Hacking Maytag: Coin-Operated Laudromat Machines

Most _ Maytag _ commercial washers and dryers out there use a common controller platform. It dates back to the 80s and is still produced. So almost all Maytag with digital control panel is exploitable in this way. The identifying features are green vacuum florescent display with a four-digit numerical display and six rectangular black buttons. Maytag Washers and dryers are essentially the same, card operated and coin-op are identical in their hardware and programming.

You will need, usually, a T-25 security bit, easily obtainable in a set for a few bucks at most hardware stores

At the top of the Maytag machine you’ll see four screws holding the control panel on. Unscrew them, and remove trim and display cover. Once those are off, usually pushing up will loosen the entire control panel assembly. Unplug the machine. On the back of the control panel, there’s a connector labelled “AA1”. It’s a three-pin locking connector with two very short loopbacks. Remove it. Plug the machine back in.

You should see a new display on the machine now. The way that this works is that Maytag machine code on the left is what you are programming, and the number on the right is the value for that parameter. “Delicate & Knits” toggles things, and “Permanent Press” Increment things.

Hacking Commercial Maytag Washers and Dryers

Hacking Coin-Operated Laudromat Machines

Washers – code:

• **6 – Regular cycle price ** , in quarters – this is probably what you want to fool with
• **7 – Wash Length **
• **8 – Additional Rinse **
• **9 – Cycle Counter ** – Once toggled, stays on forever
• **1 – Money Counter ** – also cannot be turned off once enabled
• **2 – Special Pricing ** – Enables options 3 through 9
• **3 – Special Cycle Price ** in quarters – this is also interesting
• **5 – Real time clock, minutes **
• **6 – Real time clock, hours **
• **7 – Special Price Start Hour **
• **8 – Special Price Stop Hour **
• **9 – Special Price Days ** – 1 = Sunday, 7=Saturday
• **A – Vault View ** – Used for auditing
• **B – Value of coin 1 ** in nickels – only if it’s a coin-op or combo
• **C – Value of coin 2 ** , in nickels – ussually used for dual American/Canadian coin-op machines
• **D – Coin Slide Value ** , in nickels – those slidey things that takes four coins at once
• **E – Add Coins Option ** – Toggles display between number of coins and dollar value
• **F – Enhanced Pricing Option ** – CP allows pricing per cycle, SP allows a ‘super’ cycle for additional money
• **H – Super Cycle Upgrade Price ** , in quarters
• **h – Super Cycle Type ** – 01: extra wash, 02: extra rinse, 03: both
• **J – Coin/debit option ** – leave this alone, you may not be able to change it anyways
• **L – Price Suppression option ** – Turns off the amount to add, just shows ‘ADD’
• **n – Clear Escrow ** – If on, clears credits after 30 minutes of no activity
• **r – Spin Cycle RPM ** – default is 800. It’s probably wise to leave this alone
• **U – Penny offset ** – used to bump the price up by pennies on a smart card machine
• **A1 – Prewash Length ** – 2-7 minutes, 0 disables
• **A2 – Final Spin Length ** – 3-8 minutes

It’s fairly evident what to do here. Set 6 to 00 for free washes and maybe set F. to enable, H. to 00, and h fo 03 to make every wash a super wash.

If you are paranoid, or you are in a higher traffic area, maybe you don’t want the maytag machine to be on free all the time – maybe an hour or two a week when you usually do laundry is sufficient. This is where Special Pricing comes in. Set 2. to enable, and make sure that you set the real-time clock in 5. and 6. correctly. Only wash between 8PM and 10pm on Saturday ? 3.00, 7.20, 8.22, 9.7S. 😉

Every change you make is committed instantly, so try not to ruin the programming and cause a maintenance call. To put the machine back into service, just unplug it, plug the AA1 loopback in, screw everything back together and plug it back in. You may need to open and close the door and insert a spart-card a few times for it to come fully alive, and usually if there’s a smartcard reader attached you’ll still need a card, but it wont debit you when the cycle is selected.

Maytag Dryers are a little different, some of the codes are the same, but entry into maintenance mode is different. The ones I have seen have a circular key that activates a microswitch. You can either use the Bic pen trick, or usually easier is to unscrew one corner of the front panel, reach behind there and hold it down. Unlike the washers, you don’t need for the machine to be off for this.

Dryer – code:

• **6 – Regular Cycle Price – ** in quarters
• **7 – Minutes of drying per coin ** – Free cycles count as one coin
• **8 – Type of dry time ** – 00 means that you can add time to running dryer
• **9 – Cycle Counter ** – Cannot be turned off once on
• **1 – Money Counter ** – Cannot be turned off once on
• **2 – Special Pricing Option ** – Same as the washer
• **3 – Special Cycle Price ** , in quarters
• **4 – Special Drying Minutes ** , per quarter
• **5 – RTC Minutes **
• **6 – RTC Hours **
• **7 – Special Price Start Hour **
• **8 – Special Price Start Minutes **
• **9 – Special Price Days **
• **A – Vault View **
• B – Coin 1 Value , in nickels
• **C – Coin 2 Value ** , in nickels
• **D – Coin Slide Option ** – Enables Coin Slide

Word of caution: Some models may have additional options to modify the cycle temperatures. Don be an asshole, leave them alone

_ Happy Maytag Hacking – Try not to get caught _