Z-4000 Trouble. Is it KPUT?

Mrmuggs,

  J did you by any chance drop your Z4K on a cement floor?   Check the breakers and see it they have been jarred out of place.  Then reset them by pushing them back into their proper place.  Then try your transformer again. 

PCRR/Dave

I had a Z4000 give me all sorts of odd readings. Turned out it was a bad rheostat.  I would suggest sending it to a service station and see what is going on., I doubt it's toast

Try putting a load on the transformer. Looks like nothing wrong. How old is it? Probably late 90s.

Thanks for the replay, Dave.  Where are the breakers?  Are those the switches on each side?  It was never dropped, always in one spot.  It seems it happened when I was adding Legacy, so I may have tripped the breakers.   Chris, I've never had any odd readings so that's why I was concerned.  Jim, you're probably right about the age.  I've had it for better than 12 years and it was used then.  I'd like to make this work because I just hated forking out good money for a transformer when I could be buying locomotives!

If there is a voltage reading showing on startup, the transformer will not boot up correctly, and you will have no output power.  This is definitely repairable; if per PCRR/Dave's the breakers are not the problem, drop if off at a the nearest MTH ASC; they should be able to get it going for you again.

Due to the hazardous voltages inside transformers, unless you are an MTH ASC, or Electrician, I would not recommend poking around inside or attempt to fix this yourself beyond the basic advice previously given. 

r0d

What F&G RY said

If your trains run OK I don't think I would worry about it. I see your running DCS so your at a constant voltage. 

if it was dropped,it would have more issues than pictured. really need more info.....agree with jim c and clem. on their comments. theres some mth tech guys on here that can help you ....jim

mrmuggs,

Can you install a lighted lockon on each of your loops? This small amount of load should zero it out. It's just one of those "gremlins" associated with the early Z4K's. You may need two lockons, try one on each first. On my older Z4K I had to install one lockon with two streetlights to take care of the residual leak. Either way, Rich Melvin covered the problem in his DVD covering the Z4K.

"Pappy"

I had similar readings on my Z-4000's.  A Certified MTH Technician told me the early transformers had a 'leakage' problem.  As long as AMPS reads 0 it is ok.  My transformers read 1.6, 1.9, 1.6 VAC.

Check the serial number - if it starts with 039xxxxxx it is an early production.  S/N 08XXXXXXX and 10xxxxxxx are later models and should read 0.1VAC max with the throttles OFF.

Thanks, Pappy. I may try a lighted lock-on just to see if that helps.  However problem, as you can seen in the picture, is the voltage reading, without being hooked up to any track.  The gremlins in the machine!   I've read about voltage leakage, but never thought it would happen to me.  I was running a MTH GS-4 when I noticed that it was halting in several places on the bottom loop.  The track was showing 10s all the way around before on the remote.  I'll keep on working with it.  I have a couple of Lionel ZW's around so I guess that I'll plug one of them in to keep running trains.

mrmuggs…... I went down and checked my Z4000 it as readings 1.5 with throttles off, been using for years never a problem. Your better off running the Z4000 instead of those old ZW's. The circuit breakers are 100% better on the Z4000.

First,  Is this a transformer you have used and it never did this before?  If so has anything changed recently, maybe over ranging throttles, dropped, something else?

If this is the first time using this, it could be normal.  IF your Z serial number starts with 0398, it is the first version and has a small voltage leak. Won't hurt anything.

Otherwise, checking the throttle pots to ensure they are zeroed.  G

I have an early production Z4K that is doing the same thing. Just put an 18v bulb across the output terminals (1 bulb per handle). That will drop your voltage to 0 or close enough.

Chris

LVHR

I'm heading out this morning before the ice storm hits to buy a couple of 18-volt bulbs.  The Z-4000 has been in constant use, not moved in years, to power Legacy and DCS trains.  The only thing different in recent months was adding the cable from the TIU to the Legacy base.  I was running an MTH GS-4, Proto 2, around the bottom of the layout when it began to slow down in certain places.  I thought I had track problems, but when I turned the Z-4000 off and back on, I saw the voltage readings on both sides.  Plus the green light was on even though I hadn't powered up any track.  And when I disconnected the transformer from the TIU, the voltage readings and green light stayed on.  Thanks for all the help, but I'm gonna buy the bulbs and keep working on it until it's working properly.

The green light is always on if you have the power switch on.

The green light stays on once the Z is turned on so that is normal. The TIU draws about .3amps so that will help suppress the voltage.

I would plug it back in to the TIU and turn it on and see what they read.  Since you run command, this won't effect anything and you don't need to add bulbs in my opinion.  G

I agree with GGG. Bulbs are not the answer.

You're right, Gunrunnerjohn.  The green light stays lit when the Z-4000 is powered.  GGG, I'm gonna try running some trains, but not any good (meaning expensive) locos, today with the transformer as I'm afraid it may cause damage.  Thanks for all your imput!

hi i have an older serial number 039 and it reads about 2.0 or less volts unloaded, but when i connect it to my TIU it drops to 1.1 volts on the right side. i would not worry it run's all my trains with DCS and no problems at all. I did read some of the older ones had a leakage problem and they sell a capacitor for the repair , but i never bothered , as i said my works great.
Use your transformer and enjoy your trains!

once you put a load on the transformer the voltage will drop and never caused me an issue!

Alan Mancus

Here is the part number capacitor!

BB-0000050Capacitor to Repair Voltage Leak in Early Z4000 and it cost $0.50, but i would not mess with it if your not a tech, you could get shocked or damage the boards if you don't know what you doing!

Is there a meter calibration adjustment (VR) for the Z4000???

Using 2 different calibrated meters as a bench mark (one analog and one digital) the Z4000 Volt Meter is displaying almost 2 VAC higher than the two reference meters.

THANKS, Jay

I would tend to believe the calibrated ac meter unless your calibrated meter has been damaged with improper use like putting the meter on current instead of putting it on ac volts and then inducing a voltage across the current circuit!

Alan

good luck with you're endeavor to find out what voltage is there if any!

THANKS for the reply, but my calibrated meters are just that, "calibrated & certified" this past year, therefore not damaged... was hoping someone may had opened up the Z4000 and took note that the digital meters may have been mounted on a circuit board with a variable resistor(s) for adjustment if required... maybe I will be the first to take a look... THANK YOU, Jay