help me get started…total noob

[Dbeeson]

Amechanic, where were you 20 minutes ago?! lol, I'm only teasing. You're bang on though. I'll be replacing those connectors now!

[dhellis]

That is one of the reasons I tell people to start with the power supply first. Glad you found the problem
and now you are HOOKED !!!   

[Amechanic]

Typical Bally edge connectors    All the connections only make contact on one side of the plugs or sockets.. Same problem with the Bally Pinball Machine power supply's.. I had to do some rewiring in a Bally Paragon I picked up last year. The power plugs were melted on that thing.. I brought home a Bally E2000 last fall that the power that the power supply plug was held on with duct tape, it was that badly melted.. It's usually the first thing I check.. Glad to be of help....

Gary

[Dbeeson]

Ok, seems to be booting up fine now but it won't register my tokens. Someone has put a token mech in it and the tokens definitely trip the switch at the bottom, since I've tested it while the door was open. The wiring for the original electronic mech has been hacked up. Any ideas?

[rokgpsman]

Hope you don't mind, I lightened your photos so I could see details better. Probably a silly question, but did you try dropping the tokens in with the door shut? Some slot machines will not play normally with the door open, security thing. This machine is like that. It needs to power up and not have any tilts (fault codes), then dropping a coin in should register. If you want it to play with the door open you can set the mpu board dipswitch #8 to opposite position (page 24 in manual).

Seems like that wiring from the coin mech switch should go back to the I/O or MPU for sensing of the coin input. Do you see any other cut or disconnected cables from the wiring coming out of the main cabinet to the door? Someone here should be able to post a picture of the door area on another E2000 (or E1000) to show you what it normally looks like in the coin mech area.

I have to go for now, others will check in when they can. Some of us seniors need our sack time. 

Here's another discussion about a similar machine and it has a photo of the coin comparitor normally found in these machines. (a coin comparitor is an electrical version of the old coin mech):

http://newlifegames.com/nlg/index.php?topic=2354.msg18843#msg18843
 
There are other discussions about the E2000 in this forum with plenty of good info (Bally Reel Games).

[Dbeeson]

Rokgpsman, thanks for the reply. I did put a token in with the door closed and locked. Does this picture seem normal to you or is it an error code? That's what the screen boots to.

[rokgpsman]

From reading part of the manual I think that digital display is used for a variety of reasons. During normal game play the rightmost 3 or 4 digits will show how many coins were paid out in the last recorded hit. During selftest the test step numbers are displayed along with any fault codes.

I think the "50" indicates a door open code, meaning the door has been opened and the event was recorded, not that the door is currently open. The 3 or 4 rightmost digits represent how many coins were paid out in the last game recorded in memory and is just done as a feature of the game. The manual mentioned that a fault code can flash alternatively with the coins paid part of the display. There is more info on page 18 in manual, plus a few pages before and after.

The machine software does a quick selftest when it powers up. There is also a more elaborate selftest you can run manually to check several things. There is a test switch and test reset switch near the hopper area, you could try testing or resetting it. Might be good to run the built-in selftest, instructions are on page 6.

Not sure specifically on this machine but on many slots in general when you get a tilt/fault code you sometimes have to clear the fault by turning a reset switch/reset key after shutting the door. On other machines just opening and closing the door will clear minor tilts. Does your machine have a reset switch located on the pull handle side of the machine, or a hole in the cabinet where one used to be? For security reasons the slot machines are usually made to sense (usually with a switch) when the main door has been opened, the cash box has been opened and sometimes even if the metal compartment (card cage) that holds the mpu has been opened. (the last one doesn't apply to your machine).


 

[Amechanic]

Rokgpsman, thanks for the reply. I did put a token in with the door closed and locked. Does this picture seem normal to you or is it an error code? That's what the screen boots to.

You should always see a code 50000 in the meter once you close the door, that's normal. Yours has a 6 at the end, not sure why?
Question.. Are you able to play the machine once the door is closed? The 50000 will stay in the win meter until the machine in played.

[Dbeeson]

Ok something I've noticed. When I push either the reset or test button on the hopper the LCD does nothing. So perhaps it still isn't booting?

[rokgpsman]

It won't do the manual self test unless it thinks the main door is open. Can you verify that your main door switch is present, connected and works ok? See item 12 on pg 41 and item 8 on pg 43. Some machines also have a door hinge switch to monitor door openings. See item 28 on pg 60.

