# Stern Tech School: Performing a Coil Test

**Source:** Stern Pinball  
**Type:** video  
**Published:** 2024-08-10  
**Duration:** 2m 53s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lg33_zPZGVM

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## Analysis

Stern Pinball educational video demonstrating how to perform solenoid/coil testing on pinball machines through the Spike system's diagnostic menu. Presenter Talia walks through accessing the service menu, navigating to diagnostics, selecting specific coils (using left slingshot as example), and running both single coil tests and automatic cycling coil tests. This is part of Stern's Tech School educational content series.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Coil testing is performed by entering the service menu via black button, then navigating Diagnostics > Coil > Test — _Direct instruction from Stern Pinball official tutorial_
- [HIGH] Individual coils can be tested one at a time or cycled through automatically using the cycling coil test feature — _Direct instruction demonstrating both testing modes_
- [HIGH] Pulling the interlock switch enables 48 volts necessary for coil testing — _Initial setup step in official procedure_

### Notable Quotes

> "the purpose of the cycling coil test is that it will go through each individual coil on your game and you will hear each of them fire in case you have any issues you will not hear that coil fire"
> — **Talia**, end of video
> _Explains the diagnostic value of cycling test — absence of sound indicates a failed coil_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Talia | person | Stern Pinball staff member presenting Tech School educational content |
| Stern Pinball | company | Publisher of educational tech videos and host of sternpinball.com resource |
| Stern Tech School | organization | Stern Pinball's educational video series for operators and owners on machine maintenance and diagnostics |
| Spike system | product | Stern's pinball machine control platform with integrated diagnostic menu and coil testing tools |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Machine maintenance and diagnostics, Solenoid/coil testing procedures, Stern Pinball educational content and operator support
- **Secondary:** Spike system functionality

### Sentiment

**Neutral** (0) — Educational/instructional content with no subjective commentary or opinion; tone is professional and procedural

### Signals

- **[community_signal]** Stern Pinball producing educational tech school content demonstrates ongoing commitment to operator and owner education/support (confidence: high) — Stern Tech School video series available at sternpinball.com covering diagnostic procedures for machine maintenance

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## Transcript

hi my name is Talia I'm with Stern Pinball and today we're going to go over a solenoid or coil test to start off we're going to open up our coin door and pull out our interlock switch to enable our 48 volts our first step to enter the coil test will be to press our black button you will see this screen that says service menu we will go ahead and press the black button again and then you will see the Diagnostics menu and we will select the first flashing tab we will then press the red plus button in order to scroll over to the coil tab once we reach the coil tab we will go back and press our black button and we will see the test tab flashing this is where we want to focus so we will select this again by pressing the black button and you will see on the screen it says coil test once we are inside the coil test we will do an example let's focus on the left slingshot what we have to do here is press the red plus button in order to reach our left slingshot you will see on the screen how it changes to Auto plunger we press the red plus button again we see left flipper we press it again until we reach the left slingshot you can see that I have reached the left slingshot and it shows us that it is number five this is important because when we go back to our manual you will see that during the coil test or solenoid test the left slingshot is numbered as number five now in order to test the left slingshot coil we will press the black button you can press it a couple of times and you will see that left slingshot fire another option you can do is the coil cycling test and I'm going to show you how to get there we're going to press our green button once to exit out of this single coil test and then we will press the red plus button in order to reach the cycling coil test you will then proceed to press the black button and we will enter cycling coil test so the purpose of the cycling coil test is that it will go through each individual coil on your game and you will hear each of them fire in case you have any issues you will not hear that coil fire and that is how you perform a single coil test and a cycling coil test you can check out our other Tech videos at Stern pinball.com

_(Acquisition: youtube_auto_sub, Enrichment: v1)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: e4e035a1-ea91-42c6-86cd-a8edf42ee109*