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William Fire Power


Jamie

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My Firepower blows the solenoid 2.5 amp fuse on the power supply board after about an hour or so sitting in attract mode and not being played. It runs well otherwise. I’ve checked all coils ohms and are good none are not working. Boards have been repaired. Am staring down the need to disconnect each individual coil to try and isolate a bad one unless someone else might have some idea in regards to this??? Could a bad coil diode cause this or even a bad connector? All of my header pins at least are replaced.

Thanks.

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Correct me if I'm wrong as I don't specifically know Firepower but in attract mode none of the soleniods fire right? But the flash lamps do fire so might be worth checking their resistors or taking them out of circuit and see if the problem persists. It would also be good to check all the coil protection diodes anyway and I assume your fuse is the "Slow Blow" variety. (I see you have also Stellar Wars - Nice machine :) ).
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you could try removing plug 3J3, bottom left hand corner, the solenoid bus on the power supply and see if it still does it, and/or 3J4, the plug above it, removing the lamp circuit altogether and the ground for the solenoids. If you remove these plugs and it still goes open your only culprits left are 2 caps and a zener on the power supply board.

sorry to say, even though your boards have been repaired it doesn't mean another component won't go bad.

even if a coil or diode was bad, without a circuit, solenoid being used, I don't see how the fuse could blow.

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you could try removing plug 3J3, bottom left hand corner, the solenoid bus on the power supply and see if it still does it, and/or 3J4, the plug above it, removing the lamp circuit altogether and the ground for the solenoids. If you remove these plugs and it still goes open your only culprits left are 2 caps and a zener on the power supply board.

sorry to say, even though your boards have been repaired it doesn't mean another component won't go bad.

even if a coil or diode was bad, without a circuit, solenoid being used, I don't see how the fuse could blow.

 

ism going give this go so correct me if Iam wrong, I should disconnect both these plugs at the same time and not individually? Are you also saying without doubt that the F2 solenoid fuse can not go in attract mode either by means of a bad diode or dodgy coil?

 

On thing I’ve also noticed with this issue is that when I replace the fuse it seems to run fine like nothing ever happened. Suggesting that it isn’t causing any further damage.

 

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Correct me if I'm wrong as I don't specifically know Firepower but in attract mode none of the soleniods fire right? But the flash lamps do fire so might be worth checking their resistors or taking them out of circuit and see if the problem persists. It would also be good to check all the coil protection diodes anyway and I assume your fuse is the "Slow Blow" variety. (I see you have also Stellar Wars - Nice machine :) ).

 

Firepower certainly not alone. Stellar wars has an issue I need to get some help with as well. Will start another thread for that.

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Put the machine into soloniod test and see how it goes. Flash lamps are part of that test. The ceramic resistors near the flash lights are there solely to preheat the flash bulbs allowing a small voltage to constantly go through the filaments so they don't blow as often. If however you change these flash bulbs for LEDs, the preheat circuit is not needed and often causes trouble.

 

I doubt your machine missed this factory amendment but do check.

https://www.ipdb.org/files/856/Willi...test_games.pdf

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So the machine chucked a hobble after about an hour and half. Both connectors on the power supply were disconnected. This time however it did not blow the fuse. When it goes it makes strange sounds the score displays act up and game freezes up. If I turn it off and on it will come back fine provided it hasn’t blown the fuse. I think it has done this before and not blown the fuse but Iam not sure. Does this isolate anything??

 

@Autosteve I read through that stuff which is interesting. I might have to investigate that as well.

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ism going give this go so correct me if Iam wrong, I should disconnect both these plugs at the same time and not individually? Are you also saying without doubt that the F2 solenoid fuse can not go in attract mode either by means of a bad diode or dodgy coil?

 

On thing I’ve also noticed with this issue is that when I replace the fuse it seems to run fine like nothing ever happened. Suggesting that it isn’t causing any further damage.

 

1. You can do the lower plug alone and see what happens ,or both plugs.

Are you able to read and understand the schematic for this pin and see why I am suggesting removing the plugs?

