18 replies to this topic

[tigerboytony11]

Hello all. I've had this machine for about a year now, and the strangest fault has just occured and don't know how to fix it. Switch the machine on, and it comes up INITIALISNG, and then part of the DEAL OR NO DEAL logo goes white as the coin mechs all come on. Then once it's booted, Cancel and Start flash, but other squares start flashing too such as REEL MATCH and £3 cash. Set the machine and loads of other lights turn white such as the number reel, most of the DEAL OR NO DEAL logo, and the reel in the middle of the DOND game stays permantely on. It looks like a circuit problem, or a bulb problem, but does anyone have any ideas where to start as I haven't got a clue. The machine plays perfectly, and all the sounds are fine, but the lights are so bright, they look like they are going to burn out, plus give you eye ache, plus defeats the object of playing the machine as you can always see what value you have in the box. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Can try and upload some pictures later if that will help. Cheers.

[DJDONKEY]

These machines are getting to the age where battery leakage could start to be an issue.

First thing is to take off the cover of the MPU (usually on the back of a front opening scorp 4) and see if there is leakage from the green battery (near the middle of the board)

[tigerboytony11]

It looks clean but not too sure. Can always replace and see if that is the problem. How do you go about replacing it because it looks like it is soldered on to the motherboard?

[Bencrest]

It looks clean but not too sure. Can always replace and see if that is the problem. How do you go about replacing it because it looks like it is soldered on to the motherboard?

 

Did this fault occur suddenly, or did you perform any maintenance beforehand? I really can't see how replacing the battery will help, however what may have happened (as mentioned above) is the battery could have leaked, and when they do they damage the board, basically eating it. I would suggest taking the board completely out of the machine if possible, and examining the battery area closely, looking for any bubbling of the green coating.

 

It may well be a fault with the lamp multiplexing part of the mainboard, I think most people would suggest that you just get a replacement board if that's the case (if this is Scorpion 4, and so is your Showtime, might be worth labelling each board and swapping them over?).

 

If your DOND is Scorpion 5, then I have a spare board I would do very cheaply as I have no use whatsoever for it, was removed fully working (but with a dead battery) from a Random Spinner, so I replaced the battery, put a new board in Random Spinner then sold the machine (kept this board though incase I used it in the future!)

 

Should work fine but if not I would fully refund you. If it would help, let me know and I'll sort out a price but it would be cheaper than anywhere else!

Edited by Bencrest, 25 January 2013 - 04:51 PM.

[DJDONKEY]

Sometimes, the battery looks OK, but is damaged underneath and yes it is soldered to the motherboard.

Take a close-up picture and post it here

Bencrest is right, if you have another machine, try that board as it could be a "short" causing lighting problems.

I would guess scorp 4 if it is an original £25 or £35 DOND.

[tigerboytony11]

The fault just occured suddenly. It played perfectly Wednesday and then on Thursday, the wife had switched them on cause her DAB radio is connected to the same extension box, and when I got home from work, I found the fault where more squares were flashing, and the number reel and the DOND box were continuesly lit too. I've done no maintenance work on it whats so ever. It is a Scorp 4, £5 Jackpot. How easy is it to get the mainboard off from the machine? I've got a Beat The Baker, and a ShowTime. Are all the mainboards the same then? I presume they are, and its actually the gamecard that stores all the play and sounds of the actual machine. If that is the case, I can take the one out of Beat The Banker and try that one. ShowTime is Scorpion 4, not too sure about BTB, but I would assume its the same.

Edited by tigerboytony11, 26 January 2013 - 10:45 PM.

[Bencrest]

Scorpion 5 mainboards are half the size of Scorpion 4, so it should be obvious if they are both Scorpion 4 or not

 

Removing mainboards - best advice I can give is to take a good photograph before you start, from the front, showing the wiring.

