I'm working on a Williams Triple Action that I just got and needs lots of work. My first major issue is getting it to start up. Couple issues here I could use some thoughts on.

1. when I push the start button nothing happens (it does light when the flipper is pushed). If I manually move the score motor cogs a few times, it will start moving. At that point the start button seems to work and things start going. Any idea what needs to happen for the score motor to work when the start button is first pushed? I imagine there is a something misaligned that touches when I manually move it.

2. when the reset sequence starts, two switches get stuck pulsing: the score reset and the reset on the spinner step unit. They just pulse over and over again while the score motor continues to spin. The score reels are setting to zero, so I don't think it's them. And the fingers on the spinner step unit seem to be at the reset position to me, so I'm not sure why it's not moving past this point.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

Thanks for all the thoughts. It definitely looks like I have two separate issues going on here. I'm trying to attack the score motor first hoping for a miracle that it helps with the other. I have cleaned the step units and score reels (although I'm not against trying again), but I figure if I can't get it to start at all, those are less important in the beginning.

It indeed looks like the score motor cams are over-rotating just a little so that first stack is up and not down in the notch. I pulled the motor apart and cleaned the gears best I could, plus the cogs and riders themselves. Everything seems to be moving just fine, but still setting it's "home" position just a little past the notch. Another thing I noticed watching the cogs spin over and over, is that the top arms of all the switch stacks seem to be up just a little. I didn't see any of them move when the stack moved up. Could it be that all of those aren't making connections and affecting something? I hesitate to bend them all down just yet.

What else could cause this little over-rotation? I've searched online but must not be using the correct key words because I really can't find what I'm looking for.

Thanks so much for the thoughts. It's really fun so far. Frustrating too.

Yes, this is exactly it. I can't seem how to get this resolved, however. Online searches don't seem to come up with much.

So, I feel pretty stuck. I'm focusing on getting the start button to start the motor right now. Here is the current situation, when the motor is spinning, I have to switch off the power and it stops wherever (not in the home position of the index cam as paulace mentioned above). When I power up again, the lights come on from the left flipper, but the start button does nothing. The motor does not move the index to home. If I manually spin it to home, the outhole relay pulses and moves the motor about a quarter inch past home and stops. Any idea why the outhole relay pulses the motor just past home? Any clue why the motor won't move to home on it's own?

paulace and TimMe - Thank you guys so much for the help. I feel like I've made more progress tonight than in awhile.

Thanks for the pictures, I never would have noticed there was a spring there without them. I cleaned it up some and gave it some 3 in 1. Honestly I don't think it was an issue as it was already moving pretty nicely, but a little cleaning didn't hurt.

Looks like the top of the stack was bent a little up and not touching when it should. I've worked on it and now the motor runs when powered. I know, feels like more progress than it probably is. However, I still think something is going on with the outhole relay. the motor is running and not stopping at home. I think it wants to, but the outhole relay pulses to move it a little forward and it keeps running round. I've attached a little youtube video.

any ideas?

Thanks, TimMe. I think I'm messing around a little too much without the right tools. I've ordered a switch adjuster and will keep on this project when it arrives. I think several of the switches on the motor are actually out of whack and that may be a lot of my issues.

I feel like some progress has been made and I'm getting close, but not entirely sure. At this point, I have the motor fixed where it stops at home by itself like it should. However, I'm still stuck so I will try to explain what is currently happening:

-The lights power and the motor moves to home. If I manually move the motor a little, it rotates around and stops at home again - so good shape there. Note no ball is present at this time.
-The start button doesn't do anything. There are credits on the machine and the credit light on the apron is lit, so I think I'm good there.
-When a ball is placed on the machine, the motor runs, the outhole relay pulses, the bonus relay pulses, and both the bonus stepper and the spinner stepper pulse. The ball is not kicked to the lane. It continues like this until I remove the ball. With the ball out, it all continues a few more times then stops. Nothing on the playfield powers, so a game isn't starting.

So what I can tell it seems to be trying to reset everything and start a game when the ball is placed rather than the start button, but it can't get everything reset. I've cleaned those steppers and think everything there is making good contact. The score reels move to zero as they should also.

In the video I've attached, I show the motor stopping without a ball, then I simulate a ball and show the motor running, outhole relay pulsing, and both the steppers pulsing. I didn't show the bonus relay pulsing, but it is also.

I'm not good with schematics so really struggling to figure out the problem. I'm hoping there is something obvious that I'm missing and someone might have an idea. Thanks so much and happy new year.

It's amazing what difference a day can make sometimes. I've done a lot of poking around and think I have most of this figured out. The start button is now getting things moving, and it seems most everything is resetting and starting a game like it should. While the start up sequence seems to be working itself out, it is taking a long time. The machine is moving up to 10 balls at start up. I've figured out that the coin relay is staying energized too long. If I manually open it during startup, I can get the machine to stop a 5 balls and be ready to go.

So, any idea what would cause the coin relay to energize too long and not cut off at the right time (after 5 balls have been added rather than 10). It keeps pulsing for longer and would add more balls if it could. I've gone over the schematics best I can, but can't figure out what is supposed to kill the coin relay at 5 balls. Any ideas? I'm happy to look anywhere. Thanks.

Hi I'm bumping this up hoping to get some assistance. I feel like I've got the machine to about 98%. Sometimes it starts up properly with 5 balls, other times it fires to 10 balls and keeps cycling (I have to turn it off and back on). I'm sure there is something not quite adjusted right, but can't figure it out. I appreciate the help from pinside friends.

Yes, I've learned more since then and will definitely heed that warning. Luckily it was only a drop or two in one spot. Don't do it again.

Thanks Dave. I feel like I've got it about 90%, but could definitely still use help. When I start up, sometimes it resets to 5 balls, and sometimes it seems to get stuck and counts all the way up to 10 balls. When it starts at 10 balls, I can play one ball then reset the game again. It'll count all the way down, reset the score reels, and get started again. Still here, sometimes it goes to 5 and sometimes 10. I can't figure out what would make it work properly sometimes and get stuck other times and move straight to 10 balls. Any ideas?

Thanks, Justin

Coming back around and going to mark this as complete. Thanks to everyone who offered help.

On the last issue of the balls jumping straight to 10 sometimes, this seems to have largely worked itself out with more use. I'm chalking that up to the machine "self cleaning" with regular use.

Cheers!