At our club, we take pride in giving classic pinball machines a second life. We carefully source older machines, repair and restore them with expert craftsmanship, and ensure every detail is fine-tuned for smooth, reliable play. Once fully refurbished, these pinballs are added to our club’s collection, where members can enjoy rare and vintage titles that might otherwise have been lost to time. This process not only preserves the history of pinball but also creates a constantly evolving lineup of machines for our community to discover and enjoy.
Our pinball maintenance service ensures your machines stay in top playing condition, whether you need routine cleaning, repairs, or full mechanical checks. We can arrange an engineer to visit on site, diagnose issues, replace worn parts, and fine tune gameplay to keep everything running smoothly. Whether it is a single machine or a full lineup, we make sure your pinball setup stays reliable and ready for action. Contact us for help and advice.
Fixing Bugs Bunny's Birthday Ball turned into a proper diagnostic exercise after the machine refused to boot entirely. There were no partial resets or intermittent crashes this time, just a completely lifeless startup. The first step was to confirm the obvious: incoming power. Meter readings showed that voltage was solid coming through the filter and up to the board, so the issue clearly lay beyond the supply path.
With good power confirmed at the board input, attention shifted to the board itself. Most of the machine had already been upgraded with Rotten Dog replacement boards, which ruled out many common failure points. That left the only remaining original board as the prime suspect. Since the voltage was reaching it correctly but the machine would not initialise, the fault had to be occurring within its regulation or processing section.
Closer inspection revealed failed components on that board, likely within the power regulation circuitry. Even though correct voltage was present at the input, it was not being properly regulated or distributed internally. After identifying and replacing the failed components and checking surrounding traces and solder joints, the board was reinstalled for testing.
The result was immediate and satisfying. The machine booted cleanly as soon as power was applied, with no hesitation or error state. It is always rewarding when careful tracing and methodical diagnosis lead directly to the solution without unnecessary guesswork.
With the machine now stable and running properly, the focus shifts to presentation and reliability upgrades. A full clean is next on the list, followed by modernising the general illumination with LED bulbs. This will brighten the playfield, reduce heat load, and give the machine a fresher look while keeping it dependable for future league nights.
Using AI to help diagnose and repair a Star Trek: 25th Anniversary pinball machine was a surprisingly useful experiment. The idea was not to replace hands-on troubleshooting but to see whether an AI assistant could help identify failure patterns, point toward likely root causes, and suggest repair sequences based on symptoms. We expected vague guesses, but the level of reasoning and cross-referencing was far more practical than anticipated.
The machine in question was presenting a nasty combination of faults: it was blowing transistors at Q3, displaying a white screen, and refused to boot. Normally, that cocktail points to a mix of driver board failures and logic board issues, and the order in which those issues are chased can make the difference between a quick repair and a long weekend of board swapping. Feeding the symptoms into the AI produced a structured list of possibilities that matched how an experienced board tech might think.
The first lead was the blown Q3 transistor. On this title, Q3 drives a specific coil, and the AI suggested checking not only the transistor but the coil resistance, coil diode integrity, predriver transistor and associated connector pins. It also flagged the possibility of a locked-on signal upstream from the logic section, which can cause repeated transistor failures. That alone saved time by pushing us toward checking triggering rather than just repeatedly replacing components. AI pointed toward the right left turbo bump can see from the picture below it was almost right!
The white screen fault sent us down a different path, as AI recommendations pointed toward video output failure on the MPU or the power section feeding the display logic. It reminded us to test 5V and 12V rails under load, not just open-voltage, which is a subtle but important distinction. Low or dirty DC rails can easily produce white screens, crashes, or no-boot conditions on Data East hardware.
The no-boot symptom tied everything together. The AI suggested verifying reset circuitry, clock generation, EPROM seating, and corrosion around the battery area-checks that any pinball tech would eventually get to, but it was notable that AI recommended performing them in a specific order based on probability and failure frequency for that era of hardware. That sequencing is something we did not expect from a general AI assistant.
In the end, we did not hand the repair over to AI, nor could it magically fix the machine, but as a diagnostic assistant, it genuinely helped narrow the field faster and encouraged a more systematic workflow. The unexpected takeaway is that AI has real potential as a repair companion: not to replace the tech, but to help question assumptions, suggest branches to test, and speed up fault isolation. We went in expecting a gimmick and came out thinking this might be somthing that we work on developing as a software company.
We recently swapped out the original DMD on The Addams Family pinball machine and upgraded it with the new Eliodot screen from our friends at PinSound. While colour DMD upgrades are popular, this is one machine where we prefer to keep the classic dot matrix look intact. That said, the original display was showing its age and clearly needed a refresh.
The Eliodot screen delivers a noticeable improvement in contrast, making animations, scores, and game information much clearer without changing the original visual style. Blacks are deeper, dots are sharper, and the display is far easier to read during fast paced play. It feels like the game looks how it should have always looked when it left the factory.
Another big advantage is the improved brightness control, allowing us to fine tune the display to suit the room lighting and surrounding machines. This makes the screen comfortable to look at without being overpowering. Overall, it is a respectful upgrade that refreshes the machine visually while preserving the classic character that makes The Addams Family such an iconic pinball table.
See for yourself the new product and other cool stuff at Pinsound's website. 
We were not idle over the Christmas break, and while the doors were closed, plenty of work was happening behind the scenes to get the lineup back to fighting fit. The downtime gave us a great opportunity to tackle issues, fine tune gameplay, and make improvements that are not always possible during busy open sessions.
