PS2 sounds stopped working*UPDATE 4/25: another issue

Keith,

I was running this diesel on my layout when it suddenly came to a halt on the track.  The start up sequence then started over and the sounds continued. 

That is a symptom of a bad battery. However, the rest of the symptoms, not so much.

It sounds as if the battery was bad and that now the sounds have been turned off, as well. Try a transformer feature reset as per the engine's instruction manual, after first charging the battery overnight.

I will charge it overnight.  I forgot that a feature reset could be done through the transformer controls so, I'll try that tomorrow.

Thank you for the reply, Barry

Hi Barry,

I charged the engine overnight and then tried the transformer feature reset.  This did not help.

A new symptom developed...

the ditch lights have now stopped lighting up along with my issue of no sounds at all.

All other lights work and the engine runs fine.

I tried the feature reset on another PS2 engine, just to make sure I was pressing the buttons right.  My other engine gave me the two quick horn toots to let me know I did it correctly.  I also swapped the battery between the two engines and no change in issues with the SD40-2.

So, it is not a battery issue.

Could it be a bad sound board? Would that affect the ditch lights since they are suppose to flash when the horn is pressed?

Very frustrating because it such a nice engine and doesn't have much run time.

Maybe I'll send it in for service and let them figure it out.

Thanks for your assistance.

I also am having problems with a early Proto 2.0 SD80 MAC with the 8.4 volt battery, engine has run fine since new I just recently lost all of my sounds as well. I installed a brand new BCR in the engine this afternoon and still no sounds. I have reset the engine using feature 18 to factory defaults, no luck!!

Jeff

Did you check the volume pot?

Hi,

  Yes I did, thanks for the idea though.

Jeff

Jeff,

I have reset the engine using feature 18 to factory defaults, no luck!!

I'm not surprised, since you identified your engine as PS2 and Feature 18 is only for PS1.

You must use either a DCS reset, feature or factory, or the transformer reset as described in your PS2 engine's instruction manual.

Keith,  I think the battery was part of your problem.  Now check the speaker.  If this is the 16ohm speaker and the band around the magnet looks bad (disintegrates and forms metalic powder, it may need to be replaced.  Or the speaker may have failed (reads open with an ohm meter).

Pull your ditchlight plug and power it with about 3-6 volts and see if they light up.  Any pinched wires on this.  I have seen the wires from the lights on the older engines get brittle/hard, and some times the leads break, or they blow out.

If this all checks out fine that you have a problem with the PS-2 board most likely.   G

Thank you G.  I'll do as you suggest, when I get home today.  I will report back my findings, tonight.

Barry,

  Thanks for the info, I don't know what I was thinking trying to use reset #18 on PS-2 dummy me!! Anyways I just tried to use my DCS and do a "engine reset" still no luck. There appears to be a slight humming sound coming from the boards?

Thanks, Jeff

Jeff,  This sounds like the audio chip failed and is causing a drain on the power supply. (if the engine won't run).   On the PS-2 3V boards the failed chip can be replaced and save the processor board.  If yours is loss of sound only, I would check the speaker as I described above.  G

Okay, I did this.

The meter does show that power is going to the speaker.  I swapped the speaker with another PS2 locomotive's speaker.  The SD40 still made no sounds(the volume pot is turned up).  The SD40's original speaker worked fine in the other locomotive, but...

...this SD40 speaker is doing what you explained...the band is disintegrating into a powder.  So, I will get it replaced and have the boards checked out.  First I'll inspect the individual wires going to the boards.

Thank you.