MTH Coors Light train

See your instruction manual about powering up the engine (engine only) and how to check the rechargeable battery. If you are powering up in conventional mode (no DCS)  using the Z4000, apply 10 volts to the track. You should here a click. After a few seconds if there is no click, no lights or sound then there is either a sound board problem or the board is not receiving voltage. If the engine powers up let it sit on the track for at least 5  minutes with 10 volts to charge the battery. Now try to run it by pressing the direction button. If nothing happens try to reset the board. Quickly press the horn button once followed by pressing the bell button five times. You should hear two horn blasts indicating the board is reset and the engine should start up. If nothing happens then the board should be tested by an MTH tech. I can do it for you but check the MTH website for a ASC near you. If you get the engine running remember to lubricate it and check the traction tires. Email me if I can be of any further assistance. MTH ASC 961364 Choo Choo Barn, Strasburg, PA   

Can't wait to get home to try the  suggestions I received. Thanks

You need to put a NEW BATTERY in before you try to run it those set are about 12 to 15 year's old , you should not try to charge the old battery .

Thanks for the update, will do

Thanks for the update, will do. Any instructions on taking the Engine apart to get to the batteries. The instruction booklet doesn't give too much details.

Page 13 of the manual, it's pretty easy to remove the shell and access the battery.  What part are you having trouble with.

BTW, that's a special PS/2 3V board set, so if you tinker around and smoke it, it may be a real problem to get a replacement.  I haven't had to try the PS32 board in one of these yet, and I hope I never have to.

DO NOT REPOWER THIS UP. If it already blew a small transformer it has a short some where. Your better off sending this out for repair.  If you power up and it is shorted you risk more damage and maybe fatal damage to the board.  I can test and repair if your not comfortable opening this up.  Be careful of detail work at back of engine.  G

I agree, I will be sending the engine in for repair. Thanks

If it needs a PS-2 3V flash board, MTH no longer has them.  So ask your repair tech if he has one.  It has to go to MTH to be flashed.  I have a few for critical repairs like this, and have Coors in stock.  Also make sure your tech can do component repairs.  It may be bad power supply or audio amp.  G

Quick question. What if it will run in conventional mode but it cant be found by Dcs? It ran before we moved and now it wont run.  It has been boxed for two years.  It has the blue battery pack in it that looks like double a batteries. I did try to charge it with a spare transformer for over an hour. No sound comes from it when in conventional.  Smoke unit works.  

Sound is back 

Try a new battery first.  Next, did you try the "recover lost engine" function from the DCS remote?

Well i deleted the engine like a dodo so i tried to do the recovery. I think part of the problem is the track is dirty also.  I will have to order a new battery. 

Well, if it's been two years, it's quite possible you had the wrong number for the locomotive in the remote in any case.  Try adding it with a short test track with ONLY that locomotive on the track.

Ok so i tried the test track trick and it worked like a charm. When i put it back on the main track it again doesnt see the engine.  I just ran a Different transformer and without the lockon. My ps 3 engine runs just fine through that setup. Is the lockon the problem? 

Probably yes.  Killing DCS signal.  G

Yes, the TMCC Direct Lockon for certain kills the track signal.  I found that out personally and on our club layout.  Problem solved!

Thats weird that a ps3 engine runs with a perfect 10 but it wont see the coors at all.  Crazy. Well time to pull it out. 

Perhaps semantics, but "killing" the track signal may be overstating.  I'd say it maims or injures the DCS signal.   

MTH has evolved the DCS circuit in its engines over time to better detect such weakened signals.

Stan, all I can tell you is, I can put the TMCC Direct Lockon in line with my test track, one 40" piece of Atlas track, the TIU, and the transformer.  If I add the Direct Lockon after the TIU on the way to the track, NO DCS locomotive will be found when I add an engine.  That's as close to "killing" as I can imagine.   That includes PS/3 engines.

Yeah took the lockon out of the picture and it still says no engine found. Changed to the transformer that i used for the test track also. Weird.  The coors is loaded in the system now but the recovery wont work either.  The spirit of union is running on the same setup. New battery is in its way just for poops and giggles.  Lowest track signal i have gotten is a 9. 

Try it on the bench with a short piece of track and the TIU.

I did that already. It loaded straight in to the handheld and i was able to make it move and everything.  So i took the lockon out and put the transformer in that i used for the test track.  I guess the next step is battery? It will get here friday. 

The battery won't cause it not to function in command as long as you don't have track power interruptions.

It works like it should on the test track. The only difference i can guess is maybe add another power drop on the other side of the loop to bring the voltage up. But sitting it directly on top of the power drop makes no difference in finding the engine.  

I dont mean to hijack the thread. I hope this is helping us all. 

A couple of things from my experience:

- my Coors train is more sensitive to having clean track and clean pick-up and wheels for getting a good dcs signal. I would do a thorough cleaning of both.

- a 9 or 10 on signal test doesn't tell you the whole story on how strong your dcs signal really is. Don't know if you are using a Rev L TIU or earlier version. If an earlier version, you could try adding a light bulb to problem track. Again, this is because my Coors train seems to "need" a stronger signal to operate than all my other DCS engines. For me using the Rev L TIU solved my issues.

I will say, for the Coors cars to all open and close properly, you need a booming DCS signal, and if you aren't seeing 10's, you probably need to park somewhere else to exercise the loading/unloading.   It sure is neat with it works, I bought an extra car and the tail car, and it makes a pretty impressive rig when all the doors pop open and the vapor rolls out.

The only thing I have to change is for some reason the tail car used white LED's inside and all the other cars use blue LED's.  I have to get in there and swap out the LED's so they all match.

Well my test track voltage is 18. When i hook the same transformer up to the loop of track it drops to 14-15.  The loop is around 8x10. 

If you have nothing else on the track, you need to figure out where all the voltage drop is coming from.

Figured it out. What threw me off was all other engines were running normal.  Tmcc and ps3. When i rewired it with the new power drops added i actually wired the red and blacks backwards. Had red on the outside and black on the inside.  Sat down and reread the dcs manual and had a lightbulb go off.  Reversed the leads and bingo.  

PS/3 doesn't mind things being reversed like PS/2 does.

Hi guys, I finally sent my Coors Light train back to MTH for repair. Thanks for all for all your input. Now I have another problem. My MTH Z4000 will not re-set. The last time I had to re-set it, it took me to move the on/off level at least 20-30 times before the red light went off. The trains ran with no problems, two days later I turn on the power and BOOM back to trying to re-set the transformer. To this day I have not been able to use the transformer, it's been at least two weeks now. Any suggestions?

 Thanks

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Page 13 of the manual, it's pretty easy to remove the shell and access the battery.  What part are you having trouble with.

BTW, that's a special PS/2 3V board set, so if you tinker around and smoke it, it may be a real problem to get a replacement.  I haven't had to try the PS32 board in one of these yet, and I hope I never have to.

Hey John i do have that extra engine that took a dive to the floor if he needs any boards. 

Peoples RailRoad posted:

Hi guys, I finally sent my Coors Light train back to MTH for repair. Thanks for all for all your input. Now I have another problem. My MTH Z4000 will not re-set. The last time I had to re-set it, it took me to move the on/off level at least 20-30 times before the red light went off. The trains ran with no problems, two days later I turn on the power and BOOM back to trying to re-set the transformer. To this day I have not been able to use the transformer, it's been at least two weeks now. Any suggestions?

 Thanks

I am really sorry you are having so many different issues. I know it is not fun to have broken equipment. I hope these guys can help you figure it all out.