Z-4000 red light flashing-help

well if your throttle pot inside  is not at zero totally closed you WILL get a RED light on power up. more then likely you probably have the gear on the potentiometer has slipped off of the teeth and is now out of adjustment. what have you tried so .You would have to take the transformer apart to get the potentiometer back in alignment with your throttle lever . . if your not sure what your doing I would not take it apart. maybe I could walk you threw it if you would like, or repair it if is need other repairs! both throttles must be fully closed on power up or you'll always get the red light and it will not go away until you power it down again. both throttles must be closed on power up!!! 

Alan

So, will the red light continue to flash at s uniform rate?

I had a high resistance short, which was from the power feeds being compressed- I found it, and now my Z-4000 breaker doesn’t trip. 

But the flashing red light is a new issue

yes the light will flash then you will have to close the throttle and then the red light will clear. the short light is a test when you power up then transformer the throttle has to be closed before power up. it will clear when you close the throttle and then cycle power off and then back on!  

Alan

Since the voltage is operating correctly, it is not the startup red light, which does not flash nor allow for any normal voltage adjustments.

The flashing red means that the transformer is operating at or very near the upper limit of 10A per throttle: an overload/ near-overload condition indication.
In normal operation, after exceeding the limit for 5sec (or so), the flashing red is followed by the electronic overload circuitry:
1. turning off the power to the throttles
2. illuminating the red light continuously
Since the transformer is incorrectly displaying data, the circuitry may "think" it is in a near-overload condition. On the other hand, the overload condition might actually exist...

Note that the physical breakers for the throttle outputs (handles) should not trip under normal conditions.

Überstationmeister posted:

The flashing red means that the transformer is operating at or very near the upper limit of 10A per throttle: an overload/ near-overload condition indication.
In normal operation, after exceeding the limit for 5sec (or so), the flashing red is followed by the electronic overload circuitry:
1. turning off the power to the throttles
2. illuminating the red light continuously
Since the transformer is incorrectly displaying data, the circuitry may "think" it is in a near-overload condition. On the other hand, the overload condition might actually exist...

Im not yelling-just making my reply stand out....

I’LL HAVE TO AGEEE WITH THE “INCORRECT DATA DISPLAY—since I have this-see picture

Which measures the current  

BUT, I did, starting today, get a smell of “Unhappy Electrical Aroma”..which may be a premonition of things to come-like a NEW Z-4000, instead of a used one  

but, If so I cannot complain-I’ve gotten 4 years of use out of this one🚂

 

Note that the physical breakers for the throttle outputs (handles) should not trip under normal conditions 

As far as why my breaker was tripping-I had wires pinched-a high resistance short😁

A new wrinkle. 
the light only flashes when the right throttle is turned up. 
So I disconnected the throttle-it’s not the transformer-it’s on the feeds or the track. 

Great-more troubleshooting. 

I’ve isolated the track block that is causing the issue

now to find the issue 

so if you totally disconnect  the transformer does  the transformer work ok with a load on both sides and no flashing red light! what Is the serial number of your transformer It is located on the back of the transformer is it a 039 serial number ?

Alan 

Alan-disconnection from tracks-works fine

have isolated to a specific track block 

will troubleshoot—see what I find. 

That would be the first step right?  Red light means short typically.  So you isolate to just transformer.  G

GGG posted:

That would be the first step right?  Red light means short typically.  So you isolate to just transformer.  G

Solid red light=short, should kick breaker

Flashing red light=Issue 

Which in my case, the problem was in a power feed. 
Then another track block

And now, something else is causing the red light to flash. 

And now, I’m getting zero out put on the right throttle. 

I bought this Z-4000 used-it was determined not cost effective to repair the display, but the outputs were accurate. 
Ive gotten almost 5 years out of it. 

Time to upgrade. 

I will be using temporary power sources. 

I have a Lionel CW-80 80 Watt -a whopping 4 Amps

and a Lionel 180 Watt Powerhouse Brick

or Two, MTH  Z-1000s. 

Ive read that some Lionel power Supplies aren’t recommended for MTH, is the CW-80 one of them?

1drummer posted:

GGG posted:

That would be the first step right?  Red light means short typically.  So you isolate to just transformer.  G

Solid red light=short, should kick breaker

Flashing red light=Issue 

Which in my case, the problem was in a power feed. 
Then another track block

And now, something else is causing the red light to flash. 

And now, I’m getting zero out put on the right throttle. 

I bought this Z-4000 used-it was determined not cost effective to repair the display, but the outputs were accurate. 
Ive gotten almost 5 years out of it. 

Time to upgrade. 

 

Hello 1drummer

I have a Z4000 transformer which was purchased new for 7 years now and it has been trouble free except had to replace the pot control on left throttle and since then no trouble so far so good.  So this means it is REPAIRABLE so dont give up on it but FIX IT !!   For the lionel CW80 which is use for starter set trains and not a good one except for what it is use for.  I would ask the guys here in this forums for help to repair it as that what I did few years ago to repair mine. 

King David is very old and could not keep warm.  His servants covered him with blankets, but he was still cold.  1 King 1:1 ERV (easy to Read Version)

Tiffany

Those breakers are very slow and do not necessarily open, especially since the circuity of the Z will roll back output.  Sometimes testing stuff I intentionally do a short.  Breakers never pop.

Basically make sure handles down.

If still have red light, remove output and test again.  If red light now off and output work, the load is the issue. This would be typical.

If you still have red light with isolated transformer or no output, now you have to watch meter at start up too.  Can be stuck buttons, or bad components on control board that are causing issues.  Plus the pot.  After that gets much more complicated. G

GGG...as Stated...it was bought used as unrepairable because of cost. 
Ive gotten my moneys worth out of it. 
I have a Lionel CW-80 and a 6-37947 GW-180 

which I’m thinking of selling all three to offset the cost of a new Z-4000.  

or maybe keep the GW-180, buy 3 more and have 4 individual controllers powering my 8 track blocks. 

Problem is my independent wealth stream has not been providing me with winners, no matter how hard I scratch the tickets. 
And the price of scrap wire is so low it’s hardly worth the effort to collect it.