Loss of directional lighting - Elite control

[MarkNZ]

Hi All

Newby to DDC loco with directional lighting and need some help please.

I've laid a small test board, made up of track from my old layout. It was pretty dirty so was given a thorough clean prior to use. I was using it to test my two new Bachmann Class 37's.

The cab lighting and directional lighting were all good. Then all of a sudden the directional lights on one of the locos gave up the ghost but the cab lights still work.

Is it dirt from the track? If so, would that not stop the cab ones from working as well? Do i need to give the wheels a good clean?

Any thoughts or suggestions would be most appreciated.

Thanks 

Mark

[96RAF]

Were the 37s factory fitted with decoders or did you install them or ask the shop to do it.

 

Does the loco have physical switches underneath that may have been inadvertently selected off.

 

Some decoders have very limited function outputs (100mA) and if your loco has many lights e.g. headlight, two markers and two rear lights then that can blow the decoder functions. I suggest this because you say the cab lights still work.

 

As you are new to DCC and may not have read and fully digested the Elite manual I will politely remind you that F0 switches directional lighting on and off apart from any physical,switches that my/may not be fitted.

Rob

[MarkNZ]

Were the 37s factory fitted with decoders or did you install them or ask the shop to do it.

 

Does the loco have physical switches underneath that may have been inadvertently selected off.

 

Some decoders have very limited function outputs (100mA) and if your loco has many lights e.g. headlight, two markers and two rear lights then that can blow the decoder functions. I suggest this because you say the cab lights still work.

 

As you are new to DCC and may not have read and fully digested the Elite manual I will politely remind you that F0 switches directional lighting on and off apart from any physical,switches that my/may not be fitted.

Rob

Hi Rob, thanks for your post. The decoder was fitted by the model shop when i was back in the UK recently. The switches are in the on position and I've used the F0 (lights) and F1 (cab) as per the instruction manual.

It could be that the lights have blown as per your suggestion as they were working when first put on the track a couple of days ago. If that has happened does it mean replacing the decoder? Or is there a potential fix?

Thanks 

Mark

[Chrissaf]

Have you been tinkering with CV's on this loco, perhaps performing a factory reset (write 8 to CV8) or trying to change other CVs such as CV29.

.

If you have, then maybe you have disabled 128 speed steps in CV29. This is a common cause for directional lights not working. The default value for most decoders in CV29 is 6, but sometimes in some decoders I have found the the default is 0 (zero), particularly on blank 'after market' decoders that have not been factory fitted to the loco..

.

Look at this web site resource that expalians how to use CV29 and see what the numbers quoted above mean.

.

http://www.2mm.org.uk/articles/cv29%20calculator.htm

[96RAF]

If you had a blanking plug you could have removed the decoder and proved the lights on DC, but I guess the shop,kept the blanking plugs.

 

If you are handy with a multimeter you could do a few checks but beware that most models have the lights in the body and the current controlling resistors are on the chassis pcb. Some models have the lights on the chassis as well and light pipes in the body. I am not familiar with Bachmann locos so don't know what arrangement they use.

 

Trying another decoder may just blow it as well if there is a fault in that loco, but if you are happy pulling apart a loco that is likely still under warranty and should go back, then you could put the dodgy decoder in the good loco and see if it works in there, if so there must be a fault in the first loco. I would resist putting the good decoder in the dodgy loco or you could end up with two duff decoders.

 

Rob

[MarkNZ]

Have you been tinkering with CV's on this loco, perhaps performing a factory reset (write 8 to CV8) or trying to change other CVs such as CV29.

.

If you have, then maybe you have disabled 128 speed steps in CV29. This is a common cause for directional lights not working. The default value for most decoders in CV29 is 6, but sometimes in some decoders I have found the the default is 0 (zero), particularly on blank 'after market' decoders that have not been factory fitted to the loco..

.

Look at this web site resource that expalians how to use CV29 and see what the numbers quoted above mean.

.

http://www.2mm.org.uk/articles/cv29%20calculator.htm

Hi Chris, no I haven't changed anything (best of my knowledge). Have just been checking out the operation on a test plank in preperation for building a layout. I will go through the setting as per your suggestions.

Thanks

Mark

[MarkNZ]

If you had a blanking plug you could have removed the decoder and proved the lights on DC, but I guess the shop,kept the blanking plugs.

 

If you are handy with a multimeter you could do a few checks but beware that most models have the lights in the body and the current controlling resistors are on the chassis pcb. Some models have the lights on the chassis as well and light pipes in the body. I am not familiar with Bachmann locos so don't know what arrangement they use.

 

Trying another decoder may just blow it as well if there is a fault in that loco, but if you are happy pulling apart a loco that is likely still under warranty and should go back, then you could put the dodgy decoder in the good loco and see if it works in there, if so there must be a fault in the first loco. I would resist putting the good decoder in the dodgy loco or you could end up with two duff decoders.

 

Rob

Yes I still have the blanking plug so will do what you suggest and try the decoder in the good loco.

Thanks

Mark

[96RAF]

Just to add Mark that if you don't have a DC controller a 9v block battery applied direct to the wheels is a basic workaround for DC testing. May be more difficult if the 37 picks up from say left front and right rear wheels, rather than both wheels on a bogie.

 

Rob

[Fishmanoz]

Just to explain Chris 's a little further, directional lighting only works with 128 speed steps set, not other options. However, given it worked first up, and 128 is default these days, that's unlikely to have changed if you haven't done any other decoder adjustments on the programming track.  Still worth checking though. 

 

The he long distance option would be to return to the shop as faulty. You should at least contact them and see what they have to say. 

[MarkNZ]

Hi Chris, RAF96 and Fishmanoz

Problem has now been rectified. I changed the CV29 as outlined and then as i was putting the loco back on to the main test track, the lights flickered on and off. Then they wouldn't work when under movement.

I decided to take the body off to have a look as thought it might be a loose connection. Again as an earlier suggested cause. As i was taking the screws out i realised one was missing. I scoured the area around the board and thankfully found it (More luck than anything). When i put the fourth screw in it tightened up the body to the chasis.

On to the track and she worked a beauty...problem solved!

Thank you all for your help and suggestions. It is most appreciated.

Cheers

Mark

[Chrissaf]

Thank you for the feedback. Always good to hear a story with a happy ending.

[bunnybantam]

Hi Chris, RAF96 and Fishmanoz

Problem has now been rectified. I changed the CV29 as outlined and then as i was putting the loco back on to the main test track, the lights flickered on and off. Then they wouldn't work when under movement.

I decided to take the body off to have a look as thought it might be a loose connection. Again as an earlier suggested cause. As i was taking the screws out i realised one was missing. I scoured the area around the board and thankfully found it (More luck than anything). When i put the fourth screw in it tightened up the body to the chasis.

On to the track and she worked a beauty...problem solved!

Thank you all for your help and suggestions. It is most appreciated.

Cheers

Mark

Hi Mark i had the same problem a few weeks ago.

Id purchased Mary Queen of Scots a few months ago,and finally got round to chipping it.Whilst replacing the 6 screws fell inside the body whilst replacing them.A quick internet search revealed that the contacts at both ends have to be firmly secured.A gentle hand pressure as solved the problem.