I think the decoder on my BLI went south. Any places you could recommend? How about BLI’s own repair service?
If it’s a BLI Paragon2 decoder, only BLI will be able to service it because their decoder is proprietary and not something anyone can purchase.
But before contacting them, try a decoder reset command and see if that solves your problem. Reset instructions should have come with the model.
Most decoders can be reset to factory default values by programming a value of 8 into CV 8 on a programming track. After the reset, the locomotive address will be on 3.
If it’s under warranty, your right, send it to BLI. If it’s not under warranty, a good guy named Seneca who’s business is on the BLI website under support. The name is trainservicedepot.com. They do repairs, upgrades and a number of other things
Joe C
Where do you live? Maybe someone can recommend a local shop and save you some postage.
I assume this is the engine that’s been discussed over on Electronics & DCC. I have a BLI Hudson that’s currently awaiting repair once ski season ends. Like yours, the sound is fine but the engine does not run. This happened a few months ago, too. I took the shell off and the engine ran fine. I put the shell back on, and it still ran fine, until now.
I’m thinking that my engine has a mechanical problem. Maybe it’s a loose mount, or maybe it’s a gear that’s come loose on its shaft.
Will your engine run, even haltingly, in reverse? Does it “jump” a bit on the programming track when you address it? If you mute the sound (F8) and then run it, can you hear the motor spinning?
Mr. B.,
I have an Athearn Genesis F7ABBA, and one of the B units has exhibited the same problem as yours for some years now, and I simply cannot find the problem. The symptom is a front truck that seems to intermittently lose power. Take off the shell, the problem disappears. Put the shell back on, the problem eventually re-appears. I used to blame the decoder, but now I think that it is something mechanical.
Rich