Been having a issue this last week. One of my self serve bays is working intermittently. Dixmor timer, slugbuster acceptor. It seemed to start when I reprogrammed the timer to raise price by one quarter. After I did that the timer started the intermittent thing. It would go blank, the pump would stop then it would come back on and count down from where it was when it went out. I then replaced the timer with another one and it did it again but this time went out and would not come back at all. I checked the wiring and redid all the wire nuts and then it started working. So I thought it was good. Then it went completely out again. Looked at connections again and all looked good. Replaced timer and seemed to work. While reprogramming this timer it went out. So this is the third timer. I went back to the original timer plugged it in and it worked. So I buttoned it all back up and tried it, the timer was counting down but the pump would not come on. Getting a bit irritated with this I was going to give up for the evening and accidentally dropped the cover on the ledge and it started working. Worked all evening until early this morning when I watched it screw up for a customer on the camera. Any ideas?
Intermittent Timer/Power Problem
- Thread starter cdreed06
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Earl Weiss
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Simplest idea is swap with timer from another bay. See if problem follows the timer or stays with the bay and go from there.
Seems to me you are losing 24 V ac power to the timer intermittently.
If the timer keeps losing power, it will hold the time at which it lost the power, then once it gets power, start at that time counting down.
You have already tried three different timers, the problem is not the timers, but the power to the timer somewhere.
It may be the female pin connector for the timer itself. Check to make sure all of the connectors are "snapped: into position. When you pull the connector off the timer, you may have accidental "unpinned" one of the contacts within the white connector to the timer. I had this same problem years ago and this was my solution.
Once the timer starts to count down, it closes the circuit for the 24 V ac to flow through the switch at the bay.
If you can, try to switch out an entire door from another bay. Then take the "bad" bay door to that bay. If the problem moves with the door, the problem is within the door (connection / power problem). If it stays in the "bad" bay, it is somewhere else.
If the timer keeps losing power, it will hold the time at which it lost the power, then once it gets power, start at that time counting down.
You have already tried three different timers, the problem is not the timers, but the power to the timer somewhere.
It may be the female pin connector for the timer itself. Check to make sure all of the connectors are "snapped: into position. When you pull the connector off the timer, you may have accidental "unpinned" one of the contacts within the white connector to the timer. I had this same problem years ago and this was my solution.
Once the timer starts to count down, it closes the circuit for the 24 V ac to flow through the switch at the bay.
If you can, try to switch out an entire door from another bay. Then take the "bad" bay door to that bay. If the problem moves with the door, the problem is within the door (connection / power problem). If it stays in the "bad" bay, it is somewhere else.
I like what mjc said. You have an intermittent power issue. This can be caused by an open or loose wire or connector, OR by a partial short. I have seen solenoid coils burn out an short enought power to ground to kill everything else, but not short enough to trip a breaker or fuse. See if the rotary switch is always on a particular selection when it happens, or turn on the bay and slowly turn through the selections and see if one kills it. If that doesn't work you have to wait till it happens again and use a voltmeter to trace the power from the transformer out.
PaulLovesJamie
rural 5 bay SS
I had a similar problem 5 years or so ago - replacing the dixmor wiring harness resolved it. Which basically means I'm agreeing with other responses.
Thank you everybody for the responses. Sometimes I am my own worst enemy. It is working right now. I think that I initially had a wiring problem and then I turned it into a timer problem. The previous owner of our wash had the extra timers set up to charge while they weren't being used. So in installing our automatic that area of the pump room was rearranged and the timers just put on a shelf. So the timers I was swapping into this bay were essentially dead to begin with. I did trace the wiring out and had 24v ac going to the timer, but nothing coming out on the white #10 timed load wire. I did have the signal from the slugbuster. So a charged timer was swapped in and everything worked great. I had gotten stuck on the idea that I knew those timers were good and it was too odd that none of them would work for long. Knock on wood, cross my fingers it is still working.
MEP001
Well-known member
If the timer needs to be "kept charged" to hold the programming, the battery is bad. I've had them sit on the shelf for six years and they were still programmed. Dixmor will replace the battery fairly cheap, or if you're good with soldering you can replace it yourself.