https://tommy7373.com/tags/gi/Recent content in GI on TDS Pinball RepairHugoen-usWed, 21 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://tommy7373.com/posts/getaway-gi-repair-jan2026/Wed, 21 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://tommy7373.com/posts/getaway-gi-repair-jan2026/<h2 id="the-machine">The Machine</h2> <p>This Williams High Speed 2: The Getaway (1992) came in with two issues — strings of GI lighting were dead or dim, and the game would occasionally refuse to boot. Both turned out to be related to the same issue — bad IDC connectors.</p> <h2 id="the-problem">The Problem</h2> <p>The factory IDC (Insulation Displacement Connector) headers used on WPC games are notorious for failure over time where high current is involved, usually the GI strings and input power to the driver board. As they age, contacts loosen, get pitting or corrosion in the plating, the connection resistance increases, which generates heat. The heat degrades the connector further, which generates more heat — a cycle that eventually ends with a melted, burned connector and dead GI strings or boot/reset problems.</p>