Gottlieb-BRONCO-Start Up Problem/s

[mark jackson]

Hi All, I've got a BRONCO which I'm trying to get going. It responds to the free game button, and tries to go through its Start-up, but the motor keeps running on. I manually pull the Reset Relay (A-X) and then the motor stops.

At this point, the flippers flip, the bumpers bump, the chimes chime etc, BUT it doesn't seem to know what player it is, or what ball it is. Also, the score-reels don't re-set and neither do they score when the 'game' is being played.

Any ideas on working through this lot will be appreciated. .... When I first looked at this machine the tilt/s on the front door and the one near the score-motor were both 'open'. I closed both of these contact points. I assume I've done the right thing there??
 
Anyway, ... where do I begin??? help please..... mark

 

[ddstoys]

G'day Mark
    First thing I do with any Em I work on is manually activate each stepper unit to make sure they step up and down and reach there reset position same for each score reel if these do not move freely you game will never run

[mark jackson]

Hi Dan, I almost got it all today. I cleaned all the contacts on the Player Unit in the head, and then it went through a complete Start cycle. The game plays as it should ...EXCEPT ... when it lights up 2X bonus, it actually pays out 4X bonus. .... I guess the 4X contacts are 'closed' ?? when they should be 'open'.?? ...but where would this be??? I'll keep looking. ...also had to give the 0-9 unit a revive. I also noticed that the 'First Ball' relay would be on until 'Game Over'. Do you know if that's normal? Thanks for getting back.   

[Strangeways]

Hi Mark - Do you have the schematics ? I have the game, but not the schematics. Player Units in GTB 4 Player games is where 90% of the problem come from. Check each relay in the game and make sure they can all be manually set and reset. Look for any contacts that have moved (leaf contacts) - I'll see if I have a GTB 4 Player schematic handy. I can't recall the bonus feature is a stepper or Relay.

[mark jackson]

Hi Nino, It's a day later and I have not been able to work this one out. .... On balls 1-4 it's supposed to pay out 2X and then on ball 5 it gives up 4X. ... but it just pays out 4X on every ball. ... I thought it may be a game adjustment but couldn't find it. There are 2 relays which seem crucial..The 2 X bonus relay and the 2X Control relay. These are on underneath side of playfield. When the bonus goes off, the disc seems to count off the amount of bonus, and these two relays seem to be responsible for 2X and also 4X  (but I can see no mention of 4X anywhere on a relay or anywhere else.) I cleaned and checked the contacts on both these relays. .. no, I don't have a schematic.... A small but annoying problem which is between me getting it all right or not. ... this is someone else's machine and it'd be nice to hand it back 100% and not 95%.... 

[goodolddays]

Gday Mark .

You have probably already thought of this ...
Sounds to me like the 2X Control relay should only pull in on the 5th ball if bonus has been achieved ,so the question is what activates this relay ?


Sorry I can't give you a more detailed suggestion as i have no Gottlieb's of this vintage
Cheers
Dave

[mark jackson]

...another day later,the same situation as last night.......EXCEPT that occasionally the pop bumpers, which normally score 100 all of a sudden score 300 (the same as the value of the ABC rollover lanes. It has only done this twice today and then goes away so that one is just a bit more confusion???? More looking tomorrow. Could this be a contact on the score motor?? Thanks for the help Dave.

[oldpins]

I don't beleive it would be the score motor contacts. It's more than likely contacts on a ' Add bonus relay' or the like. I only have the schematics for a Gottlieb 'Fast Draw' (4 player). Sounds like you are almost there!

[Retropin]

I might have schematics for this... let me check

[mark jackson]

Thanks for the help guys. The owner wanted it back for a party today, so in the end I never did work the 2X giving 4X scene.... I cleaned and checked all the relays that had anything to do with 'Bonus' or 2X etc, but these all looked good, and when cleaned, behaved in the same way as they had previously. ...
Life's strange.

[mark jackson]

......what I was trying to say was... Life's strange. For me it was a 'big deal' that the 2X was not performing as it should, but for the customer, it didn't matter at all. As long as the machine played a game, that was the main thing. So even though I got 98% of this machine working, and I did my best on it, I'm still a little dis-satisfied with my efforts as I know that it's just "not quite right". I guess that's what happens after so long in pinball fixin'. ... but thanks for the help. I hope I get a chance to re-visit that 'Bronco', and I'll have another go at it. ... The schematic would have given me a fighting chance, so thanks Gav. I wouldn't mind a look at one. ....For tonight: GO SWANS 

[ddstoys]

It's funny customers really have no idea like you said if the game plays they are happy...    But I'm not happy till it's 100% (my games excluded). But in the end so long as the fault is the same on each players game then I guess it's fair.   
    Again that's why i will never be rich I'm never happy with the quick fix....

[goodolddays]

Yep .. too much pinball fixin' Mark