problem with programmable coolant function

[stovepipesteve]

running a HAAS VF3.
loving every minute of it but,,my coolant nozzle which can be moved incrementally on key pad, is malfuctioning.
when i press the increment button ,it moves all the way up to top or all the way down. if i play with it enough, it comes into it.
has anyone seen this before? is it something i can straiten out myself or do i need a higher power?
thanks in advance.
steve

[automizer]

We came across this on a few machines at work and it only gets worse. We left it until the machine started alarming out, Pcool time out or something along that lines. We just ended up shutting them off in the settings, to much hassle.

[dradef]

If I remember correctly there are two switches inside the programmable coolant box attached to the side of the headstock; one that tells the machine when the nozzle is in the 1 position (home) and another that is actuated by a sort of toothed-disk that rotates with the nozzle shaft (essentially a very simple encoder).

You might open that box and verify that the switch that rides on the profiles of the toothed disk (encoder) is working correctly. Check switch contacts with multimeter. Also check switch adjustment so that the when the nozzle indexes the switch contacts are fully opening and closing.

Hope this helps.

Greg

[taylors]

That happened to my VF-2 and the Haas tech ended up changeing out the board in the back that controls the P-cool. I was told that they changed manufactures and they were seeing a 10% fail rate at the very begining. So I would check with your Haas dealer.

[Mr.Xtreme]

We had a intial problem with the Pcool on our 2006 VF2SS, just like you have.
They had changed the spigot motor unit on the head first, but it still didn't fix it.
They then changed the board in the back and all is good Shhhhhh!

Paul

[slappy32]

I had the same exact problem on our 2007 VF2. Same as Mr.Xtreme- they changed the spigot motor and it didnt work, then they changed the board in back and it has worked fine ever since. While we waited for the new board to arrive the Haas tech turned off the pcool so we could still work with just the flood.

[dahun]

The later model PCOOL (the little box with the spare wheel hump) is a totally new design from the big ones. There is nothing to adjust or trouble shoot.
Also, trying to remove the hose could cause internal gear damage. You're turning the shaft to loosen or tighten the fitting will damage the shaft, the gear or both. It was only meant to provide enough torque to move a small nozzle, so be careful. If you really have to, use two wrenches!!!!
If you got the older unit, you're better off getting the new one if you're under warranty, or work out something with your HFO. Some of the fixes posted here are also workable.

Originally Posted by dradef If I remember correctly there are two switches inside the programmable coolant box attached to the side of the headstock; one that tells the machine when the nozzle is in the 1 position (home) and another that is actuated by a sort of toothed-disk that rotates with the nozzle shaft (essentially a very simple encoder). You might open that box and verify that the switch that rides on the profiles of the toothed disk (encoder) is working correctly. Check switch contacts with multimeter. Also check switch adjustment so that the when the nozzle indexes the switch contacts are fully opening and closing. Hope this helps. Greg

[JoBwan]

Originally Posted by stovepipesteve running a HAAS VF3. loving every minute of it but, my coolant nozzle which can be moved incrementally on key pad, is malfuctioning. when i press the increment button ,it moves all the way up to top or all the way down. if i play with it enough, it comes into it. has anyone seen this before? is it something i can straiten out myself or do i need a higher power? thanks in advance. steve

Having the same problem as stated above, only mine does not stop at the top or bottom. If it does stop, it starts on it's own. I watched "The Haunting" the other night and I would swear that Damien has cursed this machine. Scared the dickens out of me!! I almost messed myself!!!!

[dahun]

Originally Posted by JoBwan Having the same problem as stated above, only mine does not stop at the top or bottom. If it does stop, it starts on it's own. I watched "The Haunting" the other night and I would swear that Damien has cursed this machine. Scared the dickens out of me!! I almost messed myself!!!!

Can you give me the machine serial number? I'll look up what your machine has in it. This condition may be caused by the I/O board. Have you had a HAAS tech look at it?
When you power up the machine and zero return all, what does the pcool do? Does it home and is the position shown on the screen?
When you push the button down once, does it go down once or does it keep going? If it keeps going, approximately how many positions does it keep going (listen to the clicks inside the unit, each click is a position)?
So it goes down a few counts then starts moving back up? Does this happen a couple of times and then alarms out?
If the tech comes out have him replace the I/O board first! and ONLY if the pcool alarms out and act up again should they replace the pcool.

Pete

[HelicopterJohn]

I have the older 20 position PCOOL. It had a similar problem. It had a little micro switch that counts the humps on the wheel. The switch was defective. I found a replacement at a local electronics store for less than $5.00 and it has worked like a charm for a year or more.

I don't know what is inside of the newer PCOOL units but it may be something to look at if the unit is serviceable.

You can send me a personal message if you would like further information and pictures of the repair I made.

[dahun]

Originally Posted by HelicopterJohn I have the older 20 position PCOOL. It had a similar problem. It had a little micro switch that counts the humps on the wheel. The switch was defective. I found a replacement at a local electronics store for less than $5.00 and it has worked like a charm for a year or more. I don't know what is inside of the newer PCOOL units but it may be something to look at if the unit is serviceable. You can send me a personal message if you would like further information and pictures of the repair I made.

Okay, that is an old unit. When they "hunt" they do it 'cause they don't see a count of the position, or they over-shoot the commanded position.
In the new models we use similar switches, but I'm surprised that they would go bad. They're rated to 300,000 electrical cycles and 50,000,000 mechanical cycles minimum. The power going through them is only signal level, very low current.
The new ones don't have anything adjustable inside for two reasons; quick assembly, and simplicity.
However, I've seen some come back due to some mishandling, built up contamination and other misc. reasons. Most have had I/O board issues so we went to the solid state relays on the new I/O boards.
P

[JoBwan]

Originally Posted by dahun Can you give me the machine serial number? I'll look up what your machine has in it. This condition may be caused by the I/O board. Have you had a HAAS tech look at it? When you power up the machine and zero return all, what does the pcool do? Does it home and is the position shown on the screen? When you push the button down once, does it go down once or does it keep going? If it keeps going, approximately how many positions does it keep going (listen to the clicks inside the unit, each click is a position)? So it goes down a few counts then starts moving back up? Does this happen a couple of times and then alarms out? If the tech comes out have him replace the I/O board first! and ONLY if the pcool alarms out and act up again should they replace the pcool. Pete

Hey Pete,
The unit that I am having troubles with is on a 2006 VF-2SS. Serial # 46951.
This is an intermitant problem. It doesn't always do the same thing. Sometimes it works perfect when I push the button up and/or down. Sometimes I have to push it up 3 or 4 times and then it will keep going on its own. Once it gets to the top, it immediatly starts to move down. It may (or may not) stop in mid stroke for a few seconds and then start moving down again, with touching any buttons. When it gets to the bottom it will immediatly start back upwards again. Same as before, it may stop or it might keep going to the top. It seems that when this happens, there is no clicking going on, but I can't be certain. Not sure what to look for next. Thanks for your assistance.