Wow! Never knew that.

Can you confirm the coil is actually firing? Perhaps try in coil test mode with the playfield up so you can see.

If so, then it is likely something mechanical. Check it over and see if anything is catching. Is the spring intact? Etc.

Ok. Next make sure it raises and goes down on its own in coil test mode. If it doesn’t go down in coil test mode, but the coil is definitely firing, then there is something wrong with the mechanical connection. I believe the coil triggers a little arm that pushes the drop target back causing it to fall, but I can’t look right now to make sure. You should be able to see the mechanism.

Can we get back to happy thoughts?

So that Ruby Red edition is a nice looking game, right?

A small piece of weather stripping also works well to lift the castle wall just enough. That’s what I’ve used.

There’s a little tab that you have to pull back with your finger nail, and then it just pops out. Watch out for the whirring fan blade. It really cuts, as I learned the hard way.

You're not alone. It took me a while to figure out. Once you figure it out though, you're like d'oh!

Maybe your CB switch is acting up, and it registered three times on its own? Just a guess, but perhaps check the optos (I think they’re optos), make sure they are properly aligned and not being triggered from vibration.

You should be good.

I’m pretty sure it tells the pin to stop playing oh eee oh ohhhh oh, and start being in normal playfield mode, but I haven’t tested it.

Probably also useful for MB to tell the pin to stop having 2x scoring for a ball on both playfields.

It is supposed to be up in No Place Like Home mode because you don’t use the upper playfield.

Winkie hits are variable, and I’m not sure they necessarily go in order. I’m pretty sure I’ve only needed one hit at times.

It sounds like yours is functioning normally unless I’m missing something.

So, on a right orbit or plunge, the ball just sails out the left side without hitting any pops? That is weird.

I do know that my metal ball guide on that exit side is bent out slightly. Came from the factory that way. Perhaps it was an adjustment to prevent that issue that was never made on yours by mistake. Call JJP and see what they say, assuming they are around. Or maybe LTG knows.

Then I would revisit my post. Perhaps take a video if you can of the ball exiting to really make sure it is not hitting any of the pops. The other thing you could try is adding a small piece of felt tape at the exit side of the metal ball guide. That might slow the ball down and divert the ball enough to hit the pops.

I just played a game, and the ball always hits the left bumper on both fast and slow shots through the orbit. If you are sure it is not touching it at all, then I would check the position of the metal ball guide and level of your playfield. If it is touching it, even if just slightly, but not triggering the bumper, then you need to adjust the switch as stated.

Yes. It helps with strategy to get a haunted mode going if you can time it correctly or do it off a plunge.

And 10,000!!!!

I think he’s joking.

While we’re praising LTG , I will add that he offered me repair advice on one of my first posts on my first pin when I was really in over my head nearly 6 years ago. Without that advice, and the advice of others over the years, I never would have stayed in this hobby, and certainly wouldn’t have had the courage to buy more pins, like WOZ, that I own today.

I don’t think it is uncommon to lag. It is an imperfect toy that was a cool idea but execution never really matched expectation. However, if it is significantly lagging all the time, that might be something.

Watch this. It really helps and is a good tutorial.

It is risk / reward. Every crystal ball MB rewards you with 2x playfield scoring but also punishes you with something like weak flippers or no hold flippers, etc. Try to stack them with another MB like emerald city and also a munchkin mode like munchkin frenzy. Crazy points that way.

What still needs fixing? It may be simple, and we can talk you through it. Or if you’re not comfortable, we may be able to tell you how involved it would be for a tech to fix.

Wizard: you may need a new LED strip. This is a common failure point for some as I’ve read in this thread.

CB: search this thread. Others have had to deal with this. You may need to reseat the connectors and SD card.

NB on rainbow: unfortunately, you probably need a new board from JJP. This will require removing the munchkin playfield to replace which is a little involved but totally doable, and there are great instructions in the manual. You are likely not on the 2.0 lighting system which means you may have board failures from time to time. You can upgrade but it costs $800 and takes about 12-14 hours of your time. I did it, and I’m not very handy. But if you are new to pinball, it can seem like a big lift at first. The 2.0 system uses phone like data cables to go to each board. The earlier lighting system uses other data cables which travel from board to board in series and have green or red sharpie marks on the connectors.

Didn’t know that. I stand corrected.

I do agree with you about the rubber standoffs. I hate those things.

WOZ stops being floaty when you up the pitch and increase the flipper strength. My WOZ is fast and brutal.

I go back and forth between games. Right now, I’m on a WOZ kick again in terms of what I’m playing. I’m reminded every time I turn it on and plunge a ball just what a masterpiece it is.

