Balls are not released from the under-playfield trough when multiball should start, other features light at the wrong time, and sometimes the release coil fires a few times with no ball coming out.
Multiball balls not released, game loses track of balls: trough switch actuators
Cause: The wire actuators on the trough microswitches were out of adjustment. One switch never closed with a ball on it, and another actuator had slipped so it rode over the top of the ball instead of under it.
Checks
- In switch test with all balls removed, feed balls into the trough one at a time and note which switch each ball should close; a missing number shows the bad switch.
- Lift the playfield while the fault is present and look along the trough at every actuator, including the hard-to-see one by the eject channel.
Fix
- Bend and centre each actuator wire so a ball resting there always closes its microswitch and the wire sits under the ball, not on top of it.
Systems
Games
Related tips
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Source: Pinball Repair help group!! (Facebook group)