PS3.0 Engine (BiPolar) sounds suddenly go super-loud and distorted, then normal again?

Reload the complete sound file.  Flash code and sound file.  G

@GGG posted:

Reload the complete sound file.  Flash code and sound file.  G

I have no capacities to accomplish that...would MTH do it, and have you experienced this sound blast and distortion before? The engine is under warranty.

Yes, and yes.  Call MTH and get RA.  They can do it.  Or the dealer you got it from.  G

Ok, thanks. With MTH closing down soon I am cutting it close...I'll give them a call tomorrow, not open today per message. Still yet, perhaps I should page GRJ and see if he's available...about an hour drive from me but would save me shipping this behemoth.

I had the same issue with an MTH BNSF GS-4. The PFA sounds were garbled at certain points. I reloaded the sound file and it was all fixed. It only takes around 20 min to do it, but it can be daunting for a first timer.

Good luck!

No sooner did I get the RA and do the "UPS Shuffle" to West Chester, shipping back the defective bipolar, when yet another one goes into Poltergeist mode. Same loud and garbled sounds. The odd thing is with these corrupted sound files, it doesn't happen all the time, but it sure is annoying when it occurs. Now, another call is in order to MTH and another RA. I just hope they know what they're doing down in MD. If they don't fix them right I may have to take up with the selling dealer, who BTW, suggested I send them to MD.

If of interest to anyone. I received the bipolars back from service. All was well running them independently, but as soon as programmed them as a lashup in DCS, the rear engine began the poltergeist sound screaming again. I shut the consist down as a lashup, re-started both as individual engines, the forward engine was fine, but the rear one had no sounds. Even a feature and factory resets wouldn't restore it. Frustrated again, I shut off the power, and re-started and it came up normal. Resumed test running as individual engines, so far so good.

According to MTH service tech notes, "reloaded files" which I thought would rectify the issue, but something is clearly wrong.

At this point, I fear re-addressing these engines as a lashup. I don't think there is any other way to run them as a consist other than to program in DCS as a lashup? I don't think DCS allows programming two engines with the same ID #?

A major PITA of these otherwise fine models. There is apparently something inherently wrong with the PS electronics in these engines; or, advanced features such as DCS lashup trigger a software bug...don't know. I have to wonder if I am the only operator who encounters these strange problems with MTH stuff?

it sure sounds like their is a bug in the sound set that gets triggered in a consist. It sounds strange. We have seen things like this before.

There is a problem getting all the releases to conform to consist protocols I believe. I had some engines get scrambled. I had one brand new one get locked into reverse. There was a software bug in DCS where the lead engine would resume to track speed after a PFA while no other engine in the consist would.

There were sound sets in the past that had bugs. I had a SD70ACe years back play weird excerpts of speeches when soft keys were pressed. There was a loud screeching noise in another sound set when the smoke fan was run.

I feel for you having this issue. All I can say is try bringing up both into active and running them as "all engines".

I believe only MTH would have to look into a fix for this sound set issue.

Thanks for the tips, Joe - running them as "all engines" sounds like a feature I haven't used before. How is that accessed?

FWIW: I went down to the basement again (rainy weekend here in east) and powered them up as the former lashup. Funny thing yet again, they came up without screaming sounds, though the forward engine was oriented backwards (not how I programmed it)!? So, I powered down and the big hands from above came in and picked up the backward one and placed it forward. Powered up again as lashup, and off they went.

Also FWIW: I was running my Lionel PRR bipolars in a lashup today (one of these had to go back to Lionel for repairs (pinched wire according to tech notes) and low and behold the consist ran well until it stalled out over a crossover...eventually got it going again.

I have come to believe operating these modern trains takes diligence and patience; and in the end, we have to make due by improvising around what can be called bizarre occurrences. What's troubling is the future of service of modern trains...between parts availability and finding techs who can fix this stuff once their out of warranty. 

I had the same sound problem with a brand new MTH 44 ton a few months back. I have no patience with defective products and returned it to the store for a full refund.  Because of this experience and the uncertainty of future warranty engine repairs, I've been reluctant to buy any more motive products from that company.  Maybe the "new" Elkridge MD owners can restore confidence.

I’ve had lash-ups act similarly when first created.  For me, what I’ve found works is after creating the lash-up, I go select the engine that is too loud then adjust its volume.  Once I get the volume and other settings correct, I go back to the lash-up and hit the FSV button.  This will save all the settings and state so the next time the consist is started it will have everything correct.  

@Bruce Brown posted:

I had the same sound problem with a brand new MTH 44 ton a few months back. I have no patience with defective products and returned it to the store for a full refund.  Because of this experience and the uncertainty of future warranty engine repairs, I've been reluctant to buy any more motive products from that company.  Maybe the "new" Elkridge MD owners can restore confidence.

I have to ask then, what brand then do you buy?

I've had issues with them all.

I named most of the issues I've had with MTH over like a 15 year period and around 100 engines. All issues were resolved.

The 44 tonner is a special engine and had well posted issues. They were curable. Each depended on the layout they were run on. I can understand many users not wanting or able to do the work.

If yours made this loud screeching noise that might be a clue to help figure this issue out.

Maybe there's something else triggering this like a constant track power fluctuation? (applying power on and off rapidly?)