Internal fuses in elite DC controller

[WesternGauntlet]

Are there any serviceable fuses inside an elite.

I realise it is probably not advisable but I'm well out of warrenty etc. 

Only programming side of elite is failing. I can hear the relays clicking but will not program anything. My elink works fine. 

 

Any thoughts, appreciated.

 

Eddie

[96RAF]

@eddie

no fuses in there.

my relay clicks as well and the LEDs flash but no work gets done.

i also have an elite that won't Prog, so I use op mode on the main to change cvs, even cv1 decoder address which you can't do from the elite menu, and you can't read cvs when Pom.

[2e0dtoeric]

you can't read cvs when Pom. - - What is Pom?

[poliss]

 Programming On Main.

[2e0dtoeric]

Ah, thanks.

 

[Yelrow]

I thought POM, was what aussies called us. john

[Fishmanoz]

You got it in one John, often with mie on the end and sometimes, if you're lucky, as a term of endearment.  Usually not if the next word is Golf, Indigo, Tango, but even then sometimes, just to confuse you.

 

Youll be needing to get all the inflexions right to be sure.

 

Back on topic WG, you could contact Hornby Customer Care about return for repair, they are reputably very good and reasonably priced.  See separate thread where they got a serve from the OP then support from the many following.

[Michael_A]

Are there any serviceable fuses inside an elite.

I realise it is probably not advisable but I'm well out of warrenty etc. 

Only programming side of elite is failing. I can hear the relays clicking but will not program anything. My elink works fine. 

 

Any thoughts, appreciated.

 

Eddie

Eddie. How old is your Elite? If your elite is less than 5 or 6 years old (5 years Scotland, 6 years England and Wales), you may have a claim under the sale of goods act. Look up the Sale of Goods Act on the web. 

[ff2nd]

Are there any serviceable fuses inside an elite.

I realise it is probably not advisable but I'm well out of warrenty etc. 

Only programming side of elite is failing. I can hear the relays clicking but will not program anything. My elink works fine. 

 

Any thoughts, appreciated.

 

Eddie

Eddie. How old is your Elite? If your elite is less than 5 or 6 years old (5 years Scotland, 6 years England and Wales), you may have a claim under the sale of goods act. Look up the Sale of Goods Act on the web. 

Michael, speaking as someone who has practiced as a lawyer for 13 years, I would love to know how you come to that conclusion. The WHICH web site has come up with a simple summary:

Beyond six months, it's up to you to prove that the problem was there when you received the goods even if it has taken until now to come to light.

So, you may need to prove that the fault was not down to ordinary wear and tear or damage you caused, and that the product (or a component) should have lasted longer than it did.

To do this you may need an expert's report, for example, from an engineer or a mechanic.

Always try to keep the cost of any report proportionate to the value of the claim and, if you can, try to agree on an expert you and the seller both agree has the necessary expertise.

It would end up costing the OP more than the Elite is actually worth, to try to prove something that is purely subjective. If the programming ports have functioned correctly for years, and only failed now, then it is unlikely to be possible to prove that there was a fault with them from the start.

[96RAF]

@ff2 and mickA

i was once the delegated engineering authority for a bit of ministry of defiance kit.

time came when there was a dispute over quality of the overhaul standard of the kit (our firm had done the o'haul). The ministry appointed an 'expert' engineer to review the problem and as he knew nothing about the kit guess who he eventually came to as the in-country expert to pick their brains - that would be me then.

so think about who a complainant could appoint to see if technically a bit of Hornby kit was duff at delivery but only exhibited that fault up to  6 years later -  I would guess only Hornby would have the engineering data and test equipment to do that.

bit of a catch 22 Situation then.

 

[52train]

My elite went the same way I had to buy another one after I bought it I got a voucher for hornby products.

[52train]

My elite went the same way, I sent it of to Hornby they said it was not repairabll  I had to buy another one after I bought it I got a voucher for hornby products.

[Michael_A]

Even the company assembling a product could not prove the components they used were not fauty, or e.g. that latent damage was caused during manufacturing by excessive heat, static electricity and so on.

 

 

Unless it can be poved the unit failed due to misue or normal wear and tear, then why else has it failed? Also you are under no obligation to ask Hornby to carry out the assessmnet, you can get any elctronics repair specailist to check the unit and identify what has failed. (they do not need to have made the unit to do this) If they say a component has faiiled and can only be due to an inherant fault, then the cost of the assessment also has to be paid by Hornby.

 

What is also very interesting is that Hornby have said it can't be repaired. In which case, what component has failed and why?

