S2000 Reel 2 Won't Spin

[Ash100]

 

I've got a strange one here that has me baffled.


Picked up an IDOJ machine last week in Florida, seller said has RAM Error. Easy fix, right? Got the machine for next to nothing.


Fired it up today for the first time after a good cleaning and dusting. Reset the RAM Error the typical way and game booted up.


However, reel #2 stayed static. No tension, no spin upon initialization.


Swapped it with an extra good Reel, still no spin, no tension.


Swapped it with #3, it spins there. Reel 2 still dead. Fault on screen Reel Tilt.


Re-seated connectors, MPU, I/O Card etc. No change.


Swapped out Reel Harness. No change.


Swapped out Cabinet Card. No Change.


Tried different MPU, no change.


Short of replacing the backplane I'm out of options.


Am I missing something?


Any input will be greatly appreciated.


Curtis ash100

[Stayouttadabunker]

Hmm...need SB, SG pairs and Version chip numbers you're using.

Could be software problem....any red LED light on MPU?

Does sound like the backplane tho.

[Ash100]

Don't have chip info in front of me right now, at work for the evening .


If I recall correctly the SG chips are 363's, Stepper is a copy, no information on sticker and it's a single denom Version Chip.


No lights on MPU, Boots normal and reels 1 and 3 spin, then display briefly reads insert coin before Reel Tilt 2 message appears.


Put the Double Diamond Deluxe MPU in it, same story.


I'm guessing backplane too.


I'll keep ya posted!


Curtis ash100

[RB]

Sounds like a bad reel harness. Remove & inspect it carefully.

[Stayouttadabunker]

Now that he's been swapping stuff, he's more familiar with all the connectors.I'd suggest to throw in the suspect reel harness into the other cabinet and see if the problem follows the harness?Personally, I like crossing all my x's and o's off.
Another thing, this is a hobby....so careful insertion and removal of components is essential and takes time to perfect.When in a rush, stupid mistakes happen and frustration sets in when nothing seems to work.I had a co-worker slam the cabinet doors while my eyeballs are rolling...I've tried karate kicks too....( S+ doors are stronger than a Brinks truck) lol
It's good to scratch things down on a nearby piece of paper to keep track of what has and hasn't been done.
 

[Ash100]

Update....


Finally got a chance to work in this machine again, it's been a little while and it got pushed to the back of the pack.


I swapped out the backplane board with a known good one. However, there were minor differences between the two boards. The original board was a super early (1997) S2000 and the donor board had a few revisions on it, but essentially they  are same part number.


Anyway, no luck. Reel 2 will still not spin. It spins in position 1, but any reel I put in position 2 is dead. Meaning no spin, no tension when powered up.


I've changed reels, reel harness, MPU, Backplane, I/O Cards etc.


The only thing left now is the tray itself.


Has anyone ever seen anything like this?


Stumped, Curtis ash100

[Stayouttadabunker]

I've never had this problem but the big clue is: "any reel I put in position 2 is dead."
You've narrowed it down to that line on the reel harness but you've already changed harnesses.
I doubt you have two bad 2nd reel drivers on BOTH MPU's but you never know.
I'd be checking ground pins on the harnesses?
They work in another cabinet? They're good?
If you threw the MPU into a another known good cabinet, will this problem pop up there?

[Ash100]

I finally have some closure on this subject!


After swapping and swapping and swapping of everything I could possibly think was wrong, I figured it out.


I noticed with the power off the #2 reel, while still mounted, felt stiff and didn't free spin like the other two. So, could it be binding up somehow?


I pulled the reel, it loosened right up. Put it back in, got tight again. Runs true out of the machine and is not warped, and it's not rubbing on anything in the machine, so what's the deal with this?


Turns out it was the tray. There was a slight twist in my reel tray that actually affects the reel spin. It's not visible to the naked eye, but I confirmed it with a straightedge.


It was warped just enough to prevent the reel from spinning and cause a tilt. I guess reel motors don't have much torque, and they're very sensitive to any type of obstructions.


So this will go down in the books as a strange fix.


Now that that's out of the way, I'm going to add a Backlight Controller and Backlit Reels. (Game came with backlit strips already installed)


Next project is powering the controller, as this is an older cabinet with no provisions for reel backlights. But I've got lots of spare wire and a schematic.


Thanks for all of the replies and suggestions.


Case closed!


Curtis ash100

[Stayouttadabunker]

Good job digging around...I knew you'd find out!