If by floaty, you mean stop and go as opposed to flow, then I agree with you. However, if you mean slow moving ball, then pitch and flipper strength can affect that dramatically, and a little adjustment will go a long way.

Ah, then you and I agree. Some have used the term floaty in the past to describe how it has been set up at shows, where the flipper strength is often lowered, and the game is not that fast. But, yeah, WOZ is stop and go. No debating that.

I didn’t know it was intentionally random. That’s interesting. I always assumed it was a bug, the fact that the slippers didn’t do this every time, that they never bothered to fix.

Well, since others say it is random, I guess your luck has taken a turn for the worse. I wouldn’t play the lottery for a while.

My games with WOZ either last 2 min or 20 min.

A successful collection of horses — meaning all the same color or all different colors — will multiply your munchkin score at bonus collection time. So, for instance, if you happen to start a MB while you have munchkin frenzy going and let’s say a crystal ball mode as well, then every switch hit is banking points at 2x frenzy value to be awarded at bonus time. Now let’s say you have also successfully collected horses on that ball. Then that munchkin bonus gets multiplied even further. I believe my highest bonus was 400,000 doing something like that. Doctor6 bonus of 800,000 is even better and doable if you get extremely lucky like this.

Just wait until you build up a huge bonus only to tilt and see this displayed: “Bonus Lost 340,000”.

I always find nudging to be more challenging with WOZ. The thing is so darn heavy.

Looks like it goes on the bottom metal lug in your picture. You will need to remove the old solder, put the wire in, and solder it back in place with the bottom leg of that diode. Use a heat sink on that diode leg when you are doing it so as to not damage the diode.

I’m not sure but if you search for one on amazon, there are a few options all about $5-7. Here is what I use:

Heat Sink https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009VNUZYS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_y9pYEbKX9V3TD

A question for this thread might be: What pin in your collection is never leaving? And, the answer, of course, is WOZ!

Likely you will have issues eventually. When and how often seems to be very game and location dependent. I had issues every winter when the air became dry and staticky before I upgraded to 2.0.

Yes, but the larger light boards are $200 +/- each. The small GI ones are about $20-30 each. If you have issues, you’ll get sick of replacing them and spending that money. The upgrade is $800 and about 12-14 hours of your time. It is not too bad, though. Just time consuming. I broke it up over a few weekends and actually had some fun doing it. Just make sure the pin is priced appropriately for having the older lighting system.

Make sure you are using fresh carbon steel balls. When my balls get magnetized, they hang up there more often.

If you’re new to pinball, one tip is to swap out the balls every ~500 games plus or minus. They can get dinged which causes playfield wear.

Also, carbon steel balls (as opposed to chrome steel) are better for games with magnets as they retain magnetism less. They can still get slightly magnetized over time, which is why swapping them out every so often helps.

They’re a very responsive retailer and pretty good balls. I buy from there. They’re not as good as the pinballlife oh so shiny balls that you used to be able to get, but alas, those appear to be no more.

Someone grabbed the wrong sticker by mistake.

11 hours might be a record. Congratulations!

Can anyone beat that? I spent ~14 hours so not me.

He should call Guinness.

Ok. So in all fairness, you need to add the repair time back into your total.

First just go into switch test mode and press the switches to see if they work. It could just be that you haven’t hit them in some time as Bmanpin said.

The castle VUK is likely an opto. Stick a pencil in it when in switch test mode to see if it triggers. Keep coin door open while you’re doing this.

An opto is an optical switch that emits a light on one side and has a sensor on another. When you break the beam, so to speak, it triggers.

I always get confused with what closed means for an opto. I think it means that the beam is not broken. So likely same issue. You haven’t nailed the shot behind the castle doors in a while. Stick a pencil in the VUK hole to try to trigger it.

Only difference I am aware of is that the newer runs have the 2.0 lighting system. Not sure which date they switched.

Not normal. Are you getting good plunges? If not, check out my posts #2129 and #2348.

Is the e clip on the shooter tip hitting the metal housing that has the lines indicating strength of plunge. If so, you may have to tighten the lockdown bar against the cabinet or check to see if anything has gotten bent.

Last idea. Is the lower right corner of your munchkin playfield screwed down too tight, and is the ball hitting the edge of the cliffy? That happened to me once a long time ago. But, perhaps that’s not the right area that you’re describing.

If not, I give up.

I’m pretty sure Lloyd has posted somewhere in here about other ways for ensuring the arm has strength enough to lift when three balls are being held behind it. There may be a mechanical adjustment to make as well, but I would have to defer to LTG

They’re both beautiful machines, but if you have hope of finding a RR with the 2.0 light boards, I would go for that.

