PS3 engine won’t run after being serviced

Also took my dads PS3 engine in and he cannot run his using the commander now either. I’m sure it has something to do with the shop running them in conventional.

i would call them but they are closed today.

They must have ran the engine in DCS when testing it. It will have to be reset with a DCS Remote Commander, DCS system, DCS Commander, or at your local dealer.

I performed the reset using the remote commander. It did the audio response and then went silent.

if I try again using the commander it does nothing.

Finally found my O gauge companion. Looks like I have to go hook up my dcs remote and TIU to perform a proper reset. This shouldn’t be necessary and should be a function built into the capabilities of the remote commander.

Huh. This is from the Remote Commander Instruction Manual:

Yep, I suspect you're right, and I think Joe Allen is right, they must've checked it using DCS and therefore it needs  DCS system reset.

Not having any luck doing anything if anyone has any ideas. Currently have my zw and a tiu hooked up and not having any luck doing anything.

I was never able to accomplish anything with the TIU.

So now if I connect it to the remote commander and wait eventually the engine headlight comes on and it starts making sounds. If I go to move it forward, it lurches and travels 1 inch, then the engine shuts down and the headlamp turns off. Car lights are all still on. This is a PS3 engine.

Ok basically I am back to where I was before I had the engine serviced. The reason I took it in is it would spuratically just stop running and would shut down. I guess when they tested the engine they just ran it back and forth in conventional mode and the engine ran with no problems. They checked all the connections and everything looked good. Engine is always well libricated.

i checked the track and cleaned it. Pushed a lighted car Around and the light stays well lit so I don’t think it’s a track issue.

Right now with the commander I can get it to start up, it will move forward a few inches and then just shuts down.  

I would make sure both outside rails are grounded to each other. I’ve had the same experience and it was due to not having a good ground, so made both outside rails grounded. Connect both and check it out. You may have this same issue.

Is it a premier loco? If yes, I would check to make sure that the switch is set to DCS not DCC. I will admit I thought my Premier K-4S was dead ( I tried all of the normal tests) until I decided to look at the switches underneath.

Bryce

Thanks for the replies. I don’t think it is the track because other engines run fine on it.

there is no switch to change to DCC. It has always been run with DCS.

Why not just complain to the servicing person?  It's her responsibility to return a working engine.

Some engines have ground issues, some won’t. Try it as I’ve stated above

you might try a bell and whistle conventional reset, i have seen a engine reset in dcs and then   that doesn't  run on dcs so you might have to do a conventional reset and you'll hear 2 whistle

Alan, That has nothing to do with his symptoms. And not run is not very specific.

Sounds like you have an AC power issues.  Can be poor or faulty drawbar connection if Steam.  Is drawbar fully inserted in tender?  Is plug on engine side fully seated in drawbar.  Can be dirty corroded center rail pickup.  Can be dirty wheels or poor ground.  What engine is this by model number.  I would talk it back and make the operate it in front of you.  Some of these engines did have issues with the wire harness connector that plugs into drawbar.  G

Thanks for the replies. The engine is a standard gauge mth LCT Ives, PS3. All the electronics are in the engine so there is no connection to the tender.  10-1342-1

Tomorrow I will try a conventional reset with my ZW, and I will clean the wheels and pickup rollers again.

Jeff I connected the outside rails and it didnt change anything. We are now running a 400E and having no issues.

Is that is the flimsy PW type pickup assembly of the screw on type?  Depending, it may have a plunger to engage the roller to center rail lead. You also have  ground wire screwed to frame.  Not hard to take shell off and inspect.  IF you have a volt meter.  With shell off and engine on track no power.  Touch outer rails to black wire going into 8 pin and see if you have continuity.  Same with center rail and red wire.  Consider grounding outside rails together if not.

Test engine on side with jumpers to chassis and pickup to see if it runs fine on side.  G

Morning update, I cleaned the wheels and track again last night. On the second try this morning I can actually get it moving.

as it moves forward it slightly studders, then gets moving. It moves backwards fine. Every time I go to move forward it either Will lurch forward and shut down, or move forward, studder, and get moving.

What type of pickup assembly.  You might want to look at how it holds the axle bearings in place and how the gear mesh is.  Are wheels clocked correctly? Linkage not binding?

Update, a few days ago I oiled up the engine more, a lot more, and worked the wheels back and forth for a while. Low and behold the thing ran flawlessly for 2 days. We ran it a lot multiple times and it ran like new.

here we are 2 days later and it stopped running again. Sometimes it will start to move forward and it will **** down. Other times it will be running forward and then just stop and shut down.

im going to take the engine apart Monday. Also while working on it today one of the coupling rods came apart. I put the pin back in and now that’s not holding. I don’t think this is causing the stoppage issue, it moves very freely.

when I go to rotate the driving wheels forward by hand, sometimes they move very easily, sometimes they won’t and if I just try again, they are fine.

ill update when I get it apart Monday.

Was nice to have it running for a few days though, perfect engine for under the tree.

good to see you got it fixed, was the pin coming loose jamming the wheels when running forward!

?

Alan

@Zett posted:

im going to take the engine apart Monday. Also while working on it today one of the coupling rods came apart. I put the pin back in and now that’s not holding. I don’t think this is causing the stoppage issue, it moves very freely.

Alan, did you miss this ?

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Year!

I took the engine apart, removed the shell, then removed the gear cover on the bottom. There were a few pieces of hair tied up in there but nothing crazy. Removed all that.. I felt the gears inside were overgreased so we cleaned it up a bit. I spent a decent amount of time just working the wheels back and forth. Every once in a while I would go to push the wheels and they wouldn’t move. A slight move back or just try again and they would roll fine.

we did this for a while trying to find what caused it but couldn’t figure it out, never seemed to happen at a same point in the gearing. Everything inside appears to be in good order, no metal shavings or anything like that.

I put it back on the track and tried to move it and it shut down. Tried it again and it has been working fine ever since. I don’t think I fixed the problem I just think it will return, but it’s running fine for now.

I don’t know, any other ideas let me know!

My other problem is this pin that holds the coupling rod in, it will no longer stay in and after anywhere from 2 to 2000 rotations comes flying out.

Back in action for now? Kind of.

I would suggest to help is clean and grease the front truck wheels and axles. With traction tires on the rear wheels, the engine is 'ground starved' The pilot truck wheels are important for ground, same with the rear truck. Also, Is the MTH track? Are the outside rails grounded together?

How those axle bearings can move can cause the idler gear to jam.  If you look at the pickup plate it has tabs to hold them in place.  If the tabs are bent or not fully engaging those bearing the play can cause jams.  Upside down it may be fine, but upright on track it can occur.  Not sure how much else can be done though if the bearings are worn.  Maybe a shim stock to keep bearing in place.

Chuck is also correct about good ground. But you do have a jam causing the stall.  G