Pretty sure your game is acting normally.

I guess I’d make Sure the shooter lane switch is working?

If you are experiencing ball count problems it can likely be only two things: The trough optos/switches, or the shooter lane switch. Those are the only things that keep track of balls in the game.

Are you sure there’s something wrong with the game?

I’m pretty sure I’ve had a couple balls back up in shooter during that wizard mode. Maybe there’s a vid of it online you can compare with.

Something is making your game think a ball drained.

Go into test, leave a ball in the shooter lane, and start pressing switches until you find out what it is. You may have a broken diode or something.

No...physical lock switches also keep track of balls.

How many does this game have?

Pretty sure it’s zero! One ball gets diverted by the magnet. The other is in play the other sits in The trough.

2 actually, on the mini upper pf.

Well, check those!

Have you done a switch test yet?

are you testing the shooter lane switch with a pinball, or you finger? make sure a ball sitting in the lane triggers it, not just that it's functional.

Post it.

If possible, post a pic of the shooter lane switch too, making sure you captured how it is wired up, and you can see where the banded side of the diode is.

Looking between the 2nd and 3rd pic of your switch matrix, you have two switches closed by the shooter lane.

Start looking for a shorted or bad diode.

Nevermind, i see why the switch in the trough changed.

Sorry to send you on the wrong path.

You cpuld always try a factory reset and see if that clears it.

In your pics, trough switches 1-3 show closed, which means no balls for optical switches. Trough switch 4 (4th switch down on 4th column) shows open, meaning a ball is blocking that opto pair. Gravity shouldn't allow that to happen.

You either have bad trough optos or a worn trough causing balls to not roll all the way down to trough switch 1.

this is a common issue on this generation trough design. i'd remove the trough and clean/light sand it. and/or a quick fix is to get one of those plastic trough shims that are readily available. those help.

Thats what i thought....but the optos for the trough are on the 3rd column, not the fourth

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The open opto switch is for the goalie.

OP, what was the state of column 3 in the photos? The switch matrix indicates 31-36 are optos and your photo 1 shows 31-35 open (ball present) and 36 closed (no ball present). Photo 3 shows switch 35 (trough 5 left) changed state. Is that an accurate representation of what it should show i.e. is the game showing balls where they were when you took the photos?

While in switch edges test, wiggle each trough board connector. If any switch triggers, rebuild both female connectors and closely inspect both trough board male connectors.

If nothing triggers, with 5 balls in the trough and still in switch edges test, smack the trough assembly a few times with the handle of a screwdriver or your fist and see if that triggers any switches.

The female connectors, especially the outside one, are always suspect. A cracked leg on any of the 12 optos (24 LED legs) on the trough board can also cause what you're seeing. If the boards are original, remove them and inspect them closely (if you haven't already).

Any optos working intermittently makes all the other optos in the game suspect. Games don't like when switches are intermittent and will sometimes put too many balls in the shooter lane, like you're seeing.

Should be able to test the skill shot optos with a finger or big standard screwdriver. Try vibration in that area while in switch test too.

How do the switch matrix connectors on the bottom of the CPU board look? Rebuild connectors if either look flakey. Also closely inspect the 10 opto board under the playfield. Any bulging capacitors or flakey connectors? If all looks okay, reseat all the connectors.

You have a colordmd correct?

You may have a bad cap for the 12v, especially if you have a color dmd (and if you have a kahr board).

Have you tested your 12v? What did it measure?

That is correct, but again, you aren't using the correct wording. Launch ball, ball exits scoop, then ball ejects from the trough into the *shooter lane*. Shooter lane switch is very different than trough switches. Please use the correct terms.

The advice above to check the 12 volts is good advice. Didn't notice you have a colordmd.

Replace the pinballs with standard shiny carbon ones. See if that fixes the issue.

Your balls may be magnetized.

There should only ever be one ball in the shooter lane at any point during final match wizard mode.

Unless all 5 are in play obviously.

This vid show should help.

Yes. But it would be also intermittent.

Highly unlikely.

What did your 12v measure at?

Have you tried a factory reset, as suggested above? If not, give it a try. Also couldn't hurt to reset both ends of the ribbon cable that goes between the CPU board and driver board.

You may want to try setting up the issue in switch test and see if something is throwing a switch error, causing a problem with the optos.

If you have another game (or access to one) that uses the same opto board under the pf, you can swap that out and see what happens.

Cut the pink crimp on connector off of the shooter lane switch and solder the green wires onto the middle terminal.

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That switch is wired correctly

I think he wants to make sure the connection is solid.