:d Coke-cola Machine Debug Menu

[Killer008r 0]

I learned most of this by myself, but I didn't really know how to explain. so I'm quoting off of this site >>PLA Fourms

 

Coke Machine Debug Menu

Published on 10/09/03 at 15:05:37 CST by Kyint

 

[i'll let this through since he's done more extensive testing, but ch0pstick is still the O.G. coke machine hax0r.

-Yo mama]

 

[i know, I know. ch0pstickninja wrote this up a long time ago, but it was vague and didn't cover much. This is a well-researched version with very little ambiguity.]

 

PREFACE

Coke vending machines are everywhere. They're getting more and more like regular computers with LEDs that show little "ICE COLD" messages and whatnot. Well, there's a lot more to those little built-in computers than you may think. Included in the low-level operating system that these babies run on is an actual debug menu that gives you access to all sorts of machine information and possibly gives you free cokes in older machines.

 

WHICH MACHINES WORK?

There's a very strict list of vending machines that have the debug menu. First off, they're all COCA-COLA product vending machines. This means the giant, un-missable picture on the front must show any of the following: Coke, Dasani (Water), Barq's Root Beer, Vanilla Coke, Cherry Coke, Sprite, Evlan (water), Fanta, Fresca, Frutopia, Hi-C, Sprite Remix, Mad River, Mello Yello, Minute Maid, Nestea, Odwalla, Mr. Pibb/Pibb Xtra, Planet Java, Power Ade, Seagram's Ginger Ale, Simply Orange, Sparkletts, or Tab. Of course anything Diet or Caffeine free works too.

The machine must have an LED screen. Some of the older ones just allow the LED to be set to a price amount and won't have the debug menu. You're safer if the little LED is telling you something. Usually it will scroll a little message like "Ice Cold Cokes". Newer machines are more likely candidates.

 

ACCESSING THE MENU

To enter the menu, there's a button combination. HERE'S THE ONLY THING YOU HAVE TO REALLY REMEMBER:

 

[4]-[2]-[3]-[1]

 

The buttons are numbered depending on how they are positioned. They will either be vertical (more likely), or in horizontal rows of 4 buttons per row. If it is vertical, the first button is #1, the one below it is #2, and so forth. If the buttons are in horizontal rows, the first button is #1, and the one to the right of it is #2. The numbers work like a type writer after that. In rows of 4, the first button of row 2 will be button #5. So, to review, getting in to the debug menu looks like this:

 

COKE MACHINE::::::

$1.00 -------

-------------

[ Coke ] <-- Hit this button last

[ Coke ] <-- Hit this button second

[ Diet Coke ] <-- Hit this button third

[ Sprite ] <-- Hit this button first

[ And so on ]

-------------

 

Some text should show up on the LED (probably the word "Error", we'll explain what it means next sections). If nothing happens, your machine doesn't have the debug menu.

 

NAVIGATION

To navigate from option to option (What they are is next section), remember the numberings we gave the buttons. They work as follows:

Button [ 1 ] - Exit/Back

Button [ 2 ] - Up

Button [ 3 ] - Down

Button [ 4 ] - Select

 

OPTIONS

Depending on the age of the machine, you will get a varying amount of options.

On older machines: SALE, VER, EROR, and RTN

On newer machines: CASH, SALE, EROR, and RTN

 

-CASH

The CASH option will display how much money is in the machine currently. It generally takes a second or two to load. From here, you can scroll up and down through 12 or 16 different options, depending on the machine age. These other options display how much money was spent on each individual item, classified through its button (or slot, as I like to call it) number.

A neat side note about the slot numbers is that there are more slot numbers than there are actual slot, so usually the last 4 buttons contain zero money. This could be so that the same OS could be used on bigger machines, but the newer machines have even more slot numbers.

 

-SALE

The SALE option displays how many drinks have been sold out of the machine. This tends to be cumulative, but not on all machines. The stock guy is probably supposed to reset this each time he re-stocks. Also, this has the same sub-options as the CASH option, where you can scroll up and down and see how many drinks have been sold from each slot.

 

-VER

This option will cause a large alphanumeric string to scroll across the LCD. The number looks very much like a serial number, but doesn't vary from machine to machine. It is most likely the OS or machine version number, but of the older machines that have the option, I haven't seen one that doesn't have the same number.

