Solenoid from a late 70's Tomy Digital Raceway game - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: joelgraff
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 03, 2019, 05:08:13 pm
content: I have an old Tomy Digital Raceway game that I came acroos which doesn't work. Thought I'd try my hand at repairing it, if only because I remember spending hours playing it as a kid.Anyway, after getting it apart and continuity-testing the heck out of it, I figured out the issue appears to be with what looks like a solenoid to me. Not being an electronics guy apart form the occasional repair job / soldering experiment, I really don't know what it's called or where I could source a replacement. The bottom side of it is bulging and I see some orange fluid in the case under it... do solenoids leak?Anyway, a reference pic:

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 03, 2019, 05:44:10 pm
content: That is indeed a solenoid. They don't leak, a solenoid is nothing more than a coil of wire around a former with a metal core or movable slug that is pulled in by the magnetic field. Is the orange fluid melted plastic? It's possible the solenoid was stuck on and overheated to the point of melting the form.

author: joelgraff
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 03, 2019, 06:01:57 pm
content: Quote from: james_s on February 03, 2019, 05:44:10 pmI didn't think they had any sort of fluid from what I remembered about them... which is what had me scratching my head about what I was looking at...I thought at first that maybe it was old glue. But I noticed it was wet on my finer when I touched it, so I really don't know.You can see in the picture it's present on the two holes on the bottom of the solenoid bracket, directly under the solenoid itself, as well as around the plastic posts in the case where it sits. The only other component in the immediate vicinity is the DC motor, which was stuck, but I managed to get it running again.Anyway, any idea how I can go about sourcing a replacement for it?

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 03, 2019, 07:14:02 pm
content: I'm betting it's oil from the gears, possibly it was grease that has decomposed into oil.The solenoid is probably fine though, they very rarely fail, especially on battery operated stuff. If you want to test it a 9V battery will probably work fine, or you could check it with a multimeter for continuity.

author: joelgraff
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 03, 2019, 08:56:44 pm
content: Quote from: james_s on February 03, 2019, 07:14:02 pmYa know, I did think to try that. I got no tone when I put a probe on each of the bare wires. Then, on a whim, I put both probes on the same wire. Strangely... nothing. My multimeter works. Maybe the wire's too thin?I suppose I need to desolder that thing.

author: sleemanj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 03, 2019, 09:31:48 pm
content: The "bare wire" is enamel coated, otherwise it would short out against each other.Use your multimeter to test at the point the wire is soldered/connected to whatever it is connected to at the non-solenoid end, or scrape off a little of the enamel so you can make contact

author: joelgraff
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 03, 2019, 11:13:55 pm
content: Quote from: sleemanj on February 03, 2019, 09:31:48 pmWell, that explains it. Powered up my DC supply and set it to 3V and it started clicking away.Glad the solenoid doesn't need to be replaced, but I think that means I have to go back and resolder all the joints. I've run out of components to test.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 03, 2019, 11:17:19 pm
content: What's the symptom? What controls the solenoid? My recollection is that all those Tomy games are mostly mechanical. They're marvels of engineering really, nothing much like that is made anymore.

author: joelgraff
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 04, 2019, 03:06:28 am
content: Quote from: james_s on February 03, 2019, 11:17:19 pmNo kidding. I opened it up and just stared at the clockwork of plastic gears in that, just wondering who came up with this. I hope they enjoyed their job.The Tomy games had great playability for a kid. I remember occupying myself with one of those for hours...Anyway, the sympton is it does nothing. At all. The only three electrical components are a light bulb, a DC motor, and the solenoid. The DC motor was stuck, but that was an easy fix. The light bulb is fine, and (obviously) the solenoid works. That leaves me to suspect a bad solder joint. I've scrubbed the copper contact points throughout and I get continuity across them.With no diagram, it's not obvious how this works, though it really shouldn't be that hard to sort out. I haven't really tried to diagram it yet apart from spending a half hour scouring the web, hoping to save myself some time. No luck.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 04, 2019, 04:09:59 am
content: If it does nothing I would start with the battery compartment, if the batteries ever leaked there could be corrosion that may not be easily visible. Also check the power switch and wiring, and look for any kind of end of game switch. Seems like I've seen some games like that where a set of contacts opens when the game is finished.

author: helius
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 04, 2019, 04:28:29 am
content: I remember that game, pretty impressive for the time. Like the Armatron, a completely electromechanical toy with some cool capabilities.I had one that I pulled to pieces after the battery leaked—unfortunately I wasn't as knowledgeable back then and didn't know how to fix it, so it got tossed.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 04, 2019, 04:34:29 am
content: Wonder if it's the same problem this guy had with his?https://www.aussiearcade.com/archive/index.php/t-56832.html

author: joelgraff
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 04, 2019, 11:48:49 pm
content: Quote from: james_s on February 04, 2019, 04:34:29 amIt may be. I did resolder the battery wires (wires sitting in solder blobs on the back of the battery contact plates) and tested it - the DC motor sprang to life!So I've repaired it... but with all the gears, I'm wondering if I can get it back together.