How To Hack A Coke Machine: 10 Steps (with Pictures) - WikiHow

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How to Hack a Coke Machine Download Article Explore this Article Steps Steps Other Sections Questions & Answers Tips and Warnings Related Articles References Written by Jack Lloyd

Last Updated: July 24, 2025

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wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 257 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 3,280,521 times. Learn more...

This wikiHow teaches you how to access a Coca-Cola vending machine's debug menu. While you can't use this menu to give yourself a free drink—doing so would be stealing anyway—you can browse some interesting pieces of information.

Steps

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1. 1 Ensure the machine is compatible with this method. Only Coca-Cola machines with LED displays which have some form of scrolling text will allow you to access the debug menu, and even then, some machines will have access to the debug menu disabled.
   • Picking a Coke machine that's in a high-traffic public space, such as a rest stop or a hotel lobby, is more likely to yield access to the debug menu.
   • If the LED display just displays a price, this method won't work.
2. 2 Determine the Coke machine's data entry method. There are four main ways in which you'll typically indicate the Coke product you want to obtain:
   • Keypad
   • Rectangular buttons on the right side
   • Large buttons in the middle
   • Two horizontal rows of three options each
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3. 3 Know which buttons correspond to numbers. You'll have to use the product selection buttons as the number entry method. Depending on the machine, this will vary:
   • Keypad — The numbered keys should work as labelled for this method.
   • Rectangular buttons — The top rectangular button corresponds to the number 1, the next-down button corresponds to 2, and so on.
   • Large buttons — The top-left corner button is number 1, the one to its right is number 2, and so on. In the second row, the left-most button is 5, and the next-over button is 6.
   • Two-by-three — The top-left corner button is 1, the next one to its right is 3, and so on. The left-most button on the second row is 4, etc.
4. 4 Enter the code. The code you'll usually use to access the debug menu is 4 3 2 1, so press the 4, 3, 2, and 1 buttons in that order.
   • If your machine has two rows of three buttons, you'll enter 5 4 2 3 1 instead.[1]
5. 5 Look for a confirmation message. Once you press the final button, you should see the text on the LED display change.
   • If nothing happens when you enter the access code, your selected vending machine probably doesn't support access to the debug menu.
   • If you see an EROR message appear, that just means the debug menu is programmed to open to the "Error" section.
6. 6 Scroll through the available options. Press the 2 button to scroll up, or press 3 to scroll down. You should see some (or all) of the following options display as you scroll:[2]
   • SALE — Displays lifetime sales. This stat may be reset when a technician visits the machine.
   • VER or CASH — Displays the version number (VER); Displays the current amount of cash in the machine (CASH).
     • While both of these options may be available, CASH is usually only on older machines.
   • EROR — Displays error logs.
   • RTN — Exits the debug menu.
7. 7 Select an option. Press the 4 button to view the currently displayed option's information.
   • For example, pressing 4 while SALE is selected will display the Coke machine's lifetime sales.
8. 8 Return to the debug menu. Press the 1 button to exit the current menu and go back to the debug menu through which you were initially scrolling.
9. 9 View the machine's temperature. On some machines, pressing the 5 button will allow you to see the current internal temperature for the Coke machine.
   • This won't work on all machines.
10. 10 Exit the menu. Usually, pressing the 6 button or the coin return button will accomplish this; however, simply leaving the machine alone for a few minutes will also cause the debug menu to close.
    • On some newer machines, you'll need to scroll to the RTN option and press the 4 button.
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Community Q&A

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• Question If I get caught, what do I say? Peter C Community Answer Say that you tried to make a purchase and that the vending machine took your money but didn't give you the product. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 34 Helpful 168
• Question Will I get caught and sent to jail if I hack a soda machine? Community Answer If you are taking products from the machine, that is theft unless there is a good defense (such as an emergency need for liquid during a hostage siege). Nobody can say whether or not you'll get caught but it's always highly likely, with people and cameras around. As to whether or not you will "go to jail", that's up to your legal counsel and the courts; this isn't the place to get legal advice. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 84 Helpful 231
• Question Why is this called hacking? Community Answer In a sense, it is a very rudimentary form of hacking. You are gaining unauthorized access to normally hidden menus on the Coke machine to find information or get something for yourself. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 50 Helpful 132

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Tips

• This only works for Coke machines, which may sell products such as Barq's Root Beer, Sprite, Dasani, Evian, Fanta, Fresca, Fruitopia, Full Throttle, Powerade, Hi-C, Minute Maid, Nestea, Odwalla, Mr. Pibb, Planet Java, Seagram's Ginger Ale, Simply Orange, Sparkletts, or Tab in addition to Coke and Diet Coke. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• 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. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0

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Warnings

• Attempting to hack any kind of vending machine for monetary gain is a crime. Thanks Helpful 9 Not Helpful 3
• Some establishments will change the debug menu code to prevent people from messing around with the debug settings. This is common in places such as schools and libraries. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 2

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References

1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZLsCqgtNXE
2. ↑ https://www.bungie.net/uR/Forums/Post/114387

About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 257 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 3,280,521 times. How helpful is this? Co-authors: 257 Updated: July 24, 2025 Views: 3,280,521 Categories: Featured Articles | Hacks In other languages Spanish French German Chinese Arabic Dutch

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Click a star to vote Co-authors: 257 Updated: July 24, 2025 Views: 3,280,521

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