2. No I am saying the fuse cannot go open in attract mode due to faulty coils or coil diodes without a circuit being completed. It can go upon booting if their is a short and/or faulty component/s but it will still go into attract mode.

 

 

 

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i miss plenty and most of the time, it's hard for me sometimes to read exactly the way someone else means there post to be.

 

1. okay so correct me where i am wrong.

you can turn on the machine, it boots fine, and if a ball/s has been locked it will kick it out and the game will go into attract mode without blowing any fuses?

after leaving the game on for a period of time in attract mode it will open the solenoid protection fuse F2?

the fuse does not go open during game play?

all coils test fine? if a coil diode was shorted the coil would test about zero ohms as the current takes the path of least resistance.

 

2. have you tested the coil diodes for a reading of about 0.6V ? i'd personally replace them regardless.

have you checked all your connectors for and tarnish and or corrosion?

have you changed the 40 pin cpu to driver headers and connectors?

 

3. 3J3 is the power supply for the solenoids, pins 6,7,8 & 9 but 3J4 is the solenoid ground pins 1,2,3 & 4 and the lamp supply pins 5,6,7,& 8 and the lamp ground pins 9,10,11 & 12.

 

4. F2 is purely for the solenoids, including C13, C14 and the zener diode.

 

5. i suggested the removing of plugs as a process of elimination

maybe try removing only 3J3 and if F2 still goes open i'd personally be changing C13, C14 and the VR1 , my apologies for earlier calling it, VR1 a zener, i was wrong, it is a varistor.

 

 

 

 

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So the game functions as per normal aside from the fact that it will spaze out and usually blow the fuse after about an hour or so. Haven't played it for an hour and a half solid but I have played numerous games without issue.

 

So this issue has occurred after unplugging both above mentioned plugs on the power supply. Does this eliminate playfield iam very keen not to have to go through every coil and diode to isolate that as the cause??

As for the driver board and all boaads for that matter they have been repaired including above mentioned caps and all header pins replaced. It was tested as working at time of repair. It has those annoying connectors without crimps so recrimping is again something iam trying to avoid. Not sure about the other thing you mentioned the varistor.

here's the work I had done to power supply.

 

Screenshot_20201226-104302_Outlook.thumb.jpg.b4dc7d9053a75611df96d59de15f5314.jpg

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Put the machine into soloniod test and see how it goes. Flash lamps are part of that test. The ceramic resistors near the flash lights are there solely to preheat the flash bulbs allowing a small voltage to constantly go through the filaments so they don't blow as often. If however you change these flash bulbs for LEDs, the preheat circuit is not needed and often causes trouble.

 

I doubt your machine missed this factory amendment but do check.

https://www.ipdb.org/files/856/Willi...test_games.pdf

 

Couldn't quite understand what connectors this service update was referring to...Am keen to see if this issue might be affected my machine.

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Discovered this smaller diode on a coil today. Not sure if it will make any difference but I've changed it.

 

That looks to be a 1N4148 switch diode, used on switches in pinballs, never seen one on a coil but it was put on as they may not have had anything else on hand.

1N4004/1N4007 is fine.

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So the game functions as per normal aside from the fact that it will spaze out and usually blow the fuse after about an hour or so. Haven't played it for an hour and a half solid but I have played numerous games without issue.

 

So this issue has occurred after unplugging both above mentioned plugs on the power supply. Does this eliminate playfield iam very keen not to have to go through every coil and diode to isolate that as the cause??

As for the driver board and all boaads for that matter they have been repaired including above mentioned caps and all header pins replaced. It was tested as working at time of repair. It has those annoying connectors without crimps so recrimping is again something iam trying to avoid. Not sure about the other thing you mentioned the varistor.

here's the work I had done to power supply.

