Carrera digital 132 cars do not respond to any command from Control Unit nor controllers

3035 Views 14 Replies 5 Participants Last post by Slotspeed, 11 mo ago

MauSlot

Discussion Starter · 11 mo ago

I have two carrera digital 132 cars that seemed to have entered into a "mode" that I have not seen before. The lights go on and off non-stop and the cars do not respond to any command (programming speed, brakes, fuel, even setting the cars as pace cars, ghost cars or linking them to a controller). This "mode" does not seem to be gone even after turning the CU off and back on.

I believe the chips are bricked or enter boot mode and I was wondering if there is a way to exit boot, reboot Carrera cars chips, or load them with their firmware. Hopefully something like this gets them working.

I uploaded a video on youtube of the troubleshooting I have gone through so far.

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MrFlippant

· #2 · 11 mo ago

Switch fuel to off and see what happens. Blinking lights usually indicate an empty fuel tank, which will happen if fuel is on and you're doing a bunch of testing. The other way to fix it is to start a race using an app or computer that resets the fuel level, or pulling into a pit lane and crossing the fuel sensor. I don't know if changing the tank size will refill it, but that's also worth a try.

What's odd is that you have one car pointing the other way. Did you flip the polarity switch just to make it easier to show them both flashing their lights?

Reactions: 1

MauSlot

Discussion Starter · #3 · 11 mo ago

Thank you for taking the time to respond. Before the video I tried multiple things and I switch one of the cars just to see if something happened. Unfortunatelly I have tried all your suggestions but they don't seem to respond to any of them.

Slotspeed

· #4 · 11 mo ago

Hi MauSlot, I wonder if the cars are simply in programming mode, when the lights flash, you press a controller lane change button to assign to the chosen controller channel. There are a few situations like that, which can catch you out and seem like something is wrong when it isn’t.

UDoKuoio

· #5 · 11 mo ago

Never seen a thing like that. Just for curiosity:

1) they flash even without motor connected? (maybe these flashes are a "failure indicator" we don't know)
2) If you push one of these cars over the SF, which ID do you read (if sent)?
3)Have you tried to set the car as GHOST AND/OR PACE-CAR and - after that - reset a standard ID?

Charles R

· #6 · 11 mo ago (Edited)

It's hard to believe both cars "broke" by themselves at exactly the same time - too random. Do you know what was happening when they stopped working? Looks like something happened external to the cars to put them in that state. Might not help if the chips are fried but you might be able to resolve (fix) whatever fried them (if that is the case).

Reactions: 1

Slotspeed

· #7 · 11 mo ago

UDoKuoio said:
Never seen a thing like that. Just for curiosity:

1) they flash even without motor connected? (maybe these flashes are a "failure indicator" we don't know)

I can't check at the moment, but isn't this just normal behaviour during the procedure to assign a car to a controller? Once you press the LC button it stops flashing I thought. And then does a tiny jump forward and headlights turn on. (I am talking about the controller assign procedure)

Or maybe my memory is wrong. I haven't played for a while.

MrFlippant

· #8 · 11 mo ago

This might be worth a try.

MauSlot

Discussion Starter · #9 · 11 mo ago

Slotspeed said:
Hi MauSlot, I wonder if the cars are simply in programming mode, when the lights flash, you press a controller lane change button to assign to the chosen controller channel. There are a few situations like that, which can catch you out and seem like something is wrong when it isn’t.

I tried pushing the lane change button but does not work. Also tried with the code button and then the lane change button hoping they would just get reassign to a controller but does not work either (On this last one the lights stop blinking for a few moments and then go back to blinking and do not respond).

UDoKuoio

· #10 · 11 mo ago

Slotspeed said:
I can't check at the moment, but isn't this just normal behaviour during the procedure to assign a car to a controller? Once you press the LC button it stops flashing I thought. And then does a tiny jump forward and headlights turn on. (I am talking about the controller assign procedure)

Or maybe my memory is wrong. I haven't played for a while.

During a pairing session, the flashes are quicker, as you note on your video.
Another my curiosity: have you tried also the "fast-pairing" sequence? (double click, lift up, put down, double click)

MauSlot

Discussion Starter · #11 · 11 mo ago

UDoKuoio said:
During a pairing session, the flashes are quicker, as you note on your video.
Another my curiosity: have you tried also the "fast-pairing" sequence? (double click, lift up, put down, double click)

Yes I have tried ! But don't get any results from that either. They seem to ignore any controller related commands.
I have made them respond through serial communication from my computer to the CU. I can control up to a certain degree the lights (with a command "G), but once CU is turned off and on, they go back to blinking and not responding.
Note: I don't recommend using command "G since I yet don't know what it does and slot baer documentation does not say anything about it.

Thank you evereyone that has stopped by to help me out!

Slotspeed

· #12 · 11 mo ago

To answer an earlier question, unfortunately you can't reflash the firmware as Carrera do not make it available. But the Carrera decoders are usually very robust and I'd be surprised of a failure without some kind of event to make it fail. You could try putting them into analog mode and back to digital mode. I won't try to describe the procedure as its been a while since I've done it and I might miss something in the process if I try. Do you know what actual variant of decoder you have?

MrFlippant

· #13 · 11 mo ago

If you don't have an analog to do it on, then put a 9v battery to the braids three times. On the fourth time, the motor should turn. If not, EITHER turn the battery around, OR flip the polarity switch, and repeat.

Reactions: 1

MauSlot

Discussion Starter · #14 · 11 mo ago (Edited)

Slotspeed said:
To answer an earlier question, unfortunately you can't reflash the firmware as Carrera do not make it available. But the Carrera decoders are usually very robust and I'd be surprised of a failure without some kind of event to make it fail. You could try putting them into analog mode and back to digital mode. I won't try to describe the procedure as its been a while since I've done it and I might miss something in the process if I try. Do you know what actual variant of decoder you have?

MrFlippant said:
If you don't have an analog to do it on, then put a 9v battery to the braids three times. On the fourth time, the motor should turn. If not, EITHER turn the battery around, OR flip the polarity switch, and repeat.

I tried this yesterday and the cars are not changing to analog. I might just keep trying to send commands to see if I can exit the state they are in until I am able to buy new chips.
The chip says car047a v109.

Slotspeed

· #15 · 11 mo ago (Edited)

Sounds like the regular 26732 decoder. Are they under warranty? While I did say that you can’t reflash the firmware, the factory of course can, but that’s probably dependant on how the local distributor handles warranty/RMA. likely they’d just replace them.

Have you tried the process a few times? When I’ve done the analog to digital mode change (and back) it’s been a bit fiddly and very timing dependant.

And Greg, is 9V enough to do the trick?

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