Hope it doesn't happen to you!!!

[Shirtman]

We are told we have a Y-axis problem with our Amaya. I understand things break. They tell us it is either the main board ($700) with exchange or the Y-axis motor($400+). If it's not the board you can return it for an $85 retesting fee. If you open the box with the motor and it's not the cause you can't return it. You are stuck with a motor you don't need. These prices don't include the technican or any shipping. You want to hear the really bad news. THEY DON'T HAVE A NEW BOARD AND DON'T KNOW WHEN THEY WILL HAVE ONE. NO EXPECTED DATE AT ALL. They must have thousands of machines out there but they don't have a replacement main board????? Why call a certified technician if they are just going to replace parts that I have to buy even if it's not the cause? I do understand buying replacement parts when something goes bad but why do I have to buy them to find out if the ones I have are bad. Oh yea, it's not a problem since they don't have the parts.

Glad I have three more machines to get the work done, well now that I think about it maybe having three more machines with no parts available isn't all that great. If another breaks I hope it's something else so I can use one for the parts.

HAVING NO AVAILABLE PARTS IS NOT GOOD BUSINESS.

Tajima, Happy, Brother, etc., I wonder if they have parts?

Happy Holidays to all. Yea even the service Department at Melco.

David


David Lindsey
Once a Happy Amaya Owner
Vector Shirts
Hamlet, NC 28345
910-582-0051

[oldkush]

"Parts are not available and we don't know when they will be" is not good news for an embroiderer regardless of machine brand. Perhaps this is even harder to swallow with the Amaya because they are supposed to be made in the USA .... maybe the boards aren't ??

In your case, the good news is that you do have other machines. Although now your production has been reduced by 25% .... at least you can still stitch.

If it was me, I would bite the bullet, purchase the $400 motor and hope like h**l that is the problem. If it is, then your machine will be up and running. If the motor is not problem, I guess you just bought yourself a spare and then you have every right to ask Melco why a board for your machine is not available.

Just as a side note, if it really is a board that you need and there are none available ... I think Melco could pull one out of a new machine for you.

Good luck

Bob

[Rod or Sharon]

Hey guys and gals,

Just trading out the motherboard if there is a suspected Z axis problem is not a good idea!!!!!! If the Z axis motor is bad, then the motherboard is replaced at the same time.

A failure of the Z axis motor usually causes damage to the motherboard and if a motherboard is swapped out with another machine or new board, without replacing the Z motor>>>>ZAP!!!!.....you now have two blown out motherboards.

As techs we have been instructed to replace both the Z motor and the main CPU (motherboard) if the Z motor goes haywire.....proceed with caution here, unless you wish to buy multiple motherboards.

Rod Springer
Certified Melco Tech

[Rod or Sharon]

I should have said that the above also applies to the Y axis motor too...

If there isn't a suspected "motor" problem, then Russell's advice on swapping motherboards around is an accepted trouble shooting procedure

Rod Springer
Cetified Melco Tech

[levelbest]

Hmm Rod... you are obviously a more experienced tech than I - but we just had a z motor go on an non XT (my machine actually) and no one at melco I spoke with mentioned swapping out the motherboard at the same time. I just took the failing z motor out, replaced it and bam - we were good to go again and have been sewing fine ever since.

BTW, looking up at the original post, David mentioned the Y-Axis (not z) - is that what you were referring to Rod?

By the way David - are you having issues with an XT or Non XT. Just curious which motherboard they are out of...

[signman]

Sorry to hear about the problem...just glad I bit the checkbook and keep the payments up on the extended warranty!
As for the claims of 'made in america', I think this was brought up a year ago and the units are assembled in the USA, but a lot of the critical parts might be imported....hence the lack of availability on some!
BUT, seems to me there was a thread going in the other amaya chat early this year...some one had gotten 'taken' on buying a used machine...I can't remember who or where but there was a tech talking about picking it up to have for spare parts....might be worth you posting a note on both chats about parts available!
Hope it works out for you.

[Shirtman]

What is the other chat line?

