Issues with a new SecureCoin

[MEP001]

I installed a new SecureCoin CP990U acceptor (Kudos to Kleen-Rite for putting their label over the programming instructions and buttons), and it wouldn't accept quarters at all regardless of the quarter/dollar settings. I programmed in my token and it took the programming and accepted the tokens, at which point it started taking quarters. I did notice that no matter how I set the quarter/dollar settings, the first coin would reset it to both lights on. I don't take dollar coins, but not a big deal since the slot in the door is too small for them. I opened the bay, and about 30 minutes later a customer couldn't get it to take his coins. It had jammed because the funnel was too tall, I cleared the jam (easiest clear ever) and it still wouldn't take coins, plus now all three token slots show enabled. I reset everything several times and each time the first coin re-enables everything and it still rejects all coins. I assume it's defective, but if anyone knows of something I missed or a reset procedure that might solve this it would be very helpful. I replaced it with the other new one I had and it worked perfectly.

 

[soapy]

I have never had a problem like this with any secure coin mech over the last 20 years of using them. It sometimes helps to unhook the power wire for a while then start over. Did you get the programming sheet included with the mech?

 

[MEP001]

No, but I have it on my phone. I do know how to program them. There's no way to alter sensitivity of quarters or dollar coins according to the manual. There's nothing in the manual about this issue.

 

[soapy]

With the hinged door make sure that it completely closes after opening. Sometimes they may stick open 1/16th of a inch or so, you can usually wiggle it completely shut. When they first came out years ago the quarter sensitivity was set to tight. I found that if a quarter was set on some cold metal during a wash the coin mech would not read it. I contacted them about this and they verified i was right and fixed it over 20 years ago.

 

[MEP001]

It's been on the shelf a while, but not 20 years. It works fine with tokens, but any coin resets the quarter and dollar coin lights to both on, whether it rejects a quarter or accepts a token.

 

[MEP001]

Now I'm having trouble with the other new unit rejecting coins. When I got to the wash last night it was rejecting everything, I checked it for a jam but there was nothing, and the display and settings were all normal. After I tried it a few times it started taking coins but it kept rejecting one particular quarter until I fed it through five or six times (I had nine in my hand and the same one kept getting rejected). I tested it over and over while I was there and it took every quarter I tried. I may try turning off quarter acceptance and training quarters in a token slot.

I need a good coin acceptor brand. I won't use Slugbusters, I have two SB III and they work fine except foreign coins and tokens somehow work their way into the safe if it's dropped through enough times, MA-850 are way too expensive and IDX is not reliable, I had two MicroCoins but they were both jamming regularly so they're out, GinSan Multitron is WAY too expensive and unreliable in my experience, Imonex doesn't take tokens. If there's anything else out there, I've never seen it.

 

[DavidM]

Microcoin is the best that I have used. I have used multicoin acceptors from Securecoin, IDX, Ginsan, and Slugbuster. Microcoin has been virtually trouble-free. I have experienced jams for two reasons, 1) the acceptor isn't correctly aligned in the bracket. It can be a little finicky to click in the right spot but the new models are much better. Just make sure it is in right if you take it out for some reason 2) Spiders building nests in the coin chute. I added mothballs in the box to stop this. That might be more regional, I don't know if that happens in other parts of the country. It also isn't specific to Microcoin

With those two solutions, I have been using Microcoin for over 15 years. I don't think I had more than one acceptor fail in that time out of 25+ in use at 4 locations.

 

[cantbreak80]

DavidM's comments are spot on.

I've sold and installed Microcoin since they were introduced to the US car wash market. Some of the original S5s are still in service.

With 100s in service, they're rarely the cause for a service call.

 

[MEP001]

One of the washes I look after has Microcoins in everything, and they are completely trouble-free as far as jams. I replaced one about a year ago because the Val board was so hot it burned the attendant, and it was still working. They are all the same age and were installed around 2005.

I put a couple in my wash about two years ago. One started jamming every few days so I replaced it. The other started jamming about a month ago and got to where it would jam almost every day. Both had some gunk in them when they started jamming, and they worked fine for a short time after being cleaned but started jamming again. And they don't just jam, people beat on them and the plastic bits come off and I find the acceptor lying in a pool of quarters in the bottom of the meter box. I can't have that happening and I will not use them again.

 

[DavidM]

From your description, it sounds possible that the acceptor was not reinstalled into the bracket correctly. (jamming again shortly after cleaning, and then falling out of the bracket)

Good luck with whatever acceptor you try next.

David

 

[MEP001]

They're definitely installed correctly. When there's a jam they bang on it until the bar works its way up and unhooks, then they continue banging and prying until they pop all the plastic off the frame. I had a timer go bad a few days ago and they beat the door to the point the door around the coin slot is caved in about 3/4" from the edges. That has my one good SecureCoin in it and it still works fine.

The two new SecureCoins are still working after I programmed quarters into the second token slot. The one that was mostly working was still rejecting a lot of quarters, but at least now I can adjust the sensitivity with the quarter programmed in the token slot.

I'm probably going to go back to Slugbuster III. I called them and someone said I should be able to stop the coin "blow-by" by bending the top of the armature in to tighten up the spring. That's been my only real problem with them since I've removed the coin cups so idiots don't fill the reject chute with nickels and dimes to jam them.

 

[MEP001]

I had an old Slugbuster II and tried tightening the spring as instructed by Linda Parker, and after dropping a couple hundred dollar coins, foreign coins, and tokens through it I wasn't able to get any to punch through the gate.

Meanwhile, the SecureCoin that originally didn't work has been working with quarters programmed into a token slot as long as the power stays on, but if it goes out it quits taking coins until I clear and reprogram it. The one that worked when I first installed it still randomly stops taking coins. Three times now I've been there and someone is washing, goes to add more coins and it just rejects everything.

 

[Detbjr]

I installed a new SecureCoin CP990U acceptor (Kudos to Kleen-Rite for putting their label over the programming instructions and buttons), and it wouldn't accept quarters at all regardless of the quarter/dollar settings. I programmed in my token and it took the programming and accepted the tokens, at which point it started taking quarters. I did notice that no matter how I set the quarter/dollar settings, the first coin would reset it to both lights on. I don't take dollar coins, but not a big deal since the slot in the door is too small for them. I opened the bay, and about 30 minutes later a customer couldn't get it to take his coins. It had jammed because the funnel was too tall, I cleared the jam (easiest clear ever) and it still wouldn't take coins, plus now all three token slots show enabled. I reset everything several times and each time the first coin re-enables everything and it still rejects all coins. I assume it's defective, but if anyone knows of something I missed or a reset procedure that might solve this it would be very helpful. I replaced it with the other new one I had and it worked perfectly.

Hi I was wondering if you figured out which coin acceptor you went with and how it worked? Was looking to upgrade my 4 bay to dollar tokens and customer quarters, and I wanted something reliable in Michigan.

 

[MEP001]

I never messed with the SecureCoin units that didn't work, but the first one was by far the most reliable and the least finicky.