An improved protective coating, for parking meters or other equipment that is subject to environmental deterioration andor vandalism, having thereon at least a three layer coating of a composite thickness sufficiently thick to avoid pinholes and sufficiently thin to avoid crazing and cracking due to variations in the ambient environment. In one embodiment, the system utilizes a processor, an integrated circuit design simulator software, a storage media, a storage device, user interface, and a display. A controller is coupled to the accelerometer and forms a comparison of the energy signature signal to the door component operating signature and generates a door component operation status signal in response to the comparison.