Dear All,

Another conversion I did recently, here is the video.



However, I had problem with the front and rear light.



I'm using 6096x decoder, since there is limited space on this loco. As the picture, I connect the white cable from decoder to gray cable (front light), and yellow cable from decoder to yellow cable (rear light). The lighting are grounded to the locomotive frame, so as suggested in the manual book, I have to change the light bulb and bulb holder with E604180 and E610080. The problem is I don't have the bulb holder E604180. I don't know what bulb holder used in 33183 as I cannot find 33183 exploded diagram. Anybody have 33183 exploded diagram?

So I remove the original bulb from 33183 (I believe the bulb was E610040 since the bulb don't have red marking), and change it with the bulb E610080 I took from 37171 . Now for the common wire return, I connect the blue wire from decoder into each light, front and rear (making a Y-connection type). First run, the light was working perfectly, no flickering, absolutely beautiful, but after several minutes later, some weird and strange behavior appear.

The rear light are always on and flickering, even when I switch off the function F0, the rear light are always on and flickering. So I cut off the yellow and the blue wire to this rear light, simply disable it. But then another strange behavior occur . If the function F0 are switched on, and the loco direction is forward, the loco can run smoothly. But when I change the loco direction to backward/reverse, still with function F0 switched on, the loco cannot run smoothly (sometime just stopped, won't move), and I can hear a very distinct sound from the motor, I cannot recorded the sound since it is very faint, but the sound are like "click click click" continuously. But if I switched off function F0, problem disappear , no more "click click click" sound and loco are running smoothly. I tried this process over and over, the same result happen. So I just switched off the F0 for now.

Any idea how to make DIY bulb holder for E610080 ? All this strange behavior caused by bulb holder, or something else?

Thanks.

BR,
Sony

About the exploded view, in the Märklin site I didn't find it, but I found for 33181 and 33184. I think it must have the same bulb holder, but just a guess...
You have it here: http://www.maerklin.de/s...&artikelnummer=37184

Probably you already did it, but reset the decoder may help.

As Tom said maybe you have some unwanted connection. if you don't see it, maybe remove totally de decoder by unsolder every wire, clean the locomotive inside and solder it again.

Also verify if there is no portion of decoder that is touching the locomotive body. Anyway I think it is not this that is causing the wrong behavior because the decoder must be isolated by plastic around it (I assume you are using the decoder with cables and not the one with the plug).

When doing a digital conversion, I am told, it is best to totally strip the lok of existing wiring and solder in the new decoder or its connector (21 pin adapter ot 8 pin socket). Of course you need to know the correct colours connect to what and Marklin and ESU differ on this, ESU wires tend to be DCC code. I hasten to add I'm no expert, as I have the benefit of my friend Dennis The Train Dr to do all that, however I do interrogate him about whats what and why it is, so I just know.
Less wire joines means less trouble in the long run, get to know what each wire from the decoder is and solder it to the appropriate point, it's just a case of reading and learning. With ESU the lokprogrammer is essential and with M, either CS2 or the new programmer device.
The S3/6 needs special attention when fitting the 5 pole brush plate, that is with the older ones they have to be modified and fitted upside down, so the brush springs don't foul the body ! Also because of lack of room inthe S3/6 a direct wire up type decoder is the best solution.
Just my 2c worth and a couple of $$ from the train Dr.