Installing Your Repaired Boards

You've sent your pinball boards to your favorite repair tech and just received them back.
But, when you power on the game, something seems awry. What should I do?

First, as Douglas Adams famously suggested*, Don't Panic!

Most issues are easily resolved and stem from simple omissions. Before you contact your board tech, perform these simple checks.

The game does not power on like you think it should

1. Is the game plugged in?
2. Is the game connected to a power strip and is that power strip switched on?
3. Are all connectors plugged into the correct location? Connectors sometimes become "lost" behind the PCBs.
4. Are all ribbon cables plugged in so that all male pins are correctly mating with the connector? i.e. not a row or column off and with the red stripe connected to pin 1 at both ends.
5. Have you "buzzed" the fuses in the game to see if one has blown?
6. If connectors separating the head and the body were disconnected, were they reconnected correctly? This is generally an issue for Williams System 3-11 games.

A game can not be started

1. Are the correct number of pinballs installed in the game? Some games will not start a game unless the correct number of pinballs are installed.
2. Does the game have credits on it or is the game set to free play?

Things to note before contacting your tech

1. Are the LED indicators on the boards lit?
2. Do the displays light up?
3. Did the game produce an abnormal sound like a solenoid locking on?

*The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, 1979