engine problem

Are the wheels clean?  Go back to 3 rail and see if it works, and do a DCS signal strength test.  DO a conventional and Factory reset.  GO back to 2R with clean wheels and try again.  G

Thanks G

All wheels are brand new. Starts up and idles in three rail mode the same way. I'll have to try a reset with my Z4000? Can't get anywhere with the DCS. Says engine not on track. Tried a read with the computer and it won't find it either. Seems like it's locked out?

Nope!

Did a factory reset with the Z4000. Got two horn blasts. Still no DCS? Will look into further.

I'm running other trains so it's just this engine.

Hey Joe, Delete and a  try adding again? 

 Thanks Gregg. I like the idea. But the computer uses a simple read program and doesn't see the engine either. The engine is starting up in conventional mode for some reason. I can't do any DCS stuff to it until it responds. It knows the polarity of the track. I had one engine last year that had a shorted out 2 rail switch from the factory.

 I'm double checking all TIU wiring but all other engines are fine.

It just must have something wrong inside but I will narrow it down. Heck if it takes me to do it, I'll swap out boards to see what's up!

 Yeah I know, they're too expensive.

Can you do a test with just the engine, TIU and remote on a sample piece of track.  You need to find out if it is seeing the DCS signal.  If it's not seeing the watchdog, it may be a bad board.  I didn't know MTH put this capability in an engine from 2005.  Interesting...

The engine is starting up in conventional mode for some reason

 

 

Not good. .I hate to ask but how  does  another engine  behave on the same track? dark & silent?

Memory is failing me right now, but there was an issue with the 3/2 system that required shims in the truck.  Not sure if this might apply, but I'll throw it out there

 

JOE -

 

CHECK THE BATTERY !!

Yeap. I put another engine on the track and it's fine.

This started on the layout. I immediately moved it to the service track to find out why it wasn't seeing the watchdog. The funny thing to me is the board clicks first, like it's getting the signal. If I switch the polarity, it does the multi click. Either way, a second or two later it fires up.

 It runs fine in conventional.

It ran fine last week. I touched the two rail switch and things went south after. I'm testing with my meter to see how the switch works and checking the wiring for any shorts or even wrong paths. I'll shove these boards into a known working engine and see what happens first. I believe something just went south???

It took me two days to convert to 2 rail. It's very frustrating.

the 3/2 shim kits i have never used in my conversions(10 premier scale)although i was tempted as engines had similar issues.After i removed the black oxide coatings from the power pick up screws at the trucks and bypassed the 2/3 rail switch on one engine and a good shell off check over ,all of my engines have been very reliable.FYI..i believe the black oxide screw at each truck is a power ground feed to your ps2/3 2 rail. It has been a while..correct me if i am wrong.

OK, it's the board. I put it into a good engine and it fires right up. I tried the track signal with another engine and it's ten. All other engines  work fine.

 So now to figure out how it got messed up.

Nothing seems burnt! Maybe lucky it's minor?? (probably not).

It could be that the battery was low enough that the engine lost its ID #. That requires a hard reset that not many techs know. I have done it successfully twice with PS2 3volt boards. I was taught by Marty.

If it runs in conventional but DCS can't find it there's a good chance that can be it.

Ralph

Joe,

 

It's a long shot, however, try a Recover Engine. The symptoms don't fit exactly, however, it's easy enough to try.

 

Just remember that the TIU's ID# must be "1".

Ralph,  Now with the Recover engine you can do it with DCS.  No longer necessary to short the processor to do a hard reset.  G

I will try it. I'm wondering how, if the engine comes up in conventional. I'll be surprised. It won't be the first time!

Joe,

 I'm wondering how, if the engine comes up in conventional.

That's the symptom that I said didn't exactly fit with the solution. However, you have nothing to lose if you try it.

I haven't had any luck with the recover engine. I haven't gotten many with that problem. But I'll try it again when I do. It'll be interesting to see if it works for joe.

Ralph

That is what a hard reset does.  Are you saying you have PS-2 boards dead to DCS and Conventional ops and doing a hard reset restores operation?   G

G, I don't know if you're asking me or Ralph? This runs fine in conventional

I restored the boards inside the original and it still fires right away on power up.

Barry, no go on the recover. The system came back fast with no engine recovered message.

 I tried for the heck of it to see if the loader could find the engine. It says "critical error, no engine on track. Make sure engine address is not set to zero".

 How do I do that???

I probably won't be back here for awhile. I have to stand on my head to get my computer on to the internet. Sooner or later reboot won't work. Urrggg.

I was asking Ralph.  G

Joe  check your email i emailed you an excellent software disk you can purchase that will probably help you repair your computer issues!

Alan

Hi  Joe. With 3 rail the  red from the tiu must go to the center rail ,,black to outside else the engine comes up in conventional and will not add no matter what.  Why not reverse track feeders for the heck of it.

George,

The ones I had ran in conventional but not in DCS and everything I tried didn't work.  I was having all the problems joe is having. In fact the more I think about it I did them before the recover engine was added to DCS.

Sorry I don't always explain my self well sometimes on here. I'm better with it in front of me.

Ralph

Ralph, No problem, I just wanted to be sure you didn't find a magic 5V restore feature.

 

That is my understanding.  A board has to work in conventional.  If not found in DCS chances are the id is out of range and a hard reset of the processor brings it back to a factory setting.  The Recover engine does that now with software.  Some times more than once to get it.  Of course the board has to have good signal strength so it can communicate with the TIU.  G