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Family Guy - What Should I Do? (please vote)

What should I do with my Family Guy?

  • 1. Send back to be fixed

    Votes: 5 11.4%

  • 2. Get engineer out

    Votes: 6 13.6%

  • 3. Full refund

    Votes: 33 75.0%
  • Total voters
    44
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Crewey

Crewey

Site Supporter
Joined
Dec 19, 2021
Messages
1,527
Location
Broughton Flintshire
Hi All - I introduced myself in the appropriate thread a fortnight ago, I highlighted my main problem at the time which was the Flash appeared corrupt and would not update from Software V2.0.
Under warranty Electrocoin have provided a replacement board which is now running the final official Stern software V12.0, I have now fitted this to the pin today.
Unfortunately this has not 'miraculously' resolved my other issues which I was naively hoping it would.
If anyone can assist with some suggestions for me to try that would be amazing, as although I am still under warranty responses from the supplier tend to take a while.

(All tests run ensuring the power interlock is in the correct position:
1- Stewie does not move and running the motor test does nothing (the 2 connectors directly under the motor are connected, photo)


2- Meg Shake (Coil Test #22 has stopped working, this had been working before Xmas)


3- Flash Right Orbit (Coil Test #30 appears to do nothing?


PLEASE be gentle, I am an absolute beginner to the pinball world and have only owned the pin one month.
Having watched yesterday's Chinwag podcast, and hearing Andy mention nervous or shy noobies I thought I'd bite the bullet and ask for some more help here.

Thanks in advance
Crewey
 

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It sounds like the issue is with the power driver board, rather than the cpu board. If some coils and motors are not working but others are it could be wiring or connectors or the drive transistors on the power board.

I’d ensure everything is plugged in correctly first, especially if you’ve just swapped the cpu board. Maybe get it fixed under your warranty though!
 
Thanks @AlanJ I took photos of the CPU prior to replacing, so I know everything is back where it should be on the CPU side.
Stewie did not work with the previous CPU either and V2.0 of the software didn't even have the motor test installed in the menu or coils test.
There are numerous unplugged connectors within the cabinet, but I've assumed these would be for unused coin operation.
I'll try and work out from the manual if I can thank you.
 

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HomeLeisureDirect, who appear to liaise with Electrocoin on all Pinball matters it would seem to me.
My wife purchased this pin as a surprise for my 40th Birthday, she tells me she went with HLD due to the great customer service they'd provided her when she enquired.
To be fair they have been extremely friendly and helpful with me as I can sound quite blunt in emails, so I'm probably just being impatient as I'm worried there's quite a simple fix for someone with relevant experience.
 
Shame you didn’t discover this forum before HLD - surely their 126 point check covered all this stuff 🤦🏼‍♂️ Definitely pester HLD until they put this right, no doubt this cost you quite a lot.
 
Hi @Andydn it was a surprise 40th Birthday present off the wife, the HLD guys just turned up and installed it at our home. That was the first I knew of it :D

I've made a quick video here of the power side, if anything particularly obvious jumps out as missing or incorrect?

 
Do not see any connection between the 3 different coils/flashers not working. Does your warranty include call out to repair any issues, if so this is what is likely needed. Some diagnosis will be needed to find out whether issue is off driver board or on driver board. As said in a previous post, likely bought for good money, get them to come a sort it. flasher issue could just need a new bulb / LED.
 
Congratulations on owning your first pin, many people on here are very helpful and will happly assist with troubleshooting. However my advice having only owned a pins in the last year and a bit, its very easy to make a mistake that causes all sorts of other problems.

As it was only bought a month ago from a shop dealer), not off ebay or privately and its never worked properly they need to fix it. The issue could be a number of things but I suspect something with the power driver board. My adivce would be not to touch the machine, as they might blame you for the causing the fault. My experience of HLD is not a good one, however yours might be different.

Theres a couple of things:
1) There website states that all machines come with 120 point check, if this had been carried out on your machine this issue would have been picked up. Its' not like a flipper coil blowing or a loose connection from transporting. This clearly hasn't been done.
2) They need to collect it take it away and fix it or get someone out to diagnose the problem, get the parts required and then come out and fix it. if its board problems this might take a while to troubleshoot and it would be better it taken away to resolve all the issues.
3) You would have paid a top price for this, this price comes with the expectations that it is fully working and fit for purpose, it was also bought from a company.
4) if you paid for it by credit card I would be enquiring with the credit card company about returning it under the sales of good act, that its not fit for purpose and not sold as advertised. Your protected for up to a year. Be careful what you don't want is endless polite fobbing off, the longer its left the harder it will be to sort. You don't have to action this, I'm sure HLD will be great and send someone out and fix all the problems.
 
