Kato DE10 not working

[Khaul]

I thought my Kato DE10 was growling more than normal. I took the bodywork off and run the chassis only. It run well and lot less noisily. Then I put the bodywork back in place and the loco stopped working altogether. After a tap it started to work, but much better in one direction the in the other. Took bodywork off again, works well. Bodywork back in it does not. Something to do with the contacts in the lighting board? I don't know. I clean the wheels, check the bogies for dust and bad contacts... everything seems to be fine... but now it does not go even without the bodywork.

 

Hard to see anything wrong

 

This piece fell apart in one of the bodywork on-off iterations

 

Help! 

 

[katoftw]

http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/11002-mystery-piece-fell-off-my-de10/?do=findComment&comment=128624

 

It has happened before. Click for answers.

[inobu]

The little piece may be one of the tabs on the plastic frame. 

 

http://www.sumidacrossing.org/PhotoAlbums/ModelTrainPhotos/KatoDE10Photos/files/collage_lb_image_page157_7_1.jpg

 

 

The reason its not moving is from either the copper pick up or the pick up from the bogie to the copper pickup.

 

http://www.sumidacrossing.org/PhotoAlbums/ModelTrainPhotos/KatoDE10Photos/

 

 

Inobu

 

I agree with Katoftw on the wedge. I think the wedge is an after effect.

 

When you place the bogie on make sure that the copper pick up rests on the copper tip on the bogie.

Edited June 29, 2017 by inobu

[nah00]

Do the lights come on and does it make any noise (a hum) when you throttle it up?

[Khaul]

Many thanks for all the answers so far!

 

Inobu: I don't think the original problem had to do with the copper pick ups. The loco was working noisily but fine otherwise so I took the bodywork off to check if anything was loose inside. The loco stopped working with I put the bodywork back in.

 

nah00: no, the lights don't come on and there is no hum. The loco goes for a bit if when I tap it.

 

Some additional info: the light on my Tomix power pack turned orange a couple of times. I think that means there was a short. I suppose the short happened through the locomotive. My current theory is that the light board wedge came loose so the two metal halves of the motor mount either touch each other, producing a short, or don't make contact with the motor properly so the loco does not go.

 

Well, now to put the loco back together! I hope I did not break anything...

[inobu]

Yes, the short is a key factor 

 

The link has a lot of images to reference.

 

Inobu

[Kiha66]

How tight is the fit of the light board into the frame?  I've had trouble with my DD51 as the kato light board is too lose under the frame tabs on the long end of the board.  Slipping 2 or 3 layers of kapton tape under the board at the end that slides under the tabs in the frame solved the problem for me.

[Khaul]

Maybe the wedge fell of or was never properly in so the noise was caused by the loose end of the lighting board vibrating. Also, the wedge could have been somewhere inside the motor mount causing trouble.

[Khaul]

Woo-hoo! It works! I was up late yesterday and was dragging my feet at the office this morning. But well, everything is good when it ends well. 

 

Just in case I ordered a DD13 from Amimi this morning. The Tsurumi line cannot operate without shunters and the DE10 looked close to defunct. It is my birthday after all  :)

[katoftw]

So what was the problem in the end?

[Khaul]

To be perfectly honest I am not sure what the problem was. The light board wedge was broken and it would neither hold the light board not stay in place. That may have been causing havoc.

[Kb4iuj]

You really should look for an tarnish pieces of metal and where there a metal contact and maybe get a super lightweight oil to clean those connections. Read your mfg. instructions. Hence, great connections are essential for smooth operation... Just don't over lube.

[Kiha66]

You really should look for an tarnish pieces of metal and where there a metal contact and maybe get a super lightweight oil to clean those connections. Read your mfg. instructions. Hence, great connections are essential for smooth operation... Just don't over lube.

 

I wouldn't recommend oil to clean an electrical connection, but Isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol on a q tip will do wonders for removing dirt from kato wheels and contact strips. 

[cteno4]

Only lube to use on electrical contacts like this would be one of the speciality conductive lubes that are good conductors and keep oxidation from happening and contacts moving smoothly. Regular oils will just make worse contact.

 

Jeff

Edited July 21, 2017 by cteno4

[kvp]

One remark about conductive lubricants: They might short the pickups if the stuff is allowed to bridge across the isolating parts. Generally it's dangerous to use anything that is conductive and (semi)fluid anywhere where there is very little gap between the various circuit parts. Such places could be the isolators on the axles, the wheel pickups and the bogie wipers.