I wonder if I had an extended warranty or it was still under waranty if there would be a part available? I think this machine is just a few months out of warranty. Good luck uh????

Still haven't heard from a technican or Melco.

David

[Rod or Sharon]

Without going into a lot of detail describing the different machines, i.e., XT vs standard Amaya,there are two different kind of motors in the machines, Stepper motors and the bigger X,Y,Z axis motors. The stepper motors, like the trimmers for example, usually will not affect the motherboard but the bigger motors, X,Y,Z can and do.

It will, of course, depend on the particular situation, but if there are X,Y,Z axis errors showing up repeatedly, it is not wise to be swapping motherboards around. I would advise anyone with these difficulties to contact Melco and only proceed under their guidance.

Rod Springer
Certified Melco Tech

[Rod or Sharon]

David,
I have worked on both warranty and non-warranty machines and , I can tell you that it makes no difference at all to Melco as to parts availability.
Third party Techs, like myself, are private, sub-contracted people that are trained by Melco to work on their machines out in the field. Other than that we have no affiliation to them except as customers, just like you.
We don't get any special favors and parts are parts.....first come, first served.

Call Melco again about the mother board.. Motherboards are rotating in and out of their repair shop on a daily basis. They take them in on a trade basis , refurbish them and make these "used boards" available to customers. As far as a "new" board....there have been several changes made to the boards, major changes, and they are phasing some of the older boards out completely--so hang in there, call them again. I have found Melco to be very responsive in getting parts and getting them to the customer.

Rod Springer
Certified Melco Tech

[Russell Silva]

Rod,

I was told that if the motor was total failure and burned out or the motherboard had burn marks that you would replace both. If I was given the wrong info then I will delete my post with my recomendation so no one else will read it and try it before they read the rest of these messages.

[levelbest]

Originally posted by Russell Silva:
Rod,

I was told that if the motor was total failure and burned out or the motherboard had burn marks that you would replace both. If I was given the wrong info then I will delete my post with my recomendation so no one else will read it and try it before they read the rest of these messages.

Russell:

I am wondering as well now. The problem with our motor was that it would do the 3-4 stitch startup and then just stop. So it hadn't failed completely - but was pretty close to it. After talking to a few folks at melco, they simply sent out the motor to replace. I was not aware it was S.O.P. Maybe what Rod meant was when the motor failed completely as you suggested.

JOHN

[Shirtman]

Maybe someone will have seen something similar to what has happened to us.
http://www.vectorshirts.com/example.htm

The designs have been run numerous times before with no problems. We were running them on other machines at the same time. No problems on the other machines.

Yes you read the name correct "Roach". He puts it on all his shirts.

Thanks for all the support from the group. Maybe Melco can find the part if that's what is needed.

David

[Kip from Brookside Designs]

Looking at what David posted, we had the very same problem with one of our new XT's about six months ago. Denver sent out a refurbished motherboard and a new Y motor. Fixed the problem right away. Techs in Denver said they didn't know exactly what causes this problem, but changing out the motherboard and Y motor fixes it.

Kip
Brookside Designs

[Rod or Sharon]

Russell,
While you were at training you should have been given a copy of "Technical Advisory Notes" and been given info on how to access the Technicians FTP site. Look at Bulletin #AMAYA043 Rev.A, dated March 10, 2005. It specifically states what I have said before about the servo motors vs the stepper motors vs the control board.

I will state again, if there is evidence of a servo motor failure, that has or could have damaged componets on the motherboard, then it is not wise to just start swapping motherboards around....do so only with the guidance of Melco Techinical Support after they have been given all the facts and symtoms of the issues with your machine...

Rod Springer
Certified Melco Tech

[Russell Silva]

Rod,

My TAB disk does not have #AMAYA043 RevA on it only #42 which states major malfunction/component failure (=burn out)that combined with how it was explained in class did not sound like the situation here, that is the only reason I had suggested the exchange, maybe the TAB's should be more clear.

As far as the motor goes, can you do an continuity test on the Y motor tell if the motor is good or bad?