Bugs Bunny Pinball Repair

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.