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Trouble-Shooting
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The
following written guarantee accompanies all new Brantz tripmeters.
If you did not receive this, along with instructions on how to
connect up the tripmeter and any Brantz sensors, then contact
your retailer, or download a copy from elsewhere on this site.
It is vital that these instructions are followed and that the
vehicle to which the instruments are connected is 'electronics
compatible'.
Guarantee.
On receipt of your Brantz unit: ________________________ Serial
No. ____________________ Read the testing and fitting instructions
carefully as all aspects of them should be closely followed. The
case may be cleaned with isopropyl alcohol or a cloth moistened
with soapy water. Solvents must not be used. Guarantee: This meter/clock
is guaranteed for one full year from the date of purchase. We
will repair or replace it at our discretion free of charge except
where faults are caused by misuse or fair wear and tear. This
guarantee does not cover the outer case and screen. We reserve
the right to relinquish all responsibilities for repairs if the
item has been opened up, has been tampered with in any way, has
been invaded by any fluids or has been connected up incorrectly.
The unit has been designed to operate satisfactorily when connected
to vehicles fitted with all normal interference suppression devices
to meet current EEC specifications and no guarantee is given that
the meter / clock will tolerate abnormal electrical conditions
or excessive vibration. Repairs undertaken by mail are done so
for the convenience of the purchaser who must enclose sufficient
funds for the return of the unit by whichever method is preferred.
To avoid cost of shipping a fault-free unit, test it away from
the original vehicle, either on the bench with a battery, or in
another car. To make sure that any obscure fault is found, please
include the fullest description of the fault symptoms and return
to Brantz at Padside Green, Summerbridge, Harrogate, England HG3
4AL. PURCHASE DATE: _________ (attach copy of receipt). RETAILER:
__________________________________ The above guarantee can be
extended indefinitely by means of an inexpensive maintenance contract.
This maintenance contract can only be made during the period of
an existing guarantee, or by agreement following a factory service.
Full details from the manufacturer. MAINTENANCE CONTRACT to extend
the period of guarantee: The above guarantee is acknowledged by
the manufacturers to cover the EXTENDED Period ______________
to _______________ subject to a valid maintenance code and authorised
signature below. CODE ___________MANUFACTURER'S AUTHORISED SIGNATURE____________________
This contract does not detract from a purchaser's statutory rights.
For ALL operating manuals and other technical information see
www.brantz.co.uk INFORMATION about accessories and peripherals
(Sensors etc) for Brantz meters available on www.brantz.co.uk
Technical support from: Brent Communications UK Tel No. (0) 1943
880499. Before fitting any type of sensor to a vehicle, connect
it up to the Brantz meter and check its' correct operation by
rotating the inner of speedometer cable types, or repeated touching
of wheel types to a metal object. Use a low calibration figure
on the meter, and watch the readouts increment. If the readouts
do not increment there is a problem which should be investigated.
Make absolutely sure that sensors are correctly connected before
turning on the meter as they will be destroyed by reverse current.
Troubleshooting suspect sensor installations: If it is suspected
that either a wheel or speedometer sensor has been damaged in
service (ie tripmeter does not increment on the road) then the
output from the sensor can be tested with a voltmeter which has
the negative lead connected to ground, (wheel sensor voltage varies
as wheel is rotated 2.0 volts to 4 volts approximately) or speedo
cable sensor blue connection varies 0v to 5v as internals are
rotated. Alternatively the tripmeter itself can be proven to be
OK by the following test which must be carried out strictly in
the order described, a) Switch off the meter. b) Pull off the
three push-on connectors from the grey cable to the sensor. c)
Ease back the insulating sleeves from the Blue and Green wires
of the grey cable described in b). Keep these away from contact
with anything else. d) Select calibration 001 on the tripmeter.
e) Switch on the tripmeter. f) Press all the zeroing buttons.
g) Tap the above Blue and Green wire connectors together electrically
many times. The tripmeter should increment. If it does, and there
is no increment during normal use on the road with the sensor
connected, then the sensor has indeed been damaged and the tripmeter
itself is still functional. The other type of misoperation from
which a tripmeter can suffer is self-stepping whilst the vehicle's
engine is running, or self zeroing, or readouts going on and off
by themselves. Assuming the power supply is reliable (try powering
the meter directly from a separate battery placed temporarily
in the passenger area) then suspect powerful radio interference
from home-made H.T. sparkplug leads. This is particularly common
with historic vehicles. Replace them with standard proprietary
parts from an accessory shop. Testing for interference is easily
demonstrated using a portable radio on the AM band (important).
