So, when I try to start up my Dr. Dude, it automatically starts scrolling through the test report menu, without me touching it. It won't respond to any of the button presses, even though the continuity test shows that they are working fine. It will eventually land on one of the menu items, and just hang there. It also says that there are pinballs missing, when they are all present.

Previously, there was an issue where it would randomly reset mid-game, and we found out that one of the wires in the backbox had a bad connection, so we replaced that wire. That seemed to fix it, everything was playable, so I went about replacing some of the dead bulbs. Those also worked fine afterward. I then turned it off, and adjusted the switch under the Gift of Gab, and replaced the drop target springs. When I turned it on again, this happened. I don't know what might have caused this, and am frankly at a loss for what to do.

Here's a video. I can provide pictures of the backbox and playfield wiring if needed. This is also one of the few WPC Dr. Dudes, rather than the standard System 11.

Any ideas?

No. The batteries were fine, although I did replace them anyway just to see. I also reseated the connectors in the CPU.
Here's a pic of the CPU I took as well.

image_(resized).jpeg

I can't operate the menu. It acts the same way with the door unplugged.
The 3 LEDs on the left side of the CPU, the top one is off, the middle is blinking very fast and constant, and the bottom is on.

It was last working just before I adjusted the gab switch and changed the springs out. Since then it's been doing that.

I did disconnect and reconnect the opto board, but I don't think it was put back on wrong. I'll double check tomorrow.

If it's truly just to do with either of those things, I'll be simultaneously relieved and pissed at myself.

J205 has been unchanged since I bought it a year ago, and it's been functioning until recently. I'll show this post to my friend who's been helping me out with this, but neither of us have touched that wire. If there's no orange, there never was one there. How should it be wired?

Actually tried that earlier, didn't change anything. I'm going to check on the gab switch and opto boards in the morning and see if it's coming from there. Will try unplugging 205 again for good measure though.

If it's a board issue, what do I do with it?
If the trough switches are shorted, what do I do with those?

So, unplugging J205 (and that whole bottom row) has no effect, nor does unplugging the coin door. I've checked the switches and opto board and ball trough and I can't find any shorts, so it may be the CPU. What I really need is a pinball tech or very knowledgable hobbyist to come take a look at it because I'm beyond my comfort level tinkering with it. Can anyone point me to someone in the Binghamton, NY area?

I used a DMM, and tested the switches while opening and closing them manually. They seemed to be operating correctly.

No way, it's always off when I work on it.
What's my next step then?

I am not attempting to do anything further on my own. I am requesting information on where to go/who to talk to in order to get it repaired. Preferably someone nearby to Binghamton, NY.

Reviving this thread, as I sent the CPU and power driver board out for repair. Just got them back today, and installed them. (The battery holders did in fact have acid damage, among other issues, including a dead 12v capacitor on the power driver board, so he did attach a separate battery holder to use instead.) The machine started right up, with no more of that menu scrolling. Great!
It still has the "Waiting for pinballs" message, even when they were all present, so I navigated to the switch test (now that I actually can), and none of the ball trough/plunger switches responded. I pressed the left and right outlanes for good measure and they popped right up onscreen.

So according to the switch matrix, the Green-Red wire is the one connecting those ball trough switches as well as the left ramp switches. I haven't tested the ramp switches yet because it's starting to thunderstorm and I have unplugged it until it subsides. What should my next move be once I check those ramp switches?

The ramp switches (and heart target) do not register on the Switch Edges test either, but there is continuity the whole way through the wire to the CPU.

I have Switch Levels and Switch Edges, and the entire Green-Red column is unresponsive on both, but again, with a DMM it shows continuity throughout.

Sorry for the newbie question, but can I get a how-to on jumpering?

Talked to the guy who fixed the boards for me, and he walked me through jumping the pins. I moved the green and white connectors from J207 and J209 to J206 and J208 and we are back in business!

Thanks to Eugene Marsh for all his help!