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Terex TB44 Manlift intermittent control problem

texascadillac42

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2008
Messages
82
Location
Midwest
Machine is a Terex TB44 man lift. The problem I am having with this machine is that the controls in the basket will intermittently stop responding/not work at all. When the controls do fail, the functions on the ground control panel all work fine.

When the controls are dead in the control panel, everything is dead. The red emergency shut off switch will not shut the machine down, none of the joystick controls or toggle switches do anything.... etc. Sometimes simply pushing down on the foot pedal will make the engine stall.

The master on/off/crank switch on the basket control panel does seem to have a hard spot in it, and I am wondering if the master switch has some internal problem causing it to stop providing power to the controls....

When the machine is operating correctly, everything thing works well, very smooth, crisp...etc but when it starts acting up it seems that no amount of fiddling with it helps.

I may replace this just to rule out a potential problem.

Does anyone have any thoughts or ideas?
 

bobb

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2011
Messages
136
Location
onarock
Occupation
Mechanic
by master do you mean the red e-stop? or the start-e power switch? you may try looking at your power cable where it twists and turns at the basket. it may have gotten damaged. you may also need to check the connectors at the botttom of the ground control box. remove the hex head bolt and pull the plug down. check for pushed in pins or sockets or green corrosion. clean it up good and slap some silicon grease on there.
 

willie59

Administrator
Joined
Dec 21, 2008
Messages
13,361
Location
Knoxville TN
Occupation
Service Manager
Worst thing about the Terex machines is they use the OEM Optimizer digital control system. They are a complex controller that you can't do anything with unless you have the Optimizer scan tool, and one model of scan tool is like 800 dollars. The Optimizer controls every function of the machine, starting, stopping, and operation. Aside from that, that start/stop switch at the platform is pretty common, should be able to find a replacement at a good auto parts store, Borg Warner or Standard Ignition catalog. As mentioned by bobb, be sure and look closely at the cable that runs from platform to ground. Look for any bad spots in the cable.
 

bobb

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2011
Messages
136
Location
onarock
Occupation
Mechanic
that rotory switch he mentioned is a big red goofy lookin switch. i have never seen one like it exept on a terex. not to say that i am a worldly person in the equipment world. i have just never seen it anywheres else. i also forgot to mention lookin at the connector at the platform control box. these things are compputer controlled so a little bit of water in them can be a big problem. thats why i like to slather on some silicon grease. it may not be the factory advise but i have found it useful. lookin at the itty bitty leds on the puter boards is sometimes useful too. put on your reading glasses cause your gonna need um.
 

texascadillac42

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2008
Messages
82
Location
Midwest
Sounds good, thanks guys. When it dries up a little around here I will start to use the machine again, and pay attention to the LEDs, as well as get a new master switch for it.
 

bobb

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2011
Messages
136
Location
onarock
Occupation
Mechanic
its been a long time but if your engine compartment has the metal plate with the dorf solenoid on it along with the start cube type relay and whatnot. you may want to keep it covered wit some sort of plastic bag, cause the rain tends to get to it.......if i remember it right. also if yours is deutz powered remember that the cam is belt driven.
 

bcamp

New Member
Joined
Apr 6, 2012
Messages
1
Location
TENNESSEE
i have a TB42 Terex that the aerial controls won't rotate l/right,boom ext./retract,drive fwd.rev,boom lift/lower and they work on the ground control station.Checked all wires for shorts and found none and getting a good 13.5 volts to all controls. What did you end up finding wrong with yours? Any ideas what i should check next?
 

wookiee

Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2015
Messages
17
Location
Springfield, SD
Occupation
Retired HV Lineman/Troubleshooter
Worst thing about the Terex machines is they use the OEM Optimizer digital control system. They are a complex controller that you can't do anything with unless you have the Optimizer scan tool, and one model of scan tool is like 800 dollars. The Optimizer controls every function of the machine, starting, stopping, and operation. Aside from that, that start/stop switch at the platform is pretty common, should be able to find a replacement at a good auto parts store, Borg Warner or Standard Ignition catalog. As mentioned by bobb, be sure and look closely at the cable that runs from platform to ground. Look for any bad spots in the cable.

Any idea where I can buy/rent/borrow one?


Genie doesn't respond to requests.
 

Hardline

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2009
Messages
340
Location
Waxahachie Texas
Occupation
Small business owner
You will have to go through the dealer network. Good luck on any help as most places that are rental companies can not find the time to fix their own machines never mind help you with yours. Guys like us are left out here swinging in the breeze.
 

