Good old Maka problem!

[AngryChris]

One of my 2 oldest machines, a polyvend 6632, has been given me some issues after almost exactly 1 year on site with zero problems. The problem is that the validator wasn't registering bills. I took the maka NB2 validator to have it "repaired" which resulted with a tune-up I guess. I re-installed the validator and it still wouldn't register bills. I found this kind of odd so I started messing with the coin mech's plug and sure enough, after the machine started back up (after shutting the sliding door in the 6632), it registered bills fine.

Now, about a month later, it's not registering bills again. I haven't been to the location as I got the message about it late on Friday. I am pretty convinced that the problem is really within the coin mech and it either needs repaired or maybe it's a plug issue. This specific problem is that one that I am not sure how to narrow down. I haven't had any work done on the coin-mech at all but I am not sure if the plug not fitting 100% correctly could cause this problem or if it really seems to just be a coin mech problem.

Any ideas?

[STAvend]

A bad harness can always cause sporadic problems such as this. If the send or receive pin of your coin mech gets bumped or isn't making contact just right then the changer isn't able to tell the validator that it has sufficient change and will therefore not accept bills.

Also, sometimes a quarter at the bottom of the tube will land upright instead of flat, which prevents the sensor from sensing whether there is change or not.

Either one of these problems sounds like the most likely. The only way to TRULY trouble shoot would be to replace the coin mech for a while and see if you still have problems. If I were you, I would first check the pins on the plug to make sure they are clean and then wiggle the plug around to see if you can get a good connection.

Do you not have a spare coin changer or bill acceptor? You always want to swap pieces out with each other if you have a problem like this so you don't have to waste money sending something in to get fixed if it doesn't need to get fixed.

[AngryChris]

My problem was not related to the validator not ACCEPTING bills but rather it was related to not RECOGNIZING that the bills were accepted... thus stealing $1 bills.

After having the validator tuned up (it had been a year since it was last tuned-up anyway), I sent in for a replacement mech which promptly came and I found that I could no longer re-produce the problem that I was having... I don't know if it's just a coincidence or if the previous mech really had some problems but so far so good.

If I have any more problems with it, i'll post so that other people can see what I went through regarding this problem.