Ryko error code 12

[Jimmy Buffett]

I'm getting an error code 12 which is the photo eye detector. I have lines of cars and I'm trying to keep the doors open. I notice it goes all the way back even on a short vehicle which sounds like the photo eyes may be going. I cleaned them as best I could without shutting down the process. The green light that tells customers to enter the bay is delayed about 45 seconds between cars. After they pull in it washes them fine. Does it make sense that the delay is related to the photoeye issue? Of course this kind of thing always happens on a Friday and I don't have spare photo eyes.
Thanks

 

[captain cw]

Look at the photo eye relay. Maybe turn up the sensitivity. More often than naught those things fail. Easier to replace.

 

[Jimmy Buffett]

Sounds logical. Where is it?

 

[captain cw]

My bad. I was thinking of the Ryko touch-free wash I have. The softgloss photo eyes go right into the computer. You might want to check the alingnment. Sometimes the tire finder brackets get stepped on, or run over.

 

[Jimmy Buffett]

I am not seeing any lights in the photo eyes. The relay sounded like a good answer!

 

[soapy]

Clean the photo eyes with some acid and them wipe them off with water. Make sure a cover has not slipped between the path of the photo eyes.

 

[Jimmy Buffett]

Still nothing. I see a faint light on the drivers side and nothing on the passenger side.
We are still washing cars but we have to walk out and tell people that the green light takes an extra 45 seconds to come on when we have a line and it's a sunny Saturday so that should be most of the day. Is there a way to tell what I need to replace, tansmitter or reciever? Would you replace both? Are these cheaper from Ryko?
Thanks

 

[soapy]

Photo eyes should have a relay somewhere on your machine. Ryko uses Carlo Galvazzi photo eyes and relays. The relay will have 3 lights on the face and when you put something in front of the photo eye one of the lights will go n or off. The relay also has a dial on it that lets your vary the strength of the signal. I always have mine turned up to maximum. As you turn the dial down the lights will cycle on or off and give an idication of the strength of your photo eyes. The photo eyes have a transmitter and receiver. They come with either a black wire lead or a gray wire lead. In my experience the black wire photo eyes fail about 4 times as often as the gray wire. I get my photo eyes from Kaman bearing and pay about 1/3 the price I would from Ryko.
When you say that your machine is taking 45 seconds to reset after each wash it leads me to believe that one of your treadle plates is sticking or the wire connection for the mercury switch mounted on the treadle plate is getting wet and it takes that long to get dry enough to start working again.
On your PLC you should mark each light that should be lite up when the machine is operating correctly and ready to accept a wash. Then you can easily glance at the PLC lights and see what signals are missing or are extra and refer to the input and output sheet on your electrical cabinet door to narrow your search for the problem.
I always replaced my treadle plates with pressure pads and had much better luck with the pads.

 

[Jimmy Buffett]

So you think that I have 2 seperate problems? I have a pressure plate that I ordered a couple of years ago and never used. Do you use 1 pressure plate or 2?
I will look for the relay just as soon as my bay is empty. I was looking at the ice cube relays last night. You are talking about one of those boxes, right?

 

[soapy]

Follow the wire from one of your photo eyes and see were it leads. I have not had a ryko friction machine for a few years so I can't tell you exactly were to look. The relay for the photo eye does not look like a ice cube relay. You can use one pressure plate but it is safer to use 2. If a large 4x4 with big tires jumps the guide rail it could still have enogh tire on one plate to activate the wash.
Watch your plc and see what light comes on after the delay that lets the wash start working again. That will lead you in the direction of the malfunction.

 

[Jimmy Buffett]

Absolutely nothing changes when I block the rear photo eyes.

 

[NJpdq]

Absolutely nothing changes when I block the rear photo eyes.

Input 12 on the PLC should be lit and when you block should turn off. The photo eyes are mounted under the wheel scrubs. There is no relay for these eyes. Make sure they are still aligned, if they are then the receiver or transmitter is bad.

 

[RykoPro]

Jim,
The softgloss XS has two tire locator photo eyes. Exit end is input 12 and the entrance end tire locator photoeye is input 20. Look at the PLC while you block and unblock the photo eyes. These eyes do not have relays (the relay is built in).

 

[Jimmy Buffett]

Are both sets of photo eyes the same? Ryko is about $100 per piece higher than Astromatic on the eyes. Kaman is likely less than them if I can find the part #. I think I'll buy an extra set to keep on hand. I had to break down and call for help today.

 

[RykoPro]

Both sets are the same.

 

[Jimmy Buffett]

It was the transmiter. You can buy that transmitter from Banner for $114 with a 6.5 foot cord. To get the same transmitter with a 10' cord it's $234 from Banner and $280 from Ryko. That extra cord is pretty pricy! I may be splicing next time.