A Complete Guide to Claw Machine Maintenance by YPFuns

Introduction

Claw machines are more than just eye-catching arcade attractions—they're revenue-generating investments that rely on consistent performance and reliability. Whether you put them in shopping malls, amusement centers, or entertainment venues, a well-maintained claw machine will make your customers happy and make you money. If you don't take care of your equipment, you might end up with mechanical failures, weaker claws, or controls that don't respond. This can frustrate your customers and hurt your business. In this guide, we'll walk you through essential maintenance practices, troubleshooting tips, and preventative care strategies to keep your claw machines in top condition all year long.

YPFuns' Professional After-Sales Team Commitment
YPFuns boasts an industry-leading after-sales service system for claw machines and gift machines. We promise:
✅ 24/7 technical response, with a quick response within 2 minutes
✅ On-site service for entire store operations
✅ Direct supply of genuine parts, ensuring 100% compatibility
✅ Remote diagnostic system: 90% of issues can be resolved online
✅ Regular and proactive follow-up visits and preventative maintenance reminders

I.Claw Machine Crane Maintenance

1. Crane not reaching front/rear positioning:

Power off. Press and hold the setting button, power on, and release after 3 seconds. Enter settings, and go to "Claw Force & Motor Right Movement." If the crane moves left/right, it’s okay—check the micro switch.
Manually press the switch shrapnel; a clear "click" should be heard. (No sound means shrapnel failed—replace with same model switch.)
Possible causes: front/rear motors, positioning switches, main board, power supply, or crane-to-main-board wiring.

2. Crane not reaching left/right positioning:

Power off. Press and hold the setting button, power on, and release after 3 seconds. Enter settings, go to "Claw Force & Motor Speed Adjustment," and find "Left/Right Speed." Enter it, then move the joystick up and down to check if the crane can move left and right. If it can, the crane is fine—check the micro switch.  
Manually press the switch shrapnel; there should be a clear "click." (No sound means the shrapnel is faulty—replace with the same model switch.)  
Possible causes: left/right motors, positioning switches, main board, power supply, or the connecting wire from the crane to the main board.

3. Crane moves down but hits upper positioning:

Check if the copper pipe presser fully depresses the micro switch and if the rope is reversed.

4. Crane moves up but misses upper positioning:

Check if the anti-sway hook is too low and if the rope is derailed.

5. Crane won't move:

Check the screen display and program startup; see if the "24V" indicator on the main board power is lit.

6. Crane moves automatically before joystick use:

 Power off, enter settings, and check if "Game Auto-Start" in basic settings is enabled.

II. Claw Machine Screen Maintenance

What if the display doesn't light up?  

Check if the port cables on the back of the LCD screen are plugged in tightly.  
Check if the port cables on the main board side are plugged in tightly.  
Do not plug or unplug the LCD screen cables while powered on; operate with power off. After plugging in with the power on, restart the device.

III. Claw Maintenance

1. How to set claw parameters

Long-press the setting button to enter the settings interface, and select "Claw Force & Motor Speed" to set.
Set claw parameters based on doll weight: normally strong claw 40, medium 13, weak 10.
Also set according to different difficulty modes.

2. Claw position offset (not centered)/Claw jams when moving

First, swap the main board with another normally functioning claw machine. If it works after swapping, the main board is fine—the issue is with the crane. Fix it yourself if possible; contact after-sales for replacement parts if crane components are faulty.

3. What if the claw doesn't grab when lowering? 

Check if the two yellow power wires connected to the coil are loose; measure if there's DC power in the yellow wires. 

4. Claw opens and can't close when returning to exit with an item

Weak claw force voltage is too low. Increase it appropriately based on the item's size and weight.

5. Claw doesn't lower after pressing start; it only lowers automatically when game countdown ends

Check if the start button works properly.  
Check if the start button's wiring is loose or disconnected.

6. Claw won't open after returning to position

Power off the claw machine and check if the claw can open: (If it can, the main board program is faulty, continuously releasing voltage; if not, check for debris jamming the claw joints.)

IV. Coin acceptor malfunction Maintenance

1. Coin system malfunction: No response after inserting coins

For coin insertion failure: Check if the dip switch of the coin acceptor is set to normally closed (NC); check if the coin acceptor cable is crushed by the cable cover or has a broken skin causing a short circuit.  

If coins can't be inserted: Check for jammed base coins (set base coins); check for debris in the upper and lower coin channels of the coin acceptor; check if the spring and buckle in the lower coin channel of the coin acceptor are damaged; check if the back of the coin acceptor is blocked by prizes.  

2. Coins are inserted normally, but the display doesn't show points

If coins don't add points: Check if the white cable of the coin acceptor is tightly connected.

V. Claw Machine Lighting Maintenance

1. Lights not working

Check if the switch next to the meter on the front of the machine is turned on; check if the indicator light of the power box is on; check if the light card's power cord and signal line are properly plugged in.

2. Why do the claw machine lights flicker?

Check if the light power box flickers at the same frequency: (If it flickers, either a) a light is short-circuited or b) the power box has unstable power; if it doesn't flicker, check if the light card port inside the machine is loose, oxidized, or burned.)

VI. Light eye Maintenance

How to fix a light eye malfunction?

