We have several CryptoPay swipers on Hamilton ACW4/5 on our in-bay automatics. Occasionally the pay station will simply send a signal to load a wash for no apparent reason (we confirm this with cameras and personal observation...). We chalked this up to a fluke and have learned to live with it. But now, one of our systems will spontaneously load a wash and then continue to load the same wash cycle over and over again until we reset the ACW4/5. Over 3 months of changing harnesses, control boards, etc we haven't solved the problem. Hamilton and CryptoPay have no idea what the problem could be. We do know this: the problem always starts immediately after a wash is purchased on the Cryptopay, and after the wash is complete the ACW immediately sends another signal to load the same wash, and then another and another.... It doesn't occur every time a wash is purchased, but about 3 or 5 times per week randomly it seems. We have isolated the problem to the pay station and we know the problem is not with the wash controller in the equipment room. Any ideas??
CryptoPay/ACW4 is spontaneously loading washes
- Thread starter motefam
- Start date
I've never heard of that problem before. Is the problem on multiable ACW's with the cryptopay swipers? My wild a$$ guess would to replace the Cryptopay swiper if you haven't all ready done that. Have you tried shutting down the Cryptopay swiper for a few days to see if it does it when the swiper is off?
soapy
Senior Member
On those old ACW4 or 5 check your ice cube relays for sticking. I have seen them do what you describe several times.
Damoni88
Active member
Are you getting a message on your display that says release button? I have gotten that message a few times. Also have gotten unexpected credit error. All this has happened since putting cryptopay on my auto cashier.
JGinther
Zip-tie engineer
Seen this problem once where a brick-in cashier was hit by a truck and it actually scooted the whole island a little since it was just sitting on slab. Turned out the conduit got sheared and just a little water getting in there was enough to short the common to the wash package wire where they were damaged. Hope that's not your problem!
We did replace the relays with new ones, and we replaced the entire wiring harness from the ACW to the pump stand. We also replaced and switched out buttons to make sure that wasn't the issue. After we figure it out I will post here, to save somebody several weeks of frustration if it happens to them, lol.
JGinther
Zip-tie engineer
Next time it happens, verify that the input is stuck on on the wash controller. If it is, get the voltmeter and check the coil voltage of the appropriate ice cube relay. If it is the cashier controller holding the circuit energized, you will have voltage at the relay coil even though you pulled the relay out for testing. Can you swap the acw controller with another one to see if the problem follows? Is this problem only on one single wash package at one single auto? Did you just install cryptopay then the problem showed up?
bert79
Active member
I just wanted to give you my experience. Not sure if it will help but it may save somebody some trouble down the road. We have a laser 4000 with a ACW4. We only use the top 3 buttons for our 3 wash packages. We disconnected the bottom button, but I did not tape the loose wires from that bottom button after I disconnected it. We were having problems with the ACW randonly starting a wash. It would start the 4th package (the unused one). The wash would start but the arch would only move a few feet and the wash would reset because there was no wash package associated with that button. Frequently the display would also read "release button" and we could not figure out why. We replaced all the buttons and contactors. Finally I figured out that the un-taped wires that were disconnected (and not taped) from the fourth button were hitting the ACW door when it was closed. They were shorting out on the door and causing the ACW to think that the bottom button was being pressed. I taped the wires and the problem was solved. Also I removed the cube relay on the top right of the back of the ACW that controls the 4th wash package, so there would be no confusion at all.
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is it only one wash selection that keeps getting loaded? if it is only one, then pull that Hamilton relay out and tape off that selection. if you continue to get that same wash loaded, the problem is not Hamilton or cryptopay, it would be the wiring to the pumpstand or an issue in the pumpstand (the auto's main controller input)
Damoni88
Active member
My experience this morning. the same thing happened to me again from my earlier post. I took off the cover inside acw cause it kept saying release button as i was unscrewing the 4 screws on the cover it kept saying "you have selected the $5 wash please deposit" and kept repating itself. I found one of the wires stuck on the stainless steel door and pulled it off and it stoped. Will keep posted cause for 2 days now i have gotten error code unexpected credit. Thanks for all replys muc appreciated.
