Reels started spinning slow again, any thoughts?

[mach1matt]

Hello,  I posted this thread a while back about my reels spinning slowly and they don't stop.  I got some great advice here and turning the jackpot key with the door open fixed it.......  Now periodically when I open the door to turn on the machine it starts the doing the same thing.  I am not opening the door while the reels are spinning.  It is doing this as soon as I turn on the machine.  Keeping the door open and turning the jackpot key fixes it for the time being.  I know its hard to diagnose a problem that does not occur all of the time.  Any thoughts?  BTW I did get the bill validator fixed, I replaced the head unit.  Thanks again, Matt

[coorslight115]

Turn the machine off  wait a few and back on. Should clear or give code. What was going on when this happened? Payout, opening  the door , power failure, running out of coins or door open and power on doing something?

[coorslight115]

Also are the reels rubbing on anything, wires ect?

[knagl]

If the reels are spinning slowly and won't stop, that's usually an indication that the door was opened mid-spin.  Always try to avoid that at all costs.

The solution to fix that is to either turn the jackpot reset key with the door open, or with the door closed -- I can't remember off the top of my head, but one of those two should fix it.

[mach1matt]

WOW!  That fixed the machine!  Thanks to everyone! Matt

[stayouttadabunker]

matt, you turned the key with the door open right?
Turning the reset key with the door closed enters one into accounting mode.

[mach1matt]

I turned the jackpot key with the door opened.  Thanks, Matt

[Destro333]

My machine just started doing this tonight as well.  Was playing just fine, then suddenly the reels starting spinning slowly and would not stop.  Turning the jackpot key with the door open momentarily stops the reels, but as soon as I close the door, they start right back up spinning slowly and won't stop.  Help!

[knagl]

Check for another open door, such as the bill validator cash can door.  Make sure it's firmly closed (and latched if you have a latch), then try turning the JP reset key with the door open, then close the main door, making sure the latch goes all the way down.

When the reels start spinning slowly, it's because the machine detected a door opening in the middle of the spin (main door, bill validator door, belly door if equiped with a switch, etc.).

If your bill stacker door is closed and latched and the machine still isn't resuming play when you fully close and latch the main door, it's possible that something happened to your door optics causing the machine to no longer see the door closed, even when it is.  Odd that it would have happened mid-spin, but if they're going to die, I guess it could happen at any time.

[stayouttadabunker]

I hope these previous suggestions help you and get your machine up and running again like it should!
However, I have a far more complicated possible solution that I would like to pass along...lol

At one time in a live casino, these machines were on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
They were sitting "idle" for so many hours I can't even begin to figure out that time amount.
Think of all the heat that the MPU board components were
putting out and absorbing during those countless hours.
That puts a strain on the life of board IC components - big time!
The fans were basically collecting nicotine and tar from billions of cigarette/cigar smoke/dust and
not keeping up with the required CPM air flow to sufficiently keep things inside cool
due to the hot fluorescent lighting and other addition player tracking,and or progressive
board components that live floor machines have.

Now with all this in mind, let me show you a couple of pictures
below of the pack of 5 resistors on a standard
S+ 10MHz MPU board.
These resistors are labeled at the R1, R2, R3, R4 and R5 locations on the MPU board.
What these resistors do is "hold" the reels in their positions
while the machine is in the countless hours of "idle" mode.

Most games were put on the floor using 3 reels so we are mainly concerned
with what shape the R1,R2 and R3 resistors are in.
The R4 and R5 resistors were rarely, if ever, used!
These are for 4 and 5 reel games. ( I would love to have one!!!)

These resistors have values rated at 470 Ohms , 1/4 Watt at 10% according to their 4 color bands.
Yellow/Violet/Brown and Silver.
They can be easily found at your local radio snack store and
replaced if you're proficient with a soldering pen.
Here's a link to a resistor color band chart>>>

http://www.csgnetwork.com/resistcolcalc.html

Look closely at these photographs I took.
The first one is the pack of 5 reel resistors.
The 2nd photo is the same resistors but with a strong fluorescent light behind the board...
look at the burn happening with R1,R2 and R3 !!!!!
You can clearly see it with the light coming through the MPU board!!!
These can be checked with an Ohm meter to see if their values are within 10% of 470 Ohms!
Click on pictures to enlarge...>>>

[Destro333]

Wow!  Thanks for the help.  And so quickly.

stayouttadabunker-
Thanks for the insight.  I pulled the board and checked those resisters with my multimeter and they were all fine.  I was almost hoping that would have been the problem as I can handle that kind of repair.

knagl-
I have to investigate this route more.  Is there any foolproof way to test the optic switch?  (me being the fool)  Or is this more of a "just pop a new one in" kind of deal?

Any recommended outlets I should buy one from?

[brichter]

Alignment of the optics should be checked first, the screws that hold them can loosen a bit and allow them to shift. When this happens, it usually starts out as an intermittent problem, then will progressively get worse.

[StatFreak]

You can test the optics in the Group 1 input test.

Press the white test button three or four times (depending on what SP chip you have installed) until you see a 1 in the Coins in display and a "10  1" in the winner paid window. Turn the JP key until you get to test 13. That's the main door.

It should read 0 while the door is open and should alternate about four times a second between 0 and 1 when the door is closed (because the optics are pulsed).

[Destro333]

Hmm, now I'm getting error 42.  I swapped two of the reels and the error stayed as 42.  Since the resistors on the board appear to check out, I'm stuck.  Maybe time to try a different board?  What are these selling for these days?

[jay]

With the power off make sure the reels can spin unobstructed. Any interferance can cause a Reel Tilt error.

[stayouttadabunker]

Leave the reels as they are - swap the harness connectors between the 1st and 2nd Molex.
If the error remains [42], then it's a pin in the harness.
It's not easy, but you have to follow the wires in the harness
back to the connector on top of the MPU tray.
Unplug it and re-seat it.
They are color coded.
You're not going to believe this, but, the coin-in optic boards can cause reel errors too.
Swap it with a known good one as well.

[Destro333]

I don't know why, but it now works!  I did the optic test that StatFreak suggested.  It showed the optic as being fine.  I wasn't entirely sure how to exit the test menu, so I pressed the button behind the power switch again and shut the door.  Next thing I know, the reels are spinning as they should!

I am overjoyed.  Other than now I'm having some kind of hopper issue that I need to investigate a bit more.
**(Nevermind - I was over the payout limit.  I feel stupid)**

Thanks for everyone's help.

[Brianzz]

It's very possible your door just wasn't closing all the way. The piano hinges wear out pretty easy on heavy S+ doors so you may need to make sure you lift up and push hard before you push the lock back down.

[Destro333]

I'm almost certain the door was closing properly.  At least it was closing to the degree that I've always been doing it.  Door up and flush with the cabinet and the latch seated fully all the way down.

[Destro333]

Dang it all!  It's happening again.  Was in the middle of a spin, real 1 and 2 stopped normally, then reel 3 started spinning slow.

[Brianzz]

With the door closed, look down and make sure the reel baskets aren't rubbing on the door. I know on mine reel 3 has got a nice dent carved in the plastic piece that holds the displays on the front of the glass, incidentally it always tilts 3 or 4 times when it resets, reels spin backwards, but never tilts during regular play... weird