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My 809 nickle slot (Sands) has started making an electronic buzzing sound.  The machine takes 5 nickles and sometimes between nickles it will stop and other times it will buzz until you put all 5 nickles in and then it stops.  That is how I leave it now, ready to go with all 5 nickles.  Does anyone know how to fix this minorly irritating problem?     

It sounds like you have a noisy solenoid.  Sometimes just a bit of tape or something to cushion were it is vibrating will stop the noise.  Other times a bit of grease on the rod may help.

Can you find where the noise is coming from?

That buzzing is usually from the coin lockout plate vibrating against the electromagnet that holds it. The machine accepts coins when it is on and does not when it is off.

Sometimes cleaning can help. Slightly wet a folded piece of paper with alcohol. With power off, put the paper between the plate and the EM, press the paper between the two by pressing the plate against the EM, then pull the paper out. Repeat until clean.

Adjusting how the plate sits on the side pivot can also quiet it. Finally, it might be necessary to adjust the tension of the spring on the end of that pivot, but only mess with that as a last resort.

i would just take off the lockout arm

Bergin, slotsteve's suggestion is the simple solution. Personally, I like my machines to operate as they were designed. Keep in mind that if you do remove the plate, all coins will go into the hopper, even when the machine is off or after you've put in 5 coins.

I have found that the coin diverter under the coin switch and coin mech tend to vibrate and make a lot of noise on some machines. See the arrows on the pic..

That's true, but he said that it always goes away after the 5^th coin is inserted. The diverter doesn't behave that way but the lockout plate does.

Your right. The diverted is always energized unless the hopper is full.  :30- It is possible that this machine has a weak coil or could it's mounting screws have come loose.

You people are all awesome, the problem is solved and my wife isn't complaining anymore.  Thanks a lot for the information. 

So what finally did the trick in solving your buzzing issue? Was it just dirty or something else?

Gary

Thats what I told you to remove the lockout arm , but on a em game something will always hum or buzz at times

I enhanced the tension on the coin lockout plate spring with a bread tie.  Its working great so far.  I tried the tape in different areas but couldn't quite get it in the proper place.  I just needed the advice from you guys to get started in the right direction! 

 :208- :208- Whatever works. Aren't EM's great? The lockout coil and coin deflector on my second machine bothered the heck out of me when I first got it. I ended up changing the length of the springs on the end of the plates (and doing some cleaning) to shut them up. I wasn't going to tell you to screw up your spring, though. :96-     (Your winter, maybe, but not your spring. :200-)

Glad to hear it's quieted down. :71-


Stat :31-

What finally solved my buzzing problem was a bit of electrical tape in between the the plate and the electromagnet. If anyone knows of a reason I shouldn't have done that, please let me know. It seems to work great and it makes the machine bareable to leave on for long periods.
Thanks, Jim

I remember lockout-armatures getting magnetized.  We'd take it out, smack it with a hammer, and then put it back in.
Strange but true. Also, we'd file down the ridges on the back while it was out, that usually got rid of the buzzing.