When a ball drains, the outhole kicker fires but the ball ricochets off the underside of the apron and falls back instead of reaching the trough; it can take several kicks before it goes through.
Outhole kicker bounces the ball back off the apron: drain switch bent too high
Cause: The drain (outhole) switch actuator was bent up too high, holding the ball forward so it never settled fully at the bottom of the outhole and the kicker hit it at the wrong point.
Checks
- With the apron off, watch the ball settle in the outhole and see where the kicker arm meets it.
- Check that the drain switch wire is not propping the ball up or forward.
- Also check the kicker coil sleeve and plunger are clean and the one-way gate is fitted the right way.
Fix
- Bend the drain switch actuator down so the ball sits fully back in the outhole, then recheck the switch still closes reliably.
- Replace a worn coil sleeve and clean the kicker armature if the kick is weak.
Systems
Games
Related tips
- Ball rolls back to the outhole instead of reaching the shooter lane
- "Ball missing" errors or extra balls served (roller switch trough)
Source: Pinball Repair help group!! (Facebook group)