No lights?

[pugwash]

First the gear:
Gaugemaster Prodigy Advance²
HO Liliput BR91 (article no. L109117)
ESU LokPilot 5 micro
a programming/test track on a plank

So I took the loco to 'The Shop' to have the chip fitted then brought it home and put it on the test track. To convert from programming to test I simply swap the wires behind the Prodigy as the track length is long enough. Turned the knob and the loco went the wrong way and neither set of directional lights came on. Set the track to programming and did a reset to factory values (CV8=8), pulled the plug out of the wall and left it for 10 minutes. Plugged back in and did the setup as usual but altered CV29 to change direction. The loco grumbled and lurched but still no lights. The settings I was using were from a Märklin loco fitted with a LokPilot 4 where the starting voltage was 3V, so I changed the Liliput to 4V and it started and ran smoothly but still no lights.
I have looked everywhere on the 'net but everybody talks about the LokSound 5 with PDF's available but not the LokPilot, I went through the handbook (German, grey print, tiny. I was wearing reading glasses and using a magnifying glass). The so called manual says there are fantastic lighting setups available but does not clearly tell you how to activate them, especially with one button (F0) as on the LokPilot 4.
Anybody have any ideas? I don't really want to fiddle with the big number CV's if it can be avoided. I could contact ESU but I expect they will direct me to the handbook, also I doubt the man at 'The Shop' is going to have more of an idea than I.
Over to you...

 

[PhilP]

So rather than resetting it, you should have taken it back to the shop..
Other than that gem.. Can't help, as I have fiddles with ESU decoders, sorry..

 

[pugwash]

So rather than resetting it, you should have taken it back to the shop..
Other than that gem.. Can't help, as I have fiddles with ESU decoders, sorry..

Well I joined RMweb a while ago (curses, somebody already has Pugwash so I'm CFL there) and posted exactly the same - as in cut & paste - question. I have had a few replies, one of which was the first thing I thought in that the 8-pin decoder plug was in the wrong way around, so I took the body off and turned the plug 180° but no joy. Then I put the plug back as originally fitted, still no joy. Odd. I completely removed the chip and plug and replaced the blanking connector then put the loco on the DC track that I am doing for Grandottie, a Dodo, nothing at all. Replaced the chip as returned from the shop. More ideas from the guys at RMweb - sensible ones really - one being that I dislodged a connection or wire removing the body (I will look tomorrow) another being that some locos have a different forward and reverse, this was true in my old Hornby days when turning the controller clockwise for one loco sent it forwards but for another in reverse however in DCC that can be altered in CV29.
Inbetween each change or alteration in the CV's I did a factory reset of the chip then pulled the plug from the wall and went to be grumpy with SWMBO (she deserves it complaining of being knackered from shopping!)

 

[idlemarvel]

If this was large scale I'd say check for matching speed steps, but I don't think that will apply to HO.
Sorry. I think you'll have more luck with rmweb.

 

[pugwash]

If this was large scale I'd say check for matching speed steps, but I don't think that will apply to HO.
Sorry. I think you'll have more luck with rmweb.

Not so daft as you think. On earlier versions of LokPilot you had to match the chip speed step to the DCC unit speed step, now they either automatically set themselves to match via RailCom or you set one and the other sees it and follows.

 

[pugwash]

One guy suggested I might have damaged or dislodged a connection or wire when taking the body off the loco, I said I would take a look this morning.
Well, that was a huge surprise!
Following Nigeliffe's advice I turned the loco over and got the magnifying glass out again this morning. There didn't seem to be much that even I could damage, sure there were brass wipers to the back of the driver wheels but set deep down, the rest seems to be in the motor block with a PCB mounted on it with the components facing down out of harms way. I carried on looking and noticed a hefty brass contact strip at the front pony truck, this came backwards to the hole where the one and only body / chassis fixing screw went through. Nah, far too easy, but then again I did the testing with the body off... So I turned the chip plug to the opposite way the shop did and fitted everything back together, reprogrammed the loco (including changing CV 29 by -1) and hey presto! It works perfectly.
I am now going to invite disaster by opening it up again as the wires from the connector to the chip come dangerously close to the motion, a bit of electricians tape should see to that.

Very many thanks to everybody for your helpful input otherwise I would be a gibbering wreck by now.

 

[Paul M]

a bit of electrician's tape

May be not a good idea, that stuff goes soft and unstuck itself

 

[pugwash]

May be not a good idea, that stuff goes soft and unstuck itself

So do I, but back to tape as it's odd you mentioned that because the guy who helped on RMweb also said it would be too thick so preferably use masking tape. I did this and mentioned it to SWMBO who said she did wonder about the insulating tape as it leaves one hell of a sticky mess. So that was me told.
BUT
there was light shining between the chassis and body at the rear of the loco where the bulb is in the chassis and the lights up on the body come together. Some black electricians tape and a scalpel and the deed was done, lights flicker nicely and no seepage. Flickering light bulbs, not a mistake as they are meant to represent the oil lamps or early electric bulbs of the era, you can't do everything with LED's.