Tune away from the stations into a quiet frequency, turn up the
volume, then start up the engine. Listen for loud clicks. That's
interference which should be cured, as it is far too powerful
to defend against with screening etc. Vehicles with interference
will normally fail pre-event scrutineering.
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Fault-Finding
Procedures for Brantz Products:
Issue
July 2000. Not for general circulation. If a tripmeter installation
is giving trouble, the recommended way to find faults is by progressively
removing areas of the installation so that there is an obvious
point at which things are either good or bad. The most important
split is the one most resisted by customers as it's inconvenient.
Take the customer's car out of the equation by fitting the tripmeter
into another car. Often it is not necessary to fit the sensor
in the replacement car; simply connect up to the new car's power
supply and observe all the tripmeter functions which do not need
the distance increments. If the opportunity presents itself, a
sensor can be connected to the new car tripmeter installation
without the sensor being fitted to the vehicle in a permanent
way (ie just placed loose inside the car and operated by hand).
Only after the above should the following become necessary. Brantz
may be able to offer advice about typical car problems, but it
is ultimately the car owner's responsibility to have a car with
normal trouble-free electrics.
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International
1 / International 2 / International 2'S' /Architect 1 / Architect
2 / Laser3/ Surveymaster
1)
The meter is installed in a customer's vehicle. The meter digits
light up correctly when the meter's ON/OFF switch is switched
ON--GOTO4. The meter digits light up incompletely when the meter's
ON/OFF switch is switched ON--GOTO13. The meter digits do not
light up when the meter's ON/OFF switch is switched ON--GOTO2.
2)Disconnect
the Black Power Cable coming from the base of the meter from the
vehicle's supply and connect it directly to a spare charged 12
volt battery placed in the vehicle next to the meter. Observe
that it is the Black cable which connects to power; Brown to +12
volts, Green/Yellow to -12 volts. Battery chargers are not a suitable
power supply as they are not smoothed. There is normally a Blue
wire in the Black cable. This Blue wire is not normally connected
to anything. If the meter digits light up, find the problem with
the vehicle's supply. Often the polarities are reversed or of
poor quality. Use Screw-type connections and definitely NOT crimps.
If the meter does not light up--GOTO3.
3)
Check that the cables (Black and Grey) are not fractured or cut-into
by bodywork. Disconnect the sensor from the Grey cable. If the
meter lights up--GOTO12. If the meter does not light up--GOTO13.
4)
The problem is that on the road the meter digits flash on and
off--GOTO2 and 3. The problem is that the digits zero themselves
from time to time GOTO3 and 7. The problem is that the digits
increment themselves even when the vehicle is standing still--GOTO7.
The problem is that the digits do not increment when the vehicle
is travelling--GOTO5. The problem is that the meter does read
distance but not accurately--too low GOTO5, too high GOTO6.
5)
The meter is not seeing all of the pulses from the sensor. This
could mean that the sensor is not functioning or that the meter's
pulse input is damaged. Connect the negative of a voltmeter to
the Green/Yellow wire inside the Grey cable (The sensor Cable).
Test the Brown of the Grey cable with the other positive voltmeter
lead and see that +5 volts is present. If it is not GOTO13. If
it is +5 volts then test the Blue lead in the Grey cable. This
lead should go up and down in voltage as the sensor is rotated
(or if a wheel type sensor its' end is touched repeatedly by a
steel object. When the Blue wire is in the Low state its' voltage
should be less than 2 volts. When the Blue wire is in the High
state, its' voltage should be over 4 volts. Note that the meter
requires that either state has to be present for more than 2 milliseconds
to recognise it, (this can be a problem if the customer is using
a wheel type sensor to sense on a drive shaft which rotates very
quickly. The answer here is to use a larger target). If the voltage
does go up and down sufficiently--GOTO6. If the voltage does not
go up and down--GOTO12.
6)
The meter is receiving external pulses of energy from interference
sources--GOTO7 or the sensor is not reliably detecting rotation--GOTO5
and if a wheel type sensor check for correct gaps on all detected
targets and also check that socket head screws are not being detected.
Check wheel sensor operation with a voltmeter whilst it is connected
to the tripmeter. Voltages should be about 4.0v when sensor is
near to metal and about 2.0 volts when not near metal. Remember
that gaps can alter whilst the vehicle is being driven due to
vehicle parts bending and flexing.
