Faults I have Fixed (The most recent fix is listed first)
Using flippers resets the machine. "The BR2 problem" (again) (not)
Lower Right 5 Million Switch #68 Faulty
Balls Getting Stuck In The Gumball
Intermittent 2 million spiral sign
Upper left flipper broken
Using flippers resets the machine. "The BR2 problem"
Intermittent 5 million sign
"Clock Is Faulty"
Upper right flipper broken
Broken right Powerzone sign
Broken out lane plastic
Missing back box bulbs
Blown playfield bulbs
Everything Filthy
Bridge track not correctly fixed
Sticky lower left flipper
EPROM Upgrade
Sky balls off slot machine drop target
Right spiral opto switch error
Buy-in button faulty
Trough proximity switch error

Faults I have Fixed (details) (The most recent fix is listed first)

Fault	Using flippers resets the machine. "The BR2 problem" (again) (not)
Description	This fault started, as always, as random resets when using the flippers. It is systematic of a failing 5V bridge rectifier, BR2.
Fix	The fix this time was not the usual replace BR2 but was actually a dirty connector on the CPU board. Full details of my diagnostics can be found here
Effect to table	(Eventually) un-playable.
Fixed	13th April 2004

Fault	"Clock Is Faulty" (again) (not)
Description	Diagnostics keep telling me of a clock problem. I have disabled the clock until I can get it fixed.
Fix	This was not the normal "Clock Is Faulty" problem as it seems to have been fixed by Using flippers resets the machine. "The BR2 problem" (again) (not)
Effect to table	Cosmetic. Although, when working the clock times various modes if it is disabled the software compensates. So it does not affect the game play but means the table is missing an important toy.
Fixed	13th April 2004

Fault	Lower Right 5 Million Switch #68 Faulty
Description	Diagnostics were showing this switch to be faulty.
Fix	My first real "Twilight Zone Problem". One lead of the diode had snapped in the middle. How could this happen? I could understand vibrations making it break at an end. Soldered it together and fixed it.
Effect to table	Minor irritation

Fault	Ball kicks from trough, bounces of pillar and back into trough
Description	It takes between 1 and 5 kicks for the ball to get from the trough to the shooter lane as it keeps boucing of the pillar back into the trough. This is especially bad with the powerball.
Fix	Slightly bend vertical piece of metal at the top of the trough to guide the ball back towards the plunger. The ball passage is now so smooth you sometimes can't even hear it!
Effect to table	Major irritation

Fault	Balls Getting Stuck In The Gumball
Description	Occasionally the balls would get stuck in the Gumball. Very rairly the Powerball would get stuck and the other balls would go around it!
Fix	There is a plastic piece which fits diagonally across the gumball to help direct the balls and keep them in line. Like a lot of TZ's mine was missing. I didn't think it was missing because I mistook it for the fixed piece of plastic at the back. Finally got a scan of the plastic but hadn't got any thin Perspex to use so I used plastic from an old take away meal tray! This is not thick enough and opaque but it does the job well and can't really be seen unless you are looking for it.
Effect to table	Minor/Major Irritation

Fault	Intermittent 2 million spiral sign
Description	Does not light during test or a game but works when I lift the playing field!
Fix	Bulb ok, wiring ok.... The solder on the Molex connector male pins was dry. Re-soldering cured it.
Effect to table	Cosmetic

Fault	Upper Left Flipper Broken
Description	The circlip that connects the flipper linkage to the solenoid bar has broken.
Fix	Replaced  the whole flipper linkage and plunger assembly
Effect to table	Major irritation, no shot into the piano

Fault	Using flippers resets the machine. "The BR2 problem"
Description	This fault started, as always, as random resets when using the flippers. Now it is at the stage when the machine continually cycles through power up and then rest cycles. It is systematic of a failing 5V bridge rectifier, BR2.
Fix	Replace BR2! Added thick wires from the + and - of BR2 to the associated capacitor.
Effect to table	(Eventually) un-playable.

