Model Railroading > Watered down ESU decoder voltage reset ?

All the sounds work, but loco won't move, options to reset or just replace the decoder, or is it the decoder, it's one of the Walther's SD70-M2 Providence and Worcester's, TIA

Ed Stewart
Jacksonville, FL

Be sure that CV19 is set to 0 if that does not work then set CV8 to 8 to reset the decoder.

Jeff Smith
Lakewood, CA
RailMaster Hobbies

Might it be set to a consist address?

I set CV 19 to 0, nothing, set CV 8 to 8, address went to 3, still no movement although all the sounds are still there

Ed Stewart
Jacksonville, FL

Could be a bad decoder. May have to contact Walthers for warranty on it, or contact ESU and see what they say.

Jeff Smith
Lakewood, CA
RailMaster Hobbies

If you connect the motor leads to a 12v powerpack will the loco move?

I had a similar suite of symptoms with another brand of decoder. After sending it back they told me that the power supply for the motor was fried and maybe I had a short in the motor. Sure enough I had used a $90 decoder to prove a $25 motor was bad.
I was advised to place on ohmmeter across the motor leads and turn the shaft: you will see variations as the brushes contact different sectors of the commutator, but should never see zero. (But mine did.)
I was also advised that by placing a 100-200 ohm resistor across the motor leads as a dummy load I might be able to still use it as a sound decoder (with another decoder running the engine) but I have not tried that. (Thus does the junk drawer gradually overflow.)

Later this afternoon I DID get a short indication on the Zephyr DCS51 with it on a program track, going to put it in the dead line for now, Thanks guys !

Ed Stewart
Jacksonville, FL

Soundtraxx decoders have a 90 day warranty for decoders which are damaged during installation mistakes. I don't know if that includes OEM installed decoders or not. It would seem your recourse for a warranty is with Walthers for installing a decoder into a model with a defective motor causing the decoder to fail.

You never know until you give a call. The dealer you bought the model from may be able to give a hand with Walthers. ESU likely not be interested or able to lend a hand since Walthers not you was their customer.

fbe Wrote:
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> If you connect the motor leads to a 12v powerpack
> will the loco move?

NEVER do this on a DCC installation, you will cook the motor driver in the decoder.

Test the locomotive on a 12v DC track instead.

Disconnect the motor leads from the decoder or motherboard first. Test just the bare wires to the motor only. Who knows if the DC circuits within the decoder are working?

OK,  here's what I did, placed it in the dead line until my LHS owner got off vacation, called him to lert him know and was told that his Distributor would swap it out, this was completed yesterday, thank you all for your help

Ed Stewart
Jacksonville, FL