MTH Z-4000 is only putting out 16 volts

@pennsyfan posted:

The problem is on both handles. Some TMCC / Legacy engines aren’t responding. It’s done it in the past; but then came back. It appears to be down for the count.

I want to see you run trains, so let's properly troubleshoot before just declaring something dead. I'm not saying the Z4K is perfect and they can be damaged, but both handles becomes suspect.

#1 unplug any and all track wiring between the Z4000 and your track. It (the Z4K) has excellent meters that actually measure the output voltage and current, so we can self test the transformer all by itself. If the channels go from 0 all the way up to about about 21-22 volts without the track and your wiring attached- then the transformer is not likely bad.

#2 Correlation- Some TMCC and Legacy engines not responding should have nothing to do with the power. They will respond as low as 12V. Further, you failed to mention what amperage the Z4000 was displaying when saying it was also 16V- more than enough to run an engine.

My guess is, you have something shorted in your wiring or track. Your wiring is such that resistance might be dropping the voltage to the track and taking the brunt this, such that you maybe do have low track voltage, but it's not because the transformer- it's because of a short.

Telltale- "It’s done it in the past; but then came back" . That sure sound like you had a problem with a short, blamed it on the transformer, the short was corrected and then trains ran again. Otherwise, a person would explain that differently and would have said- I've had to repair this Z4000 before and they replaced X components, and now the problem is back again.

Z4000s are repairable and parts are in stock https://www.mthpartsandsales.c...z4000&in_stock=1

@Vernon Barry posted:

I want to see you run trains, so let's properly troubleshoot before just declaring something dead. I'm not saying the Z4K is perfect and they can be damaged, but both handles becomes suspect.

#1 unplug any and all track wiring between the Z4000 and your track. It (the Z4K) has excellent meters that actually measure the output voltage and current, so we can self test the transformer all by itself. If the channels go from 0 all the way up to about about 21-22 volts without the track and your wiring attached- then the transformer is not likely bad.

#2 Correlation- Some TMCC and Legacy engines not responding should have nothing to do with the power. They will respond as low as 12V. Further, you failed to mention what amperage the Z4000 was displaying when saying it was also 16V- more than enough to run an engine.

My guess is, you have something shorted in your wiring or track. Your wiring is such that resistance might be dropping the voltage to the track and taking the brunt this, such that you maybe do have low track voltage, but it's not because the transformer- it's because of a short.

Telltale- "It’s done it in the past; but then came back" . That sure sound like you had a problem with a short, blamed it on the transformer, the short was corrected and then trains ran again. Otherwise, a person would explain that differently and would have said- I've had to repair this Z4000 before and they replaced X components, and now the problem is back again.

Z4000s are repairable and parts are in stock https://www.mthpartsandsales.c...z4000&in_stock=1

Thanks Vernon I will follow your instructions when I get back from Dr appointments.  

@Vernon barry

i took the engine and passenger cars off the track. When I powered up the z-4000’ I was getting 18-19!volts. The FM still didn’t run. I tried another TMCC engine which ran in jerky motion. When I place 4 lighted passenger cars on the track the voltage dropped to 16 16 volts.

Follow the first instruction that Vernon gave you to test the transformer by itself. Unplug everything from the back of the z4000 then cycle each handle from min to max voltage and report back what the volt and amp meters read.