Aside from the cosmetic differences, it really does come down to the monkey mech, which I happen to like a lot.

The directions come with diagrams and are very detailed. No video that I know of.

Does the coil work in test mode? Does the switch register in test mode? If the switch doesn’t register, check if the wires are connected and haven’t broken loose from that switch and others in the same column on the switch matrix. A common switch for the wires to break off is the skill shot target, as the wire can snag when you are raising and lowering the playfield. This can take out other switches in that same column.

Or, it could hit the rail and possibly send 70v into your switch matrix frying your I/O board. Please see this post for something that everyone should check next time they lift the playfield:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/woz-fan-club-members-only/page/149#post-4983796

Are you sure it doesn’t function? If it came up in a test report, it probably just means you haven’t hit it in a while. Go into switch test mode and check.

It is indeed a protective cliffy for the munchkinland playfield. It is probably the only absolutely necessary cliffy in the game. Without it, that playfield is at serious risk of getting chipped at any time.

This is the best I know of. Takes you through all the rules right up to the final wizard mode. And, there’s a surprise ending if I remember correctly.

No. You can buy replacement 7.5 boards from JJP. But, they are expensive and prone to failure. The upgrade kit avoids having the issue reoccur frequently.

Watch the ball as it exits. Does it drop in the same place each time, or does it sometimes get dropped a bit to the left? If the latter, this is an issue with how that upper playfield is leveled. You can tighten the nut on the right hand side that holds the playfield to the support posts, or loosen the nuts on the left just a bit. This will tilt the playfield slightly more to the right, making the ball more consistently land where it is supposed to and be caught by the magnet.

Only certain WOZs built after December 2017 came with the bilbo ramp. It was the special Smaug Emerald edition.

We know. We’re just giving you a hard time in a friendly way.

The bonus multiplier is not very lucrative for WOZ as it doesn’t apply to parts of your bonus like munchkin mode points. What is much more lucrative is the HOADC multiplier.

I have a 10 second ball save which is generous, I know. But there were too many times when the ball came out of the pops on the first plunge to go straight to an outlane that I wanted something.

The other thing to note is that the WOZ ball save doesn’t go away if you drain like DI or other games. It lasts for the full time you set it for. Unfortunately, I’ve had it trigger a few times in a row when I’ve been particularly unlucky.

The WOZ thread is seriously lacking in key posts. There is so much knowledge in here that’s hard to find.

Melt the Witch is one of the best wizard mode / mini wizard modes in pinball. The sounds, images, lighting are all just terrific. And the mode itself is an exhilarating rush. Difficult to complete but not impossible. I melt her a couple of times a year, and finishing the mode is extremely satisfying with well done fan fare.

Up the flipper power and raise the pitch a bit. Mine is fast and difficult. Set it to match your taste.

Are you talking about under the word “There’s”?

You sure that’s not some weird reflection or artifact in the picture?

The collect horse shot is exceedingly difficult, for a reason — it is very powerful. The best I’ve done at it is during MB, if you have two balls cradled on the right flipper, a quick flip can send one up and through to collect.

I believe all RR versions had both. Mine did.

This topic has been discussed to death, but there are those that had very few problems and those that had a lot. I had multiple boards fail every winter. Simply keeping the old boards going wasn’t really a very good solution long term.

If you have balls on one of the mini playfields and balls on the main playfield, focus on the mini. You’ll be able to see, with your peripheral vision, when the balls on the main playfield get near your flippers so not so hard to keep them in play, though you won’t really be able to aim your shots that way.

Really getting points is all about stacking. Try as much as possible to get a MB going with a munchkin mode and with a 2x crystal ball mode.

Correct. Often if a haunted mode is ready, you can hold both flippers on the plunge and get it in there. Otherwise, it is just a matter of timing when the ball is in the bumpers.

Try back handing it three times in a row without hitting any other switches and see what happens.

Novus 2 has abrasive. Novus 1 does not. Honestly Novus 2 is fine for ramps as well. It won’t scratch it up. Perhaps polish it a little. How dirty is yours?

Novus 2 followed by Novus 1 might work a bit better. Novus 2 shouldn’t scratch a ramp but polish it. Novus 1 is a bit of a finisher. These products were made for polishing plastic.

You can increase the brightness of the LEDs in settings. I found when I put 2.0 on the max setting, it was no different than the old version 1 boards. Some people say the GI is a bit dimmer though. I haven’t noticed all that much but GI is just dim on WOZ in general.

Sorry. I think you might be right. I misread your post.

Yes, the inserts are definitely just as bright, especially if you up them in the settings. The GI might be a different story, but it never bothered me, and you can always add some spotlights to brighten things up.

