• Stupid Williams Getaway Ball Missing Error

    From Mark Coward@nuttyshtuff@gmail.com to rec.games.pinball on Friday, July 31, 2020 11:17:05
    From Newsgroup: rec.games.pinball

    Ok so... I fixed a locked coil issue on this stupid Getaway and it was playing fine. Then one day my buddy boots it up (no errors) and presses start and gets a pinball missing error. WTF? All three balls are where they're supposed to be. The ball search finally kicks one out into the shooter lane and the auto launcher launches it. The other balls move over as they should. Hmmm.
    Put all three balls in the trough where they go, and I enter switch edge test. All 3 switches show closed. Outhole switch tests good too. All switches test good in test mode, but the balls still aren't recognized.
    All coils test good too.
    Other info: If you start a game and wait for the locator to finally kick out a ball and start, it plays normally, EXCEPT... once you get your 3 balls locked (and the switches work there too!) it goes though the motions of multiball, but never drops the release plunger (Which tests ok in test mode)
    W.T.F.?
    Help?
    --- Synchronet 3.18a-Win32 NewsLink 1.113
  • From John Robertson@spam@flippers.com to rec.games.pinball on Friday, July 31, 2020 13:12:26
    From Newsgroup: rec.games.pinball

    On 2020/07/31 11:17 a.m., Mark Coward wrote:
    Ok so... I fixed a locked coil issue on this stupid Getaway and it was playing fine. Then one day my buddy boots it up (no errors) and presses start and gets a pinball missing error. WTF? All three balls are where they're supposed to be. The ball search finally kicks one out into the shooter lane and the auto launcher launches it. The other balls move over as they should. Hmmm.

    Put all three balls in the trough where they go, and I enter switch edge test. All 3 switches show closed. Outhole switch tests good too. All switches test good in test mode, but the balls still aren't recognized.

    All coils test good too.

    Other info: If you start a game and wait for the locator to finally kick out a ball and start, it plays normally, EXCEPT... once you get your 3 balls locked (and the switches work there too!) it goes though the motions of multiball, but never drops the release plunger (Which tests ok in test mode)

    W.T.F.?

    Help?


    Check the trough switches carefully for normal action. Best way is the
    next time you turn it on and it complains go as quickly as possible to
    Switch Test to see if one of the trough switches is not registering.

    Microswitches can get erratic, or it may be loose or for some other
    reason one (or more) switch(es) are possibly barely tripping...

    John :-#)#

    --
    (Please post followups or tech inquiries to the USENET newsgroup)
    John's Jukes Ltd.
    MOVED to #7 - 3979 Marine Way, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5J 5E3
    (604)872-5757 (Pinballs, Jukes, Video Games)
    www.flippers.com
    "Old pinballers never die, they just flip out."
    --- Synchronet 3.18a-Win32 NewsLink 1.113
  • From Mark Coward@nuttyshtuff@gmail.com to rec.games.pinball on Friday, July 31, 2020 15:01:47
    From Newsgroup: rec.games.pinball

    On Friday, July 31, 2020 at 1:12:36 PM UTC-7, John Robertson wrote:
    On 2020/07/31 11:17 a.m., Mark Coward wrote:
    Ok so... I fixed a locked coil issue on this stupid Getaway and it was playing fine. Then one day my buddy boots it up (no errors) and presses start and gets a pinball missing error. WTF? All three balls are where they're supposed to be. The ball search finally kicks one out into the shooter lane and the auto launcher launches it. The other balls move over as they should. Hmmm.

    Put all three balls in the trough where they go, and I enter switch edge test. All 3 switches show closed. Outhole switch tests good too. All switches test good in test mode, but the balls still aren't recognized.

    All coils test good too.

    Other info: If you start a game and wait for the locator to finally kick out a ball and start, it plays normally, EXCEPT... once you get your 3 balls locked (and the switches work there too!) it goes though the motions of multiball, but never drops the release plunger (Which tests ok in test mode)

    W.T.F.?

    Help?

    Check the trough switches carefully for normal action. Best way is the
    next time you turn it on and it complains go as quickly as possible to Switch Test to see if one of the trough switches is not registering.

    Microswitches can get erratic, or it may be loose or for some other
    reason one (or more) switch(es) are possibly barely tripping...

    John :-#)#

    --
    (Please post followups or tech inquiries to the USENET newsgroup)
    John's Jukes Ltd.
    MOVED to #7 - 3979 Marine Way, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5J 5E3
    (604)872-5757 (Pinballs, Jukes, Video Games)
    www.flippers.com
    "Old pinballers never die, they just flip out."
    That's exactly what I did John! All showed closed in Test mode. I have continuity in the whole column all the way back to the mpu, which is new. Switches test good by hand or with balls in regular action. They test good in test mode and with a meter.
    This thing is killing me!
    --- Synchronet 3.18a-Win32 NewsLink 1.113
  • From awesome1@tom@mydax.com to rec.games.pinball on Saturday, August 01, 2020 14:16:36
    From Newsgroup: rec.games.pinball

    On Friday, July 31, 2020 at 3:01:53 PM UTC-7, Mark Coward wrote:
    On Friday, July 31, 2020 at 1:12:36 PM UTC-7, John Robertson wrote:
    On 2020/07/31 11:17 a.m., Mark Coward wrote:
    Ok so... I fixed a locked coil issue on this stupid Getaway and it was playing fine. Then one day my buddy boots it up (no errors) and presses start and gets a pinball missing error. WTF? All three balls are where they're supposed to be. The ball search finally kicks one out into the shooter lane and the auto launcher launches it. The other balls move over as they should. Hmmm.

    Put all three balls in the trough where they go, and I enter switch edge test. All 3 switches show closed. Outhole switch tests good too. All switches test good in test mode, but the balls still aren't recognized.

    All coils test good too.

    Other info: If you start a game and wait for the locator to finally kick out a ball and start, it plays normally, EXCEPT... once you get your 3 balls locked (and the switches work there too!) it goes though the motions of multiball, but never drops the release plunger (Which tests ok in test mode)

    W.T.F.?

    Help?

    Check the trough switches carefully for normal action. Best way is the next time you turn it on and it complains go as quickly as possible to Switch Test to see if one of the trough switches is not registering.

    Microswitches can get erratic, or it may be loose or for some other
    reason one (or more) switch(es) are possibly barely tripping...

    John :-#)#

    --
    (Please post followups or tech inquiries to the USENET newsgroup)
    John's Jukes Ltd.
    MOVED to #7 - 3979 Marine Way, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5J 5E3
    (604)872-5757 (Pinballs, Jukes, Video Games)
    www.flippers.com
    "Old pinballers never die, they just flip out."

    That's exactly what I did John! All showed closed in Test mode. I have continuity in the whole column all the way back to the mpu, which is new. Switches test good by hand or with balls in regular action. They test good in test mode and with a meter.

    This thing is killing me!
    If the switches all test ok as you indicate, double check the diodes to make sure they aren't bent and shorting or broken. Sometimes lifting and setting down the playfield will hit the trough switches and mess the diodes up.
    Maybe jump out the trough switches and see if the game is happy. If yes - go ahead and replace them.
    --- Synchronet 3.18a-Win32 NewsLink 1.113