New Life Games Tech Forums

Helping diagnose handle release problems.

There are (too) many ways to not get a handle release.
Circuits all throughout the machine may keep this from happening, so here is a little tip which may help in diagnosing some problems.
When you first push down on the coin in switch several things happen.
Most importantly, it must trip the coin relay coil and assembly, which is located on the lower left side of your reel mech, in the back, behind the clock.
This is a latching relay, it is electrically tripped on coin in downstroke, and mechanically reset when you pull the handle.
If you don't trip the relay, you won't ever get handle pull on the upstroke, because there is a Normally Open switch on that relay which prevents handle release. (If this switch were closed all the time, you would have a free handle pull -- try it. Or you could remove the armature on the relay to do the same thing.)
It is easy to tell if it has tripped, you will see the 'coin accepted' light come on. (see above sentence)
If you see the coin accepted light, you don't even have to pull out the reel mech to check your relay, you know it has done its thing.
You know that you got coin in downstroke, so your problem is probably with the upstroke.
Or somewhere else.
God knows where else..., but at least you know the CR is good.
Another function of the downstroke is that your odds will reset then.
So, downstroke releases CR coil, lights the coin accepted light, and resets the odds.
Upstroke releases the handle.
If you physically trip the relay, when you push the reel mech back in you should hear the handle release.

This might be valuable information if you had like 20 EM's to fix in a hurry, but probably not too great otherwise....

If everything seems ok, but still no handle, pull forward on your dashpot, to make sure the dashpot switches close. That is one of the more common reasons for no handle release. If door is closed, push BACK on your handle, which may be enough to close dashpot.

I almost decided not to post this because it's pretty worthless obscure information, but if you are ever in a Bally EM repair competition, it may give you a leg up.
And I couldn't help myself.