When operators experience issues with automatic feeding, screen flicker, or erratic length measurements, they are quick to blame the computer or harvester head. However, often times neither is the problem. Instead, a faulty circuit is to blame. Your Technion xLogger registers changes in voltage as signals. Therefore, if your system has a faulty circuit, your computer cannot properly process signals to and from the harvester head. The first step to troubleshooting, before you undertake any servicing of the head or computer, is to check for voltage drops in the system. This can also help you narrow down where the fault lies. You can watch this tutorial as a video (linked below from our YouTube channel) or continue reading. Without further ado, let’s jump into troubleshooting 101.
01. Open the Main Menu
Boot up the xLogger system and log in to reach the main screen. Select the three stacked horizontal lines in the bottom right corner of your screen. Hitting “OK” on your navigator or tapping that area of the screen* opens the main menu.
02. Select “Service”
On the main menu, use the navigator to highlight the “Service” option and hit “Ok”. Alternatively, you can tap the appropriate area on your screen*.
03. Find the “Voltage” readings
The “System Information” tab should automatically open on the Service screen. Locate the “Voltage” readings for both the cab and the head. It should be the last reading in each section.
04. Run some functions
Run various functions on your harvester head while observing the voltage readings for the cab and the head. If everything is fine with your electrical circuits, the voltage will rarely drop more than two volts. If the voltage drops three volts or more, you certainly have an issue with your circuits. If the cab voltage drops, the problem is in the cab circuit. Likewise, if the head voltage drops, the problem is somewhere outside the cab on the way to the head.
05. Narrow down the issue
Along the top of the “Service” screen, you will see other tabs besides the “System Information” screen you are currently on. Navigating to these other tabs can help you determine which wire is experiencing the fault. As you run functions on your harvester head, you will note a green circle illuminates next to the operating function. You can find the specific wire designation associated with the function next to this green circle as well. In the example below, the circle illuminates next to the “Knives Open” function. We can tell that the “X2.33” wire is associated with opening the knives as a result.
We recommend that you conduct this voltage test at least once a week, even if there are no problems. Noting voltage drops can help you diagnose small problems before they become larger issues. Conducting this simple troubleshooting test can also help save time if you need to call a technician for assistance. As always, you are welcome to give TrackGrip a call or send us an email if you need more help.
*tapping the screen is only possible with an upgraded 12″ monitor. The standard 8.4″ screen does not have this functionality.