BB3 Blade Driving me NUTS

[mhorton]

I am hoping for some inside knowledge to assist me in troubleshooting. My blade has had sound issues since I got it. I have replaced amps four times (heard they were a common problem), but clearly that is not the causal factor here. Randomly (at least once every two days) the sound will be dead when you try to play (machines on 24/7). When you open the door, there is a pop (most times) and the typical door warning sound plays. IMMEDIATLY and EVERY TIME the game will get a "stacker switch" error. Opening the can door and pulling out and putting the cash can back will clear the error, and sound returns for a couple of days. When the sound is gone, game plays fine (no errors) until you open the door and immediately get the stacker switch error (and corresponding return of sound. At this point I am assuming this is an "almost short" on a power supply that affects both the amp and stacker switch? I am guessing there is some kind of protection circuitry in the amp that shuts it down, but I have no idea why it comes back when I open the door (consistently).  Of course I could also be way off. Any help or pointing in the right direction would be much appreciated.

[Stayouttadabunker]

You have a loose bulkhead.....tighten it up with the lever.

[mhorton]

Thank you so much for responding! I need to show my ignorance now... I am not sure what you mean by "bulkhead" and a lever to tighten?

[Stayouttadabunker]

the bulkhead is the circuit board under the main cpu box...it's the one with all the plugs going to.
It is connected with a million tony pins going up to the CPU.
There is a lever on the right side of the CPU box.
Pulling down on that lever will pull the CPU down onto the pins.
A CPU not fully seated onto the pins causes the stacker error more than any other error because that particular pin is to the front of the rows of pins.
A loose CPU creates a loose fit and could be the source of your sound probs too.

However, if your blade has some speakers on the door, there could be a pinched wire in the door harness.
I'm not sure why you're going thru so many amplifiers....sounds like you might have a winter static electricity problems.
Does the machine shock you sometimes when you touch metal?

[mhorton]

Thanks! I will look for the lever today. I had no idea it existed. I always called that a backplane board (I learn something new every day). I was going down the pinched wire in the door bundle route, have traced as much as I physically could but found that appears pinched or crimped yet.
Thanks for you help!

[Stayouttadabunker]

Only WMS calls it a bulkhead in their manuals...they trying 2 be different... 

Lemmie ask ya....are there some speakers on the door or no?

or is it just cheap plastic speaker grilles?

If not, then there no problem on the door.

I don't own a BB3...too rich for my budget

[mhorton]

The speakers are all in the door. I have traced the speaker wires as much as possible and all look fine. Is this the "lever" you are referring to?

[Stayouttadabunker]

yeah...make sure the power is off.
Watch the CPU box go up when you lift it.
Watch it being pulled down when you pull down on the lever.
Some of them have a little latch the lever handle slips behind to stay down.

It helps to physically push down on the CPU box too because that lever doesn't seem to do much and hits the bulkhead board when fully down.

[idesign]

Just an FYI here, but a Blade has a switch connected to that lever.  The switch senses if the lever is locked in place, if not, it will throw a cabinet mismatch error of all things.It still wouldn't hurt to try reseating the CPU anyway just to eliminate that causing the problem.

[Eddiie]

You say you hear a POP when you open the door?
What kinda BV you got?   The cashflow thing?    I was getting stacker errors at random and found the problem was dirty optics or dust somewhere in the cashbox. 
Maybe separate the issues.  Unplug the amp from power and see if you ever get stacker error again.   Look for obvious things like pinched wires.  Mars thing I've seen some have wires hanging with male connectors off them that are live, if you have hanging wires on your's make sure they dont touch anything.   

The PSU is pretty sensitive to shorts, so if it was an actual short I think the whole machine would turn off.

Maybe you have 2 issues.