The Getaway - diverter not working

[bluejonny]

Hi everyone

To be fair, I have asked this question of Andy Legend over email, but he is taking a break (probably well earned!) so in my desperate attempt to get it up and running so I can play on this brilliant game I thought I would ask here!

So the diverter has stopped working - just suddenly gave up during a game. No apparent reason, just doesn't "divert" anymore. Machine recognises there is a problem as it comes up in the test report. So this is what I have done.

• Tested in test mode - nothing from the diverter (to confirm the coin door is shut - done that before!!)
• Metered the lugs and got no reading on DCV - so no power to solenoid as far as I can tell
• Everything else high power wise works as far as I can see - test mode fires all of the solenoids in order
• Send opto on the ramp entrance has been replaced as it was intermittent - now works every time
• All optos on the supercharger work.
• The shaft moves in and out of the solenoid freely
• Fuses for high power all check out

I haven't measured resistance on the solenoid yet.

Anything else I should check or is it time to test the boards *gulp*. :-(

Help and advice much appreciated.

Cheers

BJ

 

[kevlar]

The high power should be looped across from another solenoid I believe, have you looked at all surrounding coils below the playfield for a wire come adrift?

 

[pinballmania]

How did you 'meter the lugs'? Black should be on ground, and red on each terminal. Always endure you have good ground by measuring a known good coil first. The look for same results on suspect coil. If only this coil is missing volts, then what Kevlar said. Break in power chain from other coil.

 

[Cryptkeeper]

Whats the opinion of grounding a driver transistor to test a coil?
I've done it before but am always hesitant to advise it to others.

 

[Moonraker]

Whats the opinion of grounding a driver transistor to test a coil?
I've done it before but am always hesitant to advise it to others.

In this instance, there's no point if there's no power at the coil...

But yes it is a recognised method of testing and does create a very fancy spark...!

 

[bluejonny]

thanks everyone so far for the help! I tested the solenoid with a good earth and still no power. So started tracing wires to other solenoids, and there nestled in a bunch of cables was this one - see photo. Now I need to figure out where it goes!! I don't want to guess, so any hints (or instructions like "it goes on that lug!" would be welcome! I know Moonraker helped me with the last wire - could you possible look at this one?!!

B J

It's colour I think is like pink and yellow. But my eyes are so bad these days. It's located close to the ramp lift solenoids. The image doesn't show very well, but the lift ramp solenoid does have a wire on the left lug already, you just can't see it.

Thanks!!!

 

[kevlar]

I've just looked at the underside of mine and can't see a wire that colour. Does that wire go back to the coil that isn't working? Do any of the coils in that area have only 2 wires? They should all have 3, one side a thin wire and the other side 2 thicker wires ( daisey chaining the power ).

 

[Moonraker]

The diverter coil is mounted on the top side and I'm guessing that this wire is off it and fallen underneath the playfield. Hard to tell in your picture but is it white with a purple stripe?

 

[bluejonny]

I think I am getting somewhere! The wire in the photo in the previous post connects to a plug with the pink/yellow wire being connected to a violet/yellow wire which then leads to the solenoid that is not working. Therefore I presume the thin wire needs to be connected to the ramp solenoid, and to the violet/yellow lug.

 

[Moonraker]

Correct

 

[bluejonny]

Yay!

 

[bluejonny]

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for their help and advice. Another search, find and repair stored in the brain.... hopefully!!!