 

I've only done it a few times on Scorpion 4 but if you use logic, it's pretty easy. You need to get the large metal cover off the mainboard if it's fitted (some second hand machines won't have the large metal cover on) - this normally involves releasing metal clips around the edge of the metal mainboard surround. I'm pretty sure the board will be held to the back of the machine plastic (nylon?) push-fit rods which stick through holes on the board. You should see, where the nylon rod comes through the board, a small bit of plastic you need to move out of the way (using a steady hand and a small flathead screwdriver or similar tool. Work around the board loosening these, and pulling the board gently when you release each one. At the end it'll just push back into place.

 

I reckon it's easy but if you want I'll grab some photos from my Clouseau which is Scorpion 4 tomorrow and run you through it with photos?

Edited by Bencrest, 26 January 2013 - 10:55 PM.

[tigerboytony11]

Ok, thought I'd have a go tonight at changing the board. It seems fairly easy, got the one of ShowTime (pic 3) no problem, took it over to Deal (pic 1), and both boards look the same, but looking closely, the one in Deal has an extra connection going from the bottom of the board into a panel directly underneath the board (pic 2). ShowTime doesn't have this extra connection, therefore can I use the board in Deal, or do I need to have this connection in order for the board to work? BTB has a much smaller board so that definately isn't going to fit, the only other board I have is in my Power 5, but don't really want to take that one out, as like playing that one. Do I need a new mainboard completely then?  deal board 002.JPG   121.71KB   39 downloads  deal board 010.JPG   124.33KB   52 downloads  deal board 016.JPG   208.32KB   36 downloads

Edited by tigerboytony11, 27 January 2013 - 09:02 PM.

[Bencrest]

Ok, thought I'd have a go tonight at changing the board. It seems fairly easy, got the one of ShowTime (pic 3) no problem, took it over to Deal (pic 1), and both boards look the same, but looking closely, the one in Deal has an extra connection going from the bottom of the board into a panel directly underneath the board (pic 2). ShowTime doesn't have this extra connection, therefore can I use the board in Deal, or do I need to have this connection in order for the board to work? BTB has a much smaller board so that definately isn't going to fit, the only other board I have is in my Power 5, but don't really want to take that one out, as like playing that one. Do I need a new mainboard completely then?deal board 002.JPGdeal board 010.JPGdeal board 016.JPG

 

Sounds like your CYBTB is a Scorpion 5 then, I kinda hoped this one would be too so I could just stick you a cheap Scorp 5 board in the post

 

I honestly don't know what would happen. I'm always up for swapping stuff and hoping things blow up, but I fully understand if you'd rather wait for someone else. Personally I can't see it doing any harm without having that board connected - although perhaps it won't boot without it?

[impact]

Its a scorp 4 light Pcb open circuit. Just sold my FTU4 to repair these buggers

[tigerboytony11]

I'm not sure if that extra lead is coming out from the mainboard or if it's plugged into an existing plug as there is a great big one on the bottom with a cable tie round it, so it may be that the lead comes out of that, and not the mainboard, but don't want to cut the tie or cable, just in case. There is a mainboard on Gumtree going for £35 but don't no whether to get it or not incase that lead is needed. Grrrrrrr :/

[impact]

I could email the matey that i sold the ftu4 too as he is fixing them now he liv`s near kent i dont know what he charge`s tho.

[tigerboytony11]

Checked the mainboard again, and found that the extra cable was already attached to another plug so was able to use the mainboard from my ShowTime after all So this afternoon, I changed the board over, switched the machine back on, and after a slight alarm ringing and message flashing up RAM ERROR, the machine kicked into life, and works perfectly, except, I now have a number of bulbs out that I haven't had before. The START square on the outer board and the first bankers mug on the inner board were out already before the problem occured, but now about another 7 or 8 are out any ideas anyone? Pics attached.

