Which driver board connectors cause the most trouble
Solenoid drive connectors A3-J4, J5 and J6 fail most and cause the most game faults (J5 also carries some sound). J2 and J3 carry lamps and sound and rarely need work, though J3 also carries the Q (game over) relay, the tilt relay and the coin lockout coil. J3 is a 50-pin double-sided crimp connector, so its housing can keep being used with new 08-03-0304 pins.
Systems
Related tips
- CPU board connector A1J4 (to the driver board)
- Driver board lamp connectors A3J2 and A3J3
- Driver board coil connectors A3J4, A3J5 and A3J6 (HH and BH)
- Card-edge connectors are System 80's weak point
- Molex housings and pins for the System 80 CPU connectors
- How Gottlieb numbers double-sided connector pins
- Ground mod step 4: double the +5 V and ground pins between CPU and driver boards
- Drop target bank won't reset though it fires when grounded: reseat driver board plugs
Source: Repairing & Upgrading Gottlieb System 80 Pinballs from 1980 to 1989, Part One, Clay Harrell (pinrepair.com)