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Vendo 480, Coin Mech


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I recently put a Vendo 480 in a fraternity house.  I'm not really looking to make any money, just to sink whatever profits there are back in to fixing wear and tear on the facility.  

 

I bought the machine refurbished and vend coke products in all but one slot, I have Red Bull in that final slot.  

 

The problem I keep running into is coins jamming up the coin chute and the coin mechanism hopper.  I've swapped out the coin mechanism three times, so I don't think it's the coin mech.  Any advice on how to correct this?

 

IMG-20140202-00087-L.jpg

 

IMG-20140202-00086-L.jpg

 

Thanks!

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Welcome to the forum Mountaineer!

 

This looks like an easy problem to solve.  Where you see the coins stuck in the chute, they are resting against the upright tab from the water collection tray below the chute.  If you look closely at the end of the coin chute you will see a slot in the upper edge of the chute that corresponds to the tab on the water collection tray.  That slot must be located onto the tab to keep the end of the chute aligned with the chute portion of the water tray.  What is happening is the coins slide down and bump up and stop against that tab.  When you get enough weight against the tab the chute shifts and several coins drop into the coin mech at the same time, jamming it up. 

 

To align the slot with the tab you may need to remove the two 11/32" nuts that hold the chute in place so that you can lift the chute to enable the slot to easily slide onto the tab.  If you try to force the slot onto the tab with the chute secured in place it will not align properly.  The risk is in breaking off the tab as it can flex.  Once you get the coin chute set properly on the tab you should not have anymore problems.

 

If you need any parts for this machine just shoot me a PM.

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I have the same machine that I am going to try and fix up. The outside is very rusty, the compressor condenser is a bit rusty, but everything else looks great and it all works.

When I put some coins in that coin chute, they don't slide very well and the coins just sit inside the slot unless you flick them in. Do I need to pull it out and clean it out or replace it?

On a side note : does pouring salt water into these machines actually cause them to free vend or add credit?

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You can pull the coin chute off and carefully remove the clear cover. You might be able to clean it well enough for the coins to easily slide, but if it's old enough to be that dirty it should probably be replaced. I have these in stock if you would like one.

Salting of a machine generally will damage the coin mech and/or the validator but won't usually cause a jackpot or a free vend as most vandals believe. The real problem is the damage to the electronics and to the selection switches and any metal parts as the salt water is very corrosive.

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I have fixed the jamb problem on my 480's by raising the coin mech to the next position. Usually there are additional holes drilled into the mounting plate that the coin mech attaches to. I can see from your pictures that there is a large gap between the return lever and the actual return arm on the coin mech. There should only be a small gap, maybe 1/4 inch. Test it by pressing the coin return lever to see if it actually opens the coin mech trap door enough to activate the coin return mechanism.

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I recently had a machine salted with a newly refurbished coin mech. in it. Ugghh! No jackpot, just a coin mech. that started charging variable prices on a single price soda machine. Sometimes .50 cents, othertimes .85 cents and even $1.20. To repair it, I cleaned salt off machine and replaced coin mech. I didn't notice it at first. I was getting a lot of compaints that the machine was taking peoples money. Off course when I tested it, it worked perfect. lol.

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Thank you for the replies.  

 

I forgot to state that the tab connecting the coin chute to the water collector was not fitted into place because I took the pictures after I rattled some of the coins out of the chute - the tab was in place before I messed with and I re-inserted the tab after I removed the jammed coins.  Coins were jammed from the hopper, up the water collector, and up the chute in a single continuous jam.

 

Last night I went to stock and coins were clogging the hopper on the coin mechanism (only the hopper, not the water collector or coin chute).  As coins get added they stack up the water collector and the coin chute.  

 

What are your thoughts on putting a rubber band around the hopper?  I think the spring hinge that holds the face plate of the hopper is weak.  Quarters slightly knock open the hopper face plate, the coin hesitates there just long enough for the next coin to enter the hopper at the same time - therefore causing a jam.  A rubber band will hold the hopper together, but still allow the coin return to work...

 

I'll try to re-position the coin mechanism.  I agree that the coin return lever and the arm on the coin mechanism is to far apart. 

 

Thanks again!

 

PS.  What are your thought on the 'cleaning bills' for the bill validater?  The company that sold me the machine is trying to sell me these cleaning sheets as well.

 

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If you can install the coin mech into the higher screw holes that might alleviate the issue and increase the likelihood that the machine's coin return lever can fully actuate the coin return on the coin mech.  You can't wrap a rubber band around any part of the coin mech.  If the flight deck lid is too loose you must repair the coin mech.

 

The validator cleaning cards are only a gimmick and not needed.  If your belts are that grimy you need to rebuild the validator.  The cleaning cards are only a panacea that can't renew your belts but might make them work a little better for a short period of time before the validator has trouble with bills again.  Save your money.

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If you can install the coin mech into the higher screw holes that might alleviate the issue and increase the likelihood that the machine's coin return lever can fully actuate the coin return on the coin mech.  You can't wrap a rubber band around any part of the coin mech.  If the flight deck lid is too loose you must repair the coin mech.

 

The validator cleaning cards are only a gimmick and not needed.  If your belts are that grimy you need to rebuild the validator.  The cleaning cards are only a panacea that can't renew your belts but might make them work a little better for a short period of time before the validator has trouble with bills again.  Save your money.

 

Got it.  It doesn't look like I have alternate screw holes, but I might fashion something to elevate the coin mech by .5 inches.  That will put coin return lever and coin return arm within about .25 inches.  

 

Is installing new belts and repairing/rebuilding a bill validator something a layman can do or should it sent away?  

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As has been advised here several times before, you are always better off having your validator, or coin mech for that matter, serviced by a factory authorized/trained facility as they will often find things you would never even know to look for. You wouldn't want to slap belts on a unit only to find that there is another issue soon after or even immediately. I would also never trust an ebay find as you will never know what was done, if anything, to the unit prior to them stating that it's cleaned and working.

The units I exchange or sell are factory rebuilt and have a 60 day warranty. They have all the wear parts replaced as well as any hardware updates and software updates, too. I do this because I have to stand behind what I sell. Others in the service business do the same for the same reasons. Remember that it always takes money to make money and please don't be offended by my "lecture," I just want you to understand where your time and money are better spent.

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No offense taken.  What you've learned in your experience is exactly what I was asking for.  

 

I didn't know the level of difficulty or time involved.  

 

A good example is I rekeyed about 25 locks.  All it cost was a rekeying kit (like $50) and about 10 mins per lock.  If I took that to a locksmith...yikes - it probably would have been thousands.  In that case, I'm glad I did the work myself, but I agree there is a time to pay a professional.

 

Thanks again

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