(Topic ID: 259135)

Totem (System 1) doesn't like waking up in the morning

By Gornkleschnitzer

4 years ago



Topic Stats

  • 6 posts
  • 2 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 4 years ago by ForceFlow
  • No one calls this topic a favorite

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#1 4 years ago

So, my Totem has been a very solid and reliable game - when it will actually boot. But getting it to do that isn't always easy.

Symptoms:
- When starting up cold (i.e. first time in a few hours), tilt relay immediately locks on. No 5-second delay, just instant tilt. Nothing else.
- If I leave it in that state for 2-3 minutes, then power cycle it once or twice, it will suddenly decide to engage a totally normal boot - waits 5 seconds, cycles the relays, then normal attract mode. And as long as power is left on, it functions exactly as it should.
- Nearly every time I try tweaking something, it works perfectly ONCE to give me false hope, then goes back to its old habits.

Things already checked:
- Battery removed from CPU, very small amount of damage neutralized, coin cell installed.
- Ground mods performed in backbox.
- Slam switch disabled by jumpering C2.
- Coin switches are not shorting. Tested with coin mechs removed to confirm.
- Brand-new Gulf Pinball power supply installed, with outputs measuring exactly as expected.

Any ideas what to look for next?

#2 4 years ago

Battery damage, bad electrolytic caps, connector issues, cold solder joints (usually on header pins, but can be anywhere), faulty bridges.

First, you need to make sure your power train is good.

The lowest hanging fruit are the finger contacts on the edge connectors. Take a pink rubber eraser and clean them off (don't sand them--that will just thin the material).

Next, repin the connector pins that plug into to the power supply header pins. Replace them with trifurcon pins so that better contact is made. Also repin the small edge connector for power on the MPU.

Next, replace electrolytic cap(s) on the MPU.

Next, inspect the battery damaged area again. If alkaline touched a component, replace it. For traces, make sure there is continuity through the area that was damaged. Once you're sure it's clean, seal it with clear nail polish so the bare copper doesn't tarnish. (Also, post a photo of the damaged area here).

Inspect the back of the MPU for cracked solder joints with a magnifying glass.

Next, inspect all the connector pins in *all* the connector housings throughout the backbox and cabinet for corrosion or significant tarnishing. If anything looks suspect, repin it.

#3 4 years ago

You're awesome. Thanks for a LOT of possible leads!

Battery area is actually in pretty good shape. Aside from a bit of missing mask on a few traces, there is only one with noticeable damage, and continuity tests as good.
IMG_20200107_190411952 (resized).jpgIMG_20200107_190411952 (resized).jpg

Edge connector pads have already been cleaned, so I will see what I can do about the plugs soon.

I had an amusing incident this evening that makes me wonder if I should double check some other things. I was showing off the game and how well it works after it does boot. Couldn't get it to boot after several tries. Opened up the coin door and slammed it shut a few times. Turned the game back on....worked perfectly.

#4 4 years ago
Quoted from Gornkleschnitzer:

Battery area is actually in pretty good shape. Aside from a bit of missing mask on a few traces, there is only one with noticeable damage, and continuity tests as good.

There is still alkaline damage/residue on the traces. It seeped under the masking. You'll need to sand the areas I marked in yellow, treat them with acid, wash, and seal.

pasted_image (resized).pngpasted_image (resized).png

Quoted from Gornkleschnitzer:

Opened up the coin door and slammed it shut a few times. Turned the game back on....worked perfectly.

Double check your slam mod. Sounds like the slam switch on the door might still be in use, rather than being bypassed.

#5 4 years ago

Affirmative, I'll make sure that gets done.

Quoted from ForceFlow:

Sounds like the slam switch on the door might still be in use, rather than being bypassed.

I thought jumpering C2 fully disabled that. Is there another bypass I need to do?

#6 4 years ago
Quoted from Gornkleschnitzer:

I thought jumpering C2 fully disabled that. Is there another bypass I need to do?

https://www.pinwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Gottlieb_System_1#Permanently_Disabling_the_Slam_Switches

Normally, that should be it.

If the wires on the ball tilt are swapped around, sometimes that can cause issues, but then that would be constant, not intermittent.

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