Bachmann Class 40 - Head / Tail lights not working

[Standby]

I recently picked up a 2nd hand Bachmann Class 40 fitted with DCC sound, it's mint condition but I can't get the head or tail lights to work.

 

On selecting Function 0 on my controller the centre headcodes light up as expected and are directional, but the head or tail lights don't seem to work.

 

There are 2 switches underneath (for DC operation, I think) 1, for 'cab light', 1 for 'tail light'. When these are switched on and function 5 is selected these work (along with a coupling noise!?) so I know the rear LEDs work, at least red does.

 

I'm told it's a Loksound V3.5 or 4 decoder (see picture) possibly sound fitted by Olivias Trains, but the functions don't match the current ones available. 

 

I've tried a CV8/8 reset. I've checked the contacts between the body and chassis are clean.

 

I can return it if it doesn't work, but maybe there's something else I can try.

 

Neil

 

[RAF96]

F0 is likely the default directional lights on this decoder as it is on most others. Maybe there is another dependant CV setting that needs both on. Looks like a trawl through the manual unless another user pops up with a solution.

Edit - failing that its out with the meter to see if the white leds have blown, but be aware many locos have the leds in the body but the controlling resistors on the PCB so have a 1k resistor in circuit if testing the body alone.

Edited November 2, 2021 by RAF96
More info

[Standby]

Thanks for your reply. I don't have any manuals for the decoder. I'm not going to start messing around with a multimeter, could be flogging a dead horse and would rather return it than risk causing further problems.

[Standby]

8 hours ago, Richard Croft said:

They don’t have headlights, the headcode box is the forward lights. The black wires under the decoder look non standard, they probably join up to the tail lights. If so they must have connected them to aux 1 and 2, try all the functions until you find them because they are likely to be there somewhere, often people put lighting functions on higher numbers (high teens up into the 20’s)

Thanks for the info Richard. I've gone through all the functions with the 2 switches(cab lights / tail lights) underneath in both the off and on position. Only 12 functions do something.

 

With both switches off there is no way to turn any lights on.

 

The tail light switch doesn't seem to do anything, there's no difference to any of the functions whether it is off or on.

 

With the 'cab' switch on:

Function 0 turns the headcodes on and they are directional.

Function 5 turns the cab lights and tails lights on/off and these will both stay on. The tail lights are not directional, the same end stays red whichever way the loco is going. 

Function 6 turns the tail light on/off at the other end of the loco, again, not directional, they stay on either way the loco is going.

 

I'll stop looking for the headlight as they may not exist! 

 

I guess my question now is can I reblow the decoder to get more functions? So the tail lights would be directional, add a braking function, separate cab light function, volume up/down, etc.

 

Neil

 

 

[Nigelcliffe]

46 minutes ago, Standby said:

Thanks for the info Richard. I've gone through all the functions with the 2 switches(cab lights / tail lights) underneath in both the off and on position. Only 12 functions do something.

 

With both switches off there is no way to turn any lights on.

 

The tail light switch doesn't seem to do anything, there's no difference to any of the functions whether it is off or on.

 

With the 'cab' switch on:

Function 0 turns the headcodes on and they are directional.

Function 5 turns the cab lights and tails lights on/off and these will both stay on. The tail lights are not directional, the same end stays red whichever way the loco is going. 

Function 6 turns the tail light on/off at the other end of the loco, again, not directional, they stay on either way the loco is going.

 

I'll stop looking for the headlight as they may not exist! 

 

I guess my question now is can I reblow the decoder to get more functions? So the tail lights would be directional, add a braking function, separate cab light function, volume up/down, etc.

 

Neil

 

 

 

 

All of the lighting changes you've requested to the lighting are CV changes, and a re-blow doesn't really help you (except perhaps doing the CV changes in the process).    Assuming the wiring in the loco separates the lights (ie. the red tail lights are wired to different function outputs), then a CV change will allow directional control.     If the loco isn't wired with separate function outputs to each light, then no amount of re-blow will fix the wiring.  

 

You really need a computer connected to your DCC programming track to do this, JMRI/DecoderPro will do it.   
It is possible by hand-setting of CV's, but there are 640 of them for ESU function mapping, most accessed via two other "index" values.    The computer does all this tedious stuff of managing hundreds of CVs for you.  

 

 

- Nigel

[Standby]

5 minutes ago, Nigelcliffe said:

You really need a computer connected to your DCC programming track to do this, JMRI/DecoderPro will do it.   
It is possible by hand-setting of CV's, but there are 640 of them for ESU function mapping, most accessed via two other "index" values.    The computer does all this tedious stuff of managing hundreds of CVs for you.  

I do have JMRI, although not really had a proper play with it yet, I only got into model railways in April.

 

5 minutes ago, Richard Croft said:

On a V4 you dont have enough functions to have more than 5 lighting outputs, you either need to choose between separate tail lights and disconnecting the cab lights (which it sounds like you dont want)

 

Or the lights could be re wired back to standard, giving normal directional lights where the switch for the red lights controls them. Both cab lights would come on together with whatever button controls Aux 1 like the original model.

 

Cab lights aren't necessary for me, I think what I would really like, in order of preference:

 

Directional tail lights and headcode

Braking

Flange squeal

Volume control

 

I have these and more on my Heljan 07 and Bachmann 121 with Zimo decoders.

 

Can I have something similar put onto the V4 decoder or would I need to upgrade the decoder?

[Tony Burgess]

Came across yr post searching for something else, and you've no doubt by now got past the problems.  But maybe not..

 

A Loksound v3.5 should definately meet yr needs, even though pretty dated now compared with the latest v5s.  With a Lokprogrammer re-mapping Functions on Loksounds is very easy, and if by now you have an interface between JMRI and track you could use JMRI to change CVs on the Lokv3.5.  The Lokv3.5 manual is on the ESU website, and all the info you need will be there, but did you know that you can download the Lokprogrammer programme to your computer and learn quite a lot with that regarding which CVs are used to handle which features?

 

Loksound v3.5s still command quite a good price secondhand (I love them!), but if you sell one be sure to include the loudspeaker as well as they are 100ohm impedence and no longer as commonly found as they used to be.