Both of those switches on the hopper are normally open, when pushed they send 5v or a ground signal over to the mpu to start manual tests, or reset the test.

Per Amechanic question, does the machine do anything when you shut the door and drop in a coin?

Also, do you have the reset switch and key located on the outside of the cabinet near the pull handle? See item 14 on pg 60.

Does power supply 5vdc, 7.5vdc, 10vdc look ok on power supply? They go to various places in the machine, such as the hopper, I/O and mpu. The 7.5vdc is the zero crossing signal signal that goes to mpu. See pg 58.

[dhellis]

I want to clear something that Amechanic stated regarding the 500000 code.

Normally with the door open you will see a 50 000 error, if you see 500000 then that would
probably be a bad cable to the IO board and with that code you will not be able to run tests.

I can not (or have not, seen) whether or not your machine has a candle light on the top of the
machine. If it has the candle and the door is open then the white light should be on. If the light
is on then you should be able to run tests. If there is no light then check the door hinge switch
and make sure it is operating properly. If that switch is bad then you will get the 50 000 code
but will not be able to run tests.

[Amechanic]

Sorry about not putting a space in that number.. I know what I mean but I have to remember not everyone does.
Another way to know if you lower door hinge switch is working, is that if your in a test mode like a test 2, where your checking your lights and solenoids, or 4 where your test running the hopper, once you close the door your machine should come out of testing and go to the 50 000 door code.

Gary

[Dbeeson]

Thanks for the replies. I think my issues are attributed to poor connections, whether they be sockets or molex connectors. Is there harm in plugging in reels/hopper while the machine is on?

So, sometimes I get a 50 000 and sometimes a 50 006. If it is 50 006 the reset and test buttons do nothing. If it's 50 000 I can go through tests. The game will revert to 50 006 if I plug the rear molex connector into the reel set.

[Dbeeson]

I haven't yet figured out the issues with the machine

It seems as though it only boots clean when I leave the game on for a period of time, and even then it does funny things. So for example, when I boot the game it just says .....6. It'll stay there. If I come back in 10-20 min later, it'll be 50 000 or 50 006. Flick the power switch and that 6 usually goes away. I can then go into test mode. But I'm not sure what to do from there.

Ok, so I'm always messing around with the reels OUT of the game, as it makes a nasty buzzing sound when I first turn it on with the reels in, AND it boots with a 6 (meaning it doesn't boot at all, can't test etc)

If I pull the rear plug out of the reels, it seems to boot ok, provided it's "warmed up" meaning it's been sitting on as mentioned above.

Now the reels themselves. I can't seem to get the gears so that the peg is anywhere near matching up with the little fork from the crank arm. They seem to be stuck somehow but I have no idea how to free them. I've attached a pic of the side of the reel unit, you can see that the peg is too low, but none of those gears move. Ugh.

[Amechanic]

The white cylinder on the side of the reels is an air cylinder. Inside is a rubber cup that start to desolve, turns back to tar.. Remove the assembly and pull it apart, and remove what's left of the seal. Clean everything up and reassemble with a very light coating of grease on the piston and inside the cylinder. Reassemble without the cup seal. They don't make them any or and it will work fine without it..

Now for your other problem sounds so much like the E1000 I just finished working on.. I found that my power supply board had issues. I was getting all these different meter numbers. The power supply voltages seemed fine, but I had a fluctuation in the voltages.. Did you ever measure yours for correct voltage outputs.. Once I swapped out my power supply board my problem was gone.. Here is an old thread that sounds like your problem.

http://newlifegames.net/nlg/index.php?topic=1949.msg14211#msg14211

Gary

[Sunrise Side]

Change your power supply and the connector to the power supply and your problems will resolved.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bally-Slot-Machine-E-Series-POWER-SUPPLY-CONNECTION-/350252825206?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item518cb1fa76


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bally-Slot-Machine-Power-Supply-E1000-E2000-NEW-/171440171118?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27eaa1686e

[Dbeeson]

Thanks guys! Can I just rebuild the supply I have? I have all the molex required for the connector, I actually repinned the burnt ones already, using trifurcon crimp pins. 


I find it strange that if I wiggle or reseat the connector on the power supply, nothing changes, still dependent on warming up.


