[darkeagle10x]

My older 1995 VF2 has always ran great since I bought it used about 6 years ago. I run it intermittently meaning it may run steady for a couple weeks then maybe once every other week or so for smaller jobs. It ran perfectly last week. I turned it on yesterday and it comes up with one of two screens each time I start.

One screen is the following:
Attachment 380056

ALARMS (ZERO RET)
102 SERVOS OFF
157 MOTOR INTERFACE PCB FAILURE
158 VIDEO/KEYBOARD PCB FAILURE
AT ZERO-XYZA VIDEO/KEYBOARD ALARM

OR sometimes when I restart I get an all green screen but as if there are numbers or letters within the green (it's not solid green but almost so you can't read anything if it is actually there). When I get the green screen, it has a blinking cursor - I think anyway - because it's green as described but flashing in the upper left corner.
Attachment 380058

No keys work other than on and off for power. Talked to 2 techs and neither one had an idea what it might be. I have a service call in but won't be here until next week.

I am hoping someone at least has seen this before and has an idea what it might be or at least piece of mind it is fixable.

Any info is appreciated.

[wms]

Might be of some help.

[erikfriesen]

Check the low voltage power supply, they are notorious for going bad they say.

[darkeagle10x]

Thanks. I've checked the +12 -12 and +5 and it checked OK. Will see if I can figure out how to check some of the other things listed there.

[erikfriesen]

Did you check cables? Check voltages at the mocon and processor pins?

[darkeagle10x]

I've checked all the connectors I could wiggle and re-plugged in. Fuses, looked for burn marks on boards. My cables are different numbers than listed in the above post but so far nothing I can find wrong. Maybe something on a board or a cable that is shorted I cant find. My concern is being an old machine that parts may not be available.

[LeeWay]

I hope you get it sorted out. I know this is one of the hazards of buying an old used machine, however if you have used it for 6 years now, it was probably worth what you paid. ROI is likely complete as well.
Issues like this always weigh heavily on my decisions to just buy new instead.

[darkeagle10x]

I hope you get it sorted out. I know this is one of the hazards of buying an old used machine, however if you have used it for 6 years now, it was probably worth what you paid. ROI is likely complete as well.
Issues like this always weigh heavily on my decisions to just buy new instead.

I'm a custom rifle maker that uses it for fluting, engraving, and making Savage 10 round magazines so it doesn't get used enough to justify the cost of a new machine. Was looking for piece of mind that someone has encountered this before but it doesn't look that way. I guess I'm stuck hanging until Wednesday to get the verdict.

[darkeagle10x]

UPDATE - Had a call today that they could send a service guy out now instead of waiting until tomorrow.

You know your getting old when the young man (pleasant enough guy) that arrived made the comment the machine was just as old as him. Several calls to tech support and the only thing he tried was changing the low voltage supply which tested fine before changing but he changed it anyway - and guess what? - that wasn't it so he changed it back.

He wasn't sure what to do next. Said maybe the MOCON and he might have one on the truck but no luck. After a phone call he said the parts guy was out to lunch and would be a half hour before we could talk to him. He had to call them back as the parts guy never returned his call. After giving part number, was told it had to ship from CA and unless I wanted to pay overnight it would take about a week (they should hook up with Amazon Prime - I get that stuff in less than 2 days) and when it gets here I can call to schedule another service call that "hopefully won't be another week waiting" (his words not mine).

At $137 an hour including road time I figure I'm in pretty deep to verify my Fluke meter accurately reads 12 and 5 volts as did his meter but I still don't have a machine running or piece of mind they know what it needs.

As Dr Seuss so elegantly put it, I am headed for the most useless place, "the waiting place".

[darkeagle10x]

ANOTHER UPDATE: The guy showed up this morning again with no advance notice. Said they were supposed to call me and let me know. He had been here about 30 minutes when she called to say he was coming - she said her phone had been dead. I was getting ready to leave the shop due to an unexpected death of my pregnant niece, just 25, they were able to save the baby but 11 weeks early so a long road for the little guy and no mom. I stayed so the tech could try the new board.

He said one of the other guys had a MOCON on his van and he grabbed it last night. He changed the board out in just a few minutes BUT no change. He stayed a while longer staring at the boards and talking to tech support so I paid for another trip here and several hours plus his return trip and its still not running. Now I am no rocket scientist but when the error code says Video/Keyboard failure, the first thing I would change is the Video/Keyboard board and maybe the keyboard. After two trips here, he is going to order that board to try.

I would think at that hourly rate that they should have what they need on the truck or not charge me drive time every trip because they don't have what is needed. This guy said he would like to order several boards to swap out but his company wont let him order more than one at a time.

Am I being unreasonable to think they should have sent someone that has worked on an older machine and that I shouldn't have to pay road time each time they get a new board to try?

[erikfriesen]

Its frustrating, yeah, one plus is, you know its not those parts now, I assume he'll stay with the old parts so you won't get charged for more than time.

Is this a brushless machine?

[darkeagle10x]

Is this a brushless machine?

Its a not brushless, the tech said the brushless are easier to work on. Still can't wrap my head around why a tech wouldn't address what the error code says before trying other things.

[GITRDUN]

Sorry to tell you this but i have seen that screen many times. It is almost always the processor board causing that. I have a pile of processor boards in my parts room that have been replaced after they went out and did that exact same thing. Ive never seen the error codes popped up like that before but i would still suspect the processor board. And the real bad news is im not sure Haas can still replace those old processor boards. They will likely recomend an upgrade to the new electronics if thats even a possibility with brushed servos. Costs about $12K last time i had it done.

[erikfriesen]

If it was mine.. I'd remove and clean the processor chip leads.. Also try replacing the crystals, making sure nothing is obviously wrong with the board supply rails.