Got a service call on a Williams Hurricane the other day. The owner’s main problem was with the Juggler. When the ball went in, it just sat there until ball search finally kicked it over. Because of that, Juggler multiball would not start and just hung in that spot, which is pretty frustrating during gameplay.
Error Report
When I turned the game on and checked the error report, I saw several issues listed:
- Check Switch 17: Trough 2
- Check Switch 27: Right Outlane
- Check Switch 37: Left Return
- Check Switch 57: Right Juggler
- Ball Missing
That pointed to a switch issue, and the problem appeared to be in the row of the switch matrix. Checking the switch matrix diagram, this was row 7. So now the question was, is this a board problem or a playfield problem?
Troubleshooting the Switch Errors
To narrow it down, I removed connectors 206/7 and 208/9 and shorted the pins, and row 7 would not register when touching the columns. That told me the problem was on the MPU, not the playfield wiring. This was due to battery corrosion similar to a previous Twilight Zone repair.
Tracing the circuit, I found a broken trace from U19 pin 7 to R33. A quick jumper wire fixed it and cleared the switch errors. After that the Juggler switch was registering and kicking the pinball over like it should.
Other Repairs Along the Way
While I was in there, I tackled a few more issues:
- Left Kicker Not Working – a wire had fallen off the coil. I reattached it and it was good to go.
- Sluggish Drop Targets – they were registering but moving slowly. I cleaned them up and replaced the springs.
- Ferris Wheel Not Spinning – the blue Ferris wheel wasn’t turning and the ball was getting stuck. A new drive belt and some cleaning solved it.
- A Few Lights Out – most just needed new bulbs, but one needed a diode replaced on the small lamp board.
Final Thoughts
What started as one issue with the Juggler switch turned into a handful of small repairs across the machine. That is pretty common with older pins. You go in to fix one thing and end up finding a list of little problems that need attention.
The good part is that once everything is addressed, the game feels solid and reliable again. Hurricane is a fun, fast game, and it is always satisfying to hear the callouts and watch the Ferris wheel spinning the way it should.
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