Problem with MTH DCS No engine signal

Have you tried pressing the read button? What message do you get?

What engines are in the remote already? Why do you have to add them?

Try and tether the remote to the TIU. Press read again.

Tell us exactly what it says.

2 months is not a long time. But the layout was running fine. If these are older engines with battery’s. They can go dead and lose their memory. Long shot it would happen to all 3. As Joe asked. Why are you adding engines to a setup that was working. Are you trying to add the engines to the remote or are you just selecting them ? Are these new to you engines ?

The engines I’m guessing are silent so I’m assuming they are seeing the watchdog signal. This will sound like a relay clicking upon power up. Do the read as Joe suggested.

I did a reset on the TIU to see if it helped and that deleted all engines but initially I was trying to add an engine.  I doubt that  the cord will do anything different since I tried with another handheld but I will try when I find a cord. Thanks

yes I heard a clicking and the engines run in conventional if started without signal.  The track is clean.  The message is no engine found after prolonged searching and something about out of range.

A reset of the TIU does NOT delete all engines, they're stored in the remote.  Did you try a different engine to see if there's an issue with the TIU/Remote or the engine?

Can you describe the layout itself and how you have the TIU setup as far as channels used ?

You added a siding. Is this the first time you have run trains since installing it ?

Is the switch motor on the new turnout wired to track power ?

Anyway you can put your output wires from Fixed One to a separate piece of track ?

Then try to add your engine. Even if the battery may not be good. It will still add.

Have you done as Joe suggested. Perform a Read to see if the remote sees the TIU ?

@Art Lites posted:

  Any thought you MTH gurus?

Thanks Art

Yes, slow down! Take it from the top. Get the remote to see the TIU first thing.

Is your polarity correct? Are you sure?

Pretend you just bought DCS and start over. Make sure the engines batteries are charged up first. Test them by killing the power and seeing if the sounds and lights cut out immediately.

dcs user manual 2014.qxp (mthtrains.com)

Tried 3 different engines 2 Proto 2s 1 proto3. will try to anwser all .  Layout is  electrically isolated  2 loops powered fixed1 and 2.   Yes polarity is right. hot to middle common to outside ran DCS for several years. switches are powered by aux power.

Does the tiu number match the handheld?

https://mthtrains.com/sites/de...roubleshooting_1.pdf

@DMASSO posted:

Does the tiu number match the handheld?

good point

Check the blinks at power up on the TIU.

If you have a lower number TIU entered into the remote than the one you are trying to use here, you won't be able to add.

You should be using TIU #1.

OK hooked up  cord to between handheld and TIU same message out of range and engine not found.  Discovered TIU is set on 2 so now I  am trying to reset.  Thanks for help so far

Just add TIU #2 to the remote, then you can do a factory reset on the TIU and it'll be at defaults, that includes TIU #1.  Then delete TIU #2 from the remote to keep it from being a problem, and job done.

if your tiu is set to 2 all you have to due is change remote to same number using thumb wheel and menu  and it will work or reset remote and it will automatically change back to one! change remote address with push buttons on top remote to 1 which would be address 2 in the tiu ! A 0 remote address would be 1 in the tiu. then remote will talk to address 2, normally if your only using 1 tiu you would change tiu to 1 and remote should be set to 0. then everything will work if nothing else i wrong !

Alan

If you only have one TIU, it's much better to have it be TIU #1.  Thinks like engine updates like to work with TIU #1.  Any time you reset a remote or a TIU, it returns to TIU #1 as the default.  Why make life harder than it needs to be?

There's a flaw in the software that makes it where you have to add to the lowest number TIU. Usually that's number 1. If you leave number one in the remote and add TIU #2 to it, I believe you won't be able to add any engines to TIU #2. Until you delete #1.

So as John says, if you only have one TIU, it should be set at #1!

I have 4 TIUs. 2 of them stay outside for the summer. Those (TIUs and) remotes don't know about TIU #1. They are numbered higher. When I had TIU #1 in that remote, it couldn't add any engines outside.