i took my spectrum 2-8-0out of the box and tested it with dcc and a dc controller and both of the times the headlight didn't work does anybody know what to do because i am bad with wiring and taking models apart.
so no one knows what to do?
my only recommendation would be given your stated limitations is to send to bachmann for repair service - if it is new it should be under warranty - i have heard their service is excellent but have no first hand experience
wonderful day to all
Pop off the smokebix cover. You'll see the two leads connecting the headlight. Possibly they are reversed. It is an led and will not work wired the wrong way. They just slip on the headlamp leads
I know what I would do if I were bad with wiring and bad with taking models apart - I would send it back to Bachmann for warranty repair or replacement, assuming I had purchased the locomotive from a bona fide Bachmann dealer. The people at Bachmann are good with wiring and good with taking models apart.
However, before I sent it back, I would reset the decoder and try running it again. I would make sure I had the headlight turned on using DCC before testing it on dc. When you run on dc, the headlight will be on or off depending on how it was last set on DCC. Sorry, but that is about as far as you can go without at least partially disassembling the locomotive and mucking about with the wiring. If you cannot reset the decoder because of DCC system limitations, then you might enlist the help of your local hobby shop if you purchased your locomotive from them. Otherwise, there may be a club or individual in your area who would be willing to reset the decoder for you. If all of this seems like too much of a hassle, then the above advice applies - send it back to Bachmann for repair or replacement.
Jim
got it on trainfest milwakee 2010 and have no clue who it was from but if i see them next year ill check the warrenty
i popped off the smoke box cover ( i thought that you ment the whole gray part!) and it reveled that there are 2 metal peices sticking out of and the black wire was to the long metal piece and the red was connected to the short peice i un plugged it and well i reveresed it but i ran out of time to work on it and will have to wait until tomarow after i set up the dcc again. i hope it worked and did i do it right