Bally EM 1112-18 with Jackpot Reset Issue?

[Reggie5]

Hello, back to New Life Games and appreciate your time and hoping you can help me get my first slot machine going.  I have a Bally electro-mechanical slot machine which appears to be stuck after winning a jackpot.  I apologize if I'm providing too much info, but hoping more info is helpful. 

This unit is new to me,  the previous owner hadn't been able to pull the handle since the jackpot was won, which was over 2 years ago.  Worked fine for many years prior according to him but has sat ever since. When jackpot was won I believe it payed out the coins in the hopper then stopped when the hopper was empty which was before the entire jackpot was paid.  The previous owner did not have an attendant key and did not try the reset switch that works with the key manually, nor adding more coins.   Comes from a smoking environment so likely a cleaning will help, which I'll do when I learn to do it right.
Behavior:
Win meter says 999.  Reels on 777.  Handle remains locked after entering coins and trying to pull the handle.  (With the attendant key switch open and closed) Coin Inserted light is lit, and the 1st coin played column is lit, dings when coins are added but subsequent coins entered do NOT increment # of coins played.
There is a loose gray wire with white tracer on the inside of the door on the right side of the door when looking at it when it's open.  Up near the display window for the reel. (One of the photos has me holding the wire) It looks like it should connect to the same place as 3 blue wires but I'm guessing on that based on where it naturally hangs. Thinking that is the reason the lights for the reels aren't working and not related to the jackpot reset issue, but haven't traced the circuit yet. 

Things I've tried:
Reset button on inside upper right of machine. Reset button under the coin hopper. When hopper was pulled out and also when hopper was still inserted.
Replaced attendant lock and tried running coin through with key turned so switch was closed/key turned. (My understanding of how to reset a jackpot)   Also tried adding a coin with the door open and me holding the switch down manually. Don't hear anything other than the switch clicking when closing the switch.
I have not cleaned connections or anything else yet but plan to once I have the proper tools and instructions. (Silver jewelry burnishing tool work OK for the beau plugs?)

I need to learn how to diagnose potential issues or how to potentially bypass them to get the jackpot reset to complete and resume play. I have some Bally books and many links from your site and am trying to learn the circuits and identify the issue but am not sure if the schematics I have relate to the 1112 very well, and I'm not finding anything else specifically for this model.   

Thanks again for your time!
Jack

[DavidLee]

On the opposite side of the handle mechanism cover plate is a lever.
Pulling it to the forward position will cause the handle release to drop down.
The handle should be free to pull.

Clean the coin in relay/ switches located on the bottom left rear of the reels mechanism.
This switch sets the machine up to play, by sending a signal to the handle release coil.
It’s also possible that the handle release switches are not making good contact.
Thus the latch will not be activated.

[DavidLee]

Coin relay switch.

[Reggie5]

Thanks David for the detailed information and the pictures, I will be taking a look at this tonight and will start cleaning as well.

If I can get the handle to release should I expect that the jackpot will continue to pay out, go away, or will I still need to deal with that?

Thank you!
Jack

[Reggie5]

I had the reel mech out so I took a picture of the coin relay switch side of the mech.  The switch appears to be in the tripped position if I'm understanding some of the reading I've done tonight correctly. If that's correct does that mean the issue is likely downstream from the coin relay switch? 

I've also attached a picture of the rear plugs on the real mech, and I assume that is what plugs that need to be cleaned look like?  Scrape with a burnishing tool? 

[DavidLee]

When the handle is pulled, the mechanics will reset the coin switch latch
and the reels will spin to different stops.

Nice looking machine looks clean, guessing it’s a 1979-80.

[Reggie5]

You are correct, July of 1980.  Good to hear, I was hopeful it's a good complete machine and the story I got that it ran fine for years until the jackpot was hit are true.  But one never knows, it was a moving sale purchase.   Appreciate you taking some time to help me out on the machine and my education. 

