Bachmann N SC-44 Charger: Front Headlight Does Not Turn Off

[tehachapifan]

Just rec'd my Charger and it appears the front headlight comes on when placed on track and will not turn off either by hitting F0 or when the loco is reversed. When in reverse, both the front headlight and the front red marker lights will be lit. The front headlight will also not dim. Online videos of this loco seem to indicate this behavior is not normal. Rear headlight appears to function correctly. While I'm new to the F8 function indexing thing, I believe I have gone thru all the possible settings. A reset the decoder did not help either. The headlight will also stay illuminated for 1 to 2 minutes after I remove it from the track, which is impressive from a power-keeping perspective but perhaps not normal behavior. Ideas? Did I get a faulty loco?

[peteski]

I'm not surprised that the built-in keep-alive keeps the LED glowing that long. Ulrike the loco's motor, LED uses very little power.

When things get squirrely I always try running the loco in DC mode (9V battery might work here).  Make sure the DC mode is enabled in CV29 (usually it is from the factory), and power the loco by touching the battery terminals to the wheels.  If the front headlight comes on in both directions then I would say the decoder is defective, or there is a wiring problem.

[tehachapifan]

Thanks! I’m in contact with Bachmann on this now. If that doesn’t pan out I may give that a try.