As you know, a main feature of the Milk Taxi is it can quickly transport large quantities of milk to your calves. But when your Taxi gets stuck in driving in low gear, it sure isn’t quick.
This is a problem that can seem simple to fix yourself (and it is), but we often get called out after parts and time are already sunk in and the Taxi is still as slow as a tortoise. Paying for parts you don’t need and spending your own time on top of a callout is something we all want to avoid.
Before working on one of your own WCR machines, call the service line!
The call is free: 1-866-601-5532
By calling first, you can get some tips on what to check and how to do it. On the phone, we can help you decide if you really want to take it on, or if a tech should come deal with it. In the case of the slow Taxi, there is usually a very simple fix that gets easily overlooked.
The trap here is that a set of new batteries seems like the obvious fix. Some of you that have owned your Taxi for some time know that low drive batteries will lock you into slow speed. Low drive speed is also usually accompanied by the drive batteries flashing as critically low on your display. The symptoms seem to have an easy explanation and you might be tempted to look at your battery charger after new batteries don’t fix it, but this usually isn’t it either.
The reason these fixes don’t correct the problem lies in understanding how the Milk Taxi detects the state of the drive batteries. There is a wire that takes the voltage level from the drive controller to the PCB (main board), and on this wire there is a fuse. There is a very good chance this fuse is blown, and your Taxi PCB thinks your drive is at 0V.
The picture below shows the fuse holder in an MTX 2.0, but the newer 3.0 and 4.0 have a nearly identical fuse holder in the same area. It is a very common fuse: 5x20mm 250V 100mA, and there is probably a spare in the electrical box already. Swap this out and chances are good your Taxi will be back to full speed. It isn’t the problem all of the time, but it is certainly the fastest and cheapest thing to try first.
We are here to help. Call as soon as something isn’t right with your Taxi, not after you already worked on it or have put up with it for a week. With some quick troubleshooting over the phone, we can save you time, money and headaches.
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