7)
Test for interference. This is particularly common when home-made
HT sparkplug leads have been used, but can come from damaged alternators
or fuel pumps/horn/wipers etc. If interference is present it is
always too powerful to defend against and should be fixed at source
by suppressors or new silicon leads etc. Take a portable radio,
select the AM band (important) and tune into a quiet spot between
stations. Turn up the volume and start the vehicle. Listen for
loud clicks. That's interference. Compare the vehicle with a normal
road car as a guide to what is acceptable. Try other vehicle accessories
to locate intermittent sources of trouble.
8)&12)
The sensor is damaged. Replace and install new unit with best
chance of survival against heat and shock etc. Use first class
connections.
13)
The meter's internal circuit is damaged so the meter and sensor
must be returned to the factory for service or replacement. Installation
tips: On receipt of a tripmeter test it on the bench with a charged
battery (NOT a battery charger as the current is not smoothed)
and its' sensor connected. Before installing into a vehicle, do
the vehicle interference checks as in 7) and operate other car
accessories to see if any of them produce interference type clicks
etc.. Always derive 12volt power AND the ground lead DIRECTLY
from the two battery TERMINALS. Use screw connections (NEVER use
crimp connections. These are almost always loose and account for
the vast majority of unreliable customer installations). Support
cables at terminal entry points to prevent them from pulling on
connectors.
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Retrotrip
2 and Retrotrip 3
Carefully
read the TROUBLESHOOTING documents to reduce to a minimum the
shortcomings of the old technology which is the basis of the retrospective
design. Testing a RetroTrip on the workshop bench. DEALER INFORMATION.
(NOT) FOR RELEASE TO CUSTOMER. May 2000. Connect the power cable
(black sheath) to a 12 volt battery, brown to +12 volts, green/yellow
to -12 volts. Note that testing can not be done reliably when
connected to a battery charger, as the current is not smoothed.
If the Retrotrip has customer-installed connectors, especially
crimp types, push & pull these gently, then firmly, to check
tightness. Solder them in place wherever possible.
Test
(1) Switch on the Retrotrip. Observe the top lights go on. Switch
off.
Test
(2) (Optional test for dealers with Brantz test equipment. Others
go straight to test 3) Put the Retrotrip calibration switches
(some may be pen-push types) to 555. Connect the grey cable to
a Brantz 'Rolling Road Tester' taking care to connect the right
colours. Zero the two readouts. Switch on the Retrotrip. Note
the two counters click over together. Change the calibration figures
(there is a limit as to how fast the counters can go, so the calibration
figure cannot be too low. Switch off the Retrotrip. Remove the
'Rolling Road Tester'.
Test
(3) Connect a sensor to the grey cable carefully observing the
colour codes (see the sensor information sheet). Select a low
calibration figure. Switch on the Retrotrip. Rotate the sensor
mechanism (or for a wheel sensor touch a steel object onto the
tip of the sensor many times). See the counters click over. SELF
TEST FACILITY FOR MORE RECENT MODELS (May 1999 onwards): Connect
the Retrotrip to a charged battery supply (sensor is not needed).
Put the rotary calibration switches to 000. Turn on the power.
Note the readouts take half a step. Within eight seconds of turning
the power on, change the calibration switches to 888. After a
few seconds the counters will start to self-step themselves in
groups of eight for as long as the power remains connected. This
enables the simulation of great distances on the bench. If all
the above functions are correct then any problem is likely to
be with the car and/or the installation. See the trouble-shooting
tips on the sensor sheet and MOST IMPORTANTLY - try the meter
on another car. Derive power directly from the battery TERMINALS
not the chassis or fuse panel. This is the single most important
installation recommendation, and it is the one most resisted by
customers as it is frequently inconvenient. Low battery voltage
at the trip will cause trouble (see recommended power
conditioner below).
Popular
problems are: Reversed power, loose crimp type connectors,
even more loose connectors, battery under voltage, poor quality
wiring with still more loose connectors, and earthing derived
from chassis instead of battery, radio interference from HT/pumps/horn/wipers/dynamo/
alternator etc. See sensor sheet for a very simple interference
test.
N.B.
PREVENT VIBRATION!!! - Excessive vibration can cause one counter
to disagree with the other. Remember that the counter technology
of the Retrotrip is necessarily over fifty years old and today's
expectation of perfect performance is a little harder to achieve.
Older cars with 6 volt electrics or poorly performing or less
reliably performing 12 volts charger systems should use a BRANTZ
POWER CONDITIONER which will always produce a correct voltage
source for the Retrotrip. Detailed operating and installation
information is available on www.brantz.co.uk
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