fixes it once an for all.

I am hoping that this issue with the multiball is somehow linked to the relay although I have no idea how it could be as I don't even think the flashers have anything to do with the relay, I'll unplug it and then see if the issue still happens, if it does then I definitely know the relay isn't the problem.

Hopefully this thread will help someone in the future but if anyone has ever had this type of issue or know if anything else could cause this, please feel free to share. I'm also thinking about just ordering a new rom set (just the cpu board since the sound wouldn't have anything to do with the flasher multiball behavior I think LOL) since they don't cost too much and just see if maybe this issue is cpu related?

Thanks again for any help and suggestions.

Well I went over those main areas where I did the work and didn't see any wires or diodes that were broken off, flattened or disconnected. I did find one disconnected diode but it was connected to the sound knob or potentiometer so I soldered it back but that didn't fix it. I then went through every wire connected to a switch, light socket, coil, etc. on the underside of the playfield and also didn't see any wire or diode disconnected or next to anything else metal to cause a short.

I then disconnected the backbox relay to see if that would affect the issue and it didn't so it's not the backbox relay.

Another weird behavior is when I got the issue to happen again, after both balls drained and the ball didn't end, I ejected a ball manually and activated the Dracula pickup, it registered but as the ball was going around the ramp, the end of ball sequence occurred???

So I'm stumped and my only other option is to try a new rom CPU chip as I just don't know what else could cause the game functions to not work right after a ball drain other than the CPU programming and I don't think the music or speech roms would affect this but I have no clue. Could this just be a special glitch or quirk of the game since it seems it takes a lot to get this to happen and waiting for the right timing?

Anyway, I guess I'll also order a CPU chip from John's thatpinballplace site and see if that fixes it.

If anyone has any other suggestions or knows what might cause this type of glitch/behavior, just let me know and thanks for the help. I'll keep posting updates but it'll take some time to get the chips.

THANK YOU for your post and perhaps it is a bug in all the Marilyn roms.

I'm glad this thread helped and I agree that it is difficult to replicate this glitch/issue and guess I just got lucky LOL.

The warning tilt trick works if all the balls drained but if you haven't lost the last ball yet, you can also pickup a passenger and that'll stop the flasher sequence and not cause this glitch.

Just so glad it's not just my machine and I'll wait to hear back before ordering a new CPU rom.

Is your Taxi a Marilyn? Also please post the results if you try installing the other rom chips.

Thanks

Just glad I'm not the only one and that I didn't accidentally do something when I did that recent work. Don't get me wrong, not glad it happens but now thinking it might just be what you said, a bug or glitch.

I guess once your friend tests it, that will confirm and then the final confirmation would be if you try your other chip and then that would definitely confirm it's just something that probably happens with everyone's machine or at least the Marilyn.

If anyone else wants to try this, please post the results here as it would be interesting to see if others behave the same way.

Thanks again and looking forward to the results.

THANK YOU both for your help with this and I just checked and mine is also Rev. 2 so I'm checking with John ( thatpinballplace.com ) to see if the ones he sells are Rev. 3 (hoping they are).

I didn't know or test the Santa glitch but good to know it's all related.

One more question while I have you both, what Rev. are your Music and Speech sound roms? Mine is Rev. 1? I figured I'd go ahead and check to see if there were any higher Revisions before placing the order for the new CPU rom.

Thanks again to you both and hopefully this will help out future people if they also encounter this glitch.

Well I've been using the Rev. 3 for a few months now (maybe 6 games a week) and haven't noticed any bugs and can also confirm my original issue no longer exists using this newest rom.

Hope that helps.