Global Gridrunner

bodger0 · Post by **bodger0** » Wed Dec 23, 2009 7:29 pm

Hi all,

My parents have had a couple of fruities at home for a couple years, but they rarely ever used them. They're moving so I took Gridrunner to my flat today. I didn't test it before I left.

I don't know anything about the technical side of these machines so am hoping somebody can help

.

When I turn the power on, the power supply comes on and all but 1 LED comes on (-12v). There are a lot of LEDS in the top section which also come on, but on the main processor there are only 2 out of 6 LEDs on.

Is it totally gone or can I save it from the dead?

If anyone can help I'll be extremely grateful. If you need any pics, etc, let me know!

Cheers,
Dean

aaamusements.co.uk · Post by **aaamusements.co.uk** » Wed Dec 23, 2009 10:28 pm

If it's been stood for a while not switched on, the first thing to check is if the battery on the mainboard has leaked.
And if the machine has just been moved then loose connections/cards are very possible too.

bodger0 · Post by **bodger0** » Wed Dec 23, 2009 11:14 pm

Thanks for the reply. Had a look around on the net and noticed a lot of bits about batteries, so I took the board out and had a general clean around the battery as it seemed to have leaked a little.

Have managed to get the machine going, but it went for a few mins then completely froze. Since then, I'm getting the same thing - might boot up then freeze, etc.

Is it likely to be just the battery? Is it easy to replace?

aaamusements.co.uk · Post by **aaamusements.co.uk** » Wed Dec 23, 2009 11:51 pm

If the battery has leaked then remove it asap. It may already have damaged the board or components, and the longer it's left there the longer it's likely to cause more.
You need to neutralise any alkali that has already leaked by using vinegar. There are a few threads about it here already.

bodger0 · Post by **bodger0** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 12:30 am

I cleaned around it and on the other side using vinegar on a cotton bud. I did try to take the battery out but felt like I would break the connections if I did so.

Are the 2 pieces on either side of the battery soldered to the battery, or are they just stiff because it's been there so long?

Will the battery still work if I get it out or will I need a new one. I've had a look around and noticed they come in single cells, so how would I go about getting it to the same size?

Thanks for your help so far - greatly appreciated.

aaamusements.co.uk · Post by **aaamusements.co.uk** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 11:28 am

bodger0 wrote:I cleaned around it and on the other side using vinegar on a cotton bud. I did try to take the battery out but felt like I would break the connections if I did so.

Are the 2 pieces on either side of the battery soldered to the battery, or are they just stiff because it's been there so long?

Will the battery still work if I get it out or will I need a new one. I've had a look around and noticed they come in single cells, so how would I go about getting it to the same size?

Thanks for your help so far - greatly appreciated.

The battery definitely needs to come off, it's not suitable for re-use.
Ideally you need to desolder the pins where they go through the circuit board, if you don't have a soldering iron you can cut the battery off with micro-snips, but need to be careful not to damage the board.

Multi-cell batteries to the correct voltage are readily available, I can supply you with a new one.

bodger0 · Post by **bodger0** » Thu Jan 07, 2010 12:05 pm

Hi, completely forgot I'd posted here! Thanks for the offer of the battery, I actually just bought a whole new main board with new battery from eBay as I didn't fancy my chances soldering.

Looking for some more help if poss!

Received the new main board today. Swapped all the chips over, including the 2 little ones. Turned the machine on and nothing happened, so turned it off and started it up whilst holding the function button as I've heard this resets it? It seemed to work as it asked me to set time and date. It aligned the reels then told me both doors were open (which they were). I then shut both the doors and it asked for the time and date again. Went to align the reels again but then just stopped.

Inside, there are 2 LEDs on the main board showing, and the ones on the 2 other boards and the reels.

Is this because the new battery needs to be charged? Or is it likely a problem with the PSU?

Edit: Having left the machine with the power on for 5mins, I noticed that the first 2 chips (the sound ones) were EXTREMELY hot. So hot that I could barely touch them. Surely this is not right?! The rest were still fine.

Thanks,
Dean