[Steve-E-D]

First time I switched the tri-power packs to "expert" setting, one of the lanes died.
Quick basic troubleshooting by switching around controllers and power packs indicated the problem was in the terminal track.
One of the capacitors inside the terminal track has burned up.

1. What is the value capacitor to replace with?
2. Are they necessary and if not, how to bypass?

I sent an email to AFX 6 days ago with no response yet.

-Steve

 

[BigBadBuzz]

There are capacitors in the terminal track?

BBB

 

[Steve-E-D]

 

[BigBadBuzz]

Well I’ll be - don’t have caps on any of my terminal track pieces, st least not that I know of. Is this on a “pro” terminal track piece?

 

[Steve-E-D]

This is from a Super International set just purchased last week.
I was surprised to see them, too.

 

[model murdering]

Merely noise suppressors. Your track would work with or without the cap.

Failure of the component is one thing, that example is barbecued. At a glance, it looks alot like a dead short across the rails of that lane caused that.

 

[Steve-E-D]

Further testing, I'm getting short bursts of power on this lane.
I read an older thread either here or another forum not long ago that pointed out this behavior due to a short, but I can't find it again or remember all the details of the resolution.
At this point, I'm guessing that there is a problem in the contacts within the terminal track.

 

[model murdering]

If memory serves, the problem was that the selector switch was not fully engaged on the PS.

Well upstream, this issue affected both lanes in that case. Your other lane works.

 

[Steve-E-D]

If memory serves, the problem was that the selector switch was not fully engaged on the PS.

Yes, that sounds familiar! The symptom is the same but shorting in a different location.
I am getting this on all three switch settings and both power packs. The lane closest to the terminals is working fine. The other lane just gets short bursts of power.
I don't see any obvious problems with the contact strips.

Edited the thread title to better reflect the problem.

 

[Steve-E-D]

Merely noise suppressors. Your track would work with or without the cap.

I snipped the lead on the cap and the lane is working just fine on the workbench. The failed cap was the short. Unknown what caused the initial failure, but the problem seems to be resolved.
Thanks for the info and the memory jog, Bill!

 

[model murdering]

Good deal Steve! This is good for all to know. Maybe you should send a a pic with note to AFX, FWIW. It's pretty clear it was bridging positive and negative and smelting plastic. That speaks pretty well for the protection in the power supply.

I'da snipped the cap too, but I try not to advocate voiding someone elses warranty.

I cant remember the last time I saw a mini-cap dead shorted across the legs. They always seem to be failed open, but truthfully my sampling is quite small.

 

[RichD]

A capacitor should always be an open circuit, in this case it is there to reduce RFI. Most of the time if a capacitor becomes a short circuit it just heats up, burns out and becomes an open circuit again. It is very unusual for a capacitor to stay shorted, but that seems to have happened in your case. A similar problem does happen with large hi-fi amplifiers. A large electrolytic capacitor in the power supply can become partially shorted causing blown fuses. In that case the offending capacitor would look OK.

 

[model murdering]

I'd still consider a claim. The long and the "short" of it is ...

the out of the "box experience" didnt measure up.

AFX will make it right.

 

[X2slotbob]

Agreed. Their power pack shorted out their terminal track.

Actually probably a coincidence but close enough for warranty work.

 

[Steve-E-D]

I sent an email to AFX with a photo on Saturday but have not received a response yet.