TZ help. Doesn’t pass testing screen when turned on

I flipped on TZ last week and it powers up fine with lights on and It gives one bong sound but then stays on the testing screen.
I’ve not done anything new to it lately.
I reset all the ribbon cables but that did not help.
I’ve been running the home rom for like 10 years on this game.
D19-D21 led’s look like there showing all ok.
I’m reading on pinwiki but am kinda stuck now.
I’ve not yet reached out for in home tech service yet but that well be my next step if I can’t get this figure this out.
I’m not sure where to start here
RVH.

#2 3 years ago

F X

Coyote

Pinside member

How long have you waited on the testing screen? Is the progress bar full? Cleared off? Or Empty?

#3 3 years ago

RVH

Pinside member

The progress bar fills up completely and disappears but then stays on at the Testing screen showing this.

image (resized).jpg

#4 3 years ago

RVH

Pinside member

So progress bar cleared off.
And she stays stuck on the testing screen.

#5 3 years ago

F X

Coyote

Pinside member

Okay -
In that case, disconnect the Fliptronics board, and try it.
Then repeat for both the Sound board, and then the Display Driver.

(For the latter - you won't see the screen. This is expected, since you disconnected it. Just give it a good five minutes, and see if you get (1) An error bong, or (2) Attract mode lights..)

#6 3 years ago

RVH

Pinside member

To disconnect each board do i unplug the power going in to the board or a ribbon cable?
I tried starting the game with power going to boards unplugged at
Fliptronics-J904
Sound board-J501
DMD board-J606
One at a time, is that how I am to test it?
Thanks for you’re help Coyote.
I’m not working on it anymore tonight.

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#7 3 years ago

F X

Coyote

Pinside member

OP
Quoted from RVH:
One at a time, is that how I am to test it?

You can do it one at a time, OR, all at once. If you do it one at a time, and the game starts up correctly when one board is off, then you found a board causing the issue. If you do them all at once and the game works, you'll then need to narrow it down by plugging one at a time back in.

While you CAN unplug the power connectors, it could lead to a false-positive or false-negative (incorrect result) because the data and addressing lines are still physically connected to the boards. If the issue is a short or open data line, then leaving it connected to the board could cause the issue to occur - even with the board powered down.

You know -
Thinking on that, that is the point where the ROM goes to write to/read from the power driver board. Before doing the above, start with pulling the short ribbon cable connecting the PDB to the MPU.

#8 3 years ago

RVH

Pinside member

Looks like does the same thing when I turn it on with Ribbon cable disconnected to each board one at a time. One bong and stuck at same screen.
I guess I failed to notice the attract mode lights were also frozen up as they were on initially on but seamed to be stuck in the middle of there cycle as only half of them were on.
now attract mode lights don’t come on at all I think because it’s locking up to the second sooner after trouble shooting With the ribbon cable.

#9 3 years ago

RVH

Pinside member

Maybe it’s jealous that I had just turned it on just to look at the new CPR mirrored back glass I put in while I play iron maiden?

#10 3 years ago

RVH

Pinside member

Maby is time to replace a few ribbon cables.
These two are old.

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#11 3 years ago

F X

Coyote

Pinside member

New ribbon cables are recommended, yes. Since you tested it without tor boards plugged in, likely NOT a ribbon cable causing this issue, though.
Assuming you did the power-driver-board as well - and verified that when you plugged everything in, you were square on the pins and didn't miss one - I would try a new EPROM, and if that fails, a new ASIC chip.
(Can also try pulling batteries and letting the RAM reset.)

1 week later

#12 3 years ago

RVH

Pinside member

Sorry just seen you’re response today.
So I took the batteries out and turned it on and now the dmd toggles between saying
Bookkeeping totals cleared
And
Factory settings restored

After that I put in the eprom that came with the game when I bought it at U6 and the game booted up the same, stuck on bookkeeping and factory alternating on the dmd.
I attached a picture of the old chip I tried.

I’ve just ordered new ribbon cables to replace the old ones today.

Thanks again.

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image (resized).jpg

#13 3 years ago

EMB

wxforecaster

Shoot Again Pinball Repa

11y 87,050 1,835

"Sorry just *SAW you’re response today."...ugh pet peeve with incorrect usage of "seen".

Now put new AA batteries in. The factory settings/bookkeeping error with no batteries is a GOOD thing. You'll need to advance the test button inside the coin door after this message occurs. Do you get a "bootable" game?

#14 3 years ago

F X

Coyote

Pinside member

OP
Quoted from RVH:
Sorry just seen you’re response today.
So I took the batteries out and turned it on and now the dmd toggles between saying
Bookkeeping totals cleared
And
Factory settings restored
After that I put in the eprom that came with the game when I bought it at U6 and the game booted up the same, stuck on bookkeeping and factory alternating on the dmd.
I attached a picture of the old chip I tried.
I’ve just ordered new ribbon cables to replace the old ones today.
Thanks again.
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]

Okay - that is actually EXPECTED!
Open the coin door when that message is on screen - hit 'enter' (far right button), and then hit 'exit' (far left button). It will then go through the testing screen again - see what happens.

#15 3 years ago

RVH

Pinside member

Quoted from wxforecaster:
"Sorry just *SAW you’re response today."...ugh pet peeve with incorrect usage of "seen".

