Help with Coral Reef!

[sixcardmark]

Very glad to report I just reseated it and it is now working fine. It's only showing a "12" which I've come to understand is a battery issue.


SO after replacing the battery I'm unsure of where to go from there...? I still am having the issue with the hopper, so would I figure that out/replace the battery and see what happens from there? It sounds like I need to also buy a clear chip too, I hate to sound dumb, but hwere is the "vendor" page where I can find this chip?


Sixcard, how do I go about buying that battery form you?

That is good news, good thing Elvis was in the house!   Are you in the lower 48??

Yes I am, I'm in Casa Grande, AZ. I'm also in the market for two locks (keyed the same ideally) and a Set and Clear chip, do you by chance have all of those things? I've got to head to work in about an hour, but would be glad to place the order with you before if you want! (Understandable if you don't want, it being a Sunday and all!)

I only have the battery, sorry.

[sgolembiewski0903]

Quick question, is it normal under code 12 error for the machine to not allow money to be inserted like mine is doing right now?

[sixcardmark]

Yes, you cannot play machine with an error code

[sgolembiewski0903]

Great, thanks! Sixcard, did you see my question to you earlier? I was asking if you also have a couple of locks and a set/clear chip for sale to go with that battery?

[sixcardmark]

see reply #60: I only have the battery.

NICE GAME!

[rokgpsman]

.....Haha, ya I sometimes just like to look at it, even though it doesn't work at this moment!

If you plan on keeping this Coral Reef can you let us know what it cost? Ballpark figure is ok, just trying to see what they go for in western US area? Thanks!   

(and if you plan to sell it I imagine it wouldn't be hard to do)

[therockinelvis]

You have a person renting a room, and you trust him with your home, but not with a slot machine? Locks are fine, just seemed odd to me.

[sgolembiewski0903]

I plan on keeping the machine. However I can say I paid $200 for it, but the situation was kind of unique, the people needed it gone due to a move and they sold it for cheap because they didn't know what was wrong with it (they said it "one day stopped working").

I'm going to put my state quarter collection (just a bunch of random state quarters, around $500) in there and would feel better if it were locked up!

It was mentioned I need a set and clear chip because I've been turning the reset key throughout this whole process, I was just wondering if you guys can tell me (because I'm curious as to why): What does the set and clear chip do? Would I have not needed it if I wasn't turning the key?



(edit to fix font size problem)

[rokgpsman]

You got a good deal on that machine in my opinion.   

A lot of owners do want a lock. Not just for security of money inside, it also keeps children from opening the door and getting shocked or hurt by putting their little hands in there. And the door is heavy. When the door is open kids can pull downward on it or hang from it, that can tip the machine forward, wouldn't want it to fall over, especially with a child or your cat in front of it.

The mpu board has a special chip called the cmos ram. It is a memory chip that holds essential info the machine needs to operate. The battery on the mpu makes sure this cmos ram chip keeps it's data intact when machine power is switched off. When the battery goes dead the data inside the cmos ram chip gets scrambled/corrupted. The CLEAR chip initializes (formats) the data in the cmos chip to the proper format and default settings. Sometimes the machine can get into an unrecoverable error state, such as the famous "error 61 loop" and nothing you try will get rid of the error. So you have to do a CLEAR ram process and start fresh.

When the battery is dead if you do other things on the machine you can cause more errors. That's why it is best to replace a dead battery as soon as it's discovered.

When you do a CLEAR ram process all of the machine settings get set back to factory original settings. This includes setting the bill validator to disable status. The SET chip is a special chip that allows you to enable the bill validator. The SET chip will also let you set the denomination of the machine, like to 25 cents or $1, when that is needed. If a machine does not have a bill validator the SET chip is rarely used.

If you need to buy a CLEAR chip it is often sold with the SET chip too, as a pair of utility chips to have on hand. IGT made different versions of the CLEAR and SET chips over the years, so it is best to ask which one you need before buying.

[sgolembiewski0903]

Do you know of a good vendor on NLG that can help me out with getting the right one? I'm looking to order one asap!


Also... what exactly is the process for this? Would I install the new battery, and then use the set and clear? If I instaled the battery before I had the set and clear... and tried to use the machine (just because I'm so eager to see it in action!), would that not be a good idea?

[therockinelvis]

Would be fine. Best case you don't have to clear it. Highly doubt it though.

[jay]

Per the movie "The Princess Bride" - Billy Crystal explains that dead is a relative term. The battery voltage is supposed to be 3.5v and is labeled 3.6, and its only after it hits about 3.0 that you get the error.

