NEWBIES: PLEASE DON'T CLEAR YOUR S-PLUS SLOT

[StatFreak]

We have had a lot of newbies lately clearing their S-Pluses at the drop of a hat.

PLEASE put your S-Plus clear chips under a mattress and leave them there!

The S+ should almost NEVER need to be cleared. Clearing the machine resets all of the setup values to their default settings and will end up causing you more headaches that it saves when the machine starts behaving differently than it used to due to changed jackpot lockup limits, hopper limits, sound options, etc. The most common exception is when, after a battery change, the machine get stuck in an endless 61 tilt code loop that won't clear by normal means*. You do not need to use a clear chip for game changes, even when switching out very different SP chips.

While it's a good idea for every S-plus owner to have a clear chip in their possession (along with one or more SET chips, depending on which SP chip(s) you have), it should be put away and only used under the most extreme circumstances.

If you have problems that you can't resolve, first try searching the S-Plus board for an answer; many of the more common problems owners have experienced have been addressed multiple times. If you can't find an answer, start a topic and let our members help you figure out the solution. If your particular problem requires a clear, our more experienced members will advise you as to when to pull that old chip out from under your mattress and use it. Until then, it's best left undercover.

You will use a SET chip to re-enable the DBV after most game changes (but not all), when setting up some progressive meters, or when changing the denomination of the machine.


Hopefully, this will help save some hair-pulling.  


Thanks,


StatFreak
  Global Moderator


* To clear a 61 code, press the white test button (located next to, or behind the power switch) for 2-3 seconds, until you hear a "ding" and the code changes to 61-1. Close the door completely (the latch must be fully locked so that the door optic sensors are aligned) and then turn the jackpot reset key. The code should clear and the machine should spin up and be ready to accept a coin or bill.

For more information, please read our FAQ section.

[Jim]

I AGREE WITH STAT IN REGARDS TO THE CLEAR CHIP USEAGE. Over ten plus years of working on the S+, I may have used the clear chip maybe ten times.

The S+ is a work horse of a machine!! When the machine has a problem , it will tell you through the tilt codes ( found on the door panel that supports the fluorescent lamps). If the machine doesn't display a fault code, then its a simple matter of using the  machine to troubleshoot itself using the diagnostic tests provided by the software. Don't overthink or reinvent the wheel when troubleshooting. The machine works only one way, the way it was designed to work.

View the S+ as a home computer. All computers have four basic components to them. Input,(keyboard) Output,(LCD monitor) Brains,(CPU,Central Processing Unit,Memory) and a power supply. All have to function for the computer to be useful. The same applies to the S+.
Troubleshooting is a logical approach to fix something that is broke. If your machine is broke, don't panic, don't start replacing things, but rather observe and establish what problem you are having. Then take the next steps to solving your problem. The first thing is to verify that your power supply is providing the power to operate the machine. without the proper power applied, nothing is going to operate, so anything you try will not work!!!

How do I do this?  simply turn on the machine and observe what has happened. Do the fluorescent lamps come on? (115vac fuse, power cord plugged in),
are the reels locked in place? (24vac, 6/8 vac fuse, ok.) is the denom lamp on, or does the candle flash? (connector that usually is burnt, 24vac, 6/8vac fuse ok. (7vac operates the candle lamps) does the bill acceptor cycle? (115 vac ok, power supply for the bv ok(12vdc to unit to operate) ) do any of the displays show any numbers? (+vb good, it is needed to run the display) the fact that there is a number! means the processor is doing something, so hopefully the on board power supply is providing the necessary voltages to operate the CPU. If any of the items mentioned here do not have the results listed, then you have found your first problem. so by simply turning on the machine  and observing what happened you have established that your power supply is probably good and you can proceed to the next step.
TO BE CONTINUED!!!

Jim