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Cs3 problem - CS3 gives me a message that a short exists on the main line
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Offline Boris Orloff  
#1 Posted : 03 September 2025 00:28:38(UTC)
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Boris Orloff

United States   
Joined: 02/09/2025(UTC)
Posts: 4
Location: Arizona, Payson
I have a fairly large layout run by a CS3+. Recently I had to replace my main bus under the table as the CS3 was giving me that a short existing somewhere on the main line. I reconnected the first feed and everything worked fine. When I connected the second feed no matter where it was, my CS3 reset itself. When I removed the second feed all was fine again. Has anyone else encountered this problem?
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Offline BenP  
#2 Posted : 03 September 2025 01:01:20(UTC)
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BenP

United States   
Joined: 04/02/2021(UTC)
Posts: 514
Location: USA
Second feed R-B wires crossed?
B
Digital M track layout with vintage rolling stock and accessories controlled by CS3+Rocrail; small Z scale layout.
https://youtube.com/play...0kgVYbh0CeDTF-bYXoD_2-V9
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Offline rhfil  
#3 Posted : 03 September 2025 13:21:56(UTC)
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rhfil

United States   
Joined: 05/09/2014(UTC)
Posts: 720
Location: NEW HAMPSHIRE, Somersworth
Get a multi-meter and start checking dc voltage from the closest to the CS3 and out. If the voltage changes polarity you have reversed the wires. I am assuming you have three rail.
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Offline Boris Orloff  
#4 Posted : 03 September 2025 18:31:15(UTC)
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Boris Orloff

United States   
Joined: 02/09/2025(UTC)
Posts: 4
Location: Arizona, Payson
I tried it both ways at each location. It still resets when I try it with the second feed.
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Offline JohnjeanB  
#5 Posted : 03 September 2025 19:11:34(UTC)
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JohnjeanB

France   
Joined: 04/02/2011(UTC)
Posts: 3,625
Location: Paris, France
Hi Boris
You know by now that your CS3 has NO problems and that you have a short circuit on the second feed

Here is the process to locate where the problem is:
  1. remove all rolling stock from your layout and check if the short is still there
  2. break the faulty zone into smaller zones tryng to detect when the short appear while adding a new set of tracks
  3. investigate the small zone causing the short on continue until the one track level
  4. the result may be obvious or very unconspicuous. E.g. in M track a switch point spring burnt by a short and extended to the stud line. Another example is the result of using a dremel disk producing fine and invisible metal dust making the short, a forgotten tool on a track

Cheers
Jean
My layout videos
latest vid
marshalling yard
My Layout
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Offline Goofy  
#6 Posted : 03 September 2025 19:48:15(UTC)
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Goofy


Joined: 12/08/2006(UTC)
Posts: 9,319
When the first feed are okey and still you have all trains on the track without short circuits.
If you feed the second and it appears short circuits you did swapped the wires somewhere.
Are you use booster too?
H0
DCC = Digital Command Control
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Offline rhfil  
#7 Posted : 03 September 2025 21:34:33(UTC)
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rhfil

United States   
Joined: 05/09/2014(UTC)
Posts: 720
Location: NEW HAMPSHIRE, Somersworth
He indicates that wherever he connects the second feed he shorts out. So, if he is doing it correctly the problem can't be on a section of track but in the second feed. But I wonder if he has isolated the sections of the layout that he is feeding with the busses. If not that might be a solution. Or at least a means of working towards a solution.
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Offline PerR  
#8 Posted : 03 September 2025 22:43:30(UTC)
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PerR

Denmark   
Joined: 19/05/2014(UTC)
Posts: 66
Location: Sjælland, Kirke-Hyllinge
if your CS3 resets, maybe you should check your configuration of the powersupply in the CS3 configuration in the GFP3 section.
If there is a mismatch between the powersupply you are using for your CS3, and the configuration in the GFP3 section, you can get into problems.
If you have an 60 VA powersupply and your configuration in GFP3 is set to a 100 VA powersupply (60101), then the currentlimiter is set to 5 Ampere, and because a 60 VA powersupply is designed to deliver 3 Ampere, the the currentlimiter will not be able to register a short circuit, and the CS3 could reset due to voltage drop from the powersupply.