 

 

so you have unplugged the 2 plugs that supply solenoid power and grounds to the machine, the lamp power and grounds and the fuse still goes open.

yes it eliminates the playfield, as per schematic which you can see on page 13, which is why I asked if you could read a schematic.

it's appears the problem is on the power supply board.

for the minimal cost, I'd replace C13 and C14 as I am suspecting one or both are leaking to ground over the time period you mentioned causing the fuse to go open.

VR1 is a varistor, also used as a protective component in the circuit. Unlikely it's faulty but in your situation I'd replace it also.

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so you have unplugged the 2 plugs that supply solenoid power and grounds to the machine, the lamp power and grounds and the fuse still goes open.

yes it eliminates the playfield, as per schematic which you can see on page 13, which is why I asked if you could read a schematic.

it's appears the problem is on the power supply board.

for the minimal cost, I'd replace C13 and C14 as I am suspecting one or both are leaking to ground over the time period you mentioned causing the fuse to go open.

VR1 is a varistor, also used as a protective component in the circuit. Unlikely it's faulty but in your situation I'd replace it also.

 

On # 11 above I have included a list of parts repaired on the power supply and mentioned that it was tested as ok at the time of repair which includes those caps if iam reading them correctly.

 

Iam not the greatest electronics scholar when it comes to schematic but i know enough to get by most of the time.

 

Changing that diode as seen in pic above seems to have helped. Have had it running for almost 2 hrs without issue.

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On # 11 above I have included a list of parts repaired on the power supply and mentioned that it was tested as ok at the time of repair which includes those caps if iam reading them correctly.

 

Iam not the greatest electronics scholar when it comes to schematic but i know enough to get by most of the time.

 

Changing that diode as seen in pic above seems to have helped. Have had it running for almost 2 hrs without issue.

 

Spoke too soon.. At about the two hour mark the game froze. Displays out attract mode gone. Turned it on and off and played game like nothing had happened so once again it didn't blow the fuse and this time above mentioned connectors were in.

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Some things worthy of doing solely because it is a Williams SS. Pull out the CPU and driver board and you will see a slot the CPU board lower edge sits in. Put a length of insulation tape along it so there is absolutely no way any solder joints on the back of the board can ever touch the metal. This "should" never be able to happen but that is when the board holders are in exactly the same location the factory positioned them in. There is play in the screw holes of the board holder mounts and simply screwing them back in the same screw holes is no guarantee they are in exactly the same position. The tape is a simple way of preventing this from ever being able to happen.

There is also a wingnut on a threaded pin at the bottom of the head. This is the ground to the backbox. Make sure it is tight and check the ground wire is in good condition. If this ground is dodgy, you will start getting stupid, random faults.

Seeing as you own Williams SS machines I highly recommend you read this.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-bulletproofing-williams-system-6

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Some things worthy of doing solely because it is a Williams SS. Pull out the CPU and driver board and you will see a slot the CPU board lower edge sits in. Put a length of insulation tape along it so there is absolutely no way any solder joints on the back of the board can ever touch the metal. This "should" never be able to happen but that is when the board holders are in exactly the same location the factory positioned them in. There is play in the screw holes of the board holder mounts and simply screwing them back in the same screw holes is no guarantee they are in exactly the same position. The tape is a simple way of preventing this from ever being able to happen.

There is also a wingnut on a threaded pin at the bottom of the head. This is the ground to the backbox. Make sure it is tight and check the ground wire is in good condition. If this ground is dodgy, you will start getting stupid, random faults.

Seeing as you own Williams SS machines I highly recommend you read this.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-bulletproofing-williams-system-6

 

I Always check ground earth and change the line plug when I get project pins first up. I’ll run over it again it does seem like a symptom of earth leakage. It checked out ok the first time I did it though. Am going to re pinin a few connectors as well to help with this. Earth strap to head box is secure.

That vid guide is good. I come across these from time to time. Sometimes they don’t really speak to where Iam at and other times it’s exactly what I need to know. Have had a bit of run through of it so far. I like the fuse inclusion for the rectifiers. Very clear and easy to do so will definitely do that. Thanks for that.

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