Hello all...Sometimes when ball travels through centre ramp entrance switch a solenoid fires off and holds for a few seconds, this has been going on for 3-4 years but have never seen which solenoid it is, but sounds like its coming from one of the jets, I have changed a few micro switches on the ramp switches and looked around for any dodgy wires but nothing seen. Its now blowing fuse F104 which covers Slings/Jets/trap door/top gates left and right. I am baffled as this is switch causing a problem on solenoids so no good me looking at the matrix charts in the manual, also have recently taken the playfield apart for 10 year clean, nothing found dodgy with centre ramp switch wires, nothing shows in faults, and fault still the same, so can anyone suggest where to look for this problem please. Cheers John B

Thanks for replies. Regards method, with the glass off I start a game and throw a ball up the centre ramp to simulate the fault, but this way it never has fired off the solenoid... so annoying. I have basic skills with electrics and not to sure reading diagrams, on the coin door when pressing enter button, it does not show any faults, so maybe there is not a fault and something is shorting across. When the fault does happen...that is the ball goes throo the ramp entrance switch...a jet solenoid fires and holds for about 5 seconds, sometimes it sounds like a something else is energised instead of the jet, again for 5 seconds. I dont think there is a pattern as it can happen on the 1st ball off the right flipper up the ramp or it can happen later in the game. I had a look at the 6.22.3 section and would say I am out my depth with.

Have tried the switch test and only the switch in test shows up on the matrix and not another with it. I have also tried all switches to make sure they open/close correctly and they do.

Cheers.

Ok thanks, some good ideas there, will check tomorrow evening and let you know.

Had a good look and played few games just now and found other stuff happening, here is the latest:- so during play when the ball goes throo either the centre or right ramp entrance switches on our TOM sometimes(sometimes means:-about every half dozen times), a solenoid fires off, it can be one of the following...a jet for 1-5 seconds/left or right flippers just blimp...dont travel right up/a sling shot may bang off/and I think an outlane magnet activates for 5 seconds, it happens so quick its difficult to know for sure. Also sometimes when the 3 rd ball locks onto the trunk magnet, trunk turns and sometimes holds onto the ball for a few seconds longer and do not get any sound effects until the 1st ball is popped out for multiball. Also when in test switch mode noticed that if pressing the sling rubber to check the 2 sling rubber switches sometimes can here a definite click from just under the playfield near the right drain magnet. Tried simulating with glass off to no avail. No faults come up on enter buttons, could it be an outside fault not recognised by the machine, wonder if its stray electricity getting across to earth somehow. All switches I can get at including the jet release switches have good adjustment, so not vibrations. Any ideas welcome thanks.

Thanks all for going out of your way to help, much appreciated, plenty to get on with..I may be some time..I'll check these tests over next couple of days and see what i can find. I did change some switches as I suspected diodes and wired them correctly, I changed entrance l & r, all round the ramps that was about 6 months ago, made no difference, the problems maybe getting gradually worse as tonight I played some games and adding to the list of strange behaviour...as the ball went for the left outlane and triggered the hocus pocus magnet, then the trunk pick up magnet energised and the trunk turned to open position even thought the ball was still down on the outlane magnet, tried it with glass off but didnt happen again, very random.

Latest on TOM fault:- Checked batteries, ok, no corrosion only 2 years old, checked about 12 diodes around the ramp switches as per the link and no signs of malfunction with them, had a good look under and on the playfield for any dodgy wires...nothing found. Just played 20 odd games and not a solenoid has fired off, only thing that doesnt seem right are 2 things...when the trunk magnet picks up the 3rd ball for multiball it sometimes drops it at the back as normal but most times holds it for a couple seconds longer before releasing it, sound effects go quiet too until 1st ball pops out, and the other thing is if I stop and go to switch test, and press the slings in to get the switches to show up on the matrix, there is a slight movement of the sling solenoid for the left or the right whichever i am pressing, just the once, as if some electricity is stored some where and released through the slings. I cant do any more than that really as it is beyond my capabilities, I can close this and take the machine to have it fully tested, thanks for all your help guys. Cheers.

Thats a good thought, changed with new balls but still the same, and amazingly the solenoids are firing off again, Blime! think thats it for now. Thanks all.