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Problems with Wood-Mizer Accuset 2

Started by mstahl, October 08, 2017, 06:40:58 PM

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mstahl

I have an LT50 with about 1100 hours. Recently the Accuset has started "hunting" for the selected height, such as 5-1/2", 6", 8" and others. It bounces around for 15-20 seconds and then travels down to the bottom stop at 3/4". The manuals make no mention of this in either troubleshooting or maintenance that I can find. Also, I contacted the service personnel at Wood-Mizer in Indy but they could offer no assistance.

I find it hard to believe that this problem has never occurred before with all the Accuset units in the field today. Has anyone encountered this problem before or have a guess as to a solution short of just randomly replacing components?

JB Griffin

I know nothing about accuset 2 but it sounds like a communication problem or bad ground.  I'd start by unplugging every connection and plugging it back in and cleaning the grounds.
2000 LT40hyd remote 33hp Kubota with 6gpm hyd unit, 150 Prentice, WM bms250, Suffolk dual tooth setter

Over 3.5million bdft sawn with a Baker Dominator.

irvi00

Mine will occasionally take a break. It won't do anything. Have to jog it up or down manually. Have had to shut it off and back on before it acted right. I've seen it wiggle up and down when the set is close to where the head already is. Never had it fall to the bed. Maybe a loss of communication from the magnet and rod? It's basically the same as silvatech setworks. Check all those connections, make sure the magnet and rod are clean.

4x4American

Mine hunts every so often but it dont drop to the bottom it just stops after 10 seconds.  Iirc, richards does that and hes had some fun realigning the guide arm on account of that.  Anyways, Gary was telling me that there is an update to accuset ii I dont remember what the number are but you gotta make sure you have the updatedest version.  Sparks here on the forum (Rick Lauman) will be able to set you straight give Indy a holler and ask for the Rick Lauman hotline he's the head honcho of electrical troubleshooting on these mills.  He got me up and going awhile back when I was having issues that noone else could finger out.
Boy, back in my day..

mstahl

Thanks for the feedback. If the problem was random I would suspect a loose connection, dirt, sawdust or something along those lines. However, it happens every time I try to go to 5-1/2", 6", 8" and yesterday started at 10". The head will also continue to drop to the bottom even when I turn the key off!! Now that could be dangerous. So I suspect a component is wearing out. I just do not know where to start looking and replacing parts in hopes of getting lucky can be uber-expensive.

terrifictimbersllc

The viscosity of the gear box fluid is part of the resistance that holds the head at a given position on my LT40 super, which also has accuset II.  Not seeing that this is your problem, because Accuset should try to bring back the head to the correct position if you are in "set to bed" mode. However, since you say the head descends when turned off, maybe change the gearbox oil if this hasn't been done recently.

While I've not had the problem you describe, I did have a cycling problem where Accuset was bringing the head to position, then it was falling down, and being brought back up, the total in cycling height only about 3/32 ".  Annoying and producing wavy lumber when cutting with that going on.  Consulting with WM, I went over chain tension and cleaning and adjusting the mast pads a little tighter which didn't help.

What did correct the problem was another WM suggestion of changing the gear box oil, up to that point I used Mobil SHC634, to more commonly available 85-140 gear oil.  This fixed the problem and that was 2 yrs and about 1000 hours ago.  I should probably change it again.

DJ Hoover, Terrific Timbers LLC,  Mystic CT Woodmizer Million Board Foot Club member. 2019 LT70 Super Wide 55 Yanmar,  LogRite fetching arch, WM BMS250 sharpener/BMT250 setter.  2001 F350 7.3L PSD 6 spd manual ZF 4x4 Crew Cab Long Bed

Ga Mtn Man

Don't the "Super" and LT50 mills have electric brakes on the gearbox shaft?  ???
"If the women don't find you handsome they should at least find you handy." - Red Green


2012 LT40HDG29 with "Superized" hydraulics,  2 LogRite cant hooks, home-built log arch.

drobertson

Quote from: mstahl on October 08, 2017, 06:40:58 PM
I have an LT50 with about 1100 hours. Recently the Accuset has started "hunting" for the selected height, such as 5-1/2", 6", 8" and others. It bounces around for 15-20 seconds and then travels down to the bottom stop at 3/4". The manuals make no mention of this in either troubleshooting or maintenance that I can find. Also, I contacted the service personnel at Wood-Mizer in Indy but they could offer no assistance.