Attached Files

•  dond fix 002.JPG   197.27KB   12 downloads
•  dond fix 003.JPG   185.05KB   13 downloads
•  dond fix 004.JPG   165.95KB   9 downloads
•  dond fix 005.JPG   182.25KB   7 downloads

[Bencrest]

Checked the mainboard again, and found that the extra cable was already attached to another plug so was able to use the mainboard from my ShowTime after all So this afternoon, I changed the board over, switched the machine back on, and after a slight alarm ringing and message flashing up RAM ERROR, the machine kicked into life, and works perfectly, except, I now have a number of bulbs out that I haven't had before. The START square on the outer board and the first bankers mug on the inner board were out already before the problem occured, but now about another 7 or 8 are out any ideas anyone? Pics attached.

 

I'm hoping you haven't got a short anywhere that might be causing this? I had a similar thing once (and think I blew the mainboard up!) when I had a wire trapped in the top door?

 

Assuming there's not a short, I wouldn't know what to suggest replacing the bulbs and seeing if they work afterwards - if needs be swap with some bulbs which you know to work from other parts of the machine.

 

If they work once swapped, I'd be inclined to say it's 'just one of those things' and replace them. I've got spare bulbs if you want some new ones cheaply (say £2 for 25 in blister pack posted 1st Class?), not a lot but more than happy to put some into an envelope to tide you over?

Edited by Bencrest, 03 February 2013 - 06:15 PM.

[NickYerPesos]

Yeh surely if they were burning too bright before the fix, i would suggest its kicked out your "nearly knackered" one completely. hope you get it sorted

[No1Stoney]

Id say you have a short that is killing transistors, hence why the lamps are out. EIther that or you have a loose wire in one of the plugs that go into the main board. Sometimes when you plug the lamp plugs into the MPU, it can push out some of the pins. Check that first. I would say though it sounds more like a transistor fault. To find out you will need a multi-meter and check each of the transistors to see which is faulty. Ive had this problem plenty of times on S4 boards. They are easy to replace if your even just "OK" at soldering.

[impact]

Open the top door and check the wiring loom that is running on to each lamp segment which is out. To see if it`s the same colour wire then chase this back to the lamp distribution board. Use a flat end screw driver and push wires in on the wiring block also do this on the scorp 4 pcb`s wiring block under section lamps. Do use also a meter and just check that every thing is connected from the source each segment. If you can also when the machine is off check the diodes with in each lamp holder that are out. Its just so that things can be ruled out that there is no diode/s pulling the circuit down (Normaly when this dose happen you can have half lit lamps also)

 

Other things are if you have removed a good working mpu and placed into this faulty machine. More or the same fault is happing. There could be a short from the scorp4 housing touching the lamp port. The join between the mpu/distribution to the lamp mask`s normaly is rapped in that black trunking at the top left hand corner could have which is a common problem of like others have said the short or a break on the loom

[tigerboytony11]

Opened it up again today and thankfully it was just a loose connection, so now it's completely back up and running again

 

Now the bad news I managed to get hold of another mainboard so that I can put it back into ShowTime. I went over and collected it today, and saw it all working and everything, was absolutely perfect. Bought it home, and connected it up to ShowTime, and it just won't accept it. It boots up fine, but is doing exactly the same as what Deal was doing. About 6 or 7 lamps come on, and then half of the lights start glowing white when you start playing. Then something flashed up on the alpha, and the alarm started sounding. Switched it off so quick, and didn't see what the message said. Why would this be? The guy had it on a club machine 4 reeler, and it was absolutely perfect. It's exactly the same Scorpion 4 mainboard, as the ones I've got. I need this machine working, as I'm trying to sell it so I can obtain a Maygay Classic Eastenders. Any ideas peeps?

[impact]

Read my last post again.(do all the same checks again).Do have the wrong connected wiring block into adifferent socket the lamp loom try swapping them over There is an upper and lower its not labeled up tho . They should be keyway`d miss placed wiring block over by one pin more or there is a bent pin. Same with the coin mech check that you are not over by one pin or a bent pin. Also do you have all the led`s lighting up there is 4 all together like 12v 24v 12v 5v.

 

With the coin mech what is it a 126DX Orange or 126REF Blue Label , C435A Green,Yellow,Purple or SR5 or Extra lucky a CF95XX. Only asking to see if you can see the power led on the mech.