So I can move the handle down some but eventually stops due to not being aligned with the circled post on the attached pic, which I believe has the right side of the mech in the tripped position instead of rest position.   Looking through my books to figure out how to get this back to rest position and I think I'll be able to pull the handle, and hopefully spin the reels. 

Thanks again.

[Reggie5]

Update:   I was able to get the handle to pull after pushing the reel mech in at the same time as pulling the handle so the post I had circled in my picture lined up with the slot that it slides into.  I was then able to pull the handle all the way and the reels spun.  Success!

 Played a handful of spins and hit a winning combo and the machine started humming without kicking out any quarters, then shut off.  Thought I blew a fuse but pushed in the reset bar under the hopper and was able to turn the machine on again.  Same drill when a winning combo is hit, loud hum and no quarters, so I shut it off before it shut itself off this time.  So I have some issue with the hopper and payouts it appears.  It ran itself out of coins when the jackpot was hit so maybe that has something to do with it?  (It's well stocked with quarters now)

Anyway, progress which is exciting.   Next subject "Hoppers", back to the books!   Thanks for your help in getting me this far.

Is proper protocol to start a new topic if I end up having questions on the hopper issue, or can I tack new questions onto here?

[DavidLee]

Coin or small piece of hardware stuck in the hopper.
Possibly two coins stuck near the exit point.

Close inspection is needed.

On the work surface.
Its possible to turn the hopper motor gears with a little effort.

[Reggie5]

Nothing from my first look at it yesterday jumped out but tonight I decided to completely empty the hopper and it became apparent the coin ready to head out the pay chute was stuck.  Took a bit to get it out but that was the problem, it now pays.   And so far paying accurately.

The machine has some gremlins with the coin step up not starting at 1 coin all the time and the switch that registers the incoming coins is not returning on its own sometimes now, but I'll work on that and maybe a cleaning will help with those issues.   But it's now a functioning machine and not just a pretty light in the corner so thank you for your on-the-mark advice and your help getting it functional.

I really would like to clean and lubricate the machine but know enough to be careful about what to use.  I don't know what to use and my books say "appropriate solvents" which isn't real helpful.    Any advice on specific cleaners or lubricants to use would be appreciated if you have any thoughts in that area.   Cleaning switch contacts, and just some of the grime from dirt collecting in oil.

Thanks again, really appreciate your time and the service you and your colleagues provide, so valuable to us just getting started! 

[DavidLee]

Good to hear the machine is running.

Best to clean one switch stack at a time, likewise with contact plates.
This will make it easier to trace back if cleaning causes a new problem.

While cleaning look for any broken or wires hanging on by a few strands.
Springs missing from coils, or anything that looks out of order.

Being a newer machine, most likely everything is in good shape.
Probably just cleaning will be enough.

[Reggie5]

Smart idea going one at a time.   Thanks again, very happy with how it's operating thus far!
Jack

[DavidLee]

Regarding the coin in switch. Sometimes the wire will get bent or pushed inward.
Causing it to snag on the surrounding metal.
Thus not returning.

BP Blaster makes a variety of cleaners and lubricants.
It works well, very thin.
So I like to apply 3 in 1 oil to moving parts and cleaning off the excess.
White lube or now a days synthetic grease could be used.

Regarding reels chassis shafts, bushings and attached mechanical parts should move freely.
Bushings and shafts should spin by using thumb and forefinger.
Excluding the actual reel’s shaft, it has a lock mechanism.
This is not a big deal, but something to check later on.
As to make for a smoother machine operation.

[Reggie5]

I think that is what is going on with my coin in switch, the tip seems to be rubbing. A slight adjustment may help it I'm thinking.  It seems to be playing better the more I play it with the glitches getting fewer and farther between, so hopefully things are getting loosened up after a long hiatus. 