I find it hard to believe that this problem has never occurred before with all the Accuset units in the field today. Has anyone encountered this problem before or have a guess as to a solution short of just randomly replacing components?

I have had this issue, I believe many have, and the electrical service department can and will offer assistance.  It most likely will cost, and it often times runs into buying and swapping out parts till the culprit is found.  You have not listed the year of your mill, or any other info, so it's like this, I could be a mouse bite,, it could be a loose connection, or a simple faulty part.  Battery has to be kept up,, full voltage,,!!! all the time, grounds have to be solid, the entire machine,  if the H-bridge gave up, you may find some diodes laying in the control box, or it just spiked from another source.  They say V-spikes are bridge killers.  It could be a faulty splitter cable, the short one from the bottom of the box to the transducer,  if its a white one, I would suspect it,, fact of the matter, when the H-bridge acts up, so will the gear box,,(shabby excuse but true) a brake might help, bout 50 bucks if memory serves me. It could be a drum switch, on the right side, the down and up control.  Flipper contacts have been known to break.  While you are at it might as well check the forward reverse drum switch.  Bottom line, get a volt meter or a test light have it handy at the mill, and keep calling to get the right person.   Been there,, it stinks,,
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

Beavertooth

I have an LT70 with accu set 2 and had to change gear box when under warranty and a few years later had to put brake on gearbox. Both times it would go all the way to the bottom. Have not had any problems since and the new brake is probably 4 to 5 years old.
2007 LT70 Remote Station 62hp cat.

sparks

Mstahl, who did you call? I'd like to know who told you they had no answer. May more training for this person.

Your mill does have a brake on it that should set once the head stops. The issue could be communication with the transducer. Disconnect the transducer cable at both ends and put dielectric grease on the ends. See if it stops the problem.
\"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.\" Abraham Lincoln

woodman

check were the wire comes out of the back of the box it may be louse
Jim Cripanuk

Seavee

Since new my LT50 will display ERROR and drop all the way down at least twice a day.
Wood mizer lt50 47hp yanmar Diesel  Sthil MS311, Ms661 MS200T, 029 farm boss  and a New Holland T4  75hp.

irvi00

Quote from: Seavee on November 11, 2017, 09:22:03 AM
Since new my LT50 will display ERROR and drop all the way down at least twice a day.

Woah. Thats bad. Does it do it out of the blue or while making a down set?

Seavee

Only when making the next cut in say a pattern mode. But no telling when, just a few times a day.
Wood mizer lt50 47hp yanmar Diesel  Sthil MS311, Ms661 MS200T, 029 farm boss  and a New Holland T4  75hp.

MartyParsons

Hello,
Hunting issue. Look at the H bridge. 



 

There are lights on the aluminum box ( H Bridge) Orange box on lower left. The bottom led light should be flashing red green when it reaches the destination. If the gear box is drifting it will be flashing RED RED RED or UP UP UP it is turning the up down motor on every time it turns red. If it was stay green the saw head would be going down.

Things to check when this happens. Up down gear box lube should be 85/140. It is not simple to drain. You can use a suction gun ( we have a vacuum pump with a tank) to remove original oil. Change out the gear oil to the heavier gear oil. Do not use synthetic.
The gear box could be worn.
The mast pads could need adjusted.

 

 

Here is the picture of the mast pad. Book says thickness of a credit card. I make them just a little closer than that. If you get them to close the up down circuit breaker will trip.

