Followup on TECH: Gottlieb System 1 - Genie Coin Door issues

Since Google is not letting me reply to the thread (referenced in
Subject line), here is a little "Problem Resolution Report" for Chris
Hibler and all who helped with the post referenced above a few months
back:

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.pinball/browse_thread/thread/be0135
0b90e9653e/fccbedc86c2379af?lnk=raot

Hopefully this will be one to add to your already vast reference
database.

This is a little story for you about the second poster to this thread
(with the Buck Rogers problems)...after I fixed the my buddy's Genie,
I worked on his game last night...

Lol...well with your help, I hold the distinction of a same-post, same-
system, same-problem, cross-game, 2-for-2, 100% fix rate on this one!

We have a local pinheads board and a while back I'd mentioned I was
keenly interested in a Jive Time (played it and loved it on the
Williams Pinball Hall of Fame Collection for Wii) and had heard from a
friend on there about a guy in town that had a working one.
Sweet...told him I'd love to play it (or take it off his hands if the
price and time were right) but nothing ever came of it.

Well sure enough, just a few days ago, that old Jive Time is up on
Craigslist, teenage high score conquest carvings and all (perfect for
me, exactly the feel I wanted)!

Wow...too bad I just wheeled and dealed for an EM (Aztec) last weekend
and have no more room....or money. :(

Just in passing, I call my pal to verify, and sure enough it's the
same guy he knew...and he also mentions he has a "problem" Buck
Rogers. Gottlieb System 1, all new Ni-Wumpf/Rottendog boards, *coin
door not working.*

Lol...SOUND FAMILIAR?!?

Then, the miraculous break I was waiting for: my friend says he thinks
he might be willing to give me the Jive Time for much less if I fix
his 10-month headache (spanning new board purchases, connector
purchases, ample head scratching, re-dioding, etc.), good old Buck.

Well, with Chris and everyone's help I fixed that doggoned Genie (and
it was a challenge, as Chris' free beer would suggest).

Went over to his house to check out his Buck with the agreement that I
would "trade" him a "working Buck" for his Jive Time. He readily
agreed to it...ten months of a frustrating, non-working game is a
painful thing, I should know!

Game boots, Ni-Wumpf ROM version shows up, boot sound sounds, HSTD
flashes, everything good.. Has credits but won't recognize replay
button, test button, etc.

Starting by "faking" the board into crediting, jumpering A1J6 pins 6
and 3 with a length of solder. Game starts!

So it's looking like a wiring issue or a "hack" munging things up in
the cabinet.

(BTW, I emailed Ace at Ni about the fact that a "held on" plumb bob,
actual or "virtual" with soldered wires, stops his board from
recognizing communication from the coin door, as with
Genie...hopefully
he'll fix it.)

Starting with the coin door...

Verify continuity "just" with replay button's switch, check.

Verify continuity at midpoint cabinet connector, check.

Verify continuity all the way to board...check...

Verify...wait a minute...this was a DIY replacement connector job and
there is no wire going to pin 3 on A1J6!!

Soooo....

Long story short, he wired the connector with the wires in correct
order....but put it on "backwards" where the Molex pins he wired them
to were touching the silicon side of the board, NOT the pad side. In
other words, no electrical connections, not even wrong ones.

Lol...so a little exacto heatshrink removal, unsoldering and
resoldering later, the game boots and plays great. All I had was my
compact car, so I loaded the bottom board (left rear "foot well"),
playfield (leaned on back seat), backbox (front seat), rear tin cover
(trunk which was full of stuff), legs, etc. He is delivering the
cabinet to me next week...lol...

Thanks for the help and hope you enjoyed the story and resolution
information.

- Matt
.

Relevant Pages

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