How to hack a Coke machine

[snopes]

Comment: A friend sent this to me. I searched the pages, but didn't see
anything about it!

Want to dazzle your friends with your technical prowess while checking out
the profitability of a vending machine route? Read on. Most Coke machines
built since the late 1990s can be "hacked" with a simple access code. Once
you enter the code, you can find out all kinds of information about the
machine's sales.
Steps

1. Find a Coke machine that has an LED screen. The small screen will
typically scroll a message such as "Ice Cold Cokes." If the machine's LED
display simply displays the price, the steps below may not work.
2. Enter the access code by using the drink selection buttons. The
default access code is 4, 2, 3, 1, but the buttons aren't numbered. They
will either say nothing or have pictures of "Coke, "Diet Coke," "Sprite,"
and other Coca Cola products on them.

* If the buttons are in a column, button 1 is the top one.
Button 2 is the second one from the top, and so on.
* If they are in a grid or other format, button 1 is the top
left one. Button 2 is the one directly to the right of that, and so on.
3. Scroll through the menu to find out information about the machine.
Once you enter the correct access code, the message on the LED screen will
change. Typically it will say "EROR," but on some machines it may simply
display a number. Use the buttons to navigate the menu.

* Press button 1 at any time to return to the previous menu or
to exit the menu to go back to normal mode.
* Press button 2 to scroll up through the selections.
* Press button 3 to scroll down through the selections.
* Press button 4 to select the displayed menu option.


Example Menu Options

1. EROR: This menu option displays error messages for the machine,
including problems that occurred with the refrigeration system, the
vending mechanism, the bill changer, and the bill validator. To see error
messages, press the select button (button 4) when the display shows EROR,
and then scroll through to see specific errors. Select an individual error
to see more details. Generally if only one type of error has occurred you
won't be able to scroll through other error options.
2. CASH: This option allows you to see the machine's total historical
cash intake, as well as the resettable cash counted for each drink
selection. Press the select button when the the LED display shows CASH.
This will show you the historical cash counted by the machine. Note that
it will include fractions of a dollar, such that if it displays 1352425,
the historical cash count is $13,524.25. Use the scroll buttons (2 or 3)
to navigate to the cash counts for each slot (each beverage selection).
The number displayed will show first the slot number and then the revenue
for that slot number since the last time the counter was reset. In some
machines, it will be preceded by the letters CA or SL (for "slot").
3. SALE: This option allows you to see the machine's historical total
number of sales, as well as the resettable number of sales for each drink
selection. It works like the CASH menu above, except that the numbers
displayed reflect the number of beverages sold.
4. RTN: Sometimes labeled EXIT, this option allows you to exit the menu
completely and return the machine to normal mode. Press the select button
to exit.


Alternate Menu

On machines with two panels of six buttons on each side, the same 4-2-3-1
code will access the Electronic Counter for the machine. After accessing
this menu, press 1 to see the total lifetime sales, 2 for the total
lifetime items sold, 3 for a breakdown of items sold of each selection, 4
for a breakdown of cash generated for each selection, and 5 for the
machine's internal temperature. After a while without input, the machine
will return to the normal menu.


Tips

* This only works for Coke machines, which may sell products such as
Barq's Root Beer, Sprite, Dasani, Evian, Fanta, Fresca, Frutopia,
Powerade, Hi-C, Minute Maid, Nestea, Odwalla, Mr. Pibb, Planet Java, Power
Ade, Seagram's Ginger Ale, Simply Orange, Sparkletts, or Tab in addition
to Coke and Diet Coke.
* In general, these are the only options you can access without having
the door unlocked and open. Different machines may list these options in
somewhat different formats, so experiment a bit to learn what each new one
does.
* If you need to exit the menu quickly (i.e. when you just can't wait
another second to buy an ice cold Coke) press the change (coin return)
button. This will normally quit the menu.
* On some machines, holding the coin return button will display the
machine's inner temperature.
* Vending machine owners or service people have the option to change
the access sequence from 4231 to some other combination of buttons, but
they rarely do. This is probably because having one code makes it easier
for anyone to service all the machines along a route. It may also be
because the information you can access through the external menu with the
door closed is limited and fairly harmless.
* There are several videos available on the internet that show people
using this hack. Many claim to be able to change prices or get a free
drink, but the videos don't actually show them doing so.
* In order to get to the same menu in a machine that sells Pepsi
products, simply enter 1,3,2,4. All the menu options with be the same.
(This does not seem to work on all Pepsi machines)
* This might also work on some Coke vending machines that have a
numeric keypad instead of buttons for specific drinks. Enter in the Coke
code as usual, and you'll get to the sales menu!

Warnings

* This may be illegal in some jurisdictions, and it will generally be
frowned upon by store staff or machine service people, so exercise caution
when trying it out, and be sure to follow any applicable laws in your
jurisdiction.
* Don't do this if there's a line behind you.
* You might waste your time doing this, as Coca-Cola has distributed
new firmware to their vendors that would render these instructions
unusable.

[Tarquin Farquart]

It doesn't tell you how to get a free can though...

[Ana Ng]

Even if it were true, it's not in any way interesting or useful! I wish there was a hack to make them all dispense Diet Cherry Pepsi...

[diddy]

I've seen this list before, Its old and way out of date.

