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This is not a bashing of engine, or the brand.  Just seeing if anyone else has had multiple issues with any of your newer MTH engines.  Just got mine back from service on Friday. The board and the speed module all had to be replaced. Had a minor issue with ditch lights, one on in forward, one on in reverse, but that was the least of my worries. Just was happy to have engine back and running. But... engine went out for the 2nd time in days. Lit up and did its startup sound procedure, but advancing throttle, sound remained at idle. Then it went through shutdown sounds. Noticed that the breaker had tripped on my z1000. Pulled down, put on test track. Nothing in DCS, or conventional.

So any tips or tricks that I can try or has worked for you? Not ripping into it as still under warranty. Made contact with service tech. Ugh, the thought of another 4-5 week down time, but hopeful for a quicker turnaround...  Wish I could watch and learn from a service tech, or become one so I could work on my own newer engines. And wish they had loaner engines while its in for repairs. 

Engine I have is 20-20736-1  

Thanks

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Was the repair completed by a MTH Certified Repair Center?  What is a speed module?  Sounds like you need a little help in operating ps3 locomotives.  This locomotive may be exposed to wiring issues.  There may be conditions on your track and wiring that cause problems.  How big is your layout?  The Z1000 may be causing the problems.  Remember- ps3 locomotives when run in conventional, need about 20 seconds at less than 12 volts before they come alive.  This is due to the supercaps in them.  Ditch lites should not cause problems unless wires are pinched inside and they are shorting directly to the metal frame.

bruce

I have quite a few PS3 diesels and they have all worked well so far. My newest one is probably 2 years old or so. I have one that's probably 4-5 years old that has a ditch light problem. One ditch light went out, I tried to fix it 3 or 4 times without success, and now both ditch lights are out!  

It is way out of warranty and so far hasn't bothered me enough to work on it again or send it to someone that really knows how to fix it.

I have other engines. But this one is my newest one with 3.0. Work was done by a Cert MTH center. Single loop of Gargraves 155ft of track. Buss wire with hook ups about every 3 feet. Yes speed module is the tach. 1st time around the board did fry and was replaced along with the speed tach electronics. When I got it back, ditch lights didnt work properly, but I could live with it. But as of now... been about a week back at the MTH center for another round. 

It seemed like it was in a bind during initial start of pull of freight cars. Im pulling 12 rail king cars at the moment. But i checked the gearing from motors to trucks, and they spin easily by hand. So just have to wait and see what my MTH service center says.

Had an mth imperial sant fe northern that I got around christmas time.Only ran a few minutes before it started acting up.It would just sit there and make sound and not move.Set it back about a week later got it back.It had a note telling me it had a factory defect.The wireless tether had issues.I for one had liked the old tether never had a problem with those.

seaboardm2 posted:

Had an mth imperial sant fe northern that I got around christmas time.Only ran a few minutes before it started acting up.It would just sit there and make sound and not move.Set it back about a week later got it back.It had a note telling me it had a factory defect.The wireless tether had issues.I for one had liked the old tether never had a problem with those.

I have had one issue with the older tether in a PS2. A cold solder on a connection on the tether according to MTH when it came back. Engine just stopped after making a couple rounds on layout. But it was back in my hands in less then 2 weeks after shipping out and has run trouble free since.

Well, the HO has a different smoke unit.  the smoke unit on the top is the small O-gauge smoke unit, the one on the bottom is the MTH HO smoke unit.  The next picture is the full sized smoke unit.

Other than looking inside, I don't know how you figure what's in the locomotive. perhaps someone has already had one apart?

This is the full-sized MTH smoke unit used in O-gauge.  They come with short posts as shown, and long posts for diesels.

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c.sam posted:

Have a recently released D&H RS3 that has pitiful smoke output. Set it at MAX but very little air flow it seems. Hate to have to pull the shell off of a brand new piece...

The sounds are terrific however!

Hey Sam, my pair of CNJ RS5's with PS3 smoked well right out of their boxes upon startup, in conventional mode, as my DCS was not setup.  I received these new around June of this year.   Hope you get yours straightened out.

Rich

Shawnee, OK

The thing about smoke units, is the wick has to be perfect. I don't know how MTH puts so much wick in there and gets any smoke output? Whenever I take one apart, I find I have to reduce the amount of wick to get good output. MTH must have just the right touch. I've tried repeatedly to replicate what they do. It just doesn't work for me.