On Getaway, we tracked down an issue with the Supercharger that had been affecting gameplay. After investigation, the problem was identified as blown transistors on the accelerator board. These were replaced, restoring the Supercharger to full working order and bringing back the fast, satisfying shots the machine is known for.
Champion Pub also received some attention, with a slight layout adjustment made to prevent balls from becoming trapped during play. The changes are subtle but effective, improving flow and reducing interruptions so games run more smoothly from start to finish.
We also carried out routine mechanical maintenance across the lineup, including replacing worn flipper springs on ABBA. Fresh springs make a noticeable difference to responsiveness and shot consistency, helping keep the game feeling sharp and reliable.
All of this work means the machines are in great shape and ready for action as we head into the new year. We are looking forward to welcoming players back to enjoy a lineup that has been carefully serviced, adjusted, and prepared for many more great games ahead.
While playing my James Bond pinball machine, I noticed the top lane switch wasn't registering any points. At first, it seemed like a simple switch adjustment issue, but testing the switch in diagnostic mode showed it was working mechanically - the problem was electrical. Tracing the wiring back to the node board revealed the culprit: a worn-out connector pin that had loosened over time. The switch's signal wasn't reliably reaching the board, causing the game to miss every shot through that lane.
The fix was straightforward but required some patience. I carefully removed the damaged pin from the connector housing, crimped a new Molex terminal, and reinserted it into the housing to restore a solid electrical connection. Once reassembled, the top lane registered perfectly again, and scoring returned to normal. This kind of issue is actually pretty common on modern Stern machines, as their node boards and connectors can experience wear from vibration and repeated service. A good repinning now and then keeps these games playing like new - and saves a lot of head-scratching during troubleshooting.
Fixing the X-Files pinball machine turned out to be a straightforward repair . The problem began when the machine started behaving unpredictably during gameplay - cabinet hits weren’t registering. After some investigation, I discovered that the issue traced back to a few broken opto LEDs on the playfield. These opto sensors are used throughout the machine to detect ball movement without mechanical contact, so when they fail, gameplay logic gets confused.
The next step was to remove the faulty opto LEDs. This required carefully accessing the affected circuit boards beneath the playfield and desoldering the bad components without damaging the traces. Opto assemblies can be delicate, and the infrared LEDs aren’t always visibly burnt out, so each one had to be tested with a camera or multimeter before replacement. Once confirmed, I desoldered the non-working LEDs, cleaned the solder pads, and prepared the board for the new parts.
After sourcing the correct replacements (MT5000UR TLRH180P 165-5100-00 165-5052-00), I soldered in the new opto LEDs and reinstalled the boards. I double-checked alignment, polarity, and solder joints before powering up the machine. The moment of truth came when the machine booted smoothly, and all the previously unresponsive switches worked flawlessly again. Watching the X-Files pinball come back to life with smooth, accurate ball tracking made the effort completely worthwhile. It was a satisfying repair that not only solved the problem but also deepened my understanding of the game’s optical sensing system.
During the kids' Halloween pinball party, my Haunted House pinball machine decided to add some unplanned scares of its own. Everything had been running perfectly at first lights flashing, eerie sound effects echoing, and the kids lining up to play when suddenly the game went dark mid-match. The displays flickered off completely, and the ball refused to launch from the chute. At first, it seemed like a typical power hiccup, but a quick reset didn't fix the problem, and it became clear that something more serious was going on inside the machine.
After the guests had gone and the house was quiet again, I began tracing the issue. The machine's boards were getting partial power, but not enough to drive the display or the ball launcher coil. I eventually narrowed it down to a rare fuse in the power circuit that had blown one that wasn't immediately obvious in the schematics. Even after replacing the fuse, the problem persisted intermittently, pointing to a deeper connection issue. Upon closer inspection, I discovered that the fuse holder and connector pins on the control board had become oxidized and loose over time, preventing a solid electrical connection.
The fix involved carefully repinning the connector on the board and replacing the faulty fuse with the correct rated one. Each wire was crimped into a new pin and reseated into a fresh connector housing to ensure proper contact. Once reassembled, the machine powered up perfectly screens lit up bright, coils fired with energy, and the ball launched as it should. Seeing Haunted House come back to life, just in time to restore its spooky charm, felt like a victory worthy of any pinball tech. Now it's ready for the next Halloween party hopefully without any more ghostly electrical surprises. 
Repairing the dragon switch on your Dungeons & Dragons pinball machine was a satisfying mix of detective work and hands-on restoration. The issue first showed itself when the switch stopped registering hits during gameplay, throwing off the scoring and interrupting certain modes. After lifting the playfield and carefully inspecting the mechanism, you discovered that the switch actuator beneath the dragon toy had become misaligned and slightly oxidized. With some cleaning, adjustment, and a bit of soldering to resecure a loose wire, the mechanism started responding again, restoring one of the games most exciting features. It was a moment of relief to see the switch clicking crisply and registering properly in test mode.
Once the repair was complete, you reassembled the playfield and gave the dragon a few test shots to make sure everything was working smoothly. The dragon roared back to lifeits switch responding perfectly, triggering animations and sounds as intended. Watching the feature work flawlessly again made all the troubleshooting worthwhile, and it added a renewed sense of excitement to the game. Not only did the repair bring back a key part of the pinballs charm, but it also deepened your appreciation for the intricate mechanics and clever engineering that make classic machines like Dungeons & Dragons so special to keep alive.
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