Depending on how low the battery is you can perhaps get away without clearing it.

The battery keeps the CMOS alive - The CMOS stores all the game statistics, accounting registers etc.
There are actually two CMOS chips - one that is on the motherboard (the small fixed board in the machine) and the other on the MPU board (the removable main board). These two chips need to be in sync for it to function correctly.

When the CMOS gets corrupted a SET chip basically reformats the contents. You need to replace the battery before you can do a clear.

For the correct usage of these chips please see RICKS FAQ - which can be found on the lower right side of the NLG home page.

[rokgpsman]

.....For the correct usage of these chips please see RICKS FAQ - which can be found on the lower right side of the NLG home page.

The Clear chip instructions are also one of the "Sticky Notes" at the top of the S+ forum (currently the 4th down from the top):

http://newlifegames.com/nlg/index.php?topic=16134.msg86119#msg86119

[therockinelvis]

Might as well get you ready for the battery change.
 When you turn it back on you will have a 61 code
You will have to locate the little white test button.
It will be on the same bracket as the on/off switch. (very small like a pen point)
If you do not see it reach behind the switch to feel for it.
Now, press that button.
You may hear a ding, but don't worry if you don't. Your code should show 61-1
Close and latch the door all the way.
Now turn your J/P key. In a perfect world the display will go blank, followed by the reels spinning from right to left.
If it goes back to 61, then it will need to be cleared

[sgolembiewski0903]

Wonderful! Thanks guys. I have to go into Phoenix tomorrow so I'm going to pick up a battery while I'm there and hopefully install it later tomorrow night.. Funny thing is it'll be a bittersweet moment if the machine works, because I must admit I enjoy the troubleshooting quite a bit!

[sgolembiewski0903]

I picked up a new battery in Phoenix today and have installed it. I am no longer getting error code 12, but I am getting this code.... "b space 1 2",   is this normal?

Here is the pic, not sure why the 1 didn't show up, it's because of my cell phone camera. But the "1" is RIGHT next to the two, so it is one space away from the "B".


EDIT: Got the right pic, here it is :  https://imgur.com/a/4mr2gPH

https://imgur.com/a/2zB15f7

[rokgpsman]

Yeah, that's not a "b". It's a IGT "6". 

I think the display is probably showing error "61-2". You need to open the door and press the white TEST button for 5 to 10 seconds, then close the door.

See this error code chart:
http://www.newlifegames.net/igterrors/


I think the door display digits are multiplexed, so the displayed digits are not there continuously, appear and disappear so fast our eyes think they are there all the time. But the digital camera is fast enough taking the photo that it can grab the image while one digit is off.

[sgolembiewski0903]

You're exactly right! I did that and got... the as I hear it said, INFAMOUS, code 61.... I have a set and clear chip on the way... will I need to wait for that to arrive?

[sgolembiewski0903]

Yeah, that's not a "b". It's a IGT "6". 

I think the display is probably showing error "61-2". You need to open the door and press the white TEST button for 5 to 10 seconds, then close the door.

See this error code chart:
http://www.newlifegames.net/igterrors/


I think the door display digits are multiplexed, so the displayed digits are not there continuously, appear and disappear so fast our eyes think they are there all the time. But the digital camera is fast enough taking the photo that it can grab the image while one digit is off.

You must be right about the camera thing. Very interesting / somewhat annoying!

[rokgpsman]

You're exactly right! I did that and got... the as I hear it said, INFAMOUS, code 61.... I have a set and clear chip on the way... will I need to wait for that to arrive?

Maybe not. Sometimes multiple errors can get stacked up, go ahead and try pressing the white TEST button again and hold it 5 to 10 seconds, then shut the door. Do this a few times, you might get the 61 series errors to clear, worth a shot. I think the error 61-2 is actually a good sign that you can get rid of the error without having to use a Clear chip.

The problem that the Clear chip fixes isn't error 61, it's the "error 61 loop". That's where you get an error 61, you press the TEST button and hold it, then close door and get another error 61-1 or something. So you press the TEST button again and it goes back to error 61. You just keep trying and can not get rid of the error 61, that's the 61 loop problem and that's when you do the Clear chip procedure to re-format the cmos ram. And then you have to setup certain machine settings, so it can be a pain in some cases. Best to avoid using the Clear chip if possible.

Follow these excellent instructions for dealing with error 61 problems;
http://newlifegames.com/nlg/index.php?topic=21017.msg111271#msg111271