ajdistro Posted September 25, 2013 Share Posted September 25, 2013 I have an AMS 39640 on location that's giving me the blues... here's the deal The location is a school, so aside from a couple construction workers they were shut down all summer. When summer ended and school started I stocked machine and coin mech and waited for the money to pour in, same as every year. I normally service this account 2-3 times a week. Strange things started happening. The machine would read 'OUT OF SERVICE' and the coin mech would be empty, with no profit, no snacks sold. Just basically changing out my cents for dollars. I would refill the coins, clear the error msg (sensit blocked?) and move on. I realized after a couple visits that I wasn't really fixing anything, I was just delaying the Out of Service status until I was gone. I started to troubleshoot the issue by calling AMS and local vending supply/repair spots. I replaced the sensor's harness. I made sure the sensors were clean and not blocked by anything. Appeared to work, until you tried to purchase something then you get SENSOR BLOCKED, and your money refund. Well after a couple of these refunds the machine goes back out of service. So I ordered some expensive, backordered replacement sensor kit and have been waiting for it to arrive. One company had it for $147, but couldn't tell me when I would receive it. Sometime between now and never. Another had it in stock for $215. I'm not even sure replacing this piece is the problem. Maybe I've answered my own question. Maybe I'm just frustrated. I think I'll go buy the one for $215 and pray. School started a month ago and I haven't sold one snack. Any advice would be awesome... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris in bc Posted September 25, 2013 Share Posted September 25, 2013 is it a coinco coin mech? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajdistro Posted September 25, 2013 Author Share Posted September 25, 2013 I'm not sure. I didn't think the mech could be the issue. It seems to be refunding coins due to the sensor blocked, which I think is what it should do in this case...? Another challenge is the location is a cafeteria. Aka stone basement. No cell signal for communication from there so I have to do all my calling, and online searching when I'm away from machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZVendor Posted September 25, 2013 Share Posted September 25, 2013 Is this a Sensit 1, 2 or 3? If a Sensit 1 then you may need to replace both sensors or upgrade the machine to a Sensit 3 (they don't make the Sensit 2 kit anymore). The original Sensit 1 sensors were problematic especially when they get old. To troubleshoot, first look around the machine. Is it in the same location in the room as last year? Are there new lights in the ceiling above it? Excessive light shining down into the glass can confuse the sensors. Make sure the sensor harness is connected to both sides of the delivery bin. Veryify that both sensors are secured to the sides of the bin and are not loose. The lock side sensor should have light diffusers in front of it, 2 pieces I believe. When you see the Make Another Selection message it means the sensors have not allowed a motor to run. Open the door and press * to view the errors recorded. The display will show the most recent error, some calibration codes and the date and time it occured. Go into the service mode and using the # key move to the Options menu. Now press select button 5 to recalibrate the sensors. You will see the display counting up and after a short wait, or perhaps a long wait - you never know, the machine will report 3 separate sensor readings that you must write down. The first number is Pulse, the second Basis and the third is PWM. Acceptable ranges for each is Pulse = 7-14, Basis = in the 100's and PWM = 375-675. If you have 2 pieces of diffuser in front of the lock side sensor, try removing one piece and see if the readings change. If everything is secured, connected properly and you don't have a bright light shining on the glass, then you need to replaced both sensors, not just one. If your readings still fall outside any of those parameters then you have a sensor problem. Replacing both sensor is one repair you can make, but I would recommend upgrading the machine to the Sensit 3 system as it is much more reliable and robust in detecting products. It's a complicated kit to install as you have to replace the logic board, display board, both sensors, all interconnecting harnesses and, using supplied templates, drill new holes for the new sensors. Some of the harnesses are a golpher to feed through parts of the door and you will have to remove the coin mech and validator and possibly the coin mech plate in the door to route the harnesses. Once you are finished, you will have a totally updated sensor system to what's in the current production machines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajdistro Posted September 25, 2013 Author Share Posted September 25, 2013 It's a sensit 2. The part for $215 is an upgrade kit they say. I just don want to spend this much if it's not the issue. I'm thinking about having a tech come look at her Sounds pretty complex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris in bc Posted September 25, 2013 Share Posted September 25, 2013 Is a sensit 2 a new coin mech? