MTH Z-1000 controller dead, need new one

Usually, those are not too difficult to fix, it's the output triac that is toasted.  It's a Littlefuse Q4015L5, available for around $3.

Maybe those years I spent in the 4H electrical program will finally pay off!  Thanks gunrunner John!

Yep, once you take it apart, the big chunk of aluminum is the heatsink, it's bolted to the triac.  After taking the four screws out (two under the feet), remove the two that hold the heatsink and PCB in.  There's a screw in the middle that secures the heatsink to the triac.

hi John who do you get the triac from mouser or dig-key? also do you know what  MFD and voltage are  the electrolytic s  in the controller i have one acting very erratic and i believe it's just a filter problem?

Alan

Mouser and Digikey both have the triac.  I don't have one of those open right now, but the value of the cap would obviously be on the cap.

Thanks John , i know the value is on the cap just thought you might know off the top of your head,just wondering if i may already have the right values before i take it apart.Its an extra as i had bought a new one when mine quit. since then i have bought z4000 and don't use it anymore, do you know how much i can sell it for ounce i repair it.

Alan

Are you talking about the piece with the dial or the brick?  I'm using the brick, but have the other piece.  Let me know.

The control box isn't worth much, not sure what it would fetch.

Cover the shipping and it's yours.

Jmiller320, that is such a generous offer.  Earlier today I ordered the part suggested by gunrunner john and it is on its way, so I will see if that solves the problem.  Will let you know.  Again, thanks for your help.

OK, I hope the part fixes the problem.  I'm not using the controller, it's just sitting in a drawer.

Ok, John, opened up the z controller and ... There are Two trials, Q2 on left, Q1 on right. If you were a betting man, which one would you go with first.

I'd go with both.

You can check a triac with an ohmmeter.  How to test a triac.

I just bought two last fall. Had the older bricks and was sick of trying to get DCS to work with no success. My now closed dealer (Catoctin Mountain Trains) sold them to me for $30 or $35 each.

Go figure, a few months before that, I sold me original controllers for about $50 for the pair as I wasn't using them and didn't think I'd need them again. How foolish I was....