mth-parts

[CB&Q]

had a problem with a ps-1 charged batt for 8 hrs ran fine . next day won't come out of reset engine sounds come on immediatly no ding. tryed #18 fact default no go I think the board got scrambled? called mth to order new boards was told they only exchange your boards for rebuilt for 160.00 plus 20.00 for the chip you can't just buy it out rite. was told this is company policy also other various items are same way . if you find a train at a meet that doesn't have a part to exchange with them then what, they told me I'd have to find one! has any one else run up against this with mth? I thought if you needed atrain part you just ordered one. for the cost of there unit would I be better off going to an after market command setup. anyone have any ideas on what else I can try to get loco going again.

[wrmcclellan]

You need to replace the battery (and charge it overnight) before you draw any conclusions. Your symptom is a classic dead battery.

These batteries only last about 2 years. May appear to charge, but if it is old and you are getting the symptoms you mention - replace it first before doing anything else.

You can use a Radio Shack 23-448 (Ni-CAD) or the NiMH equivalent (8.4 volt version only) in place of the MTH if it is not available at your local hobby shop.

Cover the battery case with electricians tape as it has a metal case that could short something if it comes loose inside the engine.

DO NOT buy a 9v rechargeable at Wal_Mart or other store unless you know how to verify that it is an 8.4 volt version. There are 7 volt version (called 9 v on the tags) that work fine in most consumer electronics - but not MTH trains.

You may also wi***o buy the RS wall charger. This is a lot better than leaving the engine on on the track for 12-18 hours to properly charge the battery while it is in the engine.

Let us know what happens next.

Regards,
Roy

[spankybird]

Hi stpaul,

I have to agree with Roy, it sounds like a dead battery. You could TEST it with a 9 volt dry cell, just to see if the engine will cycle. Don’t leave it in there, as it is not a rechargeable battery.

I like the Rayovac batteries, NiMH myself. The next time I have to replace them, I plan on using the BRC, which will eliminate the battery completely.

Here is a link for NiMH batteries

http://thomas-distributing.com/ap-200-1.htm

and the link for the BRC

http://www.jandwelectronics.com

If your board is scrambled, MTH sells the chip to un- scramble it for $25.00

tom

[Anonymous]

If all else fails, email and I can descramble it for you and just charge you the return postage. I have been a qsi dealer since 1989.
email me if you need help [e-mail]
Dave Roxin

[Anonymous]

You can also purchase a kit to unscramble the board for about $20.00 from MTH. This assumes that a scrambled board is actually the problem.

I would definitley try a new, fully charged battery first.

[CB&Q]

thanks for the ideas I will give it a try again. I did however put that batt in a diff f-3 & it worked fine inthat engine but took it back out. I did try a reg9-v batt non chargeable but didn't put tapearound it could I possibly have shorted out the bottom board? It seems odd to me that one engine is okay with that batt but not the other the contankerous one is a burl f-3 the other is rock island f-3. I also have the first model of the k-4 they made I tryed pulling the fan up a little but it still won't blow smoke the heatter is working as you can blow into stack& see smoke come out of the boiler. any more ideas on this problem? I've had this same problem since it was 6-months old I've replaced fan twice so far the last time I did that I verifyed it worked& then shut the smoke switch to off. 2-months laterturned it on no smoke what a bummer figured if I didn't use it a lot it would last longer so much for my strategyHA HA . I didn't know you could buy a chip from them to descramble a board they never said I could get one in all the conversations with parts& tech help, where can I get a chip puller I assume you need it to change them out?

[spankybird]

The re set kit number is 50-1023 and it contains a chip puller. The chip can be used more than once.

http://www.mth-railking.com/detail.asp?item=50-1023



tom