(Topic ID: 98119)

TECH:STTNG lower right flipper not working (switches good, coil has power)

By planters49

9 years ago


Topic Heartbeat

Topic Stats

  • 17 posts
  • 4 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 9 years ago by pintechev
  • Topic is favorited by 1 Pinsider

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#1 9 years ago

I'm putting my STTNG back together after "restoring" it. I'm having an issue with the lower right flipper not working when the right flipper button is pressed. The left flipper and upper right flipper work fine. The lower right flipper switch registers as working in the diagnostics as well as the EOS switch. I checked for power on the right flipper coil lugs and I have 51 volts on all three lugs like the left flipper coil. I also did the following per the pinrepair guides and the right flipper did work:
"With the game on and coin door closed, use an alligator clip and attach one end to ground. Now momentarily touch each metal tab of the Fliptronics' TIP102 transistors (*not* the TIP36). You should see a flipper react"

I have also reseated all connectors and ribbon cables and that didn't help either. What should I do next?

#2 9 years ago

That jumper test proved that power and wiring to the coil is good, but not the transistor itself. If you have a meter, do a continuity test from that transistor tab you grounded to the connector for the wires going down to the coil. Do this with game off and connector disconnected. Reconnect connector and power up. Start a game. In game up and idle, you should see that same 51 volts at the connector. Press the flipper button. That 51 should drop to zero. This will tell you if the transistor is switching or not. It could still be something upstream, but that will point you up or down.

#3 9 years ago

Yes, agreed. The test you did did not test the transistor itself. My suggestion is to follow the Pinwiki in regards to testing the different legs of the transistor.

#4 9 years ago

Thanks for the suggestions on what to do. I will check the continuity of the transistor after work tonight. If I have to replace the TIP102 and TIP36 transistors for the lower right flipper (I think it is Q4 and Q12 if I remember from the manual), how do I know which corresponding 1N4004 and 2N5401 diodes to replace as well?

#5 9 years ago

You should be able to follow the traces on the board and visually see which ones are up the line.

#6 9 years ago
Quoted from cody_chunn:

That jumper test proved that power and wiring to the coil is good, but not the transistor itself. If you have a meter, do a continuity test from that transistor tab you grounded to the connector for the wires going down to the coil. Do this with game off and connector disconnected. Reconnect connector and power up. Start a game. In game up and idle, you should see that same 51 volts at the connector. Press the flipper button. That 51 should drop to zero. This will tell you if the transistor is switching or not. It could still be something upstream, but that will point you up or down.

Ok, continuity is good between transistor tab and connector. 51 volts at the connector (orange-green wire). Press flipper button, zero volts.

Also if I press the lower right flipper button just enough to activate the lower right flipper switch I hear a hum from the coil. Also if I hold the lower right flipper up manually and then press the flipper button, the flipper will stay up until I release the flipper button.

#7 9 years ago

Measure the resistance of the coil in question and compare it to the working flipper coil.

#8 9 years ago

It really sounds like the hold circuit is the only thing working right now, and not the high power of the coil.

#9 9 years ago

OK, you need to manually fire that coil with a jumper to ground. That wire color on your connector will be on one of the solenoid lugs. Hook a jumper to ground and quickly tap that lug. Careful, it might spark. That's OK. We need to know if the coil will pull the plunger in.

#10 9 years ago
Quoted from cody_chunn:

OK, you need to manually fire that coil with a jumper to ground. That wire color on your connector will be on one of the solenoid lugs. Hook a jumper to ground and quickly tap that lug. Careful, it might spark. That's OK. We need to know if the coil will pull the plunger in.

I did that last night also. Clipped a jumper wire to ground and touched the other end of the jumper to the middle coil lug, flipper fired.

I'll test the resistance of the coil tonight also

#11 9 years ago

OK, then you should be seeing 51 volts on that center lug with game-up (door closed). Meter that lug and press the flipper button. It should go to zero.

Are you sure the wires are in the right place?

Quoted from planters49:

I did that last night also. Clipped a jumper wire to ground and touched the other end of the jumper to the middle coil lug, flipper fired.
I'll test the resistance of the coil tonight also

#12 9 years ago

I'm going to check to make sure I put the right wires on the right lugs - you may be right, that could be the problem. I'll double check the manual to make sure.

#13 9 years ago

All the wires are correct on the coil lugs. The middle lug does not go to zero when the flipper button is pressed. The middle lug does not go to zero on the good working left flipper either. The power does go to zero on the "power" lug (orange green wire). The same on the left working flipper power lug

Also the problem is for sure with the flipper board. I put the fliptronics board from my fishtales in the star trek and it the flipper worked fine.

#14 9 years ago

Hmm. That's strange that the drive line goes low...maybe we were probing the wrong pin. Anyway, elimination by substitution is always a fast invaluable troubleshooting tool (as long as you don't have a cascading failure). Sorry if I put you through unnecessary hoops.

I will stop before I give you any more false leads.

#15 9 years ago

Test the transistor on the board that fires that coil. The circuit is pretty simple, not that many parts, to be honest.

#16 9 years ago

Found it!!!!! I traced lower right flipper hold circuit to the U2 chip. Found a BROKE trace between R35 and U2. Soldered on a jumper, checked continuity, installed the board, all flippers work. Awesome feeling let me tell you.

#17 9 years ago

Well done!!!

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