Mars God of War (Gottlieb, 1981): Troubleshooting and System 80 Replacement Boards
Is your Mars God of War pinball machine by Gottlieb (1981) experiencing switch failures, weak or missing sound, resets, or failing to start? On this Gottlieb System 80 pinball machine with speech, the root cause is almost always the connectors, grounds, the switch matrix, and the CPU/Driver/sound boards. Here is the essential information and the compatible System 80 replacement boards.
Mars God of War (Gottlieb, 1981): Overview
Mars God of War (sometimes "Mars - God of War") is a Gottlieb electronic pinball machine from 1981 on the Gottlieb System 80 platform, featuring speech synthesis, with a mythological/space theme.
- Manufacturer: Gottlieb
- Year: 1981
- Electronics platform: Gottlieb System 80
- Type: solid state (with speech)
- Theme: mythology, war, space
Common Issues with the Mars God of War (System 80)
Like all Gottlieb System 80 machines: aging CPU/Driver boards, crashes and resets, slam tilt, faulty displays, unreliable grounds and connectors, leaking battery.
Issues Specific to Mars God of War (Forum Reports)
- Switch matrix: watch out for corrosion (including on newer boards such as Rottendog); cleaning with a fiberglass pen often fixes switch issues.
- Connectors & grounds: the first thing to check on a Gottlieb — reseat the edge connectors and ground connections multiple times.
- Sound: check the pins on the sound board connector (A6) and the wiring harness; the sound signals pass through the Driver board (inverted) before reaching the sound board — a worn Driver board therefore affects sound.
- Power supply: R10 and CR7 frequently fail if original (R10 → 470-680 Ω, CR7 → 1N4738A).
- Ground mods strongly recommended.
Resets, ground issues, driver problems, and power supply failures are resolved by switching to the GottFA80_Plus (all-in-one board); for sound, the Gosof board replaces the original sound board (with original speech). The Lisy80 helps with switch diagnostics.
Compatible Replacement Boards for Mars God of War
- GottFA80_Plus (Light) — all-in-one CPU + Driver + power supply board, without sound.
- GottFA80_Plus (Full) — same with integrated sound board (original speech).
- Gosof — replacement sound board with speech.
- Godri80 — replacement driver board.
- Lisy80 — CPU board + web-based diagnostics.
- GoPOP80 — pop bumper driver board (MA-922).
Plug & Play installation, no battery required, free tutorials and support. Contact us if in doubt.
FAQ — Mars God of War Gottlieb
The sound on my Mars God of War is weak or gone?
Check the connectors on the sound board and the Driver board (sound signals pass through it). The Gosof board replaces the original sound board; the GottFA80_Plus Full includes integrated sound.
I have switch failures on Mars?
Often caused by corrosion on the switch matrix; clean and diagnose with the Lisy80.
Should I do the ground mods?
Yes on System 80 — or switch to the GottFA80_Plus which rebuilds the power supply and driver circuits.
Do I need to replace the battery?
Our boards operate without a battery: no more corrosion.
How long does it take to install a replacement board?
Installation is Plug & Play: just a few minutes, no soldering required, with free tutorials and support.
Does a battery-free board retain settings and high scores?
Yes. Modern replacement boards use NVRAM: no battery, no corrosion, and settings are preserved when powered off.
Step-by-Step Diagnostics
- Power off, visual inspection: look for any battery leakage or corrosion on the MPU of your Mars God of War; remove the NiCad battery if still present.
- Power supply: measure the 5V rail and verify it reaches the MPU (reflow the regulator or Q1 solder joints if the voltage drops).
- Grounds: apply ground mods between boards (CPU, Driver, power supply, sound).
- Connectors: re-pin oxidized Molex connectors, especially the MPU-to-Driver link.
- Displays: never connect or disconnect a display while powered on; test with a known-good display.
- Final test: check startup, credits, solenoids, and displays; contact free support if needed.
Useful Guides
- How much does pinball machine repair cost? A price guide
- How much is my pinball machine worth? Value and appraisal
- Pinball machine leg sizes: the complete guide
- Which board for a Gottlieb System 80, 80A, or 80B?
See Also
- Black Hole (Gottlieb, 1981)
- Volcano (Gottlieb, 1981)
- Pink Panther (Gottlieb, 1981)
- Force II (Gottlieb, 1981)
