2004 Genie Z45/25 intermittent travel

[chipdogg]

Reluctantly working on my wife's uncle's 2004 Genie Z45/25. SN Z452504-23386. Dual fuel Ford LRG-425 engine.

Symptoms: Intermittent travel, hold the joystick in either direction, it'll stop and start and is a royal pain to drive.

I have:
Verified all 3 limit switches for the booms are good and the circuit completes at Pin 4 of the ALC500 up in the platform.
Verified turntable limit switch works and the circuit completes at Pin 3 of the ALC500 up in the platform.
Verified the joystick provides a clean, consistent .5-4.5 volt signal to the ALC500 up in the platform, resting at 2.5.
Foot pedal switch works properly
Power and ground to the board checks out.

Now here's what I've found it is doing. The ALC500 PWM controls 2 solenoid valves right on the pump on the end of the engine for forward and reverse. With the engine off, it sends out about 3.5v right away and ramps up to 5.5v and stays there when the joystick is moved in either direction, and the little LEDs labeled FWD, REV, and BRAKE all light up.

Start up the engine, this same signal comes and goes while the LEDs flicker. We scoped both outputs, they do the same thing. You can tell when it's about to slow down as the signal drops out going to the solenoids and then it coasts/stops and then starts moving again.

I'd LOVE to condemn the board but this thing is $1400!

The schematic shows no reason why the engine running should have anything at all to do with operation of the hydraulics (besides of course the pump being powered up). The ALC500 in the platform, as far as I can tell, receives no input that would signify the engine is running. It seems weird that it would act up exactly the same in BOTH directions and only when the engine is running. Maybe someone will have something else I can check into.

Machine used to work flawlessly, and then started acting up intermittently and now it's barely drivable.

 

[bretta2]

hi, any luck with this? i have similar problems on a 2004 genie s45-4wd.

 

[chipdogg]

We have sent the control card up in the basket off to be refurbished for basically the same price as a new Chinese knockoff. Genie had new ones for $2300 or so. Hopefully we get it back soon so it can fix it. They did say they found issues with the board but didn't elaborate, only that we would get a report once it's complete.

 

[Jpike]

could you kindly share where you sent the board to? I am working on an 02 version with similar problems as well as it wont run on propane, doesn't seem to idle up correctly, and moves slower than molasses in winter when it decides to move. we have sent the ecm in for rebuild twice and neither time seems to have fixed it. 3 "experienced" genie mechanics have looked at it and cannot find the exact problem either so now it seems to be my problem to fix

 

[chipdogg]

I will hold off on suggesting to anybody where to send their boards. Just installed the rebuilt one, calibrated the joysticks, and it's worse. NO travel, as soon as I step on the pedal both the "FWD" and "REV" LEDs light up, move joystick, the "brake" LED lights up.
Rotate turntable in either direction, it only goes left.
Boom up or down, only goes down.
Steer works though so there is that.
Pots still sit at 2.5v in neutral, ~.5v and ~4.5v at full range. Waiting for a call back on if I did something wrong or if they screwed up.

 

[chipdogg]

Alright got some news. We originally sent the board off for repair from ACS. They refurbished it. Got it back, it was worse. Sent it back for warranty, they deemed it "unrepairable" So spent months trying to get a refund and then bought a new one from Genie.

Since I used to work for Crown Equipment out of Madison, WI, I had my parts guy there order it. Be prepared to answer lots of questions. Price for a new board from Genie was around $1400, not sure where my uncle got $2300 from but they have plenty in stock, programmed it, and shipped it within a few weeks. Plugged it in, calibrated the joysticks (successfully this time) and it all works! I've driven it around a bunch and exactly ZERO times has it quit travelling.

Now onto the "last" issue. It doesn't seem to have it's highest RPM setting. It has slow, medium, and if you hit the rabbit switch with the pedal pushed down, you can hear it go up maybe 50 RPM so hopefully I can figure that one out.