Electro-Mechanical Pinball Repair For Dummies
TURNING ON and START UP
It will be quite hard to work on these machines unless you know the Terminology of the workings etc of a pinball machine, so I have listed in a separate section in alphabetically order : Pinball Terminology.
Ok, its time to plug it in and turn it on. This is what may happen :
Nothing happens - No Illumination on playfield or backglass, no activity at all.
Backglass and Playfield is Illuminated but no signs of activity when start button pressed.
Score Reels reset but Score Motor continually rotates or a continually buzzing sound is heard. (Warning: Turn machine off straight away if this occurs.)
Playfield and Backglass Illumination on, Score Reels reset, Ball launches, everything works.
Warning: Pinball machines operate off line voltage (120V in U.S.) so care must be taken when working on your machine. If you are not comfortable with the risk you should only attempt repairs that can be done with the machine unplugged. Most EM machines operate on 6.3V and 25V AC which is safe. However, line voltage will be present from the line-in cord to the primary side of the transformer. Also, some machines have coils that operate on 120V so some relay switches and score motor switches have 120V present on them. Finally, some older machines have 120V going to the start switch. On these games you should check to make sure the fish paper insulation is still in good condition.
If the game won't start - Check the simple possible causes first :
Is the power cord plugged in and turned on ?
Is there power at the power outlet ?
Is the game turned on ? Some machines have an on/off toggle switch under the cabinet, some early machines are turned on by activating a flipper button.
Are there credits on the machine or is it set on free play ?
If all fails, follow the Start Up Sequence relevent to the problem machine.
