TRON: Legacy (LE)
Stern, 2011I've seen this happen before on my game but it just happened again:
During the middle of a game--on ball 3--when I pressed the right flipper the game ended instantly and went to game-over mode.
Can't recall if the previous instances involved the right flipper or not.
Doesn't happen very often: last occurrence several dozen games ago (at least).
I'll call Chas on Monday, but anyone got any ideas on this one?
TIA.
Right flipper. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm............................ makes you wonder what is on the right side that vibration could muck things up ?
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.........................., I know.
A problem that I would look into. Pull the trough opto boards, remove the old solder and flow on new solder on the optos and the pins the connector plugs onto.
See if that clears things up.
LTG 
I had the same problem NM; mine was a loose IDC connector to the trough optos. (Damn you shaker motor!!! 
) Re-seat the two connectors (one on each side) and see if that fixes it. (Simple, right?) (Also, I checked and re-seated the wires going to the connectors too.) If that doesn't do the trick, LTG's answer could be the next step.
I always seem to forget to re-seat those trough connectors when setting the game up initially... 
Quoted from LTG:Right flipper. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm............................ makes you wonder what is on the right side that vibration could muck things up ?
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.........................., I know.
A problem that I would look into. Pull the trough opto boards, remove the old solder and flow on new solder on the optos and the pins the connector plugs onto.
See if that clears things up.
LTG
Sounds good Lloyd, will do.
Many thanks.
Usually ball three; IDC connectors to trough optos, yes... Hasn't done it since. (two months now.)
(I fixed my OP to reflect this.)
As LTG stated. Reflow the solder on the trough opto boards. I actually found that the trace wasn't 100% complete on the ball jam opto. Pressing on the solder connector with a plastic screwdriver in switch test mode confirmed it.
Quoted from NimblePin:I had the same problem NM; mine was a loose IDC connector to the trough optos. (Damn you shaker motor!!! ) Re-seat the two connectors (one on each side) and see if that fixes it. (Simple, right?) (Also, I checked and re-seated the wires going to the connectors too.) If that doesn't do the trick, LTG's answer could be the next step.
I always seem to forget to re-seat those trough connectors when setting the game up initially...
I also had this issue, and it was indeed a loose connector to the trough opto's!
Neil, the right flipper has nothing to do with it.....just coincidence.
You can go into test mode for the switches and leave it activated, and if you see one of the trough opto's go off by itself, you know that is where the problem is. That is how I confirmed my diagnosis.
OK, just took a look at the trough and optos and made the following observations:
In the trough assembly, there are two optos and 3 microswitches.
One of the two optos records trough jambs and the other opto records trough position one.
The three microswitches record trough positions 2, 3, and 4.
So when ball three is in play (namely when my premature game-over occurred), there would have been no physical ball present in trough position 4 (while the other trough positions had physical balls closing their respective switches). There are four balls in this game.
Wondering if the above data now points to a false closure of the microswitch controlling trough position 4 (when ball 3 was on the PF)...or do you guys feel my focus should still be on the opto PCBs and their respective IDCs?
(I did observe one IDC was slightly not fully seated--in fact the pic shows how I found it. Got an IDC insertion tool and reseated all 5 wires in the connectors and reseated the connectors to the IDCs.)
Suppose the thing to do now is just play some test games--or does anything else come to mind per the above and attached pic?
Thanks all!
Quoted from NM:or do you guys feel my focus should still be on the opto PCBs and their respective IDCs?
Since it is a common problem with the opto boards, reseat the connectors a couple times. If the game works, then when it reappears reflow the solder on the optos and the pins the connector plugs on to.
LTG
Quoted from LTG:Since it is a common problem with the opto boards, reseat the connectors a couple times. If the game works, then when it reappears reflow the solder on the optos and the pins the connector plugs on to.
Will do.
Many thanks LTG & to all your helpers!
The opto boards themselves may wiggle use over time as well. Make sure they are properly aligned and screw them back down.
Quoted from NM:Many thanks LTG & to all your helpers!
No problem NM,
Hopefully that will fix it for you.
You might as well clean the optos too while you're at it... 
(Sorry I don't have LTG's palmares yet- ( 
) but, I do answer what I have fixed in the past!)
Happy flipping.
Quoted from NimblePin:but, I do answer what I have fixed in the past!
And that is what makes pinball great. People learning and then helping others, who in turn may then help others.
That is something rare and I hope we treasure.
LTG
Quoted from LTG:That is something rare and I hope we treasure.
Too true...
The world is sorely lacking in that department right now.
If only I could just clap my hands together and shout "World Peace!", I'd have done it years ago!
I guess pinball can be a good place to start the movement...
Neil,
That board you took a pic of isnt the correct board, at least the one that I had the issue with.
It is the board on the opposite side. The top opto connector for the ball jam opto.
Quoted from jackal2001:It is the board on the opposite side.
Correct. Mine was the opposite side too. (I just did both to cover the bases...)
Quoted from jackal2001:Neil,
That board you took a pic of isn't the correct board, at least the one that I had the issue with.
It is the board on the opposite side. The top opto connector for the ball jam opto.
Thanks for the double-check Jason.
As a fail safe, I also gave the one that's out-of-sight the same treatment when making the initial assessment/repair (IDC insertion tool on the wires/re-inserted the IDC to the PCB).
We'll see if it that does it.
If not, I'll make a note of the recurrence in this thread--and then I'll remove all the solder on the Optos and the IDC pins that attach to both boards.
Thanks again to all.
I actually think the trace from inside the PCB wasn't 100% complete to the solder point of the leg of the opto. I actually scrapped away some of the pcb to expose the trace and then solder directly to the trace as well. It hasn't happened on my Tron LE since then. The other thing you can do is just run a wire from point to point if you narrow it down. Better yet, call stern and get a new one.
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