If you’re going to try and service your own change machine; here are some things to keep in mind for any machine:
Locate and tape to the inside of your machine the ‘error code’ definitions for your machine. Use them.
If you have multiple similar change machines units; switch parts around one at a time to isolate the problem piece if you are unsure.
DO NOT shake-down quarters to get more in hopper. This will encourage coins to lock together and jam.
Repeatedly resetting machine without addressing the problem does no good for anything.
Don’t install or remove parts with the power ON.
Once you come to a conclusion of what part you need, or what assembly you need serviced; we’d love to help you out! Call during normal business hours to order parts, or arrange repair services. 863-669-9699 hours 8:30 – 4:00 EST. M – F
Hamilton – (see DOWNLOADS for manuals error code charts)
It’s very rare for the bill acceptor to be the cause of a controller error.
If the controller is giving a coin hopper error; the problem is probably the hopper. The problem can also be controller itself or the wire harness in between the two. Are there enough coins in hopper? Use hopper manual run switch to test if hopper will in fact pay out coins. (This may create an error with a newer controller.) To get a better idea of what’s going on in the hopper, remove metal cover and upper plastic baffle. Have about $50 – 100 in coin bowl. Now you can see what is going on in the coin bowl. Maybe some foreign object is jammed. Maybe excessive dirt. Use manual run switch to turn on motor. Does wheel turn smoothly. DO NOT place fingers in bowl area with motor on. Replace baffle and cover on hopper.
If the controller is giving a bill stacker error; the problem most likely is the bill stacker. It can also be controller or wire harness between the two. Does the stacker “push plate” smoothly go thru a complete up/down cycle ?
C2000 controllers remember the last error- even after being turned OFF and ON. Don’t be tricked by an ‘old’ error. On older controllers; be sure to push BOTH reset buttons to get green light back on. (second reset is on the end of a controller).
Built-up dirt in Hamilton hoppers can cause a lot of strange problems.
Rowe machines- (see DOWNLOADS for manuals and error codes)
There is a lot of “integration” in a Rowe machine. This means that many different pieces work together to do any one action. This also means that many parts can be suspects in a problem. It is rare when there is a simple / sure answer to many issues.
EXTRA COIN error – usually this is a hopper motor going bad (brake assy.). Can also be dim coin LED and/or coin detector. On rare occasion, this may also be caused by faulty CCC.
One hopper stays full, and other goes empty- Most of the time this is the full hopper being dirty or jammed. Could also be faulty hopper motor, or electrics before the hopper motor. Empty hoppers and refill with clean, straight coins to retry. Move the “questionable” hopper to another position to see how it preforms there, and move a “good” hopper to the questionable position to test motor and electrics.
Numerous rejects in BA50 transport- usually worn parts in BA50. The first section of wire harness that plugs into side of acceptor is also prone to damage from physical handling. and will cause a lot of errors. Is your software good for current bills? (software is in CCC) Watch a bills movement through the transport. It should move smoothly from front to back. If bill moves “jerky” or gets stuck; you’ve got at least a belt problem.
In Century series machines- the electronic “empty circuits” used in the coin hoppers can be rather tricky to deal with. If you think there is ANY question about being empty; add enough coins to get at least 1″ above all the black plastic in the lower area of the hopper.
American Changer- (see DOWNLOADS for technical information)
Only in a newer 24v MDB machine (lcd display w/green backround) , can a bill acceptor be the cause of an error message. In older machines with “red number” logic board or older yet “mechanical counter” logic board; all errors must be coin hopper, wire harness for hopper , or logic board related.
The coin hoppers used in ACC are prone to dirt and wear issues. Make sure NOTHING goes into coin hoppers that ISN’T the coin type you’re using. If you suspect something is jamming coin hopper; empty all coins and inspect what came out. Partly refill hopper and try again. The next step would be to disassemble hopper and affect repairs – not covered here.
If a hopper isn’t paying out; it can be dirty/jammed, worn/damaged hopper, wire harness leading out to hopper, or main logic board. Move parts around to isolate problem if possible.
With all the different coin hopper types American has used- each hopper type has it’s own harness and plate. DO NOT cross-mix these harnesses between hopper types.
Standard Change-Makers (see DOWNLOADS for technical information)
Standard coin hoppers do a good job of “chewing up” small dirt; but they REALLY DISLIKE solid objects in them that aren’t proper coins.
System 600 / 500: These are the most integrated of any machines. Everything is controlled by the bill acceptor; but most everything also has to work together and can be effected by other pieces.
Power supply- This is the box in the corner of the cabinet which has the ON/OFF switch. Lots of strange problems (notably “power fault” and “”watchdog” errors) can be traced back to a faulty, or old, power supply. They have a known life-span of 3-4 years; so they can’t be ignored.
Bill stacker – If it’s physically making noise; the stacker itself probably has an issue. Problems can also be caused from within the bill acceptor. (the stacker gets it’s instructions from the bill acceptor). Also the power supply may be a suspect. You can remove the stacker from machine and replace it with a cardboard box to catch bills to keep the machine in service while the stacker is being serviced..
Hopper errors– can be the hoppers themselves, the “phone cables” going to the hoppers, or in some cases, the bill acceptor itself. Problem power supply should usually not be an issue for hoppers. Looking down into a coin hopper, there are 2 plastic pieces that wear. When they get worn; coins will jam more often and may escape the hopper through a crack or break in the plastic. The solution is to replace worn plastic and properly adjust when installed. Electrical problems CAN develop in hoppers, but this is usually pretty rare. Move hoppers and/or cables to different bill acceptor plug-in connectors to pin-point problem part.
The rotating wheels and gears of the coin mechanism is one complete assembly, and eventually will wear out. This is usually indicated by a mechanism that runs rough when full, and does a lot of ‘back and forth’ movements trying to overcome friction and jamming.
There are two drive pins above the motor which transmit all the motion up to the gear assembly. After an excessive number of coin jams; these drive pins may break. If the hopper motor runs and the wheels don’t turn; you’ve got at least 1 broken drive pin. They are a good hardware store item (1/8″ dia x 5/8″ roll pin). The coin mech. and motor need to be remove from bottom of hopper for repair. This is also a good time to inspect and replace the plastic pieces above that wear.
Bill acceptor– If bills are being rejected too much, or not going in at all, it is most likely a problem within the acceptor itself, or programming settings. This assumes the power supply is known to be in good shape. Strange blinking lights on the machine front are also bill acceptor, or power supply problem.
EC, EC+ machines The controller acts as “the brain” and co-ordinates the bill acceptor and hopper activity. These controllers have a window on the front with 3 leds in it. The top two green LEDs should also be on, and the bottom red is the error code light. The bill acceptor will only rarely be the source of an error. Most problems are with the coin hoppers- that’s where most of the mechanical action, and wear and tear, is. These hoppers are laid-out differently than the “600 hopper”, but the features are the same. Plastic wears out, gear assemblies wear-out and gears break, motor drive pins snap. These hoppers also have a circuit board in them that controls the hopper operation and they can develop problems.
The early EC controller has a small, black reset button at the lower/center of the unit. The proper reset sequence is: power OFF, Hold reset button IN, power ON, release reset button after about 1/4 second. Hopefully you get the timing right !
MC machines – These are the next evolution after the EC series machines. Physically the hoppers are very similar to each other. The circuit board inside the MC hopper is the main “brains” for the whole machine, and has the reset button and yellow error light on it. The result is that the machine cabinet looks very empty and simple because is has only 3 main pieces: bill acceptor, coin hopper(s), power supply. The Power supply is rarely an issue if the cables are cared for. Some of the MC error codes can originate from the bill acceptor.