Welcome :) you did well getting that cpu replacement quickly 👍🏻👍🏻

Drives 22 and 30 are the same data line so there’s a link there but maybe the flasher is just burned out, take a look at the bulb itself. Assume that the upper left flipper is ok?

I can test your driver board here if you want to know if there’s a fault with it or not and sort out if there is something up with it
 
Regarding the Stewie motor, you should be able to test the stepper control direct to determine if the issue is at the main driver board or at the stepper motor/control board end

I should be able to offer a few pointers but need to read up on the design of it first. In theory a ground pulse should activate the stepper controller
 
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Cheers @mufcmufc yeah HLD have been helpful it's just been a very slow process all the back and forth, between their engineer and Electrocoin.
Good to know that @Poibug is about Broughton :D if he fancies a challenge ;)

Thanks all
 
Is this wire burnt? The top one in the shot,
 

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If there is any problem on the card, like a burn it will show clear as day on the back of the card, but I’m not really sure that’s something you should need to be checking yourself, ESPECIALLY as it’s from HLD and they have added a certain amount on the price of the machine for warranty,

There should be no delay from them dude,

Best of luck, and what ever it’s still a really cool present to receive as a surprise, respect to your missus,
I’m 40 in couple of years, I’m gonna start dropping hints,

Itch
 
myPinballs said:
Regarding the Stewie motor, you should be able to test the stepper control direct to determine if the issue is at the main driver board or at the stepper motor/control board end

I should be able to offer a few pointers but need to read up on the design of it first. In theory a ground pulse should activate the stepper controller
Click to expand...
Following on from this if you, or someone visiting to repair wants to try this it may help narrow down the issue with the stewie motor.

Shorting J2 (3 pin connector) pins 1 & 2 on the stepper controller pcb should simulate the ground pulse from the main driver board q20. You should also test that the stepper control board is getting 5v (J2 -pin 3, J1-pin2 &5) and that it is generating 3.3v itself.
 
Crewey said:
Cheers @mufcmufc yeah HLD have been helpful it's just been a very slow process all the back and forth, between their engineer and Electrocoin.
Good to know that @Poibug is about Broughton :D if he fancies a challenge ;)

Thanks all
Click to expand...

Electrocoin will be doing nothing but suppling parts so don't take that as the reason, as noted you where luck to get a new CPU board from them given the shortages right now, Honestly, put your foot down, your wife has paid top dollar for this and it should freaking work, right now you've been sold a pup, the fault you have is not going to be anything obvious and likely will need significant effort to fix, something that should never have been the case in the first place. They need to send someone round to fix it pronto.

Neil.
 
Neil McRae said:
Electrocoin will be doing nothing but suppling parts so don't take that as the reason, as noted you where luck to get a new CPU board from them given the shortages right now, Honestly, put your foot down, your wife has paid top dollar for this and it should freaking work, right now you've been sold a pup, the fault you have is not going to be anything obvious and likely will need significant effort to fix, something that should never have been the case in the first place. They need to send someone round to fix it pronto.

Neil.
Click to expand...
Absolutely sound advice, pester them as they’ve charged you double for a faulty pin.
 
How does the warranty with HLD work, does it void the warranty if you start fiddling with it your self? if so another good reason to get them to sort it!. An easy get out clause for most companies normally.
 
Final media uploads from me, just in case I've not shown anything that would be explanatory for you guys. Then I'll send a rocket up HLD a$$ :mad:
I'm definitely not confident enough to follow @myPinballs guidance to test, that he's kindly provided.

The first disconnected female connector is a single purple wire, the 2nd male disconnected connector has a single purple wire and 2 brown??
3rd and 4th disconnected would be coin mechanism I would suspect ?

Also in the backbox I've just spotted this f@@ker hiding within the bundle connected to to J12 on the power side, hopefully nothing 😭
IMG_20220107_143834_169.jpg
 
To be fair this was a top dollar machine so I'd get them back out to sort it out, when you buy a TV from currys and you get a board fault they don't send out a part and expect you do fit it, get them on it before you start trying to fix it because all they may say is sorry but we can't fix it because someone else has poked about with it.
 
The J12 connector wire looks like a lamp row wire -> red/orange? which would be J12-pin 3. go into lamp test and put it on all lamps and make sure row 3 lamps work (lamps 17 to 24). manual page DR6 for the lamp matrix list
 
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