Pinball machines are incredibly complex machines, and when a mechanism suddenly stops working, it’s easy to assume the worst. A burnt board, a shattered custom bracket, or a ruined motor.
Recently, a customer from Redditch reached out to me regarding a classic Williams The Getaway: High Speed II. The issue? The iconic supercharger ramp mechanism wasn’t firing properly.
Why I Always Ask for a Video First
Redditch is a solid two-hour drive from my workshop in Cardiff. That’s a four-hour round trip, which puts the long-distance callout fee at £140.
The ramp bracket on a High Speed 2 is a notoriously unique piece of hardware that is prone to breaking. The absolute last thing I want to do as a technician is drive two hours, charge a customer a heavy callout fee, and then open the coin door only to realize I don’t have that specific bespoke part in my van to fix it.
To ensure I was prepared, I asked Michael to lift the playfield and send me a quick video of the mechanism via WhatsApp.
The Discovery: A 5-Minute Fix
As soon as I watched the video, the problem was glaringly obvious. The metal bracket wasn’t broken at all. Instead, the thick and thin purple wires had completely snapped off the coil lugs.
I immediately messaged him back: “This cable is disconnected. Do you have a soldering iron?”
He said he could get one. I gave him some quick guidance on how to use some pliers to put the wires back into place and solder them securely to the lug.
Honesty Over a Quick Quid
I could have easily driven all the way to Redditch, soldered that wire in two minutes, and handed him a £200 bill for the visit. But that’s not how I operate.
By taking five minutes to check a video on my phone, I saved him a massive callout fee and got his game running the same day. In return, I received a glowing 5-star review and a customer for life who knows he can trust me when a real, complex breakdown happens.
Introducing: Remote Video Diagnostics
This interaction highlighted something important. Many pinball owners might be facing simple fixes—a loose wire, a misaligned leaf switch, or a blown fuse—but feel too intimidated to look under the hood, or live too far away for a quick, cheap visit.
That’s why I am officially offering Remote Video Diagnostics.
Here is how it works:
- The Cost: A flat fee of £30.
- The Process: We schedule a WhatsApp video call. You walk me through the symptoms, and I guide you on where to point the camera under the playfield or inside the backbox.
- The Quick Fix: If it’s a simple issue that you can safely resolve yourself with basic tools, I will guide you through it step-by-step. You fix your machine instantly and save yourself a full callout fee.
- The Guarantee: If the issue turns out to be complex—requiring board repairs, specific replacement parts, or an on-site visit from me—that £30 fee will be fully deducted from your final on-site repair bill.
You have nothing to lose, and potentially hundreds of pounds to save.
Does your pinball machine need a check-up? Don’t let a minor fault keep your game turned off. Get in touch today to book an on-site visit or a Remote Video Diagnostic, and let’s get you flipping again.