Help needed

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Eddie
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Help needed

Post by Eddie »

After my last game I always run a test and the Test said that the Lock Diverter was stuck in the closed position! When seeing this result I realized that in the last few games the balls never came down the rightside ramp.

Inspecting the diverter assembly sure enough the paddle was stuck against the rubber on the post near it and this caused the plunger to jam against the spring on the solenoid.

The coil sleeve was also a bit worn so I replaced it with a new one.

The mechanism was freed up from the jam and its operation is smooth as new.

I ran a test again and again it said The Lock Diverter is stuck in the closed position!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I did a solenoid test on it and it functions just fine???

The mech is free moving nothing holding it. It works just fine during the solenoid test yet it does not work during gameplay and the test says it is locked in the closed position.

Does anyone have any ideas about what to check?

What switch is supposed to engage it? I ran a switch test and it didnt show any bad switches.
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Eddie
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Re: Help needed

Post by Eddie »

Just a followup in case someone else comes across this problem.

I dove into the machine one more time searching for a switch that may be activated by the Diverter paddle but could find none nor was there one listed in the manual for the Lock Diverter.

One thing that was out of place by the diverter paddle was the rubber loop that goes around the 2 posts near the paddle's tip on the playfield.

The rubber must have been bumped by a ball sending it to the TOP of the rear most post (Out of its notch). I slid the rubber back into the posts notch.

I again ran another test and The result Read ALL TESTS OK. I played a few games with the glass removed to visually check that indeed the diverter paddle was working.

So it appears that there must be an optical switch sensor that was blocked by the rubber that had been knocked to the top of its post.

I still cant find this sensor/switch but this out of place rubber loop is one thing to check for if you come across the same Lock Diverter problem.
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Chuck
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Re: Help needed

Post by Chuck »

good job ;-)
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Eddie
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Re: Help needed

Post by Eddie »

The Lock Diverter Problem has reared its ugly Head again! This time I get (Lock Diverter stuck in the open Position) on the Test results screen.

Same problem the Diverter does not open when it should but it does sometimes during gameplay. I just replaced the Lock Diverter assembly last night with a brand new one and still have the trouble.
The Lock Diverter Hold test does not Hold the paddle open.
I held the paddle open against the stop across the lane with my finger. I depressed the High Voltage Power button on the door.
The Paddle applied pressure against the stop for less then a second before releasing.

Does anyone have a clue as to what can cause this problem? There is a sensor under the lane where the paddle crosses is this the sensor that controls the Paddle function?

I cannot find a micro switch or optic around the diverter Paddle or ball popper that would signal that the paddle is open or closed.

I even installed a brand new 3 ball popper so everything involved is new including the SOL Popper. There are 3 new assemblies installed as of last night and the problem persists.

All of the connections appear to be sound.

Can the driver board be the problem?

HELLLLLLPPPPPP!!!!!!!!! I cant sleep.
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Eric A.
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Re: Help needed

Post by Eric A. »

in switch test lightly pound on the bare pf in the middle and see if you get any switch closures. Other than that a factory reset might help get rid of some garbage if everything is indeed mechanically functioning properly.
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Chuck
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Re: Help needed

Post by Chuck »

Eddie,

I'm not looking at the machine or manual so I might be way off base. Is this the divertor that diverts the ball on the lane to the right of the center targets? If so there are magnetic switches under the playfield. They detect if a ball is running over them and open the divertor. I don't remember if these show up on the switch test or not (they may not.) With the game in diags:switch test hold a ball in your hand and pass it up and down through that lane and see if you get a switch response. Also check under the playfield and make sure they are hooked up (I think there were two of them.) My *guess* is these might be your problem. When I get a chance I'll look at my rfm and see what it does.
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Chuck
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Re: Help needed

Post by Chuck »

Ok, I checked out my rfm tonight and there are three magnetic switches (maybe hall effect - not sure) under the playfield. They are treated as a single switch and it triggers as the ball rolls just about equal with the right-most target in the center bank. I would guess this isn't working properly on yours. Put the game is switch test mode and move the ball around the area and you should hear a single switch hit.
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Eddie
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Re: Help needed

Post by Eddie »

I looked up these switches a few hours ago and they are Magnetic proximity Sensors or Sealed Reed switches They are doubled up in order to read the passing ball as they are too thin to cover the entire lane. They do not read fast balls as they are not sensitive enough hence the many shots that are "Missed". Im thinking there maybe more sensitive switches that are made today that may be used as replacements?

http://www.hermeticswitch.com/proxsens.asp

Last night when the diverter paddle did open during gameplay I quickly trapped the ball with a flipper then opend the coin door and ran the test mode. It read (ALL systems test OK) Since then it still reads that only I still have the same problem????
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Eddie
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Re: Help needed

Post by Eddie »

More strangeness. As of late last night I still get the All Tests OK on the test screen But....