 

-EROR

The most mysterious of the options, the EROR function will usually display the word "NONE" across the LCD. Almost all machines show NONE, but we came across one old one by a Food Lion that actually said something. This is an error log. If an internal error occurs, it will list it. So far, I know of "DOOR" and "STS" errors. If you get an error, you can select it, and it will clarify which part exactly had a problem, as in "STS002" or "STS005".

 

-RTN

This is simply the return option. Selecting this will exit the debug menu. On newer machines, pressing the BACK button at the main menu will not exit, and RTN must be selected.

A side note: The menu can also be exited by pressing the coin return button.

 

EXTRAS

By holding in the coin return button and not releasing, on the newer "big-button" machines, this will display the internal temperature in Fahrenheit, as in "42F".

 

 

USEFULNESS

This is of absolutely no use, as there is NO way to gain free drinks or money from this.  "

The last part "There is absolutly no way to gain free drinks". Is mostly wrong, There is a way but 1 that would be completely illegal, and 2 if you want to risk it go to one of those sites like I-hack.com or astalavista.com. But I suggest not trying to do it. (The way isn't completly free, but you can change prices of the soda)

[jipman 0]

Last times I tried on any machine it doesn't work. It's a hoax or the firmware of the coke machines have been upgraded by now. Since the article comes from somewhere in 2003.You'd be better of with a good set of circular lock picks.

[Sarah81 0]

You'd be better of with a good set of circular lock picks.

1064332116[/snapback]

Which of course cost more than the Coke. *grins* Unless you buy it from one of the machines on my campus, in which case you could buy a new computer cheaper (yes, exaggeration, but not by much). Hehe.

[Killer008r 0]

I get the debug menu, and on older machines I have changed prices of the coke to 10 cents. or some of the sodas that I dont like to 10 dollars. It works just fine for me. You can also see how man have been sold in the past month. And you can ghange the LED message I changed the one in my school to Killer Pwn'd you.

[Jguy101 0]

Changing the messages? Lol, that'd be so fun.....but I'd be a little concerned about wrath from upstairs, if ya know what I mean.

[Jeigh1405241495 0]

Hahaha the only thing I'd be interested in using it for would be the changing message thing, that'd be hilarious I think it'd be fun to just mess around with, so I'll try it, but if I can change the messages, oh boy, havoc shall occur *devlish grin*

[szupie 0]

How do you change the message? How can you know which letters are on which button? Or do you have to scroll through the menu to pick the letters?I'm gonna try this at my school tomorrow, if I have the guts to do that.

[bricktamland 0]

coke stinks

drink pepsi

much better

 

-----Spam: This has nothing to do with the topic. The topic is about hacking the machines, not about the drinks. I will increase your warning level the next time you do something like this.-----szupie

Edited December 13, 2005 by szupie (see edit history)

[szupie 0]

Yay, I did it today on a powerade machine. I think it was one of the newer machines, since pressing "1" didn't let me exit the debug screen. Killer008r, how did you access the menu where you can change the text?

[tansqrx 0]

Ever since I read this article I have been looking for the right Coke machine. Too bad I haven't found one. Great article.

[Logan Deathbringer 0]

I remember a kid I new doing this a while back...got himself suspended from school for changing the message the machine displayed to one that questioned his principles parentage...lol. Oh and you can change the price of the different vender slots but don't get caught doing it, since its concidered fraud.Fun, definetly, but like I said don't get caught doing it...and if you do it at school, make sure the message you put up doesn't point directly back at you.

[Jeigh1405241495 0]

People who get caught commiting 'crimes' (well... something wrong at least haha) are just not putting enough effort into it Doing it at a school, especially where most are security camm'ed up the wahzoo now, is just plain dumb. Sure you'll get to witness the aftermath of your prankish behaviour, but I mean itrs not hard to catch someone doing something in a school. Now a place where the cameras are irrelevant since they still wont be able to hunt you down using your face, thats prime hunting territory...But yea, I dont see many coke machine since my campus is all pepsi (bleck) but I shall find a good target soon...soooooooooooooooon

[Killer008r 0]

You have to press the option on and then hold down the RTN button to select the ability to change the messages on the machine. It still woks at the new ones in my school... The Price thing dosn't work anymore, although you can dispence cash. Dollar bills and Coins.

[Chesso 0]

Wow that's pretty darn funny!Would this be the same for coke machines in australia (I'm not sure whether they are really much different than anywhere else), but it would be so funny to change the message(s) on one).Especially the TAFE a few suburbs away from me, I'm sure they'd all get a kick out of it .

[Killer008r 0]

Try it, if the os is the same (which there's a big chance it is) then it probaly will be the same and you will be able to do it.