Unfortunately that narrows it down to a bad validator. In addition, I don't think most of us here can help you. Not only are most of us US based, and as such primarily use MEI, Coinco, and a few Conlux, but very few of us do our own validator repairs. Typically, when one breaks, it gets sent off for a rebuild. I'd say try looking for a manual and clean the lenses. But beyond that you are probably on your own. Sorry.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianthompson1/2020/03/29/getting-cash-for-your-small-business-through-the-cares-act/#24ea7e1c43a0 You can get loans, plus 10k in grant money. In addition, some money may be forgiven if you spend it on payroll and keep your employees on. Its through the SBA, and it's pretty generous. I encourage everyone to to some research.

With this downturn and stay at home order I have a golpher ton of time on my hands. As I have been cutting down my fleet of single price sodas and upgrading my snacks with UCBs I have found myself with a golpher ton of surplus Mars VN 2501s and 2511s. Many are in nice shape and are new 5 ready, so I wanted to see if I can use them in my cranes instead of buying AEs. Normally, the VN needs a coin mech to enable it to work. The AE can be enabled without anything plugged into it using a switch, which is why it is ideal for amusements. I found the manual, here: https://www.vend-resource.com/sites/default/files/mei_vn_series_2000_operational_service_guide.pdf It references enable jumper cable, Mars P/N 250074011. This allows the validator to remain always enabled, like an AE. A quick search reveals this: https://www.dsvendinginc.com/p-2360-d250074011-marsmei-harness-vn-series-125-enable-jumper.aspx And this: https://www.capitalvending.com/mei-enable-board.html However, the same shutdown that has blessed me with a bunch of time has also taken my money. And DS is closed. So, I set off to make my own. Turns out shorting pins 10, 27, 28, 29 together, and then 25, 13, 14, 15 together (2 different sets of shorted wires) is what the jumper harness does. Disclaimer, do it at your own risk. I am not liable for any errors or omissions, nor your own incompetence. Then, you just plug in a regular Mars power/credit harness. https://na.suzohapp.com/products/bill_validators/42-7057-00 For the full line guys out there this is also a good way to test a 110V validator without needing a machine. Voila.

https://www.amazon.com/C-Line-13-Pocket-Expanding-Receipts-58710/dp/B004Q9XLW0/ref=sr_1_2?crid=QJRV0EWQ0DD&keywords=mini+accordion+folder&qid=1585425471&sprefix=mini+accorid%2Coffice-products%2C211&sr=8-2 If you have more than 13 flavors use ziplock bags and use the different pockets for categories.

For a machine with a decent deck design (Royals, DN, and Vendo) the cost of repair for me should be no more than the cost of a good rebuilt deck from Vending Works. About 350-400 shipped. Closer to 450 if you want a brand new compressor. If you call up a commercial refrigeration tech that is used to working on restaurant equipment a new compressor will typically run 6-800. A compressor from Johnstone is like 2-300 and add markup and a couple hours labor and you'll hit 6-800. Which is why I never get someone to replace just a compressor, I just buy rebuilt decks. They are easy to put in, should take no more than an hour for a first timer. (I can do one in 20 min).

Set the space to sales and see if it fixes it. If it does good. If it keeps happening there is a CR2032 coin cell that you can replace, see if that fixes it. If not probably time for a new board. Which are thankfully fairly cheap on eBay.

You sometimes have to use the tube fill feature or simply buy a bunch of things with nickels. This lets the machine know that it has sufficient change to payout. Sometimes just shoving coin into the tubes won’t let the machine know.

Did you retire from vending?

Lol nice.

AZvendor, I respect you a lot for the wealth of knowledge you have and have brought to this board. However, shitting on someone for losing a part and then asking if someone has one they would sell for cheap isn’t cool. We all golpher up and lose stuff, and at the end of the day there isn’t anything wrong with finding good used parts to save money. Cheap would be not replacing the trim at all. This is called being frugal. Also, being able to afford a part doesn’t automatically mean you should buy it, or that it makes sense to. I mean, I could technically afford to throw my mechs and vals away everytime they broke and buy new in box ones. But it makes no buisiness sense to. I don’t have piles of cash to light on fire. Is that being cheap? Or just using my money wisely?

No, you need wires. If I remember right ronsidey posted that be designed these to have the coin exit flap open only when a coin is inserted. If it isn’t connected then the coins that are pushed off will go to the cash box not the player.

The cheap Chinese mechs are comparators. They use electronics to compare the reference quarter to an inserted quarter, and determines if it’s valid or not. If it is it sends a credit. The advantages of this style is that you can set it to whatever currency is local to you and it is harder to cheat. However it needs power to work and the cheap golpher Chinese electronics suck golpher and are unreliable. The Inmonex roll downs are purely mechanical and rely only on size which is why it still works powered down. You could theoretically cheat it with a good fake but unless you get a bunch the superior reliability more than makes up for the slugs.

Died and left the farm to his kids who promptly sold it off to a corporate farm or a developer. Now it’s just acres of corn, soy, or subdivisions.

Some good ideas here. I’ve also been known to use VHB tape to stick some metal over the back. Then take a decal of some sort (National beverage screen printers has some) like a “Calories count, check the choose” or a “this machine accepts dollar coins” decal and just decal over the damage.

You might have a wonky door switch if you keep getting the message other than when the door is closed. I’m guessing when you press the selection keys it’s jiggling sonething enough to make the machine think the switch has been released and then pressed. Beacause it’s only supposed to show that when you close the door.