4 replies to this topic

[Dixie-Owner]

I have a Dixie Narco 440 (it's a mid 1980s model) that has finally quit dispensing drinks after working for the last 8 months. During this time, I've replaced almost everything in the machine (seems like every week something would break), but this time I'm stumped.

The machine accepts bills or coins and will give correct change. However, as soon as you press a vend button (any of them) it goes out of service....... nothing happens and you have to unplug the machine to clear the error displaying in the bill validator. Usually when this happens it's a bad vend motor, but all of the motors work flawlessly when you manually operate them. I thought it might be the coin changer, so I purchased a refurbished one and it does the same thing. Then I tried another changer from a working machine it still will not vend.

Tried a known good bill validator too, and it didn't fix the problem either. I changed every vend button switch in the unit and no luck. I changed every "sold out lamp" as well, still no vend. Then I changed the relay......... no luck, does the same thing. I check the wiring harness and I can't find any problems at all.

The only replacement part I'm not 100% sure was working properly is the relay I put in it. It came out of a spare parts machine that was supposed to be working fine when pulled out of service.

Anyone have any ideas? I really like this old girl and would love to have it working again.

Thanks for the help!!

[qualityvs]

I have a Dixie Narco 440 (it's a mid 1980s model) that has finally quit dispensing drinks after working for the last 8 months. During this time, I've replaced almost everything in the machine (seems like every week something would break), but this time I'm stumped.

The machine accepts bills or coins and will give correct change. However, as soon as you press a vend button (any of them) it goes out of service....... nothing happens and you have to unplug the machine to clear the error displaying in the bill validator. Usually when this happens it's a bad vend motor, but all of the motors work flawlessly when you manually operate them. I thought it might be the coin changer, so I purchased a refurbished one and it does the same thing. Then I tried another changer from a working machine it still will not vend.

Tried a known good bill validator too, and it didn't fix the problem either. I changed every vend button switch in the unit and no luck. I changed every "sold out lamp" as well, still no vend. Then I changed the relay......... no luck, does the same thing. I check the wiring harness and I can't find any problems at all.

The only replacement part I'm not 100% sure was working properly is the relay I put in it. It came out of a spare parts machine that was supposed to be working fine when pulled out of service.

Anyone have any ideas? I really like this old girl and would love to have it working again.

Thanks for the help!!

Not sure on this one. You said all the vend motors work, but do all the vend motor micro switches work? I would check each one of them being thats about the only thing left you havent checked.

[MVSJOHN]

I have a Dixie Narco 440 (it's a mid 1980s model) that has finally quit dispensing drinks after working for the last 8 months. During this time, I've replaced almost everything in the machine (seems like every week something would break), but this time I'm stumped.

The machine accepts bills or coins and will give correct change. However, as soon as you press a vend button (any of them) it goes out of service....... nothing happens and you have to unplug the machine to clear the error displaying in the bill validator. Usually when this happens it's a bad vend motor, but all of the motors work flawlessly when you manually operate them. I thought it might be the coin changer, so I purchased a refurbished one and it does the same thing. Then I tried another changer from a working machine it still will not vend.

Tried a known good bill validator too, and it didn't fix the problem either. I changed every vend button switch in the unit and no luck. I changed every "sold out lamp" as well, still no vend. Then I changed the relay......... no luck, does the same thing. I check the wiring harness and I can't find any problems at all.

The only replacement part I'm not 100% sure was working properly is the relay I put in it. It came out of a spare parts machine that was supposed to be working fine when pulled out of service.

Anyone have any ideas? I really like this old girl and would love to have it working again.

Thanks for the help!!

I have a Dixie 440 that had the same problem and it turned out to be the coin mech.After I replaced the coin mech everything was back to normal.I did some reading in the service manual for the coin mech and it said that a wire in the changer jones plug was bad so I took the harness out of another changer and put it in the mech and tested it in the same machine and it worked great.
John

[Ses_Alex]

I would check the actual vend relay. It looks like a small plastic cube that typically sits next to the changer plug. It sounds like that when credits it established the vend relay is triggering but you may have a bad contact point inside the relay. The relay stays charged waiting for a vend to happen but since the current is not being passed through to the selection buttons (due to the bad contact point). Unplugging the machine kills power to the relay and returns it back to it's idle position. Replacing the relay will more then likely cure your problem.

Best of Luck

[snack dude]

I would check the actual vend relay. It looks like a small plastic cube that typically sits next to the changer plug. It sounds like that when credits it established the vend relay is triggering but you may have a bad contact point inside the relay. The relay stays charged waiting for a vend to happen but since the current is not being passed through to the selection buttons (due to the bad contact point). Unplugging the machine kills power to the relay and returns it back to it's idle position. Replacing the relay will more then likely cure your problem.

Best of Luck

Nice catch Alex, I was thinking micro swithes but I think you nailed it