Backup battery replacement and motherboard repair for vending machines
Some Necta Vending machines use a motherboard fitted with a backup battery, which holds the machine’s sales data and parameters. It is a large green component with three pins, mounted on the main circuit board.
Over the years, and under the usage conditions typical of a vending machine (heat, humidity, continuous power cycles), the battery often goes flat and starts leaking acid. When that happens, every reboot resets the machine’s memory, the prices and the product positions. The electrolyte running over the PCB corrodes traces and nearby components, until the machine no longer starts at all.
Another symptom is a single black square shown at the top of the display.
When to act
The memory resetting at every reboot is the first symptom, not the last one. As long as corrosion is superficial the board can still be saved; once the acid has eaten the copper, repairing the board becomes exponentially harder. If your machine already shows signs of a failing battery, contact us before it becomes unrecoverable.
Preventive replacement
The cheapest way to save the board is to replace the battery before it leaks. The replacement is a quick job that can be scheduled during routine maintenance, even on site, without waiting for a failure: the original battery is removed, the area is checked for corrosion, and an equivalent cell is installed that will last just as many tens of years.
Decontamination and board repair
When the leak has already happened, the whole affected area has to be worked on: removing the electrolyte, washing and restoring the contacts of nearby components, and repairing corroded traces and vias. The battery is then replaced, so the new battery does not have to live on support that is already compromised.
Restoring the parameters
Replacing the battery wipes the parameters and the machine has to be reconfigured. After that first reconfiguration, though, the machine will not need to be programmed again.
Machines covered
This motherboard is commonly installed in machines such as the Necta Kikko, and generally in Necta vending machines that use the same hardware. If you are not sure about the model, or about whether the board can be repaired, send us a photo.
Independent service
This work is provided independently by unfoxo. It is not an official manufacturer service and does not imply any endorsement, warranty or liability on the manufacturer's side. The brands mentioned belong to their respective owners.
Contact us
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