Hack of the Day - Gottlieb Card Whiz

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sylvain
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Hack of the Day - Gottlieb Card Whiz

Post by sylvain »

I am fixing a 1976 Gottlieb Card Whiz for someone. The 1st issue below was certainly more interesting and challenging than usual!
Here we go:

Patient: 1976 Gottlieb Card Whiz
Issues: Never worked right since that person purchased the game.
Drop targets always resetting after being dropped, Bonus lamps not working, etc.

First, I went through all relays contacts (tightening & adjusting), steppers, etc.
Adjusted numerous contacts that were out-of-wack, especially on the Relay Bank under the playfield.
Checked the fuses, some were overfused. Replaced with correct ones.
As often the case, someone broke the ground prong on the AC plug. Will replace the plug later.

Issue 1: Indeed, drop targets resetted immediately after any being dropped.
Definitely not the way this game was intended to work!
Here's a snip of the schematics applicable to the Drop Targets reset circuitry:
Card_Whiz_Target_reset.png
Double-checked the P relay switches along with score motor 2C & 3B, and all was fine.
The 1st Ball U and Start S relays appeared OK physically as well.
Until I realized that the Yellow-Green contact was acting as Normally Closed (NC) on the Start S relay,
whereas the schematics has it clearly as Normally Open (NO). See circled in the schematics above and relay below.
DSCF0067.JPG

Not sure how it got so wrong and when. I do not think the machine could have left the manufacturing floor with this issue.
I assume a prior owner removed the screws to that relay contact stack for some reason, and that this specific switch was
reassembled backwards, e.g. acting as NC as instead of intended NO when its longer blade is in its proper slot of the actuator.

Fix: Removed the two screws of that contact stack, flipped that switch's orientation and reassembled. Adjusted gap.


Issue 2: Always stuck at Ball 1 - would not advance to next ball or player.

Fix: Issue was a NO contact on the 1st Ball U relay not quite making good contact when activated.
Adjusted & flexstoned, and all is well now.


Issue 3: Drop targets and right hole not scoring anything when no Joker hit. 1000 is supposed to be scored.
I double-checked the Relay Bank contacts, all appeared OK. Googled and used this pinside post as reference:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic ... s-question

Fix: Issue was Score Motor 2C, one of its NC contacts did not have enough pressure to stay firmly closed.
Adjusted and flexstoned.


Issue 4: Middle chime not working and 100 points driving small 10-points chime.
Issue was luckily simply a broken coil wire on the middle chime coil.
I also swapped the wires going to the 10 & 100 chime coils to make the game sound as it should be.
DSCF0068.JPG

Whew, that was fun ! Now onto fixing a few intermittent/dim lamp sockets now and checking for more issues!

Cheers,
-Sylvain.
Looking for Bally Star-Jet, The Wiggler, Williams Magic City, Grand Lizard, Swords of Fury, 1986 Pinstar Gamatron, and a few others.
Collecting & repairing electro-mechanical and solid state pinball machines with quality and care for 40+ years already.
Serious and fun hobby, powerful nostalgia !

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