 So with that, I imagine that they are pushing the max amount inside. If one part isn't perfect, it blocks the air flow partially. I've had new engines that had to burn in to get better. I've had engines that have dried out and a perfect smoker became a poor smoker. Although I hate to have fluid dripping around inside the engine, now I have to side with too much fluid over not enough.

 When there's too much, it has to burn off to allow the smoke unit to perform at max I believe. That's better than a charred wick or element. When certain engines with the smoke unit too close to the board leaks out fluid, that can cause other issues. So those engines need to be filled carefully. I think the unit should be inside a bubble! with an overflow hose that is. … and something to allow the heat to come out.... and like the Lionel, have a sensor for low fluid, that needs to be set in perfect distance to the element... and.....

I have an older (3-4 years) RK Scale RS3 in Interstate livery. It has the small one resistor smoke unit. I would imagine yours is the same thing. Mine does not smoke like the other MTH engines either, but it does smoke some. There is a newer sound file for mine that I have it, but haven't loaded yet. GRJ informed me of that here a while back. I don't know exactly when the new file was issued, but if your RS3 is new I would think it would have the latest? But then again, it might be worth checking?

I think it's actually a new chain file that fixes low smoke from some models with the small smoke unit.  It's quite possible it didn't find it's way into any new production.

I don't know that his RS3 has the small smoke unit, I was just guessing based on the performance.  Unless something is seriously broken, usually the MTH diesels smoke too much, not too little.

I guess they could have changed the smoke unit? I was just thinking it would be unlikely they would change it ($$$), but you never know? Since CSam has RS1s and someone else above has RS5s that smoke well and are all somewhat similar, I think, maybe they did make some changes that didn't take much $$$ to do?

I am guessing the new chain file would be in the upgraded sound file? I downloaded it when you told me about it, but haven't looked at it. It's in the MTH folder awaiting upgrading.  

When you download a PS/3 "sound" file, it comes in a ZIP file.  Inside the ZIP file are two files, the chain files (another ZIP file), and the .MTH file (the actual sound file).  Unpack this ZIP file into your upload folder where you normally put sound file to upload to the engines.   You use the second ZIP file without unpacking it and upload using the FLASH button.  The sound file gets loaded in the normal manner with the Upload Sound File button.

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I didn't even think about asking for a hard wire to 3 rail.  My engine smokes some, but you can smell it  more than you can see it. I added 15 drops. Seems like more output faster it's ran, but I'm running mine less than  1/2 throttle. Wish there was some kind of level indicator.  But being up on shelf, and close to a few smoke alarms, I just turned it off. Be nice at times to really see it put out some smoke though. I've got earplugs...

Joe - Thant's a terrific demonstration, Thanks

RTR12 - I've had several older RK Scale RS3's and none of them had smoke, only the two RS1's that I have now - NH and Southern. Both of them are pretty finicky however, sometimes they smoke profusely but others will almost quit.  :-(

This D&H is the first RS3 I'd seen advertised with smoke..

 

Last edited by c.sam
c.sam posted:

Joe - Thant's a terrific demonstration, Thanks

RTR12 - I've had several older RK Scale RS3's and none of them had smoke, only the two RS1's that I have now - NH and Southern. Both of them are pretty finicky however, sometimes they smoke profusely but others will almost quit.  :-(

This D&H is the first RS3 I'd seen advertised with smoke..

I was questioning whether mine had smoke or not when I got it, forget the details (been a while) but there were conflicting descriptions. I added smoke fluid thinking it had one and it leaked out the bottom of the engine. I was then thinking hmmm...maybe it didn't have one? I asked here and several folks said the same as you did that they did not previously have smoke units. So I took it apart to to see. I found the smoke funnel and gaskets out of alignment (reason for fluid leak), but it did at least have the single element smoke unit. 

As I recall the wick and everything looked OK, but I replaced them anyway while I was in there. It smokes, but has never smoked like the other MTH diesels I have, like the ES44ACs, SD70s etc.. The RS3 is the only older model Diesel I have, the rest are all more modern ('80s to current) so I don't have anything to compare to.

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