I just picked up a beautiful IJ but there's a little trouble in paradise and I'm hoping someone can help me diagnose several issues that I've already posted to the IJ owners thread but was directed here as well:
1) There's something funky going on with the ball trough. I'll caveat by saying that new trough optos boards from great lakes modular were installed less than a year ago and I don't think it's the optos as they all work perfectly in test with no intermittance (even the trough jam one) even when I shake the machine/bang the flippers/etc.. Here are the symptoms:
- ball will sometimes take a while to register a drain and/or not load into the shooter lane at the start of a new ball without lightly shaking the machine a bit
- on a few occasions, a ball randomly gets placed into the shooter lane during a game but doesn't launch. Once a ball is drained and it's time for the next ball, a ball is loaded into the shooter lane so there's now two (the game doesn't recognize the initial one that was already there from the middle of the previous ball.
- more than one ball is launched from the trough or from the idol (usually after a ball has been locked but not 3 to actually start multiball) so there are multiple balls at play but there isn't supposed to be. Once a ball drains, the game registers the end of the ball which confirms that the other ball still at play isn't legitimate
Are these all connected? All of the trough optos as well as the ball lock and idol (entry opto and exit switch) all seem to be working correctly in switch test.
Is it possible I need a new trough? Could the newer trough opto boards be broken? Both?
2) I'm having an idol issue. The idol motor and optos are fine in test as well as the exit switch. With mine, it looks like the lock door doesn't open and close for each of the three balls and the third ball only is released once one ball drains. I found another thread that says it likely either an intermittent idol exit switch or an issue with the idol lock door assembly. Someone even noticed an issue with the corner tip of the lock plastic catching the plastic and not closing properly. Could someone confirm the correct process/actions of the idol once you lock the third ball to start multiball: the third ball should enter the idol, it should then rotate, the idol lock door should open thus releasing a ball, the idol lock door should close, the idol rotates, the lock door open releasing ball #2...etc.. and this corresponds to the elephant sound.
3) Every so often, the path of adventure diverter post (the one operated by a coil that stops the ball before the path of adventure entry) doesn't pop back up when the path of adventure is lit so the ball just goes right past it and down the metal ramp back in play (the path will move right and left when this happens as it expects the ball to go there). The post moves freely up and down (manually) and the coil and wiring seem fine. The post isn't bent and it's centered in the hole with nothing blocking its path. In test and in game, it works when it's not stuck down...but once that happens the test doesn't lift it...I have to lift the playfield vertically and then it goes back into position