SD-70ACe decoder install issues

[steveparkinson]

Hi everyone, I went to install more dcc decoders tonight and ran into my first issue in the last 11 I've done. Layout is N scale.

The problem is with a Kato SD-70ACe using a Digitrax DN163K1C decoder. I've followed all of the instructions using digitrax, kato and TCS procedures to make sure I didn't miss something. The locomotive has been programmed, all lights work and it runs both fwd and reverse with the shell off. As soon as the shell goes on it doesn't move. Lights still work and it changes direction but no movement. I can put the shell on almost all the way and it moves but that final click is causing something to stop it. I've clipped the radiator tabs inside the shell as recommended and the entire underside of the decoder has kapton tape and the sides where the tabs are (as seen in pics).

Has anyone else had this issue or have any suggestions? My references are below.

http://www.tcsdcc.com/Customer_Content/Installation_Pictures/N_Scale/Kato/SD70ACe/EMD_SD70ACe.html

https://www.katousa.com/N/SD70ACe/maint/DCC.html

Thanks in advance,
Steve


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[bnsf971]

That's happened to me before. The pressure of the shell on the very back of the decoder when the shell touches it breaks electrical contact between the frame and the decoder. Remove the decoder, and gently tap the two contact points on the frame, to close it up a little bit, then put the decoder back in.
One of those drove me crazy doing the same thing, even afer closing the connecting frame piece. Turned out the shell pushing down on the decoder opened a cold solder joint on the decoder. I had to send it back to Digitrax for repair.

 

[steveparkinson]

Thanks I'll give that a try today. Someone else suggested that the frame might be pushing down on the board to break the contact at the motor points too so I'll try both.

I've got some other identical decoders so I could always swap with another to isolate the possibility of the cold solder issue you spoke of right?

Thanks again
Steve


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[steveparkinson]

Sometimes you just have to step back when you've run out of options and rethink it the next day. So this morning I was looking at the suggestions and the locomotive to see if I could see contact being broken but none.... I noticed inside the shell there are a couple pieces of plastic from the mold that stick out just about where the motor parts would turn (not the radiator tabs I already trimmed as directed in the installation instructions). I proceeded to gently push the inside of the shell outward on both sides where the motors would turn. Tried again and it worked with the shell installed!

Hope this helps others, thanks for the help.

UP SD-70ACe 8512 joining a pair of UP ES44AC's after getting some maintenance repairs:

Steve


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