Your manual will show this. If you need assistance ask questions and I will help. Adjust the top pads with the saw head at the top of the travel and adjust the bottom pads with the saw head at lowest position.



  



 

WM did install a brake on the up down gear box to help with the drifting issue. The brake sometimes fail. You can add this brake kit to your mill if you have red lights on the h bridge and the gear box is not holding the saw head. The new gear box now has the heavier oil.

There are other adjustments that can be made to the Accuset PID values. I would not recommend this unless you have guidance from WM tech.

Communication errors from the transducer which is behind the up down scale. Rick recommended di electric grease on the wire connections. I had one here last week that had red chassis grease on the connections. I am sure that will not be the best. Don't do it!

There is a magnet on the transducer that can get weak and cause issues. Not very common. I have seen something as simple as the magnet bracket be loose and just need tightened. Another simple fix.

Normal maintenance things like battery, fuse block, grounds loose and the list goes on. Are common things that can cause issues.



 

This picture shows the white splitter cable. Later versions were black. The white cables were not all an issue. But we did see some fail.
You can see the wiring here is not the best. The top picture is after the reroute was completed.
A little house cleaning really helps to solve future issues.

Checking these areas first may save you some time and money. 
Hope this helps.
Marty
"A pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty." -Winston Churchill

Seavee

Marty would this pertain to my issues also
Wood mizer lt50 47hp yanmar Diesel  Sthil MS311, Ms661 MS200T, 029 farm boss  and a New Holland T4  75hp.

MartyParsons

Hello,
   Is there a code message with the Error? Like Check Transducer Error, Check Breaker and cable? The checks listed would be the same.
Marty
"A pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty." -Winston Churchill

Seavee

Wood mizer lt50 47hp yanmar Diesel  Sthil MS311, Ms661 MS200T, 029 farm boss  and a New Holland T4  75hp.

JRHill

Sigh, now me too on my LT50. Since day one I've had the Accuset II ERROR on occasion. Always inconvenient but shutting down and restarting would resolve the error. Not today. As of now I get an immediate error at start-up. Pretty frustrating.

I'm well able to track this down but can not find any troubleshooting info on line. I absolutely refuse to hire out to the dealer to have someone come way out here just to swap parts. Does anyone know of a place for troubleshooting docs as I haven't found any references in this forum.

YellowHammer

I've had this happen occasionally.  With mine, its definitely a poor connection. I've had success by unhooking the Accuset cable at the rear of the display unit, plug and wiggle it back in, and seems to work again.
  
YellowHammerisms:

Take steps to save steps.

If it won't roll, its not a log; it's still a tree.  Sawmills cut logs, not trees.

Kiln drying wood: When the cookies are burned, they're burned, and you can't fix them.

Sawing is fun for the first couple million boards.

Be smarter than the sawdust

Magicman

If you do not find the problem, give Wood-Mizer (Indy) a call.  One of the electrical tech support guys will work with you.  There is no cost for their help.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

POSTON WIDEHEAD

Quote from: Magicman on March 19, 2018, 09:29:08 PM
If you do not find the problem, give Wood-Mizer a call.  One of the electrical tech support guys will work with you.  There is no cost for their help.
I had an electrical problem with my auto clutch 6 years ago.
An electrical tech from WM kept me on the phone for over an hour directing me on tracing the problem down with a tester until we found the problem. Shipped me the part over night and I was running the next day.
Thats why the second mill I bought was a Woodmizer.
Not sure why someone would tell you they could not help you.
The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

MartyParsons

Hello,
QuoteI absolutely refuse to hire out to the dealer to have someone come way out here just to swap parts. Does anyone know of a place for troubleshooting docs as I haven't found any references in this forum.
I get the frustration. All you need to do is call WM they will help you and explain what you need to do. No charge.

What exactly does the screen say? Check Cable and breaker? Check Transducer?

I worked on one last week. Every time I ran the hydraulics error came on Check Cable and Breaker. It was related to the bottom rail being rusty, very simple fix , clean the bottom rail solved the issue.
I have also been putting dielectric grease on the connections to keep them clean.

