Williams aztec won't go to zero if score reel has 1-4.

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#1 1 year ago

OP

???

GAHPman

Inactive member

Portland, OR

1y 6,250 3

Hello everyone!!

My first post. I have been reading the site all week. What a great community you have here of knowledgeable people.

I figure at least one of you can help me out. I am a total noob. I have been reading posts and EM repair guides for hours and I have only found one person with this problem, and I don't think we have the same cause.

In my case, my 1976 Williams Aztec score reels will not always return to zero on game reset. They don't do the endless flipping everyone else describes. It happens primarily when the reel has a 1-4 on it. Score 5-9 will reset to zero. 1-4 will reset to 5-9.

Yes, it has been cleaned and filed.

I made a video showing the issue. Check it out tell me what you think.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/mnpvXdbcYwWrfgmS8

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#2 1 year ago

HOW

HowardR

Pinside member

Boulder, CO

7y 78,050 6,252

Hi Paul, Welcome to pinside!!

Sounds like you have a few problems. But to start with check this switch on the Reset relay for proper adjustment.

For a switch to work 3 things are necessary:
1) When open, there should be a small space between the contact points (duh)
2) When closing, the long blade's contact point should push the short blade's contact point enough to move the short blade
3) The contact points should be clean, which they usually will be if #2 is happening

pasted_image (resized).png

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#3 1 year ago

OP

???

GAHPman

Inactive member

Portland, OR

1y 6,250 3

Dear lord you amazing person... That totally fixed it!! I just cleaned it again, took the flexfile to it again and then adjusted two that looked a little further away than the others. Poof! Thanks!!!!!

Crazy to think such a small difference would make such a huge impact.

Ok... While I have you .. next question: any idea on the bonus lights in the middle? Some light up, others don't. They all flicker on. Originally none worked. But then I cleaned the stepper and the play fields switches and and now most at least flick on when scored. They just don't all stay lit like they should (about 1/2). I assume I just need to clean the connections on the bonus stepper unit some more?

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#4 1 year ago

HOW

HowardR

Pinside member

Boulder, CO

7y 78,050 6,252

There are other possibilities but a good place to start is to check the light bulbs and sockets.

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1

#5 1 year ago

GHL

Garrett

Pinside+ Frequent

Pinckney, MI

11y 92,300 3,250 3 45

OP
Quoted from GAHPman:
Dear lord you amazing person... That totally fixed it!! I just cleaned it again, took the flexfile to it again and then adjusted two that looked a little further away than the others. Poof! Thanks!!!!!
Crazy to think such a small difference would make such a huge impact.
Ok... While I have you .. next question: any idea on the bonus lights in the middle? Some light up, others don't. They all flicker on. Originally none worked. But then I cleaned the stepper and the play fields switches and and now most at least flick on when scored. They just don't all stay lit like they should (about 1/2). I assume I just need to clean the connections on the bonus stepper unit some more?
[quoted image]

Your playfield condition is quite amazing. The cupping of the inserts leads to ball damage of the wood and paint around them over time. Looks like yours may be a low play game.

There is tons of info out there and many great and helpful people here on Pinside. Have patience and they will help you get your Aztec up and running.

A nice playfield clean and that pin will look great! I would also recommend getting some mylar to put over top the cupped inserts. This will help reduce paint loss and wear. And it will help prevent random ball movement due to the cupped inserts, it will play better.

Aztec doesn't get a whole lotta love but it's a solid tilte from William's of that era. The spinner shot is tight and rewarding. The lower playfield is dangerous. The key to a high score? Forget about spelling AZTEC. You must hit the Z or T on the lower playfield to light the Double Bonus. Now just keep kicking up the bonus and keep the ball in play as long as possible. Nothing better than the 100K bonus. The lower playfield is brutal and unforgiving. The Extra Ball shot is a no-no, drains almost every time. Can be set up on 3-Ball or 5-ball and can be set to award credits or free balls. I am a fan of the Aztec.

Enjoy!

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/aztec-playfield-restoration#post-7145357

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#6 1 year ago

CMF

Flipsteen

Pinside+ Frequent

3y 60,550 259

Great looking Aztec. I owned and played one for many years. One of the faster and fun em games.

Williams games of this era have a very helpful manual and schematic that you can download if you haven't already. With this you can zero in on the switches, relays and steppers that may cause problems now or in the future. This game has a lot of steppers (including 16 score reels) and if you cleaned them and they operate freely and smoothly you will have fewer problems.

There's a lot of good information on fixing flickering pesky lights. Some solutions are a little more involved but I have often been able to solve almost every flicker by cleaning the socket with a brown stick sold by Pinball Resource as well as cleaning and adjusting the gap on the switch on the associated relay that triggers the light. To find the associated switch for a particular light you refer to the handy manual and schematic. Usually takes care of it 99% of the time. Have fun.

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#7 1 year ago

OP

???

GAHPman

Inactive member

Portland, OR

1y 6,250 3

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions! I took a Dremel to the bonus stepper after studying the manual. Poof! All working again. She is fully operational!

You guys rule. Thank you so much!

By GAHPman

1 year ago

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Hey there! Welcome to Pinside!