Andy 9000

Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2017
Messages
9
Location
Rimbey, Alberta, Canada
Were you able to solve your problem? I'm having a similar problem with a Terex TB44, only I've inherited it after someone else has had a good go at trying to fix it first. I am trying to repair this machine in my spare time which means when it's dark out or raining. I thought I could break it down to go through it and verify all connections first so I removed the basket controls so that I could go through it on the bench. I found a schematic online through the Genie site, but seems to be a generic one that they have on there for every model of Terex TB lifts and is definitely different than this one. I've talked to our local Genie service tech who called all the contacts that he knew at Terex or that had worked on them and no one seems to have any schematics beyond what I've already found. I'm wondering if anyone may have another resource where I may be able to find the proper schematic? It's a 1998 Terex TB44 ser: 99610030, Ford 4cyl gas engine, OEM SuperFlex system. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
 

Garyo

New Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2018
Messages
1
Location
Mayer Az
Were you able to solve your problem? I'm having a similar problem with a Terex TB44, only I've inherited it after someone else has had a good go at trying to fix it first. I am trying to repair this machine in my spare time which means when it's dark out or raining. I thought I could break it down to go through it and verify all connections first so I removed the basket controls so that I could go through it on the bench. I found a schematic online through the Genie site, but seems to be a generic one that they have on there for every model of Terex TB lifts and is definitely different than this one. I've talked to our local Genie service tech who called all the contacts that he knew at Terex or that had worked on them and no one seems to have any schematics beyond what I've already found. I'm wondering if anyone may have another resource where I may be able to find the proper schematic? It's a 1998 Terex TB44 ser: 99610030, Ford 4cyl gas engine, OEM SuperFlex system. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Andy, were you able to solve your problem?
 

TVA

Senior Member
Joined
May 14, 2018
Messages
2,245
Location
USA
Here I sit and whine that I have to work on Grove Manlift!
And there’s people who have it real bad - they have to mess with Terex!
 

Andy 9000

Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2017
Messages
9
Location
Rimbey, Alberta, Canada
Yes I've been able to get mine working, I still have a couple of things to repair but it is now functional which is great. I eventually got a hold of someone helpful at Terex, and although they were not able to help me they told me the name of a company that prints all of their manuals and I was able to get a complete manual for this machine from them (at a cost of $250 USD). The manual was a great help for the most part, I think it was definitely money well spent - this allowed me to correct and understand a lot of the wiring on this particular machine. However I also discovered that I had a problem with one of the main circuit boards (I don't remember the numbers off the top of my head), and of course these are no longer made and the cheapest 'new' one I could find was $2500. I ended up sending my original one to Providence Industrial and they repaired it, still cost me $700. Once I had the control wiring sorted and the board fixed I was in business (of course I had a bit of engine tune-up and carb adjustments, hoses to replace, etc.), but the electrical was the real stumbling block for me. If there's something in particular you need information on I can send you some sheets from the manual (or I can look up the name of the company if you wanted to order your own), for the most part it's the same as the online manual you can find on the Genie site, there's just a few more schematics and of course it's much clearer and easy to read. It's definitely a more complex control system then I'd worked on in the past, so it's pretty tough to help you trouble shoot without more information. The OEM control system with the Optimizer had me worried, I'd actually been talking to an engineer at OEM that was trying to help me, although there was some information that was proprietary and he couldn't share, but fortunately when I got the board back everything seems to be just fine so I guess I side stepped that issue. I also had a weird setup in mine - it seemed to have the control system from a TB60 in my TB44 (with some of the functions transmitted wirelessly from the basket), but with the manual I was able to make sense of it. I think mechanically it's a great machine, just some weak and expensive control system components.
 

Marty4020

New Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2020
Messages
2
Location
Oak Grove louisiana
Andy, I have a terex tb44 and it has the same problem, I sent my card to Providence industrial and they said the card is good. I want to get a service manual, can you send me the name of the company you purchased your manual from. I called terex and could not get any help. Thanks
 

TVA

Senior Member
Joined
May 14, 2018
Messages
2,245
Location
USA
Andy, I have a terex tb44 and it has the same problem, I sent my card to Providence industrial and they said the card is good. I want to get a service manual, can you send me the name of the company you purchased your manual from. I called terex and could not get any help. Thanks
Try Genie or even IR ( Ingersol Rand ) for similar machines. As far as I know they all “descendants” of Square Shooter.
 

Marty4020

New Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2020
Messages
2
Location
Oak Grove louisiana
Thanks, I did see one on the Genie site but it covered several models, I was hoping to find one specific to my model, Andy’s post indicted he ordered one from the printing company for $250.
 
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