Marty
"A pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty." -Winston Churchill

JRHill

Quote from: MartyParsons on March 20, 2018, 08:07:20 AM
Hello,
QuoteI absolutely refuse to hire out to the dealer to have someone come way out here just to swap parts. Does anyone know of a place for troubleshooting docs as I haven't found any references in this forum.
I get the frustration. All you need to do is call WM they will help you and explain what you need to do. No charge.

What exactly does the screen say? Check Cable and breaker? Check Transducer?

I worked on one last week. Every time I ran the hydraulics error came on Check Cable and Breaker. It was related to the bottom rail being rusty, very simple fix , clean the bottom rail solved the issue.
I have also been putting dielectric grease on the connections to keep them clean.

Marty
OK, I didn't mean to sound harsh - sorry if I came across that way. Like many of you, I am not easy to access. And the only reason I have cell service is a booster way up high and only in the house right by the transmitter. So that complicates things a bit. And I am comfortable in doing my own service....

The last thing I did yesterday after the error occurred continuously was to clean everything and hook up a battery maintainer. BTW, thanks for the mention of the dielectric grease as I use it regularly in maint for the house's solar. I still have the original battery and at six years old, this is the first place to start. The engine starts readily but when turning the key to the on position without starting, the diagnostics reported 12.2 and 11.7vdc, respectively that's definitely on the weak side. Charging system is working normally. Everything should be dry by now and with the battery maintainer on overnight, we'll see if any change. I'll have more on the error situation soon.
Thx all,
Jim

Update:  YellowHammer hit it correctly. I had reseated both ends of the cable previously but this time I made sure to gently wiggle both ends while reconnecting. It was the end on the transducer that resolved the transducer error. And it makes sense. Neither of the connectors are fully weatherproof - as in there are no o-rings. Coming in from the bottom, any water is going to run over the connector and its a given that moisture will work past the thimble in time. And the connection under the transducer had dusty debris around the circumference where moisture had accumulated. So a shot of contact cleaner followed with the dielectric in the pin holes with a bit more to help seal the threads should do the trick. Oh, and a new battery is on the way. The old battery still has service life can can be used elsewhere.

Another update: I am wrong. Both connectors DO have weather seals.

++Update: The problem is still intermittently throwing transducer errors and I can influence it by putting slight pressure on the Accuset plug. I guess that tells the story. The WM store store has a cable kit set out for me :-)

MartyParsons

Hello,
 Anytime you have an issue Accuset or any electrical issue ( like you said JR ) check the battery which includes the terminals and connections on the fuse block. There have been some changes through the years on the fuses and fuse blocks, you can up grade to the new fuse block if needed.

Here is the old style you can see the burnt area where the fuse was loose .

Next check the accessory relay. Not used on all mills but for sure the Super mills and mills with command control.



This point where my finger is pointing should match battery voltage. If the left side has 12.7 the right side should match ( this is with the key on #3 or # 1) . If you have battery voltage on the left terminal and 0 volts on the right then - - -


We check voltage here. I really prefer a bulb style test light. Sometimes volt meters are bad in the wrong hands. Should have 12 volt or a bright light on your tester. You should also check the other small terminal ( black wire) this should be ground. If you have 12 volt to the small red wire and ground tap the solenoid. ( mills that are not used much and the solenoid has not cycled sometimes need a little wake up call with a tap. Not a big tap.

If there is no 12 volt on the small wire there is a circuit breaker tripped, there are just to many different locations that it could be and different revisions ( years) have them different locations. Follow the red wire and you should be able to locate the breaker. There is also a wiring diagram in the manual. or give us a call.
If the voltage is good on both sides then check the 70 amp breaker ( some could be 50) for the H Bridge. Check voltage on both sides should again match batter voltage or close.

Hope this helps. I will add more if you are interested.

Marty
"A pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty." -Winston Churchill

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