Double bonus not awarded on Gottlieb Pioneer, 2 player version of So76

[Kerry Imming]

Gottlieb Pioneer never awards double bonus on last ball in play or when center hole Double Bonus is lit. Achieved bonus is awarded correctly after draining any ball (when Double Bonus is not lit).
Knocking down the 1776 & 1976 drop targets correctly light the center hole for Double Bonus.
Problem: bonus counts down correctly but no points are awarded.
The other Double Bonus does light on last ball.
Problem: bonus counts down correctly but no points are awarded.
The (3) lights at the center hole (Extra Ball, Double Bonus & Special)
cycle correctly with the bonus advance. Extra Ball and Special work correctly and award a free ball or free game.
Spent hours looking at the schematic, cleaning contacts and checking relays but cannot seem to figure this one out.
Any help on this is greatly appreciated.

Take another look at the schematic, the circuit controlling the L (1000
PT RELAY) at 5E. Trace up and through the ZERO POS. BONUS UNIT switch.
When either of the LB (Double Bonus Relay) or G (Hole Relay) are open,
SCORE MOTOR switch 3C controls the 1000 PT bonus. If 3C were not
working (fouled or stuck open) you would get the problem you're seeing.

Specifically, check N.C. switch on SCORE MOTOR 3C with green-black and
brown-white wires.

Those two wires (green-black and brown-white) are shorted by the LB and
G switches for normal (single) bonus, so you could jumper them together
to test that you at least get SOME scoring. It would be single bonus
vs. double bonus.

I was also suspicious that the SUBTRACT BONUS COIL was stepping down too
quickly but I think that would result in an incorrect bonus score vs. NO
bonus score for double bonus.

- Kerry

[Joseph Lux]

Post by Kerry Imming

Gottlieb Pioneer never awards double bonus on last ball in play or when center hole Double Bonus is lit. Achieved bonus is awarded correctly after draining any ball (when Double Bonus is not lit).
Knocking down the 1776 & 1976 drop targets correctly light the center hole for Double Bonus.
Problem: bonus counts down correctly but no points are awarded.
The other Double Bonus does light on last ball.
Problem: bonus counts down correctly but no points are awarded.
The (3) lights at the center hole (Extra Ball, Double Bonus & Special)
cycle correctly with the bonus advance. Extra Ball and Special work correctly and award a free ball or free game.
Spent hours looking at the schematic, cleaning contacts and checking relays but cannot seem to figure this one out.
Any help on this is greatly appreciated.

Take another look at the schematic, the circuit controlling the L (1000
PT RELAY) at 5E. Trace up and through the ZERO POS. BONUS UNIT switch.
When either of the LB (Double Bonus Relay) or G (Hole Relay) are open,
SCORE MOTOR switch 3C controls the 1000 PT bonus. If 3C were not
working (fouled or stuck open) you would get the problem you're seeing.
Specifically, check N.C. switch on SCORE MOTOR 3C with green-black and
brown-white wires.
Those two wires (green-black and brown-white) are shorted by the LB and
G switches for normal (single) bonus, so you could jumper them together
to test that you at least get SOME scoring. It would be single bonus
vs. double bonus.
I was also suspicious that the SUBTRACT BONUS COIL was stepping down too
quickly but I think that would result in an incorrect bonus score vs. NO
bonus score for double bonus.
- Kerry

Thanks Kerry. I will follow up on your advice and report back.
-Joe

[Joseph Lux]

Ok, the issue with double bonus not being awarded on Last Ball In Play and when Double Bonus is lit in the kick out hole has been resolved.

How I resolved the problem -- I am not quite sure.

Here is what I did:
1. I cleaned and checked 3C switch. No change.
2. I meticulously cleaned every switch contact associated with the motor unit. No change.
3. Referring to the diagrams under "Motor Switch Positions" in the lower left of the schematics, I carefully checked that all the switch contacts in Positions1-4 / Levels A-E all were in the correct default state (open (A) or closed (B)).
Still no double bonus awarded. (Normal single bonus continued to work fine after each drained ball).
4. With the power off, wanted to confirm that all the motor switch contacts 1-4 / A-E were all functioning as should be expected. I manually, slowly rotated the cam assembly and verified all switches at all levels were opening and closing correctly. After completing this, I turned the machine back on and lo and behold the double bonus was now being awarded after last ball and in the kick out hole.

NOTE: I should note here that prior to the issue with the double bonus when I started my first game (in about 4 months) the motor unit ran continuously without stopping. I turned the machine off, briefly checked the motor unit switches/contacts, manually rotated the cam assembly, turned the machine back on and started up a game successfully (motor unit did not continuously run). I played out the game and that is when I noticed the Double Bonus was not being awarded on last ball in play.

Question: could the manual rotation of the cam assembly have had a effect on the functionality of the double bonus? If so, please explain.
Many thanks.

--Joe

[Kerry Imming]

Post by Joseph Lux
Question: could the manual rotation of the cam assembly have had a effect on the functionality of the double bonus? If so, please explain.
Many thanks.

No. The SCORE MOTOR has three stop positions and rotating the SCORE
MOTOR manually will not impact game operation no matter which position
it is left in.*

If you didn't tighten the switch stacks as you were cleaning switches
you should go back and tighten them. Loose switch stacks can cause
strange, intermittent problems.

Otherwise, although it's frustrating not to know exactly what the
problem was, don't let that stop you from enjoying the game. EMs don't
like to sit for long periods of time (months) and sometimes minor
problems "fix" themselves after a few games.

- Kerry

* Technically, it will impact which of the three "when lit" hole lamps
(extra ball, special, double bonus) light up first when the drop targets
and ABCDE targets are completed, but that has nothing to do with what
you're asking.