Ryko 2001 OHD gone insane

[Del Mastro]

My 5 year old 2001 keeps trying to turn into the driver door intermittently. When it happens the whole system halts. Even the tanks stop filling.

The ultrasonics seem to be working, as do the prox sensors.

The lights on the computer show the arm pointing toward the passenger side at the time of the halt, but the arm is actually in the rear position, as if it were washing the back of the car.

inputs active, 1,2,3,4,5,6,16,36,37,40,41,50,64,66,70
outputs active, 31,33,46,55,56

2 digit error code 25, or 14. (i've seen both)

I ran 35 cars through it yesterday while a technitian watched inputs and outputs from the ultrasonics and prox sensors. It didn't even hiccup, but shortly after I left for the day, it did it again.

I'm really getting frustrated with it because there is a lot of competition in town, and my customers are leaving in droves.

If anyone has any ideas, please share while I still have some hair left to pull out...

Thanks

 

[soapy]

25 is arm rotate to long, 14 is end stop prox. It sounds like the machine is thinking it is getting to the back of the vehicle when it is not. WHat kind of vehicles does it stop on? I would check the wires that run through the cat track on the gantry and the wires that run through the boom. Make sure they have not rubbed through anywhere. ON the wall where the boom mounts is the first place to check. Very rarely mine will stop on a pickup that has a soft bed cover on it at the front of the pickup bed. The cover absorbs the ultrasonic signal and fools the machine into thinking it is at the back of the vehicle and will cause the arm to turn prematurely.

 

[RykoPro]

Code 25 is "Any arm rotate too long"
Code 14 is a problem with the endstop prox or the gantry count prox.
I checked a schematic that was five years old (2-20-03) but it did not make sense with the I/O list you sent.
you say input 6 is on, this would indicate the holding tank is not full (water is below top float).
Input 40 and 41 shows the left rear (40) and right rear (41) prox switches are on.
input 64 shows the boost pump test switch is on.
Neither end stop prox is on.
Are these the conditions at rest?
If you can tell me the build date (its on the serial # tag) I can make sure I am looking at the correct schematic.

If it is turning into the door, it thinks its at the rear of the car, this would be a rear ultrasonic problem.


Thank you,
Mark

 

[Del Mastro]

These are the conditions when it shuts down. And you have the correct schematic. It halts everything when the error happens, including tank filling.

I'm leaning toward US failure, but the 2 digit error should show arm tilt since the trolley is trying to drive through the driver's door...

I have seen pick-up trucks mess it up before. certain things in the box, or soft covers do wierd things to the US, but this error is happening well before the gantry gets to the box. And it is doing it to cars as well.

Sometimes it does it just as the front prox clears the end plate, so I was thinking it was a prox error, but having watched it cycle the proxes at least 100 times, they all read perfectly.

The US used to hurt my teeth if I walked through their path, but I no longer hear or feel any pulses from them, so I suppose they could be tired...

I'll start checking the wires in the umbilical for rub-throughs, and maybe open a few junction boxes and check for water.

 

[DiamondWash]

Did the tech use a handheld device to check the ultrasonics? that would give a good indication if the ultrasonics were acting up.

 

[Del Mastro]

Yes. There was some variation, but no actual failure. I've decided to replace the rear ultrasonics. I hope that is the issue as it's going to cost me over $1500 just for the parts...

 

[RykoPro]

The reason it sometimes has problems with the bed covers is it will do a "double bounce" off the cover. The signal can bounce of the cover then reflect off the wash back to the cover and then to the reciever. All of this bouncing fools the PLC into thinking it is seeing the floor again. You can try changing the angle of each US by shimming it on its mounting plate. Start small and see if this helps. Since it is doing it on the roof it may be one or both ultrasonics.
From Ryko:
All machines need to have shims installed under the rear ultrasonic transmitter. These shims are sent with each machine and are intended to be installed during the installation. The purpose is to prevent echoes between a pick-up bed cover and the wash machine from falsely indicating a floor reading. An incorrect floor reading when the machine is over a pick-up bed cover can cause the spray arm to turn into
the side of the vehicle causing an arm tilt. To install the shims proceed as follows:
1. Move the gantry approximately 4 to 6 ft from the end stop at the entrance end of the bay.
2. Monitor D25. (For trolley wash machines M1901 must be ON) Install all the shims under the rear ultrasonic transmitter. Remove one shim at a time until a normal floor distance (45-62) is obtained and is constant.
3. While continuing to monitor D25, move the gantry over the entrance half of the bay and make sure the floor reading never goes out of range. Pay close attention when over grates and/or undercar manifolds. If at any time a reading is displayed that is not between 45-62, remove one shim and repeat until the reading never goes out of range.
.