I have seen a lot of times that the GFP3 configuration is wrong, and the users are not aware of what could happen if the configuration is wrong.

Best regards
Per
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Offline Boris Orloff  
#9 Posted : 04 September 2025 03:04:20(UTC)
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Boris Orloff

United States   
Joined: 02/09/2025(UTC)
Posts: 4
Location: Arizona, Payson
The CS3 was set for a 60101 but I can't set it for the actual one that I use a 60 watt 60065 (that is what the manual calls for). The pull down menu only has 60042, 60043 and 60045. The voltage indicator reads 19.4v.
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Offline PerR  
#10 Posted : 04 September 2025 07:51:12(UTC)
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PerR

Denmark   
Joined: 19/05/2014(UTC)
Posts: 66
Location: Sjælland, Kirke-Hyllinge
for sure, you should not set it to 60101, because 60101 is a 100 VA powersupply, and this setting will result in that the current limitter is set to 5 Ampere.
You are right that not all types of powersupply is in the pulldown list, but what is important is that you select one with the same number of VA as the one you use.
This is true for the setting in a CS3, but for boosters it is more complicated, because boosters are still allowed to use a transformer or a powersupply.
For boosters it is also very important the type (transformer or powersupply) is set right, else there is a risk for that the CS3 reports an "over voltage" error.

Best regards
Per
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Offline JohnjeanB  
#11 Posted : 04 September 2025 17:11:20(UTC)
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JohnjeanB

France   
Joined: 04/02/2011(UTC)
Posts: 3,625
Location: Paris, France
Hi Boris
The CS3 power settings are there to adjust the current limit on the CS3 so that, when a short is detected, the CS3 cuts off the power before the current surge is transmitted to the power supply (60101 for 5 A, 60045 for 3 A). Failure for the CS3 to switch off in good time, the power supply feeding the CS3 switchs off, causing the CS3 to cold-start after the thermal protection is waived off.
Märklin has produced so many power supplies that listing the references was a mistake (too many of them) but rather a power value (100 W, 60 W or the current value 5A, 3 A)
So, long speech to say you should select the 60045 if you have a 60 W PSU.
Cheers
Jean
My layout videos
latest vid
marshalling yard
My Layout
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Offline BenP  
#12 Posted : 04 September 2025 17:27:03(UTC)
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BenP

United States   
Joined: 04/02/2021(UTC)
Posts: 514
Location: USA
Originally Posted by: JohnjeanB Go to Quoted Post
Hi Boris
The CS3 power settings are there to adjust the current limit on the CS3 so that, when a short is detected, the CS3 cuts off the power before the current surge is transmitted to the power supply (60101 for 5 A, 60045 for 3 A). Failure for the CS3 to switch off in good time, the power supply feeding the CS3 switchs off, causing the CS3 to cold-start after the thermal protection is waived off.
Märklin has produced so many power supplies that listing the references was a mistake (too many of them) but rather a power value (100 W, 60 W or the current value 5A, 3 A)
So, long speech to say you should select the 60045 if you have a 60 W PSU.
Cheers
Jean


Make sure to adapt wiring for 5A to avoid heating hazard, which should be thicker than 3A standard gauge wires. I continue to use 22-24 gauge to track with 3A power supply, but thicker from CS to power hubs and decoders.
Ben
Digital M track layout with vintage rolling stock and accessories controlled by CS3+Rocrail; small Z scale layout.
https://youtube.com/play...0kgVYbh0CeDTF-bYXoD_2-V9
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Offline Boris Orloff  
#13 Posted : 06 September 2025 06:20:48(UTC)
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Boris Orloff

United States   
Joined: 02/09/2025(UTC)
Posts: 4
Location: Arizona, Payson
I have tried all the posts to date. My CS3+ still registers a short but it does not short out automatically. Is there a way to tell if the CS3 is defective or needs a factory reset?
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