[Brad from Georgia]

It worked for me. I went into the "Glurge Gallery" and uploaded all the glurge. Now our students are standing in front of the Coke machine weeping.

[Dr. Dave]

Am I the only one who is fascinated/ amused by the shear quantity of detail in this, such as

have pictures of "Coke, "Diet Coke," "Sprite,"and other Coca Cola products on them.

This only works for Coke machines, which may sell products such as
Barq's Root Beer, Sprite, Dasani, Evian, Fanta, Fresca, Frutopia, Powerade, Hi-C, Minute Maid, Nestea, Odwalla, Mr. Pibb, Planet Java, Power Ade, Seagram's Ginger Ale, Simply Orange, Sparkletts, or Tab in addition to Coke and Diet Coke.

Note that it will include fractions of a dollar, such that if it displays 1352425, the historical cash count is $13,524.25.

Yet they tell us to

experiment a bit to learn what each new one does.

And, alas:

information you can access through the external menu with the door closed is limited and fairly harmless

[Skeptic]

Originally Posted by snopes

* This may be illegal in some jurisdictions.

Duh, what was your first clue.

[Troberg]

I've seen the insides of quite a few vending machines (and arcade games and pinball machines), and I've yet to see one that does not have the menu buttons on the inside.

The discription of what can be done in the menu sounds reasonable, but there should probably be more things that can be done, such as a bunch of self tests and settings for price and coin types.

[Alchemy]

Originally Posted by Ana Ng

Even if it were true, it's not in any way interesting or useful! I wish there was a hack to make them all dispense Diet Cherry Pepsi...

It's interesting and useful if you like hacking things. The point is to learn how the machine's software operates by out-thinking its design, not to steal stuff.

[Floss]

This was discussed on the old board. It seems that it did work for some machines.

[WildaBeast]

Originally Posted by Troberg

I've seen the insides of quite a few vending machines (and arcade games and pinball machines), and I've yet to see one that does not have the menu buttons on the inside.

The discription of what can be done in the menu sounds reasonable, but there should probably be more things that can be done, such as a bunch of self tests and settings for price and coin types.

The version that was discussed on the old board did mention such functions, but stated that they can only be accessed when the machine is unlocked.

[Ana Ng]

Originally Posted by Alchemy

It's interesting and useful if you like hacking things. The point is to learn how the machine's software operates by out-thinking its design, not to steal stuff.

Huh? I'm completely prepared to pay for my soda, what are you implying?

Just because you can't steal stuff doesn't mean it's still not useless.

Originally Posted by Alchemy

It's interesting and useful if you like hacking things. The point is to learn how the machine's software operates by out-thinking its design, not to steal stuff.

How does entering a valid access code equate "out-thinking" a vending machine's electronic design?

Hey...here's something else really interesting and useful for all you "hackers": if you hold down that button on the outside of a smoke detector, it will run a test of its operational ability by emiting a loud and sustained beep for as long as the button is depressed.

[James G]

Originally Posted by methuselah

How does entering a valid access code equate "out-thinking" a vending machine's electronic design?

Hey...here's something else really interesting and useful for all you "hackers": if you hold down that button on the outside of a smoke detector, it will run a test of its operational ability by emiting a loud and sustained beep for as long as the button is depressed.

Why the need for snide comments on what was an innocent remark?

[Ana Ng]

Originally Posted by James G

Why the need for snide comments on what was an innocent remark?

Accusations of thievery, perhaps?

[Eddylizard]

I have no idea whether the OP is correct (if I still worked nights in an otherwise deserted building I'd be tempted to give it a go) but I can see the benefit of having a limited diagnostics procedure available for canteen employees who may be required to call for service, but may not be authorised to hold the key and access the cash box and the ability to alter the settings (vend value etc.) I see it as at least plausible.

[Blackhawk]

Originally Posted by Troberg

I've seen the insides of quite a few vending machines (and arcade games and pinball machines), and I've yet to see one that does not have the menu buttons on the inside.

There was a pinball machine at a motel I went to a few years ago that had the menu keypad on the bottom of it, just inside the wooden bottom. We just had to type 1 2 3 4 enter and it gave a free game. I haven't been up to that area since then so I couldn't tell you if it's still there or functioning.

[Radical Dory]

Upon reading the title, did anyone else think of the scene in Silent Movie with the malfunctioning Coke machine?

Because that would be worth attempting to hack.

[Troberg]

There was a pinball machine at a motel I went to a few years ago that had the menu keypad on the bottom of it, just inside the wooden bottom. We just had to type 1 2 3 4 enter and it gave a free game. I haven't been up to that area since then so I couldn't tell you if it's still there or functioning.

Most likely, someone modified it and moved the buttons normally inside the coin door to the bottom of it. I very much doubt it's the original design.

Most modern pinball machines (say around 1980 and newer) are surprisingly similar inside, and you could probably fit 95% or more of them into one of less than ten basic designs, maybe even less than five. The game board and associated mechanics may be different, but the basic controllers, tilt detectors, menu systems, coin mechanisms and standard parts like flipperts, bumpers and so on are the same.

[Not_Done_Living]

There is absolutly nothing about "hacking" listed in these instructions.

and why would any vendor put "access" to "secret" information on the outside of a box.
Seriously.
if they only wanted people with access to the inside of the machine to have this info, it would only e accesable inside the machine.