20-3104-1 PS2 5-volt broke

  Try deleting the engine from the remote and re adding it. If the battery dies. It will revert back to it’s original number. Not the one the remote assigns it into the first open slot when first added.  I’ve had this happen a few times when an engine sits idle for months with batteries. You did say it came up silent.  I’m guessing with BCR’s this isn’t an issue after the engine sits powered up on the layout for a minute. They have always re added and worked.

Have you tried to start and run the engine conventionally?

MELGAR

It's possible, if the battery was totally dead, that the board forgot its DCS address, hence why the remote says "No Engine On Track". Try deleting and readding the locomotive.

The fact that you don't hear a relay click isn't good. It's very likely the board is on its way out. Do any of the capacitors look bulged?

Again, the bottom line- a suspect engine should best be tested in conventional and ensure you can measure actual current draw when powering.

These clues are how to know how messed up your engine might be and how at risk for causing further damage.

Straight from a PS2 manual https://mthtrains.com/sites/de...ction/50as15442i.pdf

Testing The Ps-2 Upgrade
Installation
Connect the tender (without the tender shell on) to the engine (chassis only) by
inserting the tender harness into the 10 pin plug at the rear of the engine.
Apply 12 volts of power (in conventional mode) to the engine and tender. If
you have a Z4000 look at the current display.The engine should not draw more
than 1.5 amps. If the engine draws more than 1.5 amps, shut down power to the
engine and tender immediately and check your wiring for any pinched or cut
wires. Turn the smoke unit switch off and power up again in conventional
mode. The engine without the smoke unit on should not draw more than 1.0
amp. Troubleshoot any problem in the smoke unit or wire harness accordingly.

PS2 boards will not lose there address if the battery dies while sitting on the shelf.  They will not retain the address you assign to it if the battery (or BCR) dies during the shutdown process and does not fully complete.  I take batteries out of PS2 engines all the time and they never loose their address as it not stored in volatile memory. Think about it, a BCR is pretty much dead after 24 hours and those engines don't lose their address.

Most likely your 5 volt board is toast.  The faulty speaker would be a good reason as to why & how but not necessarily the definitive answer.

It is a good candidate for a PS32 replacement board. When 5 volt boards start acting up, it's usually not long before they really go.

Thanks for the inputs.  Here is an update.  I did look at board and did not see any bulging caps.  I don't have an easy way to check in conventional, so I monitored current draw when adding voltage and I heard the click and it drew about 0.6 amps. Tried to start up with no success (Engine not on track). I then deleted the engine from remote and then went to add new MTH engine. Surprise! The engine was added to address 1. The engine started up and everything is working. I reassigned to old address, shut down, restarted and all is good. 

For now engine works fine. I think I will get a new speaker before I run it very much. I will run it until the 5 volt board is dead, but wondering in the future is the PS32 board the proper fix? Are those boards available to general public or only to service techs?

Again thanks to all.

Ken

As a person that has been fixing MTH trains for nearly 19 years - I wouldn't run that engine AT ALL until the speaker is changed.  Just saying!

Jim

Listen to Jim, don't power it up again until the speaker is replaced!

Got it

The speaker in the tender shows 16Ω and 5W.  The MTH parts site says this is obsolete and out of stock.  Is there a substitute P/N available or an aftermarket that will fit?

Go to amazon and search for a 16 ohm 2" speaker. You'll get lots options!

will do

I haven't measured the one in the tender, but parts list implies 45mm or 1.75 inch.  I'll have to see if a 2" speaker will fit

That's surprising, that tender is huge!

Yes, seems to have plenty of room.  The challenge seems to be finding 16Ω

@Kenjr posted:

I haven't measured the one in the tender, but parts list implies 45mm or 1.75 inch.  I'll have to see if a 2" speaker will fit

Measure it, I can't believe it's not the standard 2" speaker in this model.

I have to jump off until after Thanksgiving.  I'll get some measurements on Friday and see what I can find.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Ken

I just looked that engine up, …..it takes a 50mm ( 2” ) ….

Pat

While you are in there and if there is room, add a speaker baffle... Makes a huge improvement to the sound.

"I then deleted the engine from remote and then went to add new MTH engine. Surprise! The engine was added to address 1. The engine started up and everything is working." I have lost count of how many times I have done the same, sometimes with success, rarely not. DCS also has a "recover engine" function.

Above all, I keep engines (and cars) in plastic containers in as dry an environment as I can.  Does anyone else know if this last effort is worthwhile?

It is a 2" speaker. Have one on order.

H1000  There does seem to be some room for a baffle. Do you have any recommendations for making one? 

@Kenjr posted:

It is a 2" speaker. Have one on order.

H1000  There does seem to be some room for a baffle. Do you have any recommendations for making one?

Hot glue and a shaving cream plastic cap is about the correct diameter.

I make mine from 2" thinwall PVC and just glue the top on using some Styrene sheet.

Taco Bell - ask for a nacho cheese cup.

Great ideas. Does anyone put fiberglass or similar product inside baffle like some speakers?

I've never seen the benefit of any "padding" inside the baffle for speakers of the size we use.  When you're building a huge enclosure for 12" speakers, then killing off any back end sound may make a difference, but I doubt you can tell with speakers the size used in O-scale model trains.

If you really want to see samples of well designed speaker baffles, check  out laptop speakers.  Those companies put some serious sound engineering into making tiny speakers sound really good!

For baffles I recommend styrofoam. Plastic will likely have resonance modes that will sound annoying.

There are lots of premade foam baffles out there, but not sure if they make them that small.

You can also stuff it with polyfill to help deepen the sound from the speaker.