Rescuing a faulty decoder

From:  http://www.tonystrains.com/technews/dec_rescue.htm

How to Rescue a Faulty Decoder

What to do When Decoders are Not Working:

Note: I did a lot of cutting - I recommend going to the website referenced above for the whole procedure.

Here is a chart that lists the most common IDs and reset procedures. For other decoders check the manual for CV and value used to reset to factory settings. All these decoders do support Ops Mode programming and can be reset on the mainline assuming you have control of the address.

If you do not have control of the address use the program track.

(2) Generally is not reliable in Read-Back

How to Reset a Decoder

Start by determining the decoder manufacturer. On the program track read CV 8. Compare the number with the above chart for the ID. Then write to the matching CV the value as shown in the chart (writing a number to CV 8 will not change the value in CV8 when you read it back). When resetting the decoder, it may respond by flashing the lights or tooting the horn. Resetting a decoder will change the address back to the default of 3. Try the decoder on the main line using address 3 to be sure everything is okay. Then you can start your programming.

Revived Decoder!

Hi Jeff!

Thank-you Very Much for your help!  My loco lives and breathes again!  I started reprogramming CV's but I can't get CV's 2,3,4, & 5 to set. I've heard from a few people that MRC sound decoders can be troublesome.  Have you or do you know someone who has had similar problems with MRC?

Again many thanks for helping me fix my loco, Jeff!

Stew.

MRC

Hi there Stew,

I had the same problems with the MRC sound decoders, but there is a way around it, here is what I do when ever I get an Athearn genesis sound equiped lok.

Go get an ESU lokpilot and bridgewire it to the MRC decoder. First set your preferences, soundwise in the MRC decoder, not forgetting the address in cv 1. 

Now program the lokpilot ( a lokprgrammer comes in handy here) on a spare lok you have or as myself on an  ESU "profi-Prüfstand". Set it to your liking for motor control, but most inportand cv1 has to match the MRC decoder address.

Open up the Atheran lok. Detach the motor leads from the MRC decoder and hardwire them to the ESU lokpilot. Orange and gray. Orange beeing the right side lead of the motor and by deduction, lol, gray beeing the left side. 

The only thing left is attaching the pickup wires from the ESU lokpilot to the MRC decoder. So, pickup wire 1  (black) goes to the pickup wiper wire of the MRC decoder, wire them together to the MRC board. Next, do the same thing for the red wire. Done. (there should be 2 left and 2 right, mostly black, pickup wires going to the MRC board, that's the ones you need, just put the black and red wires from the ESU lokpilot with them, trying to explain it in a simple way here,lol)

Before you assemble the lok back, put it on the layout for a test, it could be that you may have to reverse the motor lead wires wiring. This depending on the direction the lok goes when the command is given.

One last thing, the only 4 wires you need to use from the Lokpilot are , orange,gray (motor leads) and black and red (pickup wiper wires). The remaining you can snip off, close to the ESU lokpilot decoder (makes it easier when space is tight).

You'll be amased, my Athearns crawl on speedstep 1 now, where before they took off like a rice burner on speedstep 6 or even 8 (without the ESU lokpilot added).

It's harder to explain infact then to be done, all in all when you have everything around, it takes 10 minutes.

Hope I could help you out some.

Have a nice day

Jappe.......