Have you tested this in the coil test as well? That is odd. If you haven't already, I would test it there just to be sure. I'm thinking the switch that indicates the wall is done must be the issue.

Is there a divot where the ball sits? Even a small divot will cause exactly what you are talking about. Read rgp as well there are multiple threads on this exact issue. Also remember that once the wall fails the machine will compensate for it. So you need to power cycle and open the coin door possibly as well to to reset the compensation.

I filled the divot on mine and put some Mylar there and mine has worked perfectly ever since.

One trick to possibly test this theory is to make the pin really really steep and see if it reacts differently. Having it really steep may compensate for the divot. Put some blocks or something under the back legs to prop it up.

Regardless if there is a divot, even a small one, it needs to be filled or the opto won't react properly.

I don't think you read his post clearly Tom, he noted the magnet does throw the ball, but the wall drop target does not come down, and it bounces into it.

I read it just fine. I have a shadow and am very familiar with his problem.

It could possibly be opto related.

Just before the drop target there is an opto sensor switch(two holes either side of the channel leading to the target), this is how the game registers a hit on the target, put the game in a switch test and test the optos.

edit.

If the magnet is grabbing the ball while playing, then I guess the opto is registering the hit.

Trust me, I spent hours researching this exact issue and fixing mine. yes it's an opto problem but it's caused by that divot. If he has one.

The ball gets caught by the magnet initially, then when it lets go and then activates again to flip it into the lock, the divot causes the opto to not read the ball properly, causing the wall to fail.

If there is a divot you can also try laying down something like a piece of paper or cardboard to flatten it out temporarily then test it again .

I don't know if it's the same problem as the one I had, but I had the problem of the wall not staying up. I had to replace worn linkage. I may have the same issue as you now, as the pin was messing up similarly after bringing it home from the pin show. Mine doesn't have a divot, sanctum was repaired. It seems like a timing issue to me. The Shadow is folded up in the garage right now due to lack of space. So I can't see if I have the same issue. Totally may be an opto prob. Seems 90% of all pin probs are due to a switch. I'm all ears on this one, to find the solution to my bad shadow. I love the machine but would sell it.

I thought you read it quickly, and assumed it was the divot with the ball staying in the divot. Divot or not, the ball obviously rolls from that area, as the magnet is able to still project the ball up, but the target is not coming down.

It sounds as though the ball is being projected as it should. I would think what you are saying would hold true if the opto believed the ball was still there, as in the ball didn't roll out of the opto.

The divot can be VERY small, the ball doesn't get stuck in it. It just effects the ball roll down and how the oBpto reads. My divot wasn't even noticeable, if you have sanctum burn you most likely have a divot too.

It is fairly well documented on rgp if you do a few searches.

Also remember as soon as it fails the game compensates because it thinks the wall is broken. So make sure to power off or open the door to get the game back to normal operation.

hmm I had the divot issue when I got mine, but the wall would come down fine, and the ball just woundn't roll anywhere. Should be interested to see what the cause is.

I'm curious too, that divot issue does trick some people because it's such an odd issue.

My wall did all kinds of weird things, sometimes it would drop, sometimes not, sometimes the magnet would just drop the ball, sometimes the ball would hit the wall. It was very weird. Fixing the divot totally fixed mine though.

I'd say if the wall works mechanically, its either the divot, the wall switch, or the opto, so it's just a matter of narrowing it down.

Making the playfield VERY VERY steep is a quick way to try and test it. Also putting down something thick to cover the wear temporarily may work too....

So what's the deal dude? You look at it yet?

I have a similar question related to problems with the magnet and ball lock. Hopefully some of you that are more familiar with the Shadow than I am can help. Since I have owned the pin (almost a year) I have continuosly had problems with the magnet and ball lock. The problem is that sometimes after the magnet catches the ball (catches 100%) the ball will simply roll down the playfield and not go to the lock. When I first received the pin this happened about 1 out of every 4 balls. Now for some reason it seems to happen less, maybe 1 in 8-10 balls. When it does happen the wall stays down (assuming that it is trying to compensate for an error) and the game gets really screwy. Gives me two balls to the plunger and more often than not triggers a slam tilt when a ball hits the MONGOL targets on the left. I have figured out that if I power down the pin as soon as the error occurs the first time and power it back on things will operate as normal until it happens again. In test mode everything tests 100% all the time. Opto tests fine, magnet tests fine, lock tests fine, wall tests fine.

After reading the above posts I stated to wonder if this is perhaps a problem because of a divot at the sanctum? There is no noticeable divot that I can see but the wood is very thin in that area. There is next to no burn marks from the magnet either. I have grown to hate the Shadow over the last year as I have never been able to find a cure to this problem, alhtough strangley it seems the problem has lessened over time and now, from time to time, I can actually play a game all the way to the end. Any thoughts?

Try my suggestions of making the table really really steep, or putting down something thick over that spot. This will help you determine if a divot may be causing the issue.

Also go read rgp for others that have had this exact same issue. You guys are not the only ones.

Also the game does compensate normally by dropping the wall and allowing you to just shoot it in there. If you dont power cycle the game after it fails the game will never go back to normal. This also fools a lot of people.

Please report what you guys figure out. Mine was a real bitch to figure out, but it's been 100percent ever since...

Update to my Shadow sanctum problem. Got the machine in from the garage, cleared a couple unrelated switch faults, increased the angle to 7-7.5 degrees, works every time now. There was a shallow divot there.