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I have an MTH PS2 Southern E8 from 2002 item # 20-2397-1. It has been in storage for about 8 years and ran great before that, and ran often. It now has a strange issue I have never seen or have seen anyone else have. I will turn power on to the track and hear the MTH click, i then can program the engine into the remote just fine, but the second i start it up and play any sounds or move it forward or backward it immediately cuts off and then sometimes starts right back up but ignores commands from the DCS remote and the DCS remote doesn't remember it. Sometimes when it starts back up in the middle of starting up it cuts again. 

I should also note that the engine will talk with the DCS system and i can access its info and anything that isnt a sound if I dont start it up. it almost always consistently dies when the sounds start up.  I can also sometimes move it with the sound off (not starting it up) varying distances before it dies. 

-the engine has been feature and factory reset with no change

-The battery has been changed to a fresh one

-it does not run in conventional mode in fact it does the exact same thing in conventional

-the engine has been cleaned (rollers and wheels) oiled and greased

-does the same thing on an isolated test track

-track is cleaned

-sometimes moves not even an inch and dies, sometimes moves a foot and dies

-Horn always kills the engine consistently

-Track connection read out from the DCS remote is 10 for signal quality

-Battery is marked as Hi on the info of the engine VIA the DCS remote

 

https://youtu.be/fRiibF0gzzg

This is a link to a video of the engine's issue this was recorded by me.

I am desperate for help as I have tried everything I know how to do.

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Good Evening,

I am by no means an expert in this area and simply read all the things you have already tried. I would say try looking at the area in the motor where the threaded shaft goes into the drive wheels. I don't know how often you run this particular locomotive but if it's been put away or not run often this could be the culprit. If, in fact, this is the problem try using LGB grease or similar in that area.  The grease gets old and may need a good old re-greasing if that's even a word.  Best Wishes!

Dave

If it does not remember the DCS setting after shutdown, the battery is no good or the harness is bad, or the board is going bad.  You say fresh battery what does that mean?  Try a new alkaline for testing purpose.  I would also disconnect speaker at 2 pin.  Speakers on these go bad, along with older batteries.  You may also have a short or a loose AC power wire on the trucks, red or black.  Bad pickups even though oiled (you can't see corrosion on pin inside roller) can also cause issues. Wheels need to be cleaned with wire brush.

Of course this is a PS-2 5V I assume from 2002, and that board could be having end of life issues.  G

acrking76 posted:

 

-sometimes moves not even an inch and dies, sometimes moves a foot and dies

-Horn always kills the engine consistently

GGG posted:

If it does not remember the DCS setting after shutdown, the battery is no good or the harness is bad, or the board is going bad.  You say fresh battery what does that mean?  Try a new alkaline for testing purpose.  I would also disconnect speaker at 2 pin.  Speakers on these go bad, along with older batteries.  You may also have a short or a loose AC power wire on the trucks, red or black.  Bad pickups even though oiled (you can't see corrosion on pin inside roller) can also cause issues. Wheels need to be cleaned with wire brush.

Of course this is a PS-2 5V I assume from 2002, and that board could be having end of life issues.  G

From your video, you have a PS2 3V board.  Again, from the video, when you start it up I think the sounds have a large amount of static in them.  I would do what GGG suggested and disconnect the speaker first and then see if the engine runs.  If it runs, you could just have a bad speaker, easy to change out and test again.  If the engine still doesn't run and you can't find any wiring problems, you should have the boards tested by a service tech

I did not watch video since this is a PS-2 3V upgrade, the whole speaker issue and with Battery high indicates the 5V processor is getting overloaded and shutting down the board.  Speaker can still be issue, along with smoke fan now, so turn smoke off.  But Battery HI indicates a problem with battery or battery charging circuit and I suspect you also have a board issue.  Hopefully just the top power supply board as that is repairable/replaceable.  If the bottom board is damage on the battery circuit your out of luck as that is not repairable or replaceable as it is obsolete.  And a PS-32 upgrade is required.  G

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