Fault	Intermittent 5 million sign
Description	Does not light during test or a game but works when I lift the playing field!
Fix	Bulb ok, wiring ok.... The solder on the Molex connector male pins was dry. Re-soldering cured it.
Effect to table	Cosmetic

Fault	"Clock Is Faulty"
Description	Diagnostics keep telling me of a clock problem. I have disabled the clock until I can get it fixed. When in test mode everything is okay for a few minutes then the 15 minute opto starts firing erratically (especially when the clock motor is running). Eventually the 12 hour opto also joins in.
Fix	This is probably the most common TZ problem. The opto's in the clock fail because they are totally enclosed and are cooked by the adjacent bulbs. Fix is simple, replace the opto's. But the correct part is £8 each. I needed 2 but you could need up to 8. There are lots of scare stories about cheaper opto's not working because you need high sensitivity ones which are rare and expensive. Gregg Woodcock sells the individual transmitter and receivers for $1.50 each. Okay its a little fiddly but they work.
Effect to table	Cosmetic. Although, when working the clock times various modes if it is disabled the software compensates. So it does not affect the game play but means the table is missing an important toy.

Fault	Upper right flipper broken
Description	The flipper linkage has broken
Fix	Replaced by one given to me by Adrian & Sarah.
Effect to table	Major irritation, no shot into camera or town square

Fault	Broken right Powerzone sign
Description	Due to the common problem of the target to the left of the slot machine bending back, this plastic has been broken (prior to purchase) by an air ball.
Fix	Bought new sign from For Amusement Only for $26. Unfortunately the bracket was a different angle to the original. Had to drill the rivets on the new sign and fix it to the old bracket. Used a "unique" method of fixing using the rivets and elastic bands which gives a suspension mount to allow movement and if hit really hard by a ball will allow the plastic to come off the bracket instead of breaking.
Effect to table	Cosmetic

 

Fault	Broken out lane plastic
Description	The yellow plastic between left return lane and out lane had been broken before I bought the table
Fix	Replaced by one given to me by Adrian & Sarah.
Effect to table	Cosmetic

 

Fault	Missing back box bulbs
Description	Various flashing (aka expensive) bulbs missing.
Fix	Replaced. 5 @ £1.80 each! No wonder they were missing.
Effect to table	Cosmetic

 

Fault	Blown playfield bulbs
Description	Approximately 30 various bulbs blown
Fix	Replaced during playfield cleaning
Effect to table	Normally cosmetic but during dismantling/cleaning/re-building stage it is un-playable.

 

Fault	Everything Filthy
Description	Due to accumulation of "black dust" the playfield, rubbers and plastics are all filthy.
Fix	Remove as much from top of playfield and clean rubbers and plastics and clean and waxed playfield.
Effect to table	Normally cosmetic but during dismantling/cleaning/re-building stage it is un-playable.

 

Fault	Bridge track not correctly fixed
Description	Sometimes caused the ball to stall on entry into the Powerzone.
Fix	This was fixed by inserting a new screw but it has since fallen out. Finally added a large self tapping screw which seems to be holding
Effect to table	Slight irritation

 

Fault	Sticky lower left flipper
Description	The lower left flipper starts to bind after extensive play
Fix	Despite told not to lubricate, a little WD40 has cured this problem
Effect to table	Un-playable

 

Fault	EPROM Upgrade
Description	The EPROM was an original L4 and I wanted to upgrade to latest 9.2. Upgrade necessitated the temporary removal of the EPROM whilst upgrade was blown by Mark Smith.
Fix	Fitted new 9.2 EPROM
Effect to table	Software bugs

 

Fault	Sky balls off slot machine drop target
Description	A common problem with TZs which causes the right Power Zone plastic to be broken.
Fix	Fixed bracket to underside of playfield to support drop target.
Effect to table	Major irritation

 

Fault	Right spiral opto switch error
Description	Would not detect ball in the right spiral and therefore could not load the gumball.
Fix	Swapped with opto on Power Zone to gain better access. Fixed by re-soldering dry joints on opto receiver legs.
Effect to table	Major irritation

 

Fault	Buy-in button faulty
Description	Could not buy extra balls at the end of the game
Fix	Button had become detached from housing
Effect to table	Slight irritation

 

Fault	Trough proximity switch #26 error
Description	This error causes the non discrimination between normal balls and the powerball when fed into the kicker lane.
Fix	Removed cleaned and re-connected loom to proximity board More details on fixing this problem
Effect to table	Slight irritation

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