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technivend Posted September 25, 2013 Share Posted September 25, 2013 is it a coinco coin mech? This is a joke, right?!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajdistro Posted September 25, 2013 Author Share Posted September 25, 2013 I'm not sure if Chris is joking or not. But I hope so. Either way I have a tech coming tomorrow and will update then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmorris1953 Posted September 26, 2013 Share Posted September 26, 2013 It's a sensit 2. The part for $215 is an upgrade kit they say. I just don want to spend this much if it's not the issue. I'm thinking about having a tech come look at her Sounds pretty complex Not real familiar with AMS and not real happy. I have or should say customer has a Sensit 2 with a Sensit 3 board. Display says sensit is disconnected. Board was bad so I replaced it. Put the new one in and did nothing but plug it in to see if it was going to cool down, It did. Open door and set options price etc. Shut door and a minute later the new board goes up in smoke. Then it goes back to saying sensit disconnected. Call AMS and they say it is the driver board on the delivery chute that is causing the problem. That is fine except they no longer carry board for the sensit 2. Nine year old machine and they no longer make the board. So now you have to buy the upgrade board you have mentioned. Just fantastic!!! Plus if it is in the harness behind everything when you put that new board in there it is liable to do it all over again. Fortunately this machine is in the shop. Was going to use it to trade out one in field that had a bad compressor and dirty, So instead had to pull deck and replace it on the other one. I haven't ordered kit yet.. I guess I will wait and see how yours turns out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajdistro Posted September 28, 2013 Author Share Posted September 28, 2013 Just wanted to post an early update. I think my problem may be solved... The tech came out last week and replaced my delivery sensors. The new one's didn't exactly fit like a glove so we ended up attacing them securely with electrical tape. The important thing is that the machine works! He offered to come back out and install brackets but I will pass, nobody but me will ever see the inside of the machine, and even if you do everything looks and works great. He also charged me less for the entire job than I would have spent on just parts and trying to figure out how to do it myself. I will be going out to service the location again on Tuesday with my fingers crossed. I'll let you know then if all is well... Angelo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mission vending Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 You really need to get those sensors secured permanently, electrical is only a stop gap temporary fix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZVendor Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 At first I was going to question the quality of the service tech you called out to look at your machine due to him securing the sensors with electrical tape only - I did wonder if he had the wrong sensors. Then I realized that was your call. Don't shortchange yourself and jury-rig your machine. Allow the service tech to repair your machine properly so you won't have problems down the road. Let him do his job, pay him what his time is worth and you will have a functional machine for a long time. You have already been very concerned about how much money you lost with the beginning of school and your machine not working. Why put yourself in that position in the future with parts secured by electrical tape? Now my real question for you is "how did he have sensors that didn't fit the machine?" As you stated you have a Sensit 2 machine, and since you can't connect Sensit 1 sensors to this machine, I believe that the Sensit 3 sensors mount using the same holes as the Sensit 2 sensors. I could very easily be wrong, but you should ask the tech that question just out of curiosity when you have him come back to finish the repair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajdistro Posted September 28, 2013 Author Share Posted September 28, 2013 Agreed. I will have the sensors permanently mounted. I guess I was so thrilled at having a working machine I was willing to settle for electric tape. The sensors he used are sensit 2s but AMS started making them slightly different and they didn't line up with the old holes. Plus my machine was originally designed for sensit 1s. Nothing the brackets won't fix. Hopefully it's full of doe on Tuesday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZVendor Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 If your machine was originally a Sensit 1 and was upgraded to a Sensit 2 then you should have had properly mounted Sensit 2 sensors. That would have required a template to make the new mounting holes for the Sensit 2 sensors, but perhaps that was never done and the S2 sensors were mounted incorrectly in whatever holes could be used leftover from the S1 sensors - bad idea if it was. That could explain why the sensors he brought with him, whether S2 or S3 sensors, couldn't be mounted properly. You'll be glad you're having him come back because improperly mounted sensors will give you lots of trouble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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