Sega/Stern White Star Repair


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1 Introduction

Typical Early Stern White Star Boardset

2 Games

2.1 Sega

Apollo 13
Goldeneye
Twister
Independence Day
Space Jam
Star Wars Trilogy
The Lost World Jurassic Park
The X Files
Starship Troopers
Viper Night Driving
Lost in Space
Godzilla
Harley-Davidson
South Park

2.2 Stern

Striker Xtreme
Sharkey's Shootout
High Roller Casino
Austin Powers
Monopoly
NFL
Playboy
Roller Coaster Tycoon
The Simpsons Pinball Party
Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines
The Lord Of The Rings
Ripley's Believe It Or Not
Elvis
Grand Prix
The Sopranos
NASCAR

3 Technical Info

3.1 CPU / Sound Board

Stern White Star CPU / Sound Board

3.2 Power Driver Board

3.3 Display Controller Board

3.4 Display Power Supply

4 Problems and Solutions

4.1 Power Problems

4.2 MPU boot issues

4.2.1 Relocating the battery from the MPU board

4.2.2 Repairing Alkaline Corrosion

Sega/Stern Whitestar boards are well reknown for issues with leaky batteries. This is because the Batteries are mounted on the top of the board - with plenty of board beneath it for the corrosion to affect.

Remember - Battery Acid is an Alkali - it needs to be neutralised before fixing any damage that was caused. Most commonly used is vinegar, since it is an acid, however not a strong one and one that will adversely affect the surrounding areas of the board.

4.2.3 Connecting a logic probe to the MPU

4.2.4 Using a PC Power Supply For Bench Testing

4.3 Game resets

4.4 Solenoid problems

4.5 Lamp problems

4.6 Switch problems

4.7 Display problems

4.8 Sound problems

4.9 Flipper problems

4.10 Pop bumper problems

5 Game Specific Problems and Fixes

Example would be servo controller on Independence Day pinball

Lord Of The Rings -

Balrog. If your Balrog stops registering hits. A little checking will sort it out. It is a micro mini switch with a roller on it. May need adjusting. Known problems past that are flaky or bad switch. And wiring. The Balrog moves so wires can break inside where you can't see them. Easy to check the switch and wires with a meter. And the wires push into an IDC connector nearby, be sure they are pushed in tight. LTG :)

6 Repair Logs

Did you do a repair? Log it here as a possible solution for others.