New PS3 SD70ACe only smokes when idle, hesitates running

You can try a factory reset, but most likely you have an issue with the tach reader.  I would check for frayed or broken wire on the tach reader (3 wires).  Also check the gap on the tach reader.   G

Good morning

If your diesel loco is under warranty return it for repair. Reading more voltage (27volts) than the power supply often means a serious probleme.

John

Bob,

 

The news isn't all bad...

- Smoke unit only works when engine is not moving

- Smoke FAN runs and stops as expected when turning smoke on/off from remote, but smoke fan motor sounds louder than expected

- Smoke heavy at idle, when starts moving forward, smoke output almost "pulses" for a while then seems to cut off the faster engine runs

- Speeding up engine seems to be labored...hard to get it to run fast and around 60 mph it actually slowed down when I pushed it faster on remote

These are issues.

- Not sure what it means, if anything, but I did a "voltage reading" from the DCS remote (or whatever it's called) while my Z4000 showed 19 volts, and the remote display said 27 volts.  Had to turn the Z4000 down to 13v to get the remote display to show 18v?

This is a bug in DCS or the PS3 firmware, and should be of no concern.

 

Regardless, I agree with John. If it's under warrantee, I'd return it or exchange it for a different engine.

Bob,

Did the problems with this engine start with the voltage set on your Z-4000 at 13 or when you had it set at 19. It won't run very fast set at 13 volts.

 

Joe - 

 

You got me on the "right track" and I think this may be solved and it was my bad.

 

I tried this morning at the typical 18v setting on the Z4000 and the engine ran and smoked fine.  I dropped the Z4000 voltage to around 13v (which I did last night to make the DCS Remote Track Voltage display show 18v instead of 27v) and then it exhibited the same problems;  namely, reduced smoke output which dies out completely as you increase loco speed and stuttering/jerky engine movement.

 

After I made sure it worked at the designed 18v setting, I then did an engine reset for completeness and everything still works fine.  I ran it at around 90 scale mph with smoke streaming from it for a couple minutes, no problem.

 

Let's hope this is all it was, and thanks Barry for confirming I shouldn't worry about the misleading voltage reading in the DCS remote.

 

Great help as usual guys!

 

- Bob

So the engine was running fine until you lowered voltage?  Original post was a little misleading.  Glad it is running right.  For the record some of your symptoms should not be effected by voltage at 13V.  The engine should not have slowed down when you tried to speed it up.  G

Hello

I have 2 MTH PS3 diesel unit and i made the voltage reading on a programming track with a mth Z4K set at 22 volts.

 

Diesel 20-20170-1 (catalog 2011-2) The loco reading was 30 volts

Diesel 20-20286-1 (catalog 2013-1) The loco reading was 30 volts 

Both diesels work fine and i will keep my multimeter not far from me.

Thank you Barry B. for the info on the DCS firmware

John 

John,

I don't know if the bug is in the PS3 engine firmware or in DCS, however, I'm leaning towards it being in the engine firmware.

Echoing Barry, my understanding is this bug has been fixed in the engine firmware.  I don't have a recently shipped PS3 engine but perhaps someone out there who has a recently shipped PS3 engine can do a voltage reading and confirm this. 

 

Assuming it now works, this would be a potential "test case" as one of the benefits of PS3 is the supposed ability to upgrade engines to fix "bugs" - in addition to changing "just" the soundset.

 Every time I get a new one I check it. They have all been way too high so far. Some of their production dates maybe older so it's hard for me to help. I'm waiting for my new PS3 G gauge due any minute!