 

It's also worth looking at trends of failures. If Elites are failing in the same way and for a similar reason, then this might also help your case.

 

Question is whether you want to try or not. I have argued and won inherant fault claims in two cars, one a brand new car that kept cutting out and was replaced fre f charge after What Car magazine prnted my letter, the other against the manufucturerof the same car (corroded coil springs due to poor rust proofing) and a hard drive recorder. (Failed power supply which then placed excessive voltage across many other parts of the circuit)

[96RAF]

@mickA 

so can I claim against the Cyprus electricity authority for failing to provide adequate lightning surge protection for my household mains supply, which results in my tv, PC and other electronic bits blowing out in a storm.

likewise Cyprus telephones if a surge blows my router out.

 

[2e0dtoeric]

Michael A - what kind of car has a hard drive in it? I know of some that are hard TO drive, and some that give a hard ride, but - - -  :-)

[ff2nd]

Even the company assembling a product could not prove the components they used were not fauty, or e.g. that latent damage was caused during manufacturing by excessive heat, static electricity and so on.

 

 

Unless it can be poved the unit failed due to misue or normal wear and tear, then why else has it failed? Also you are under no obligation to ask Hornby to carry out the assessmnet, you can get any elctronics repair specailist to check the unit and identify what has failed. (they do not need to have made the unit to do this) If they say a component has faiiled and can only be due to an inherant fault, then the cost of the assessment also has to be paid by Hornby.

 

What is also very interesting is that Hornby have said it can't be repaired. In which case, what component has failed and why?

 

It's also worth looking at trends of failures. If Elites are failing in the same way and for a similar reason, then this might also help your case.

 

Question is whether you want to try or not. I have argued and won inherant fault claims in two cars, one a brand new car that kept cutting out and was replaced fre f charge after What Car magazine prnted my letter, the other against the manufucturerof the same car (corroded coil springs due to poor rust proofing) and a hard drive recorder. (Failed power supply which then placed excessive voltage across many other parts of the circuit)

 

Unfortunately Michael A, you have either missed, or chosen to ignore, the salient point here. After the warranty period, it is for the customer to prove that it WAS faulty from the start, not for the company to prove that it was not. The burden of proof is on the owner of the Elite. Your cases cited were, I suspect, for items still in warranty, to which a different set of rules apply. In that case, yes, the manufacturer is assumed to be at fault, unless it can prove otherwise. Perhaps the OP should get some proper advice on the matter if he wishes to, rather than listening to us "barrack room laywers" who inhabit forums....

[Michael_A]

Nope. I didn't miss the point, I answered it.

 

First car, yes 6 moinths old, second car, after 4 years and 35,000 miles

 

Hard drive recorder was 3 years old.

 

End of discussion. I made my points to try and help, not prepared to waste time in further discussion, up to the individual whether they want to pursue a claim under the SOG act or not!

 

 

[poliss]

 The Sale of Goods Act has been replaced by the Consumer Rights Act.

[Michael_A]

 The Sale of Goods Act has been replaced by the Consumer Rights Act.

 

Aha, thanks poliss, I didn't know that. I guess living in Germany for 4 years I'm behind the (UK) times. However, in this case the goods were bought before 1st October, so SOG actually does apply:

 

When did you purchase the goods?

The date you made the purchase decides which legislation applies.

• If you purchased the goods from 1 October 2015 then the Consumer Rights Act applies.
• If you purchased the goods on or before 30 September 2015 then the Sale of Goods Act will apply.

This bit is still the same anyway:

 

Six months or more

After the first six months the burden is on you to prove that the product was faulty at the time of delivery. 

In practice, this may require some form of expert report, opinion or evidence of similar problems across the product range.  

You have six years to take a claim to the small claims court for faulty goods in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and five years in Scotland. 

This doesn't mean that a product has to last six years - just that you have this length of time in which to make a claim if a retailer refuses to repair or replace a faulty product. 

 

Evidence of similar problems might also be useful?

[Teedoubleudee]

As many retailers don't know enough about the SoG act, it is just worth mentioning it at the point he/she says "sorry mate, out of warranty". Rather than get into something they no nothing about they may just repair/replace without further debate. It's always worth a try, as is asking for a discount when purchasing something. Both have worked for me in the past, and like Michael A, I am just offering my advice to help someone else, purely based on my own personal experience.

[Yelrow]

I remember reing in Halfords when the guy in front bought some U2 batteries. The bill was £2.99. He offered £2.70 for cash, and to my amazement, the cashier accepted. Backs up your discount point. teed. john