Common? Maybe for the best. I don’t think I’ve gotten over 3 in years of playing.

Look in the manual for the diagram showing the light boards and how the data lines run from one to the other in series. Identify your last working board. Reseat all cables on that board and the next one downstream. If that doesn’t fix it, try bypassing either board by following the directions in the manual. One of those boards will very likely be faulty and need to be replaced.

It might be time to consider an upgrade to the 2.0 lighting system.

Hopefully, it is just a cable, but I had the exact same thing happen, and it was one of my boards starting to fail.

I’m pretty sure I’ve bought from Bolt Depot in the past when I need an odd screw. The only issue is you pay .20 cents for the screw and $7 for shipping if I remember correctly. But I think they have everything.

As an owner of a RR converted to 2.0, I say yes. But in all honesty, they are all good. You can’t go wrong. The RR versions probably have the most bling, but other versions have cool stuff like yellow sparkle on the playfield (YBR) or wooden apron (ECLE). The only thing to really be aware of is that the YBR lacks the monkey mech, and that not getting 2.0 could lead to more unreliable light boards.

Yes it does. Sorry for the confusion. I meant that to be a separate statement and not tied to the YBR statement.

Didn’t they already rerun RRs after YBR came out at the lower price point, or am I mistaken?

Let's have some fun to see who has the better average here -- I know it won't be me. (This only works if you are the primary player on your machine.)

Go into audits and post:

(a) Total number of games played.
(b) Total number of Witch Battles.
(c) Total number of Witch Battle Wins.

Here are mine:

(a) 2447
(b) 130
(c) 7

I thought I was better than I was.

Those numbers are pretty good.

I think the MB is one of the more brutal ones out there. Only two balls, short ball saver, and just so so much pressure.

Well, it’s been years since I got my machine and have never greased the rods. I suppose it is time to do some preventative greasing. I just ordered some superlube. How much do I apply, and do I apply it to the whole threaded rod, or just in one place and then move the monkey back and forth to work it’s way in?

I don’t think it matters. I usually do whatever works just to get the round contacts on the leafs closer together but not so close that the switch triggers from the vibration of the flippers. Pinballlife.com sells a nice leaf switch adjustment tool that makes adjusting easier.

Much better said than me.

Hit the white or red shots. White is worth more but they count the same towards the goal. You need to hit four of them.

After you do that, the drop target will come down. Hit a ball into the saucer behind the drop target. It will “lock” there starting a timer. You then have to hit the other ball up the ramp. The diverter will send it down the munchkin playfield and to the upper flipper. You then have to hit the witch, thereby melting her.

Good luck!

My DI has plenty of light. I haven’t seen it in person, but I would venture GnR does as well.

That’s a great photo. Looks like you have plenty of light but still keeps the dark mood.

Agreed. I would highly recommend installing at least that one. It should be considered mandatory. And, it looks stock; doesn’t take away from the look at all. You won’t regret installing it, but it is very likely you will regret not installing it sometime soon.

To be clear, the $800 board set that it sounds like you bought is likely the 2.0 board set. Those cannot be swapped for version 1 boards. Did you in fact buy the 2.0 conversion kit to do an upgrade someday?

Break it up over 2-3 weekends. Much less daunting that way, and you are less prone to making mistakes if you take breaks. I’m not that handy. If I can do it, most people can.

One piece of preventative maintenance you may want to do is wrap the bracket and lugs for the skill shot leaf switch in electrical tape. Mine would make contact with the rail, and one day when the left bumper fired, it also made contact with the rail sending high voltage into the switch matrix through that skill shot switch and frying my I/O board. A rare event to be sure, but it can’t hurt to protect against it especially if you are already having some issues with that area.

I have one. It was a neat way to play for about a couple of weeks, but haven’t used that option since. I do think it is good if you want to set up the game for a casual, non-pin head to play. There are some easy to achieve goals, and you can set it for unlimited balls within a certain time period. Whereas the regular rules can be intimidating on this pin for a novice. But, because I rarely have other people over to play, especially during COVID, it hasn’t been used.

Felt tape in the shooter lane helped me with inconsistent plunges:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/woz-fan-club-members-only/page/47#post-3372442

Yes, though I probably need to redo it as the felt flattens over time and has less of an effect. If you compare the WOZ shooter lane with others, it has a longer area that is flat (no groove) and allows a lot of ball wobble. The felt tape lessens the wobble and seems to slow it down just enough. When I first installed it, if I remember correctly, I went from like <50% consistent plunges to 80-90% consistent plunges. As I said, I probably need to redo it, as the consistency has lessened over time.