10 replies to this topic

[obi]

I have a firepower and it works great for about 20 min then flippers and bumpers die, if I wait half hour it all comes back on and sometimes if i change a fuse on mainboard behind glass it solves it...any ideas?

[Practicedummy]

Faulty capacitor in the power supply?

[CaptainNeo]

seems like a loose connection. Have you replaced the innerconnect pins?

[rob046]

If putting in a new fuse sometimes fixes it, I also wonder if just the fuse clips might be going bad. Getting too loose or too much gunk on them. But certainly always replace that interconnect on these old WMS games.

[Osprey101]

Sounds to me like it's a driver board issue. Someone that knows the Williams Sys6 system is Greywolf, who also has a Firepower machine.
I can think of only a couple things that could cause this. Without checking the schematics, I would check the driver board PIA's, the 32-pin connector, and all wiring that feeds those items. I don't think it is wiring though. I went through hell with my Flash (sys4) and ended up replacing the MPU and Driver board with new Rottendog board. I have seen lots of people have issues with that old setup and it manifests problems in various ways. That big multi-pin connector between the boards is a huge cause of the those problems.
Try removing the driver board completely, and then reinstall it. That will (at least temporarily) clean the contacts within that connector. But you have to completely remove it from the machine.
Start with that.
If that corrects the problem, look at having that connector replaced.

Edited by Osprey101, 02 August 2012 - 03:12 PM.

[Itchigo]

You'd be amazed at all the games I fixed by simply taking the connectors off and on a few times.

[playcade]

I have got a FIREPOWER (and a BK too)! You must replace the 40 pins interboard conector (the one that attachs the driver board to the MPU board). I live in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and these connectors are not available around here. So, I cut 40 wires of about 10 cm each, and soldered them from one board to another, and solved the BK and Firepower erratic problems, you know, sporadic resets, 2.5 amp solenoid fuse blows, etc.
Besides this, I replaced ALL (I mean ALL) the electrolitic capacitors in the POWER BOARD and SOUND BOARD, specially the big one that smooths the 5 volt for logic (12000 uF / 25 volt).
Have you got 5Volt in the CPU TEST POINT??? You can solder 1 wire from the POWER BOARD 5 volt outpot pin to the 5volt CPU TEST POINT, because sometimes, microresistances developes between pins and conectors, and you can measure 5volt on the power board, and 4.6volt on the cpu board, and those points are joined by a simple wire...how could it be? CONNECTORS and PINS!!!
Good luck!

[chas]

fuses should go a little while....if it is stressing out fuses i would check all the connections, power, ground connections and pin connctions first.....go to Radio Shack and buy a can of contact cleaner.....remove the connector pins and spray them.....make sure you unplug it from the wall.....keep using a low blow fuse.....check the power at the wall plug with a test meter.....are you using the correct fuse?

Edited by chas, 29 October 2012 - 07:28 AM.

[Dukeoferl]

I have a Firepower machine I recently bought and had "freshened up". The problem I have is when I press the button to begin a game it does nothing. It has been operating fine otherwise, now I cannot play and I am hoping it is a simple fix. Can anybody suggest something I can do or check?

[Blackmoor]

Does the system know where the balls are? If one of the switches in the trough or ball locks is dirty, and there is a ball resting on it, the system won't "see" it. My BK used to do that until I upgraded the trough and ball lock to microswitches. You can use the switch test in the self test or simply clean them all and re-evaluate.

[faralos]

one can clean board connectors with a pencil eraser

 just rub carefully and watch the gunk come off!

 also removing and replacing them a few times may be just the friction needed on them to clean them

since with each removal/replacement they scrape against each other