 

[RykoPro]

Yes. There was some variation, but no actual failure. I've decided to replace the rear ultrasonics. I hope that is the issue as it's going to cost me over $1500 just for the parts...

Ryko's list price on the ultrasonics is $916.50 for both before tax. The transmiter is 297.25 and the reciever is 619.25. You might try the transmiter first since it is what would cause your teeth to hurt.

 

[Del Mastro]

I can not buy from Ryko, so I pay whatever the 'factory authorized' company charges for them. 200% markup on retail is about average...

 

[RykoPro]

Have you ever called Ryko and asked to buy direct? I am not sure how it works out of the U.S.

 

[Del Mastro]

Not for a while, but last time I tried, they refused.

 

[Del Mastro]

Well, I replaced the transmitter, ran several vehicles through, including pick-ups and full size vans, short cars etc. It seemed to be working fine. Then it turned into a buick. I'm at my wits end with this thing. I've checked wires, junctions, connections...

 

[soapy]

Whenever I get a problem like this it almost always traces back to a bad wire or connection. You can replace the boom wire for $40 or the cat track wire for under $20. I always keep a spare roll of multi colored wire around just for this purpose.

 

[Del Mastro]

Thank you guys for your input. Much Appreciated.

Still looking for the problem, but I'm likely going to pull new wire and see if that helps. The unit has washed 110,000 cars, so it's likely gone back and forth close to half a million times. I've replaces most of the hoses over the past 5 years, but never a wire. Could be time

 

[RykoPro]

Ultrasonic signals should be sent with shielded cable.

 

[Del Mastro]

Still no go...

Here is an update on what it is doing.

Still turning into the side of cars and trucks intermittently.
It ignores the arm tilt prox when it turns into the car and will happily trolly right across the car.
Both end stop and front stop prox have intermittent glitches.

I have checked every connection, every wire, and every component. About the only other thing I can think of is either a power spike, or power drop. I just don't know where to monitor it for such.

 

[DiamondWash]

I briefly spoke with a ryko tech while I was over at the factory the other day he said it's your "end stop prox" has to be staying on. both should be lit up on the front end of the track when the machine is at rest on the trip plate, once the machine starts to travel in reverse your "end stop prox" should turn off once it is clear of the trip plate then once the front end prox is clear from the plate it to should be off as well that's when the rear ultrasonics are in control of where the rear of the vehicle is, he said it's only doing that because it thinks it's at the rear of the bay on the plate at the rear of the track and it will turn regardless of the ultrasonics. check your proxes for damage and that they have 1/8 of space between the plates and face of the proxes I moved mine to 1/4 from the plate to prevent possible damage.

 

[Del Mastro]

I briefly spoke with a ryko tech while I was over at the factory the other day he said it's your "end stop prox" has to be staying on. both should be lit up on the front end of the track when the machine is at rest on the trip plate, once the machine starts to travel in reverse your "end stop prox" should turn off once it is clear of the trip plate then once the front end prox is clear from the plate it to should be off as well that's when the rear ultrasonics are in control of where the rear of the vehicle is, he said it's only doing that because it thinks it's at the rear of the bay on the plate at the rear of the track and it will turn regardless of the ultrasonics. check your proxes for damage and that they have 1/8 of space between the plates and face of the proxes I moved mine to 1/4 from the plate to prevent possible damage.

I've never seen the end stop lit with the unit at rest. It does lite up at the end though. Are they prone to sticking? I've never had a problem with one before. In fact, other than broken belts and a couple of worn out pullies, I have done very little parts repllacement on this unit in 5 years. Thought it was bulletproof up until recently...

 

[DiamondWash]

Did you get your system fixed?

 

[DiamondWash]

I assume your OHD is running correctly again?