The only time the diverter paddle will open for the ball lock is when you get the capture lock with a ball in the SOL hole. Then once you shoot the ball into the lock and advance the first ball captured light the lock diverter paddle will not open again??? You can never start the 2nd ball captured sequence. Is this something with a logic chip on the Motherboard that has been causing all of this ball capture trouble?

How can this be with the ALL tests OK registering? Why would the sequence start but not continue. Why will the ball capture only be triggered by the SOL hole wen it gives that bonus to you?

Is my RFM going to die?????? Im getting sick.........
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Chuck
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Re: Help needed

Post by Chuck »

Use clay's guide and start checking transistors on the driver board. Start with the diverter transistor.
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Eddie
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Re: Help needed

Post by Eddie »

Didnt get a chance to check the transistor yet but I did take all of the assemblies on the top end of the machine off as well as the 3 ball popper. the SOL popper. the magnetic reed switches. The Three ball popper hood the diverter assembly and paddle and the right side upper and lower ramps. Most of these assememblies are new pieces. I checked for anything out of the ordinary and recleaned the playfield again. I reinstalled all of the parts making sure that all were alingled perfectly and when I turned the game on I got the( Diverter Lock stuck in the open position) in the tests. The diverter does work when the SOL awards a capture or if when firing the ball it goes into the capture area from behind the upper ramp. Otherwise it will not come on . Usually after the first ball is captured it will not reset for a second or third capture? I can see that the diverter paddle does work when initiated through the 2 means mentioned so would a transistor on the driver board be the cause and not a logic chip? What happens if you use the reset option in the test mode? will it erase the roms or just reset the factory settings? This is driving me nuts.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Eddie
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Re: Help needed

Post by Eddie »

I tried something and had promising results for 1/2 a game.
In the features section you can turn the Diverter on or off. The default is ON

I turned it OFF then escaped the features mode going back to the game mode. I then went back to the Features and turned the Diverter back ON. Thinking that this might somehow reset the Diverter.

Upon playing the game the Ball capture worked just perfectly even allowing a Multiball. The Ball capture was initiated through the Lane and not the SOL hole.

ALL was working fine until the ball couldnt get out of the capture hole because it was getting snagged by the Hood.

After it was freed I had the same problem as described in the earlier post.

Any thoughts?

Any idea what its like playing RFM WITHOUT CAPTURE BALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL? ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Chuck
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Re: Help needed

Post by Chuck »

Eddie wrote:I tried something and had promising results for 1/2 a game.
In the features section you can turn the Diverter on or off. The default is ON

I turned it OFF then escaped the features mode going back to the game mode. I then went back to the Features and turned the Diverter back ON. Thinking that this might somehow reset the Diverter.

Upon playing the game the Ball capture worked just perfectly even allowing a Multiball. The Ball capture was initiated through the Lane and not the SOL hole.

ALL was working fine until the ball couldnt get out of the capture hole because it was getting snagged by the Hood.

After it was freed I had the same problem as described in the earlier post.

Any thoughts?

Any idea what its like playing RFM WITHOUT CAPTURE BALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL? ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Games check for bad switches and/or assemblies and adjust to try and compensate. Maybe this is whats happening with you. Fix the ball popper so it never snags and see if you have the problem again.
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Eddie
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Re: Help needed

Post by Eddie »

I will take everything out again tonight and check for what causes the ball to get stuck in the popper. It may be the hood.
Compensating for switch failures and assemblies? Does it do this by shutting down those systems?
Interesting so did I actually reset the diverter instructions with my actions?
To bad this type of thing isin't listed in the manual. Only guys like you that have worked on the logic system would know such things.
This does make sense I hope this is the cause.
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Chuck
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Re: Help needed

Post by Chuck »

Eddie wrote:I will take everything out again tonight and check for what causes the ball to get stuck in the popper. It may be the hood.
Compensating for switch failures and assemblies? Does it do this by shutting down those systems?
Interesting so did I actually reset the diverter instructions with my actions?
To bad this type of thing isin't listed in the manual. Only guys like you that have worked on the logic system would know such things.
This does make sense I hope this is the cause.
Check for a bulge in the hood. If you have one lightly tap it back into shape with a small hammer (also consider replacing it.) Check the coil sleeve and arm in the assembly too.
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