If the light eye is not connected or the item outlet is blocked, check the outlet or the light eye.
There is usually a button next to the light eye for adjustment.
Clean the light eye: Dust or dirt may accumulate on the light eye, causing insensitive induction. You can use a cotton swab dipped in a little alcohol or cleaning agent to gently wipe the surface of the light eye to remove dust and dirt.
Adjust the light eye position: Misalignment of the light eye can also prevent the gripper from accurately catching dolls. Adjust the light eye position to align it with the grabbing position, then test if it can grab normally.

VII. Claw Machine Joystick and Button Maintenance

1. Joystick failure, unable to operate normally

Check if the joystick's forward, backward, left, and right functions are faulty or if the wire ends are loose.
Check if the main board's main connector is loose or not properly plugged in.
Check if the crane's forward, backward, left, and right stops are faulty or stuck.
Check if the forward/backward/left/right motors are faulty, their wire ends are loose, or gears are misaligned.
Check if the connector between the crane wiring and the machine wiring is properly engaged.

2. Button failure, claw not dropping

If the joystick button or display is faulty, first check if the main board wires are loose. Then replace the joystick button to see if it’s broken, and check if the button micro switch is locked too tightly.

VIII. Claw Machine Main Board Maintenance

1. Main board unresponsive, indicator light not on

Power adapter damaged or voltage unstable (e.g., non-standard voltage power supply). 
Main board fuse blown.
Power interface loose or oxidized.

2. Machine lagging, unresponsive buttons, program disorder

Program chip data damaged or lost.
System subject to electromagnetic interference (e.g., nearby high-current equipment).
Overheating or memory overflow due to long-term operation.

3. Claw not moving, coin acceptor not recognizing, abnormal lighting

Main board drive circuit damaged (e.g., relay or triode burned out).
Connecting wires loose or short-circuited (e.g., poor contact in claw machine motor wires).
Sensor malfunction (e.g., coin acceptor signal not transmitted back to main board).

4. Main board unable to communicate with sub-boards (e.g., coin acceptor, display)  Communication chip damaged.

Poor contact or interference in serial port lines. 
Protocol mismatch (e.g., failure to reconfigure after device replacement).  

5. Unstable claw force, abnormal game time, uncontrollable probability

Main board data modified by mistake (e.g., incorrect manual debugging). 
Voltage calibration offset (e.g., wrong power supply parameters for claw force motor). 

6. Burnt smell from main board, bulging components, persistent faults

Capacitor/resistor aging (e.g., electrolyte leakage from electrolytic capacitors).
Chip breakdown (e.g., chip damage caused by overvoltage or static electricity).
Line corrosion or breakage (common in humid environments).

IX. Other accessories maintenance

1. How to find the advanced settings?  

Turn off and restart the machine while pressing and holding the setting button to enter. Press and hold both buttons for three seconds to access the hidden interface.  

2. How to resolve external casing damage?

If the external casing is damaged within the warranty period, you can contact our after-sales service for a replacement.

3. The received claw machine is missing parts (screws, power cords, instruction manuals, etc.)

If parts are missing, you can contact our after-sales service for replenishment.

X. How to debug a claw machine

1. Basic debugging for non-fixed-point claw machines 

First, long-press the setting button to enter the settings. Start by setting the claw force and motor speed. Adjust the strong claw force; usually we set it around 35, the medium claw force around 23-25, the weak claw force around 12, and the winning claw force generally around 48 (specific values depend on the weight of the dolls and the machine).

Then enter the basic adjustment to set the number of games per payout, the number of times to give strong claw force as a bonus (usually set to twice), and the number of coins per play. For the payout mode, it's generally better to choose a fixed strong claw force. The dropping height is usually 2000 (you can lower the claw to check if the height is appropriate).

2. Basic settings for fixed-point claw machines

First, long-press the setting button to enter the settings. Start by setting the claw force and motor speed. The strong claw force ensures that the dolls can be picked up, while dragging the dolls relies on the medium claw force, which is generally 5-8 lower than the strong claw force. The weak claw force is usually 10-11.

Then move the joystick down to enter the fixed-point dropping settings. Set the fixed-point probability, which refers to one fixed point every x games (for example, setting it to 1 means one fixed point per game, and setting it to 2 means one fixed point every two games). Set the fixed-point mode selection, which is off by default; it's recommended to set it to fixed. Set the left-right width: shake the joystick up twice, and if the number remains unchanged after the crane returns to its position, it means it's acceptable. Set the fixed-point dropping positions: the larger the left-right dropping point number, the farther from the baffle; the smaller the number, the closer to the baffle (we usually set it to 100-110 by default). You can toggle the joystick up to check the distance and adjust accordingly. 
For the front-back dropping points, the larger the number, the farther from the baffle; the smaller the number, the closer to the baffle. Enter the fixed-point test to start the game and check the effect of the previous adjustments.

Conclusion

Regular maintenance isn't just about fixing problems when they come up — it's about avoiding them in the first place. If you follow a regular maintenance schedule, clean and inspect the parts, and fix minor issues before they get out of hand, you can make your machines last a lot longer while keeping the players happy. Hey, just a friendly reminder that in the arcade and amusement business, how often your machines are up and running and their performance directly affect your bottom line. With the right care, your claw machines will keep running smoothly, attracting customers and delivering consistent returns for years to come.