Maintenance · 6 min read

Pinball Machine Repair: What Breaks, What It Costs, and When to Call a Technician

Review common pinball faults, troubleshooting questions, repair costs and when to consult a technician. Check manufacturer guidance for the exact model.

Pinballvauls Team · September 29, 2026

Two pinball machines on a dark background with the title Pinball machine repair

Most pinball problems are one of six faults, and four of them are fixable at home with a screwdriver, a multimeter and an hour. This guide goes through what breaks on a pinball machine, how to tell which fault you have, what each repair costs, and the point at which you should stop and call a technician.

First, the two things to check before anything else

For a Stern game, consult the model-specific operation and parts manual and check the official service bulletins before relying on general troubleshooting advice. Not every bulletin applies to every model.

Is the machine level and are the legs tight? A machine that rocks or leans throws balls into places the designer never intended, and a surprising number of “broken” games are just badly levelled. Use a spirit level on the playfield glass, front to back and side to side, and tighten the leg bolts. Is the coin door closed and the interlock pressed? On most modern machines the high-voltage supply to the coils is cut when the coin door is open. If the flippers and pops are dead but the lights and display work, close the door or press the interlock switch before you look further.

The six common faults

1. Weak or dead flippers

The most common complaint on a used machine. Flippers get weak because the coil sleeves are worn, the plunger and link are gummed up, or the end-of-stroke switch is out of adjustment. A flipper rebuild kit (new coil sleeve, plunger, link, return spring and bushing) costs $20 to $40 per flipper in parts and takes about an hour each with basic tools. If one flipper is completely dead and the other works, check the fuse for that side first, then the flipper button switch in the cabinet. A technician charges $100 to $250 for a pair, parts included.

2. A switch that does not register

A target, rollover or ramp switch that has stopped scoring is usually a bent leaf or dirty contact, not a broken switch. Enter the switch test in the service menu, press the switch by hand and watch whether it registers. If it does not, adjust the leaf gap with a switch adjustment tool and clean the contacts with a business card, never sandpaper. Replacement switches cost $5 to $15. On 1990s and older games, a whole row or column of switches failing at once points to the switch matrix wiring or a blown transistor on the driver board, which is a technician job.

3. Lamps and inserts out

On machines with incandescent bulbs, a dead insert is a $1 bulb. On modern LED machines, individual LEDs rarely fail; if a group goes out together, it is a connector or a driver board. Replacing every bulb in an old machine with LEDs costs $60 to $150 in parts and is the single biggest visual improvement you can make, but on 1980s and early 1990s games you may need LED-compatible lamp boards to avoid flicker.

4. The ball drains through the flippers, or hangs up

Balls that sit on a ramp, wedge behind a target or stick in a scoop are almost always a worn rubber, a loose post or a bent wireform. Replacing a full rubber ring set costs $20 to $50 and is part of any decent refurbishment. Balls themselves should be replaced every few hundred games; a pitted ball scratches the playfield and costs more in damage than the $3 it saves.

5. Display faults

Dot-matrix displays on 1990s games fade and eventually fail; a modern LED or colour DMD replacement costs $250 to $400 and fits in an afternoon. Older alphanumeric and score displays can be repaired or replaced with LED units for $100 to $200 each. Backglass and cabinet lighting that is dim rather than dead is usually a power-supply capacitor, which is a technician job on older boards.

6. Resets and boards

A machine that resets during multiball or when several coils fire together has a power-supply problem: dried-out capacitors, a tired bridge rectifier or bad header pins on 1980s and 1990s boards. This is the one fault on this list you should not chase yourself unless you are comfortable soldering. Board repair typically runs $100 to $300 per board, and full board replacement $200 to $500.

What a technician costs

Pinball technicians charge $75 to $150 an hour, usually with a call-out fee if they come to you. A typical service visit for a machine that has been sitting is two to three hours: rubbers, balls, flipper rebuild, switch adjustment and a cleaning, so $250 to $500 including parts. A full playfield restoration with clear-coat and new plastics is a different scale of job, from $1,500 to well over $5,000, and only makes sense on titles that justify it.

Do it yourself, or not?

Do it yourself: levelling, rubbers, balls, bulbs, cleaning and waxing, switch adjustment, flipper rebuilds if you are patient. Call someone: anything on a circuit board, anything involving the transformer or power supply, a game that resets, and any fault you cannot reproduce in the service menu. If you own a machine bought from us, warranty faults are handled by us, and for anything else we can point you to a technician in your area. Ask through the contact page.

Preventing the next repair

If you are using this guide to evaluate a purchase, the pinball buying checklist and overview also covers space, gameplay and ongoing care considerations.

Nearly every fault above is slower to arrive on a machine that gets a monthly clean and a fresh set of balls when the old ones scratch. The 20-minute monthly routine covers what to do and what to leave alone. Buying a machine that has already been through a shop service also matters: every refurbished machine we list has had new rubbers, balls, a cleaned playfield and tested switches and lamps before it is listed.

Quick answers

How much does pinball machine repair cost? A service visit is typically $250 to $500 including parts; a flipper rebuild $100 to $250; board repair $100 to $300 per board; full restoration $1,500 and up.

Can I repair a pinball machine myself? Levelling, rubbers, balls, bulbs, switch adjustment and flipper rebuilds are home jobs. Boards, power supplies and resets are technician work.

Why are my flippers weak? Worn coil sleeves, a gummed plunger or a misadjusted end-of-stroke switch. A rebuild kit costs $20 to $40 per flipper.

Why does my pinball machine reset? Almost always the power supply: capacitors, bridge rectifier or connector pins. Have a technician look at it before it damages a board.

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