Unusual TMCC issue

Try a new R2LC.  Maybe it has gone bad and does not remember settings.  G

My brain has gone on vacation. What's an R2LC?

GGG, that is an option.  Do you know if the R2LC is something that can be swapped out in this loco?  I am wondering why this would happen at all given no external reason for a problem.  I might try opening up the loco and resetting the board first just to rule out a bad or dirty connection.  Junkman, the R2LC is the board that receives the input from the command base and probably stores the settings for the loco.  If you upgrade a conventional loco to command this is what would be installed.  

How would you normally lock the settings in with TMCC? The "set" button? 

The reset procedure is straight forward.  All power off, run/pgm switch to pgm, place loco on track, power on, press ENG and assigned number, press Set, press eng and assigned number again, press AUX1 and then code in the manual (74 for this loco), power off for at least 10 seconds (if you listen closely there will be a soft sound), set to run and power up.  That should fix most issues.  In my case it does not.  I end up resetting several times and changing the speed steps from 32 to 100.  Changing the speed steps seems to make the loco perform as required until the layout is turned off for the night.  The problem re emerges the next day hence the question to the group.  Tonight I will try to re seat the R2LC to ensure good contact.  The next step will be to replace the board with one that I know works.  This is my absolute favorite loco and I would hate to not be able to use it in command.

K-Line should be R2LC.  Reseating is good to try also.  G

Well did not take loco apart last night.  Performed a reset, had loco performing normally in CC, was running down a rarely used portion of track that connects to another room where the work bench is located.  Loco hit a spot that apparently had poor conductivity, as soon as the loco re-established contact with power, off like a rocket.  Clearly the R2LC is not retaining the settings.  The plan now is to 1. not drink a beer prior to going to the train room 2. open and reseat the board 3. test 4. if it fails swap with a known good performer 5. test 6. have a beer in celebration or frustration.  Either way a Dog Fish Head 90 will be the order of the day.

Finally opened up the loco to re seat the board.  Had the same response as before. Loco performed normally until a second loco was addressed.  Upon addressing the problem loco speed control vanished once again.  Now the chief sound has gone haywire as well.  Is there a member or shop out there with the knowledge to diagnosis this issue?

Make that chuff sound.

It may be from dust? Did you clean connectors good?

1. Did you replace the 9V battery.....?

2. If changing the 9V battery did nothing, then replace the R2LC radio board.

3. If you borrowed another R2LC board and it still does the same thing, you might have a   short in the wiring somewhere.

4. Did you do both resets, a new ID# reset and a factory R2LC reprogram reset.

5. If none of the above works, then you have motherboard problem and will need to         replace the motherboard.

6. If you need replacement tas sawboards, I have a weaver FA-2 AB powered set that       will be getting PS2 soon.  

K-Line used standard LIO Motherboards so parts can still be ordered from Lionel.  Though many motherboard issues can be resolved by jumping a bad trace.  G

Every reset in the manual has been attempted along with removing and replacing the board on the off chance the contacts are dirty.  Now it is responding but I do not know if it will last.  I have no idea what jumping a bad trace means in this instance.  This just might be beyond a do it yourself fix because I lack the experience and background knowledge.  As a friend says, there are people who can do this, I just don't know who they are yet.

The mother board in most case is just a means to connect the various pins of the board to the output connectors.  If an trace burned up so that a signal from a board doesn't get to the output pin you could jump it with a wire.

 

Since it is working now it could just have been loose or corrosion on some connectors.  G

Well now it is back to no speed control and no chuff.  Off to the local hobby shop to see if they have a repair guy.  If not then a road trip to Jennings in pa is the next step.

might be cheaper to just send it to lionel.  are you a veteran?

Not a vet, my son is active duty army but I don't think that counts.  Why lionel?  Given the age of the unit there is no warranty.  I figure there should be someone in the northeast with the knowledge to diagnosis and offer a potential solution

necrails,

    Clean the unit up real well, make sure the batteries are good, if things are still not working correctly, send the unit to GGG for repairs.  It is to far out of warranty to send back to Lionel. 

PCRR/Dave

PCR, sounds like a plan.  I will attempt one more cleaning and systematic reset.  The unit does not have a battery currently so I plan on placing one just to see if that changes things.  After that if nothing changes I will be reaching out for help from someone with experience in these matters.

Well the loco continues to baffle me.  Off to the Model Railroad Shop in Piscataway with a printed list of everything I attempted.  Maybe their fix it guy can figure it out.

 

Did you try another R2LC?    I might also check out the antennae. When programming can you change the ID number and have it stick??  Will that feature work?  When programming try holding the cab-1s buttons just a little bit longer than normal. maybe that'll help.

Greg, did not have another r2lc to try that solution.  At least not one that would plug into the connectors.  ID number did change and stick but speed issue remained the same, would stick for a time then I would lose it when track power was removed.  I changed the batteries on the Cab-1 on the off chance there was insufficient power and did hold the buttons longer.  As I said, the changes take initially, then are lost within 5 minutes.  You probably are right a new board may be needed but I would rather not invest in one only to find out that was not the problem.  BTW, all other CC locos respond to input with no issues.  Anyway, the hobby shop has the loco now with a detailed list of all of my attempted fixes.  Hopefully this will help the repair person.

Thanks for the input.

because when I posted my original post I stupidly forgot to ask if it had a 6-number thinking it might be a k-line by lionel,  and up until just recently lionel was fixing things that were over 5 years old.

Received a call from the individual who was repairing the loco (forgot his name but he lives up the hill from me in Berkley Heights NJ)  He asked appropriate questions, explained what he did and was going to do, fixed some other things I was not aware of and provided what I considered a very fair price.  Looking forward to picking up the loco at the Model RR shop in Piscataway later this week.