WMS BB1 MEI Accepts Bills and Tickets, but Issues No Credits

[Ash100]

Hello all,

I've got 2 Bluebird 1 Machines I'm working on via phone tech support with 2 different customers, and both are experiencing the same problems.

Both machines have MARS MEI Bill Validators and TITO Systems. The issues they're both experiencing are the Validators taking in Cash and Tickets,  Stacking them in the Cash Can and not issuing Credits for game play.

They're both using the Legacy Bonusing for Credits, so they can play their machines, but I'd still like to get to the bottom of this.

I've read up on the posts about the Jumper Positions on the Backplane for RS-232 or TTL, but haven't had the customers verify the Positions yet. But from my understanding, if they weren't set correctly, a Bill Validator Comm Error would be present.

These MEIs both have Green LEDs and the Bezel Lights are illuminated. They work, just won't register Credits.

I've checked the Bill In Limits, they're set to 3000, so that's not it.

Anyone have any suggestions on where I could look next?

Thanks,

Curtis ash100

[Stayouttadabunker]

I had the same problem....the bills and tickets were literally getting "eaten".
This is what I did...>>>

I pulled the head out and the slid out the interface board.
The 7th and 8th spring contacts from the left on the interface board appeared to be "flattened out".
One of those 2 spring contacts is the return data credit signal from the head back to the MPU.
I don't know which one.
Over the years, I think they've flattened out and lost good, pressing contact with the gold tabs on the head.
Cleaning the gold tabs or the contact springs won't help - I've tried that.

My solution was to remove the 2 Philips screws that hold the gray plastic piece that holds the contact springs.
That's when I discovered that the interface circuit board under those ALSO had gold tabs.
Apparently, these spring contacts were designed as a way to swap out heads easily to help floor attendents clear out bill jams.

Anyways, you'll notice that if you push down on the top of the spring contacts, the bottom will push out, or vice versa.
This told me that they were somewhat one piece, and somewhat oblong?
I took a jewelers flat screwdriver to help me get under one of the narrow spring contact wires, and made those two spring contacts more "round" by pulling it up a little.
What that did is make the spring contact wires press somewhat harder against both the BV tab, and the interface board tab.

When I put it all back together, the interface board allowed the credit data signals go back into the MPU and now my credits were accounted for.
It's a temporary fix, there's no doubt in my mind that eventually, they will lose contact again.
Think of how many years those spring contact wires were depressed by the BV head.

[Ash100]

Mark,

You're a genius!!

First customer looked at his Interface Card and both of those contacts were flattened out. Makes perfect sense.

I'm going to send him a couple of others to test out in his game and see if that's what it was. Then he can work on disassembling the old one and try to put some spring back into the 2 contacts that were flat. I just didn't want him to mess with that one and destroy it before having a spare. That way, he can still play on the TITO Credits.

I'll post a conclusion once I know that the problem is solved.

Thanks again for sharing your knowledge.

Curtis ash100

[Stayouttadabunker]

haha...no genius, I just mess around with machines a lot.
Make sure he gets the ones with the two switch levers.

[Ash100]

Thanks to Mark, this topic is resolved.

The new(er) Interface Card did the trick.

The customer verified that his 2 spring contacts were both lower than the others.

Now he's got a spare that he can tinker with and see if he's able to put the arch back into the original one.

Thanks again, 

Curtis ash100