"I looked up and saw Lady Jackpot in all her beauty.”

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Sounds like it, yes. I had a wire come off a solder joint on the right of the 3 standup targets that go up and down. This was also tied to the opto. I didn’t realize it till I did what you described and they kept spinning. There is no fail safe written into the code when this happens. The game must be powered off to stop it. So I’d definitely suspect an issue with optos or them getting power.

You can disable the slots in the menu if you want to still play it while you wait for parts or figure it out. It will still award slots with the computer and DMD, but will not use the mech.

You mentioned doing new connectors, perhaps there’s something off with the pinning or connection on one of those.

I’ll take a look over your setup if you want to post some pics.

Question - have you done a switch test to see if anything else isn’t registering? That’s the easiest way to find a broken solder joint on a wire and know where it is and if it’s in the same run as the opto that’s not working.

If it’s not a loose or disconnected wire causing an opto to lose power then maybe you can try cleaning the optos with a cotton swap and add a dab of alcohol if they’re really dirty then dry swab them off.

What issues are you experiencing? I’m curious. Mine has been good for awhile but I did have the issue with them spinning and not stopping, making me reboot and I also had to rebuild a motor once, and replace one that couldn’t be rebuilt.

It sounds like you and scampcamp have the same exact issue. When one or more optos aren't reading correctly, it will spin the slots indefinitely, and not kick the ball out during ball search. The only option is to turn the slots off until it's corrected otherwise the game will hang.

Mine did the exact same thing one time, but the optos and boards were fine - I found the problem was the right target that raises and lowers in that 3 target bank, which had a wire break off the solder. That wire was tied to the same run on the switch matrix as one of my slot optos. My problem with the spinning slot reels had nothing to do with an issue on the optos or those boards - it was a broken solder joint connecting a wire to a target further up the switch matrix.

The real kicker is I was all over the slot mech, tore it apart, cleaned it, checked all connectors and etc. thinking it was something in there. Then I left it alone for a few months. Wasn't motivated... Till it dawned on me that maybe it was something else in the switch matrix. It literally took me 5 minutes to find and fix when I went at it that way. Maybe your situation and scampcamp's are similar and just as easy.

You can also run a switch test to see if any other switches are failed, they should appear and you’ll save a ton of time looking over random switches when one might not be broken.

This is an important step to take that can also save extra aggravation since if it is switch matrix related you might not even need to mess with the slot reels or optos at all.

Yep.

Switch 48 is Slot Index Right (opto). That’s the one causing the reels to keep spinning. What’s causing the opto issue is yet to be discovered.

If you look at the switch matrix chart I’m attaching, look at the row Switch 48 is in. You’ll see the right 3 bank target, right loop, and left loop are all wired in the same series. So if a wire came off one of those switches then it could cause the right opto to not work.

I think the reason it can be the right 3 bank target is because that mechanism raises and lowers which puts strain on the solder where the wire connects. This is exactly why mine wouldn’t work so I would definitely look there.

It could still be a bad or dirty opto also.

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Initially, I resisted the urge to comment about the cookies and refrained from speculating over the ingredients. But they had me curious.

Are you positive the motors are wired correctly? Or that the molex connector on one of them isn't reversed? I believe they can go either way depending how you wire them up. Scared Stiff uses the same motor but I think it spins the opposite direction.

* I looked over your pics and info again after I posted, they do look correct to me.

Those boards do go bad. At this point that’s about all I’ve got left to conclude.

One thing that amazes me is how many parts and components and etc go into making the slot reels when they aren’t even a mech that interacts with the ball. And you can bypass them anyway with the code. And they stop game play and flow when you have to wait for them.

I’m sort of amazed they ever made it into the game. All that aside, it is pretty awesome playing it and seeing them in action when they work properly. And I am glad they’re in there. They sort of complete the game.

Clues can be collected by spelling T-A-X-I (either directly or via Taxi Chase), the Super Skill Shot, and the Slots (3 fingerprints). Clues max out a 50M, and five clues collected in one case will light an extra ball. Collected clues reset when starting a new case. Collecting a clue lights the telephone. Clues are (in order): Bullet, Broken Mirror, Dagger, Fingerprint, & Matchbook. They have no specific significance to the case or killer.

Equipment can be collected by exiting on floor 6, the Slots (3 magnifying glasses), the 2nd consecutive Train Loop, and the Sewer.

Revolver - Helps you during multiball by increasing the value of the jackpot in the jets faster.

Magnifying Glass - Eliminates a suspect in a Phone shot if no other award is given.

Flashlight - Helps you find the Map in the Sewer or the Magnifying Glass in the Phone if no other award is given.

Map - Helps you in the Sewer if no other award is given.

Elevator Madness:

A two ball multiball (with a x second ballsaver). The object is to hit the Elevator. Either left or right shot reverses the direction of the elevator, and collects value for that floor. Exiting on a floor also collects point value for that floor. Points awarded range from ~10M to ~35M. After you've been given awhile to score points (20 sec?) the 3-Bank Target begins to cycle up and down intermittently.

Found that info here, with tons more -

http://pinball.org/rules/whodunnit.html

That’s how I interpret it also. Must be a fine break in the original wire somewhere.

Can you run a jumper for the blue/orange from the reel board to the connector, and then try a jumper on the blue/orange from the connector to the main board to at least try and figure out if the break is between the reel board and connector, or between the connector and main board? That should help save a little bit of time in the final search for where at in one of those 2 runs the break is at.

After you get that far I think it’s just a matter of squeezing lightly and trying to pull the wire in opposite directions till you get to a spot that feels a bit more elastic like. There’s a bit of a technique to way you handle and pull the wire. Not too much force, just trying to find a point where it’s only the insulation and not wire holding it.

I’d also maybe focus on areas where it looks like the wire could get snagged or pulled tight, especially if playfield raises and lowers or anywhere there’s an active switch, like the target bank that moves up and down since that puts strain on the wires.

I may open my Who Dunnit up quick to check some potential problem areas on blue/orange.

I was thinking the same thing. It's difficult to tell from the photo.

I'm assuming the welds must have broken, and someone then re-welded it, and it burned a little. Especially since it's on both sides.

I'd probably pull the metal scoop part out and hit it with a grinder to get the edges straight again and then a wire wheel brush for the crud or rust or whatever, then polish and wax, then do the sticker.

I'd definitely remove it, and I agree with PinMonk on this. It's the only way to do it right and have a nice clean finish. The reason it looks like it does right now is because someone else decided not to take the time to remove it and fix it correctly.