Sorry, had a few beers in me at the time.

Quoted from Coyote:
Okay - that is actually EXPECTED!
Open the coin door when that message is on screen - hit 'enter' (far right button), and then hit 'exit' (far left button). It will then go through the testing screen again - see what happens.

OK I tried this with the batteries out and it does not go through the testing screen again. it just stays on factory settings restored and bookkeeping totals cleared screens alternating between the two of them. Also when I press the buttons (enter then escape) it doesn’t make any sound as it normally dose when pressing them.
It also does the same thing if I have new batteries in as well.

Thanks again
RVH

#16 3 years ago

F X

Coyote

Pinside member

OP
Quoted from RVH:
OK I tried this with the batteries out and it does not go through the testing screen again. it just stays on factory settings restored and bookkeeping totals cleared screens alternating between the two of them. Also when I press the buttons (enter then escape) it doesn’t make any sound as it normally dose when pressing them.
It also does the same thing if I have new batteries in as well.

Okay - the first part of that makes sense, yes - since the batteries aren't there, exiting and reentering will not clear the error.
Specifically, with the game off:
- Remove the batteries.
- Wait 5 minutes
- Re-insert batteries.
- Turn game on.
- You will get 'Factory Settings' message.
- Hit 'Enter', then 'Exit'.
- Testing message should reappear.

Let me know whether that works as expected, or at which step you don't get the expected result.

#17 3 years ago

RVH

Pinside member

Quoted from Coyote:
- You will get 'Factory Settings' message.

Stuck here.

#18 3 years ago

RVH

Pinside member

- Hit 'Enter', then 'Exit'.

These don’t register when pushed.

#19 3 years ago

RCA

alexanr1

Pinside member

12y 74,550 1,338 85

If misery loves company, I had some issue with my TZ that took me a month to figure out. What a great feeling once you get it working again. Keep at it!

#20 3 years ago

RVH

Pinside member

I sold my first twilight zone to a friend of mine many years ago and I just went to service it today for a broken wire on the slot machine coil.
That one is back up and running.

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#21 3 years ago

F X

Coyote

Pinside member

OP
Quoted from RVH:
- Hit 'Enter', then 'Exit'.
These don’t register when pushed.

Okay - this could mean one of two things:
(1) Broken wire related to your service switches, or
(2) Your MPU board has a bigger issue.

I would try and rule in/out the MPU by replacing it with a spare, if you have one. (Or one from a different game.)

It's entirely possible your ASIC is toast, battery acid wore away at part of the board, or the RAM chip on your MPU is toast. I'm LEANING towards it being the latter - RAM chip is gone.

#22 3 years ago

RVH

Pinside member

I took my cpu board and put it in another TZ and it boots fine.
When I got home and tried booting my game again I noticed some thing I should’ve seen before.
The 12V LED is not lit on the power driver board, And no 12 V light on the driver PCB board.

#23 3 years ago

F X

Coyote

Pinside member

OP
Quoted from RVH:
I took my cpu board and put it in another TZ and it boots fine.
When I got home and tried booting my game again I noticed some thing I should’ve seen before.
The 12V LED is not lit on the power driver board, And no 12 V light on the driver PCB board.

That... would be a problem.

#24 3 years ago

FNG

DumbAss

Pinside+ Frequent

9y 109K 2,984

OP
Quoted from RVH:
I took my cpu board and put it in another TZ and it boots fine.
When I got home and tried booting my game again I noticed some thing I should’ve seen before.
The 12V LED is not lit on the power driver board, And no 12 V light on the driver PCB board.

Absence of +12VU results in the "check F115 and F116" message. Absence of the +12VR results in the "check F114 and F115" message.

Factory reset (due to removing power to the SRAM thereby cause a RAM checksum error at startup) causes the "factory settings restored" message. Unfortunately this message takes precedence over the "check F114 and F115" message. With the absence of +12VR no switches will be detected - even the direct coin door switches. That's why you are seeing what you see.

Part of the reason why I put a (yellow) LED on my CPU board so that it's obvious that you're missing this critical voltage input.

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#25 3 years ago

RVH

Pinside member

Thanks for you’re help Coyote.
I was able to schedule my pinball tech for this coming Thursday.
I’ll report back with what he finds.

Thanks again
RVH

#26 3 years ago

F X

Coyote

Pinside member

OP
Quoted from RVH:
Thanks for you’re help Coyote.
I was able to schedule my pinball tech for this coming Thursday.
I’ll report back with what he finds.
Thanks again
RVH

Good luck! Let us know what he finds!

#27 3 years ago

RVH

Pinside member

Parts replaced, my tech worked alone for the most part per covid.
12V was the big problem I guess.
Sorry i don’t have more info other than my tech is great and I’m lucky he is able to fix up my game again.

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#28 3 years ago

TOX

ChrisHibler

Chris' Pinball Repair

Chesterfield, MO

12y 120K 9,996 46

Corrosion at C2. I’ve seen this many times.
—
Chris Hibler - CARGPB #31
Http://chrishiblerpinball.com/contact
http://www.PinWiki.com/ - The new place for pinball repair info

#29 3 years ago

F X

Coyote

Pinside member