Thanks for the info on the cleaners and lubricants. Along with the coin-in switch issue I have a hum from the coin-acceptor area that I believe cleaning a coil may help with based on my reading.   I blew out the dust etc from the area as quite a bit had collected there but there seems to be some film on the coil.  The hum is less noticeable but still there, and intermittent as far as loudness so I may try to clean it but also don't want any setbacks since things are going pretty well, so we'll see.     Thank you!

[DavidLee]

Playing the machine definitely helps.

The coin in lockout coil behind the the coin mechanism are famous for the buzz.
Not to much in the way of adjustments.
Alternative is to place tape on the coil to keep it from buzzing.

If the coin in switch wire is pushed in to far, it can interfere with the lockout armature.
As the armature has a small protrusion near the wire.

[Reggie5]

The switch wire is making a slight mark where it's rubbing so it does need to be adjusted I think. I tried to adjust it and not sure if I made any difference but the problem is "better".  More likely just due to continued play I'm thinking.  What was happening was when I play a turn with multiple coins(up to 5), then put in the first coin for the next turn the odds wouldn't always go back to the 1st coin column.  But now it's getting there, it just stops at the 3rd coin column for a second, then to the 2nd coin column, then finally the 1st coin column where it should be.  Takes a few seconds. Maybe it would've done that before my adjustment if I had understood what was happening and been more patient, not sure. 

I've also made an adjustment to the hopper (knife?) to hopefully prevent the jams that were occurring (so far so good), and if so then I'm down to the above issue and the humming.  Amazing progress, with a little patience for the above issue the machine is now playable without interruption.   In large part to good advice, thank you.   

[DavidLee]

Regarding the odds unit returning slowly to first coin.
Try manually operating the odds unit in the top compartment.
By stepping it up then press in the reset coil plunger.
It should spring back to the first coin position.

If it appears to returning slow.
Possible causes, obstruction, contact rivets/contact fingers gummed up,
lack of lubrication / harden lubricant
and or the return spring needs to be tightened one position.

[wolftalk]

did you get the paperwork with the game?  I don't have anything for the 1112.

if not, the 1112 is more-or-less the low boy version of the 1096, but it's possible there's differences.  On the 1096 the coin relay being tripped would have aborted the payout and the handle release relay would trip.

when you get a jackpot (pay greater than 200), the game is supposed to pay 200 coins but stays locked up.  To clear the jackpot, some games had a key switch, other required a coin to be dropped in.

if the hopper runs dry before the 200 coins were paid, the game shuts down.  The attendant should fill the hopper and push the reset button at the top of the door opening to restart the payout, then when the 200 pay finishes the lockup needs to be cleared.

put another way, unless the coin relay or the handle release relay is tripped, the payout circuit is active.  If the reels are on a paying combo, then when powering on the game it will want to pay unless the payout counter has stepped up enough to say it's already been done.  If the reels are on a jackpot pay, that needs to be cleared manually. 

[Reggie5]

First, thanks David.  The behavior is getting better with play so I think it's likely a lubrication issue.  It now jumps all the way back to the first coin when playing 3 coins, and 4 and 5 coins just stop for a second on the 2 coins odds before getting to the 1st coin odds. (it would sit there for 5-10 seconds prior to the recent improvement)   Definitely better, but I will look at what you instructed me on.  I don't have experience with that area of the machine but will check it out.

Regarding the documentation question I did not get documentation with the game, I had picked up some Bally EM materials, in the attached pic.    Thanks for the information on the payout interruption.  I seem to be past the initial concern of the Jackpot being won before i acquired it, but I'm dealing with an intermittent coin jamming issue where it would be nice to be able resume the payout once it's cleared. (maybe that won't work with a jam vs. an empty hopper or hitting the 200 coin limit?)  I will try the reset button next time.   And thanks for the reference to the other model, that will come in handy I'm thinking as I haven't found anything specific to the 1112 yet and at some point I may need a schematic. 

Thanks to you both!

[Reggie5]

Oops, forgot the documentation pic.