Throw a hot dog on it! Wish i could help you out, someone help Joe out [Bump]

I dont think leaving it on is the right decision if its cooking.

Before trouble shooting, be sure to check that the fuses are not higher values than they should be.

Hey Joe, is it one of the 8a fuses above the big blue capacitor or F4 on the PSB? If it is F4, I would go into diagnostics and do a lamp test to see if you have any rows or columns out. If some are out check the lamp matrix in the manual to see which transistor to check. Good luck.

Don't leave it on. You can really cook the MPU/driver board worse, such as burn a hole in the board. Lift the playfield and look for any burnt coil wrappers. Push up on all the coil assemblies and make sure all the coil plungers move freely.

A burnt coil is only a symptom of a transistor that caused a coil to lock on.
It needs to be repaired quickly.

Just because it's that time of year...

Right around this time last year I was playing and suddenly smelled something burning, turned off the machine immediately and dug around for an hour hunting for issues, found nothing.

Turned out it was just the furnace kicking on for the first time that season and burning off dust.

If you smell something though, turn it off. At the point where you can smell it, you should be able to see something that looks toasty.

This happened to my Congo shortly after getting it. It was hard to see but you could definitely tell a coil was fried when it would not move. Turned out a transistor was bad and that what caused the coil to lock on. I would follow pinballmaniac's advice and check all coils for proper movement with the power off. Until you figure out the problem, I would not leave the power on for more than a few seconds.

Leaving it on?!

Dear lord.

Turn the game off. Take the playfield glass off. lift the playfield and Sniff around.

Likely, you fried a transistor and now a coil...since the fuse is blown leaving it on probably won't hurt it further but it's pointless as it won't help you find the issue. Replacing the fuse and turning it back on is a terrible idea (even though it will probably just blow the fuse again). You are looking for a fried coil.

What these guys said. Leave it off, don't put a new fuse in and check all of the coils. Did you figure out which fuse it was? That will help narrow things down. Any other coils not working? Do you have a DMM to do a check the transistors? That will also help narrow things down if the coils seem to be working, moving freely. Make sure to check them all, diverted, VUKs etc. look for burnt coil wrappers too.

a coil is locking up, creating heat and melting the coil sleeve.
you will hear the coil lock when the game starts up then it will start smoking.

transistors control coils. coils don't just go bad. something has happened in the wiring under the play field or to the transistor on the main board...

i highly doubt the burning is coming from the inside of the head box.
best of luck.....

you probably will need to send out the board.

m.

Joe, I would test all the TIP102/122 and the 36c transistors with the game off with a DMM. If you can figure out what coil(s) are fried I can help you with the board work, if you can drop it off. You will also need to replace the coil. Let me know if you need help testing the transistors. If you know what coil it is I can order one for you. Ordering parts soon. Will help save on shipping.

One of your coils may have blown it's diode...the coil will still work but the diode's function is to stop voltage from flowing backwards after each coil's energize cycle. If the diode blows, the coil usually still works but now the flow goes both ways and it can blow a transistor.

Find that coil diode and you have found your problem.

find out what coil is attached to that transistor. that coil shorted and blew the transistor. Smell around. you can smell what was burning. Should be able to smell burning on the coil as well as the transistor. The transistor should not test good if it burnt. Replace all and test the predriver with a meter, while you have the board out. Test all the other transistors as well and replace any others that may be bad.

because it probably burnt itself open now, so no longer overdrives the circuit. You will know it's burnt. If you sqeeze it, sometimes they feel charred and crispy. Smell it. You will know.

not likely. Do a continuity test. Pull the plug out just enough to expose the pins. put one on the pin on the board. Other side on the lug and you will know if that plug and wire are good or not. Takes 3.7 min.

fix the transistor first, and make sure the diode and coil are good. Work your way up to it. PRobably not tho. PS board is pretty robust.

It never ends because you don't seem to know what the hell you are doing.

You need to bring in someone who does, quick, and stop trying
To "fix" this yourself.

I've been doing this 15 years and sometimes I'll pull the rip cord and seek - pay - for the help of others on board work. You don't seem to know even the basics of this stuff and you are likely going to make it worse.

That's the spirit....but you should understand that in the end, if you mess up, it could cost you more than having it fixed would have.
As long as you are ok with that...dive in!

Check the sleeve in that coil, if it's melted that could be what you smelled. Also check the diode on that coil, if that went the coil would overheat and melt the sleeve and take out the transistor. That's what happened to the shooter coil for my T3. A service bulletin for the game said to put another diode on the coil so it would have 2 on it and that would correct the problem.

That's great but how are you going to learn when you can't even follow the most basic advice?

People have been telling you for a solid WEEK that you are looking for a burnt coil, and you should investigate specifically for that. Yet you've ignored this advice and continue blowing fuses and looking elsewhere.

I really don't understand this. Why ask for advice when you are just going to ignore it?

Do you have any friends in the area with a little experience who can help you help yourself? Cause just blowing fuses and monkeying around in the head isn't gonna teach you anything.

This is a pattern with you. I remember when you were bitching about how much you hate your Star Trek next gen, while refusing to make any of the adjustments that were suggested to you. This went on for weeks.

I don't get it.

this this happen all of a sudden or were your doing work prior ?

Transistors can blow or they can Blow up & make a mess, Hopefully the integrity of the board is ok, Need to work out the base issue 1st or else you'll be going around in circles IMHO.

DE cpu boards are a PITA

find the blown transistor first. Then look at what number it is Q (something). then the manual will tell you what coil that is for. you will know your problem child coil from that point on.

what coil does Q122 control?

Hey! I heard this kind of thing a lot growing up! Dad? Is that you!?

Sry, off topic, I just had flash backs reading that post and died laughing! I think that might have even been written on my report card in school!!!

Check the coil for the top eject ( boat dock ) that is for Q46. Your auto launcher maybe a bad switch or a wire fell off the coil lugs since you said all transistors except Q46 checked out. Take it one step at a time. If the scoop eject coil is toast I would file the plunger head and coil stop and replace the coil sleeve while you have it apart. You can bring me the board if want to replace the TIP and check the pre driver. If you bring the CPU board might as well bring the Driver board so I can check the 36c transistors. Should be an easy fix.