bilval stacker box open

[bally s9000]

I have bally alpha s9000 I get a yellow solid light on the bill validator have sent pictures of am talking about can someone tell me if they had the same error


 it was a bad cash box

[Stayouttadabunker]

This is how I check MEI bill acceptors on some other platforms.
Yours may slightly differ.

1.Turn OFF the machine.
2.Pull out the bill box and put aside.
3.Push up on the yellow bar under the MEI bill head to release the head from the frame by sliding it out.
4.Slide back the interface card that's located just behind where the head was.
5.Clean the contacts on the interface card with some deoxidizer spray.
6.Re-install all parts back in starting with the interface card, bill head, then bill box.

[hen82069]

I tried what you asked me to do and I ain't getting Sam results the same solid yellow light on the bill of validator I don't know if the validator there's no good or the cash box plus it's making loud noises on the validator cycles

[Stayouttadabunker]

If I remember right, I went to the MEI website one time, and downloaded a copy of the MEI Cashflow SC/ SC Advance bill acceptor diagnostic LED error codes.
Suzo-Happ had them too...check this link...>>> https://oem.suzohapp.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/SC-Advance_Manual_EN.pdf

In there, down on the 5th row on Page 14. the manual says that when there's a solid yellow LED ON (while the other two are OFF), that means that the cashbox is not seated or not present....in other words, the MPU thinks the cashbox has been pulled out of the machine.
The simple fix is to reseat the bill box but that doesn't always work for a couple of reasons.

One reason is that there's a prism on the bill stacker unit inside the cash box that gets dirty with dust.
When that happens, the infrared light doesn't get all the way thru the plastic optics, resulting in the bill head thinking that the bill box has been pulled out.
That prism inside, needs to be cleaned.

I've seen people throw the cashboxes in dishwashers.
Or you can remove the two screws inside and slide out the stacker mechanism.
From there, you can easily see the prism when you expand the stacker and simply wipe the dust off of the prism with a rag.

I've tried using a can of compressed air that has a straw to blast off the dust from the prism, but it's hard to explain exactly which way to direct the straw into the note opening, to remove the dust from the prism.
Or you could just swish the cashbox around in a small pail of soapy water, and rinse it...that could get the dust off the prism and get rid of the soft yellow LED error.

The other reason is much more complicated...I would try cleaning the stacker optics prism first...if that doesn't work, I'll explain it in another Reply for you.

[bally s9000]

If I remember right, I went to the MEI website one time, and downloaded a copy of the MEI Cashflow SC/ SC Advance bill acceptor diagnostic LED error codes.
Suzo-Happ had them too...check this link...>>> https://oem.suzohapp.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/SC-Advance_Manual_EN.pdf

In there, down on the 5th row on Page 14. the manual says that when there's a solid yellow LED ON (while the other two are OFF), that means that the cashbox is not seated or not present....in other words, the MPU thinks the cashbox has been pulled out of the machine.
The simple fix is to reseat the bill box but that doesn't always work for a couple of reasons.

One reason is that there's a prism on the bill stacker unit inside the cash box that gets dirty with dust.
When that happens, the infrared light doesn't get all the way thru the plastic optics, resulting in the bill head thinking that the bill box has been pulled out.
That prism inside, needs to be cleaned.

I've seen people throw the cashboxes in dishwashers.
Or you can remove the two screws inside and slide out the stacker mechanism.
From there, you can easily see the prism when you expand the stacker and simply wipe the dust off of the prism with a rag.

I've tried using a can of compressed air that has a straw to blast off the dust from the prism, but it's hard to explain exactly which way to direct the straw into the note opening, to remove the dust from the prism.
Or you could just swish the cashbox around in a small pail of soapy water, and rinse it...that could get the dust off the prism and get rid of the soft yellow LED error.

The other reason is much more complicated...I would try cleaning the stacker optics prism first...if that doesn't work, I'll explain it in another Reply for you.

  here are some pictures for you to see  I have turned the machine on again and nothing happens i get the same results

[Stayouttadabunker]

The Philips screws securing the stacker mechanism & optics inside the bill box...did you try to remove them?
You didn't say if you've serviced the bill box or not.

On another note...is there a reason WHY you decided to quote the ENTIRE Reply to you?
All it does is completely clutter up the post, wouldn't you agree?

[Sunrise Side]

Yes . The light pipe optics maybe dirty. You can open the lid on the cashbox and keep it opened and put the cashbox in the dishwasher to clean it

[bally s9000]

I have cleaned the whole cash box in soupy water I still get bilval stacker box open

[Stayouttadabunker]

Okay...here's the more complicate reason for this "bilval stacker box open" error...>>>

Now that you've cleaned the bill box's prism, the optic beam is probably going thru the optical plastics - from the head down thru the prism, and then back up into the head.

or not...

Without any real history of whether or not this error just appeared out of nowhere or was a problem ever since you've had the machine, we don't know if the head is actually emitting any infrared beam down into the bill box or not.
This error really...is just a "soft error".... which means that the machine should work anyways, even if there's a solid yellow LED showing.

Since human eyeballs cannot SEE infrared ultraviolet light, the only way you can tell if the head is emitting IR light out of one of the optics, is by removing the bill box and recording the optics from under the head - while powered up.
The IR light is almost the same type of light that comes out of your regular TV remote controller.
If you push a button on a TV remote, you really cannot see any light coming out of the front of it.
Go ahead and push a button on your remote and view it with a cellphone camera from the front...your camera will allow you to see the light.
That's what we're looking for when you point a camera upwards from under the acceptor head.
If your camera sees the IR light, then something else may be wrong.... maybe a broken prism "light pipe optics" ...but that's why I suggested to wash the bill box - to clean the stacker prism.

Now's a good time to try to see if you have a broken prism or not.
Look on top of your bill box.... you will notice that there's two small square plastic optic holes on each side.
Those holes correspond with the two optic holes on the bottom of the acceptor head.
Shine a penlight down into one hole.... you should see your penlight coming out of the other side.
If not, the prism is broken.

If you see light coming out of the other end of your bill box, then your problem might be a burned-out IR diode on the acceptor head circuit board - not emitting any IR light.
Unless you have specialized micro-soldering equipment, you will have difficulty removing the yellow LED code, unless you replace the acceptor head with another circuit board or entire acceptor head flashed with the correct programming for your machine.

Here's a link to a short video I made a while back about this stacker...it's actually about trying to loosen the panhead screws inside that secure the stacker mechanism.... you're lucky, your screws are simple Philips screws.
You'll see the stacker prism in the video...>>>

https://youtu.be/sCbljm2NtR8?si=VBJzeb-UHdxEvbRB

[bally s9000]

I have found the prism. I took the bill validator head out. I looked at the two holes. Now all three lights. Or on head. I think there's something wrong with You said something about. Replacing the circuit board.  do I need to program it? I don't have such equipment. id did not see any light

[Stayouttadabunker]

No light coming out of the bottom of the acceptor head means the emitter is dead.
Don't worry about it, the bill acceptor will still work even with a yellow LED showing.
It's only a soft error.
You don't have any miscommunication errors....so possibly there's nothing major wrong with your bill head circuit board.
The equipment needed to do any repairs, for one single bill acceptor on a homeowner machine, just isn't worth it.
Even purchasing another head may not solve the solid yellow LED showing, because some of these yellow Cashflow heads are going on like 20 years old already.
A programmed, working acceptor head may cost more than you wish to pay.
Place a WTB ad out in the Classifieds section of NLG for a programmed MEI bill acceptor circuit board or complete head and see what they charge ya.
I hope you get lucky!