Amechanic, so that piston is seized in there eh? I'll take it apart.  I feel that there's some light at the end of the tunnel with you guys around.


Also, there's a diverter that only engages sometimes (randomly on some resets) that either allows coins to fall into the hopper or through a chute that spits the coins onto the floor.  I'm gonna assume this also has to do with the supply and hope for the best 

[rokgpsman]

On these machines the old power supply and power connectors are a big part of the failures people have. Some people prefer to do a repair more quickly and eliminate the power supply as a potential problem by replacing it with a new one.

If you do rebuild the power supply I figure you will replace the old electrolytic capacitors. One of them is huge (C1) and does a lot of work so if it is bad that could be a problem. I've read that some people replace C1 with two 6,000 uF caps (or similar) since the original size C1 can be hard to find. These caps are nearly 30 years old and drying out/dried out. Same thing happens to caps in old monitors. Both C1 and C2 are filter caps and if bad you could have a lot more AC ripple on the power supply voltages than should be there. Plus, filter caps act as a storage device and keep the voltage from sagging when there is a load switched in, like reels or lights or hopper getting activated. When a filter cap is bad you can get a voltage level dipping downward, then coming back up and that can cause glitches.

On that "006" display you keep seeing, if it is an error (instead of number of coins last paid out) could that be a RAM chip (5101 ic's) problem?? Could the mpu board be halting in the power-up selftest at the memory test? If you have another 5101 you can sub in it might be something to try. Or you could remove the 5101 and power up and see if it acts differently, gives a different error code display. And like Amechanic mentioned earlier, you might just remove the 5101 ram chips and reinsert them into the socket. The ic legs and socket connectors have oxidized over the years and may be intermittent. If you continue to have intermittent operation it isn't out of the question to remove and reinsert all socketed ic's on the mpu board. Take a picture or label each chip so you are sure to get it back in the correct place. If the ic legs are dark & oxidized you could carefully clean each leg with a soft pencil eraser. Just be careful not to break a leg. And examine the old sockets, consider replacing them if nothing else gets your machine running and you think the mpu has problems.

That coin diverter is not super important. It is supposed to divert the coins so they go into a hole in the bottom of the machine and then fall into a bucket underneath in the slot machine stand when the machine senses that the coin hopper is full. On the hopper there may be a sense switch, it gets activated by the weight of coins or with a probe that fits into the hopper bowl and activates when the bowl gets full of coins. This sends a signal to cause the coin diverter to activate or deactivate. Look for a switch on the side of the hopper, or post a picture and we can point the sensing part out. If it is a weight sensing switch there will be a screw adjustment on a spring so you can set the switch sensitivity. But really the coin diverter isn't critical for home use, can be disconnected so all coins go into the hopper if you want, since you aren't likely to fill the hopper all the way up. Or you can disconnect the hopper sense switch.

Keep in mind how old the machine is and how little it has been played in recent years. You will find that there are a lot of mechanical connections that need to be working right, just like on the old pinball machines. But you'll want to make sure the basics are correct first, like power supply voltages, cable connections, socketed ic's, etc.

The tech behind the better Bally E-2000/E-1000 power supply is an active NLG member:

http://newlifegames.com/nlg/index.php?topic=3315.0

One of his informative E-2000 write-ups is attached.

and here is some additional E-2000 info, some is similar to what is here on NLG, be sure to read the sections entitled "Repair Tips for Power Supply" and "Can't Run Tests", both are good:

http://www.coinslots.com/tips/bally-e-series/

[Amechanic]

The coin diverter on the E-Series will be open at the time of power up. It will close as the coil energizes after the fist time the machine is played, or after the reset buttons pushed on the hopper. I just put a paper towel in the over flow chute to keep the coins in the machine. The hopper has a limit switch on it to keep the hopper from over flowing. They are usually set to hold the max payout of your machine, any thing over that would go into the bucket kept in a hopper stand. So what's happening is normal..

Gary

[Dbeeson]

GREAT!! I get a lot of things now... Er I think?  I would say that 6 is due to the power supply indeed, as I bet the AC ripple is as high as can be.  I have the necessary caps and will swap them out tonight.  I've reseated the ram and have done the "twist test" to test the sockets when it's hanging on 6. It's hanging on 6 because the power supply is doing funny things.