Car Wash Blog / Self Serve Industry Blog and Forum
Greg came by my wash today and I talked him into showing me how to troubleshoot my rotary switch. Greg explained that you should get 24 volts on the hp wax stack, which I was getting. This means that my rotary switch was working fine. So we tested from the switch to the terminal block in the meter box, which was all 24 volts. So this means that the long run had a bad connection. I found where I crimped them together and there was a problem. Yeah, problem solved!
So the problem is the high pressure wax function does not work in one of the bays. First I decided there was crap in the hp wax solenoid. So I slowly starved the pump of water to pull the crap out of the solenoid. That did not work so I removed the solenoid to clean it, which did not work. So I decided the problem was with the needle valve which I just removed all of them, that did not help. Then I pulled out my voltmeter and checked to see if I was getting voltage from the switch to the equipment room which I was not (I am getting somewhere!). So now I need to figure out how to check a rotary switch. I need to give Greg a call!
I know I am always complaining about my Mark 7 self serve equipment, but it is only when I need to try and fix something. The first picture shows the solenoid and needle valve that brings the wax to the high pressure water. I needed to remove the needle valve, which sounds easy. You just have to take the solenoid all apart and everything is so cramped, it is just terrible. The second picture shows; on the left the high pressure soap solenoid valve and on the right the wax solenoid valve. The high pressure soap it under the motor and is even harder to get to then the wax. I hope that Mark 7 has changed some of this layout. But I guess the previous owner could have did this?