Newbie help cav cs-142e

Hello all. New member on here and I need some help.  I just came into possession of a Cavalier CS-142E.   It appears to be in good shape, the compressor kicks on with no problem and the unit stays nice and cool. All parts seem to be operating smoothly except I can't get the bottle release to, well, release.  

I've been scouring the net for a copy of the manual to Download or purchase.  But so far I've had no luck.  Ideally I would like to simpy ignore the coin mechanism and have the bottle release perma-unlocked.  Is this possible with this machine?  I have seen what appears to be dip switches inside the coin mechanism, but I haven't been able to discern their affect.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Mark Leachman

[Kevin C]

Mark

Welcome to the SMC.

Can you post a picture?

Kevin

[90grad]

DarkKermit,

Welcome here!  There a lot of great people with a ton of info to help.  I believe the dip switches you are referring to on the coin mechanism are used to set the price.  If you are unsure of what the mech is set at, get a bunch of nickels and keep dropping them to see at what price the mech trips the vending solenoid.  I don't have the paper in front of me, but I believe the first dip switch is for 5 cents.  On this switches, down is off and up is on.  So, maybe if you turned them all off except the first one, it would be set for a nickel.  Others can correct me if I messed up.

Thanks for the welcome guys.  Please excuse my lack of knowledge, especially terminology.  Is the "vending solenoid" the mechanism that would release a bottle after appropriate payment?

Currently no amount of money going through the coin mech is triggering a release.

As far as pics go, I am at work currently but can definitely post some pics this evening.

Thanks again,

Mark

[Kevin C]

Hello

The vending solenoid is at the bottom of the bottle stack. It should have a metal cover that needs to be removed & it may have 2 or 4 wires to it. The best way to solve your problem would be to remove those wires & cover ( tape-wire nut) Then there should be a small post just in front of the solenoid  that is pushed forward by the solenoid to the ready to vend position. Reach in & move this post forward to test your bottle rack. Now if the bottle rack is a little slow to reset the the bottle rack needs to be cleaned. Cleaning is another post but anyways if the above procedure works then all you need to do is to use a zip tie hold the metal post in the forward position. You then have free vend. Load your machine with drink of choice & go to town!

Now I have only worked on Vendo machines but I think they are all close to the same.

Kevin

You guys are fantastic!  I'll check into the suggestions and take some pics tonight.  

I've been raving about this site all day at work. Never have I seen such quick and thorough responses on a forum before.

Thanks a ton.

Mark

[Kevin C]

Mark

Dont tell anyone because we are checking in during work!!!

 '>

Kevin

[jasmine64]

Funtronics has a book for the CS 142E a combined service and parts manual.
Page 3 #15.
Call Steve at 301-371-5246 I believe he is closed on Fridays Memorial day - Labor day.

[Jim]

Welcome Mark,

To keep your machine in "free vend", I suggest you visit this discussion:

Free play switch once more...

The manual mentioned at Fun-Tronics is combined with several other similar models... I have an original version for reference, but unfortunately, I haven't created a PDF(electronic version) of the manual...

I'm not the most knowledgeable on later models such as yours, but we'll need to trouble shoot things to narrow down the actual problem as several things could be at fault...

I can check the manual for trouble shooting things, so let us know where to start...

[Kevin C]

Mark

Did it work?  Please give us a report!

Your machine is good size to offer all the different flavors of "Product"

Kevin

[BrianB]

Just to echo the others, welcom to SMC, DarkKermit! Please keep us updated on the status of your machine.

There was some recent discussion in another thread/topic about keeping the vend solenoid in a free vend state permanantly.

Basically you have to install a switch in order to actuate the vend solenoid. You can't (shouldn't) use constant voltage to keep the vend solenoid in a "vend" state. A solenoid isn't designed to have continous voltage applied to it, only momentary. Constant voltage applied will cook the solenoid causing the solenoid to fail.

Sorry guys. Didn't intend to fall silent. Gotten busy at home and work for the past few days. The time I thought I had last night for pics and work on the machine got swallowed up by some house maintenance chores.

I work tomorrow, but I promise some pics and an update by Monday morn.

Thanks,

Mark

Okay. I managed to get 6 pix out of my camera before the batteries died.
I'm planning on putting up at least 6 more shots tomorrow night.

Here they are:

Left side:


Right side:


Inside Rack:


Inside Fan:


My favorite part - Does Not Accept the New Dollar Coins! LOL



Hope you like it. There's more tomorrow.


Mark

By the way, is this ths solinoid?



Mark

[BrianB]

Great pic's! Yep, you are correct, that is the Vend Solenoid.

[Kevin C]

Mark

Your machine is backwards from mine but in the last picture of the vending solenoid you can see the metal post that is moved by the vending solenoid. Reach back there & you should be able to lock it into a vend  position. I like that large machine.

Kevin

Okay. Good news!
I tinkered with getting the machine to free vend tonight and had a few challenges at first.

You see, the lever that opens the vend has to be in the left position to allow the release of the product. "That's no problem!", think I.   And go gleefully about zip tieing the thing over to the left position.

Then I go to pull one of my Cokes out and....
No dice.

You see the lever gets pushed over to the right when you pull out a Coke.  If it's got no play, then the release doors only open up so far...doh!

The answer it seems came to me in a 5 cent rubber band!

Yup! I simply rubber banded the sucker over into the left position, but no so tight that it can't move to the right some.
Then when the door slides back into place, the rubber band moves the lever over into the vend position once more.

Regardless it works like a champ.  It's even pretty smooth after some liberal use of the WD-40.  

I have it cooling now, but I'll definitely open her up tomorrow and take some pics of my rigging.

Thanks for all the help.

Mark

[BrianB]

Great job Mark!! Can't wait to see the pic's. Ingenuity is what this great country of ours is built on.

Nuthin' like a 5 cent rubber band to make your day just that much more brighter!  

[Kevin C]

Mark

Great!

Now you get to do the best part of this addiction we have.  The first time you buy "Product" & load your machine. Deciding which row gets which drink!  Great fun!

Kevin

I was thinking about what product to put in my machine this morning and was wondering if there is a list out there of vendable products for my machine.  

I know that the current 20oz plastic coke bottles dispense very well, but the Dasani water bottles of the same size are fatter in the middle and won't fit in the "ready" slot.

Can anyone help with this question?  Ideally I would like some Pepsi/Coke products and a few rows with Beer and the like.


Mark

[Kevin C]

Hey

I have found the 12 oz plastic coke's & gatorade vend well.

Of course there are the wide selection of "Adult Product"  

Kevin

Next question for you Gurus out there.
I figured out how to access the lighting behind the sign and there were no bulbs in it.

Does anyone know the bulb specs for the CS-142e?


Thanks,

Mark