bad board

I'd try every reset, conventional, feature, factory, first.  Then I'd ask the forum.

I have one loco, a PS2 3-volt upgrade, that confuses the loader program into thinking it's 5-volt.  Problem with that is that I downloaded, without complaint, a 5-volt battery, and thereafter I had to try many reloadings to get it working again.  But that's another story.

When you start the newest loader program, it states in fine print the volt style of the file, and then as it searches for the loco, it lists port, then address, and then, briefly, whether loco is 5-volt or 3-volt.  Does yours conform?

Checking battery voltage before and after trying is meaningless (unless it shows 0, the mark of an internal discontinuity).   Battery MUST be tested under load.

It loaded into the remote with great difficulty (long time). Some of the softkeys don't make sense. Some are for diesel, some for steamers, some I've never seen. The engine won't do a thing.

I put a spare board set in and she runs fine. So I think the board is scrambled. I will try some type of reset with the Z4000. I would think that loading a sound file, would reset the board. It can't get past step 1.

The tech loader program may have the ability to wipe the board's memory clean.  I'm sure GGG has the answer.

Joe,  No running in Conventional, but did it start up or just no response?  The data you see is that from a serial file via a dealer loader?  What are you reading?

The factory serial file data is just yyyy. with only some specific data.

Need to figure out if you have a good battery circuit and board set first.  If it won't even start up in conventional, I believe you have a bad board.  Unless this doesn't have a sound file loaded.  G

That's why I tried to load one but the loader fails.

It does nothing in conventional except click when power is applied.

A fresh board set and she runs fine.

Just never had a board that wouldn't load or talk with the loader without errors like this.

 I'm charging the battery outside the engine for one last try at a reset. I don't believe it will work..... but hey! I'm usually wrong.

Joe, Sounds like it may be a damaged board.  If there is a short or some other damages the relay may click but the board won't start up.  Even with no battery installed it would start if the board was ok.  So this charging routine isn't going to result in anything.  Remove the battery and try to start it in conventional.  If it doesn't start up and you do the conventional reset with no results, the board is bad.   G

George is there a way to delete the sound file in a ps2 engine or is it you can only overwrite a sound file with another sound file!just curious and trying ti understand.

Alan

An older consumer allowed that, but not sure why you would want to do that.  Current versions just down load new files and over write the current file.  G

I was just wondering with the issue he was having if you could delete the file maybe corrupted and then try the board to see if it  worked, what do you think on the board is bad any ideas what may have failed?

Alan

Nope. Took the battery out and no start in conventional. Put in the replacement boards and no battery, and it runs.

G, should you look at it or is it just scrap?

Maybe replace just the one board?

Thanks all for the help.

Joe send it, 3V boards have higher probability of repair.  Especially the Power Supply board.  G

So I am stumped now with this engine. I'm looking for a short and I can't find anything. I think the board was abused and there were several issues that did it in. It will start up briefly and then shut down for a long period. It wouldn't drive anything. I unplugged everything and got the board to work with just the stock motor by replacing the motor diode with the G gauge one.

 There might have been some type of short in the pot for the smoke unit? It only now works up full. The board will shut down if any stock accessory harness is plugged in. All the board's white harness receptacles are slightly blackened. Even the stock speaker leads are blackened right at the harness?

So I'm trying one by one to isolate the problem(s). I can't find any shorts other than that smoke pot problem.

 I took a spare 12 wire harness and just used the speaker on pins 5 and six. It will run the motor and sounds.

 If I add just a spare headlight, (smoke or any other function,) the board shuts down after a few seconds. It acts as if there's no battery and quits immediately. The headlight was lit when it ran.

 Has anyone seen a board that shuts down with just adding the headlight?

 The board will run the motor and sound fine on the bench. I believe there was some type of short in the stock harness or similar that has taken out the board's function capabilities? Is the motor drawing the board's max capability?

 This one is kicking me!!

You need to put those boards into a test fixture to see what's up with them.

What's the ammeter on your power supply showing while that board set/loco is fired up?

why not try the suspected board in another locomotive that you know works and but substitute your power supply board and see if the same symptoms apply, if they follow the board to a good working locomotive you then know for sure that your power supply board is bad and can have George repair it for you!

Good Luck trouble shooting!

Alan

Well here goes. I already swapped out boards and was using a new set to verify any shorts or any other issues were fixed.

 While swapping out a power supply board, I noticed a pin is snapped off the original. I used a breadboard pin filed down and tried to repair the missing pin. So far, the board is still out. Even with the new power supply board, the board won't fire up again. Sometimes it comes back to life after some time. It gets scrambled. So I'll try again tomorrow.

 The engine runs fine with a replacement set of diesel boards in there.

I would just like to see this board get used. It's probably just a gonner. Doesn't draw any extra power. Most of the time, it only clicks when conventional power is applied.

 It seems like this board set just got the heck kicked out of it. I bet someone else has swapped out the power board because it seems to be sloppy in it's jacks.

did you try an conventional reset?

Alan

I ran into some strange thing one time as well and thought the boards were gone , but luckily the conventional rest restored the boards to proper working order.

Alan

If not George I 'm sure George can fix them for you!

Alan

It is weird, but every once in a while you see some weird stuff.  Maybe the 3V power supply is going.  Next time you have a repair send it again.   G

Well here goes. I already swapped out boards and was using a new set to verify any shorts or any other issues were fixed.

Wow! Kinda expensive way to check for shorts??!!

Why is it you're willing to sacrifice a set of $200 boards to test for shorts but you cant seem to let go of a power board at $80.00??

He is talking processor, I am talking about the 3.3V power supply on the processor. G

Thanks for the help G.

 I got her running with replacement boards.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;feature=youtu.be

You take your meter and see if the leads have a short in them. You trace wires and look for melting or pinched spots. At some point, you take a limited risk and see if it's just the board causing the issue.

 you take a limited risk and see if it's just the board causing the issue.

Really??!! I've preformed over 250 PS2 conversions and repaired an endless amount of PS2 and now PS3 locos. Been a certified MTH DCS Tech/ ASC for over 10 years now and have never resorted to sacrificing a set of boards to check for wiring shorts.

If I suspect bad boards then that's where the PS2 Test Fixture comes in handy. And the pricey PS3 Test fixture.

OK. I believe you.

Should I post numbers of conversions too?

Should we talk length>????

At some point when you can't find any shorts, you have to replace the boards. I don't know what took them out. They are fried. The engine runs now. I didn't risk anything. Maybe just got lucky I guess???

I tried the smoke unit in another engine and it was fine. I sent the boards to G and he tested them. They are weak and keep shutting down along with other odd things.

 I appreciate the help CJ. I don't think you know the whole sequence of events.

I was actually talking with GGG and hoping Stan would comment on some anomaly that prevents the board from powering any functions. Maybe it just  went south finally. Intermittent electrical issues can be a bear to find. I would expect you to know that!!

So I got your point and thanks again for the expertise to say that you never take any risks.

 So again, why do you keep pounding on some issue that is over??? 

Good response EJ..i follow your diagnostic tree and logic for troubleshooting all the time.