Attn. M5 owners, service tech hurt.

[Deeretopher]

Have "updated" a location with 4000's to the M5. Kept our pump station and rails. All else updated to M5.
Have had a fair share of "small" start-up problems for the techs to work thru. Really so far have not been enthused with the remote control and having to have a computer for packages, bug prep passes and so on. Wash counts emailed, not the handiest if your not lookin at the computer everyday. Heck allways stop in the wash to check on it. Print-out on 4000 was nice, knowed the count and any printed problems right away. Now ya have to let that voice tell ya status. After hitting buttons on the remote and goin back outside to point at the sign in the harsh wet conditions, then if the dryer is running on the other side, gotta get pretty intimate with the sign to hear her chat! Volume turned all the way up to. Well anyway what do I know I just work on them when they run outa warrenty. (Never ever, had a tech work on the 4000's in 7 years just a few helpfull phone calls, kinda pride myself on that!)
Tech was there to fix a few "small" startup probs. He was workin on the bridge and trolly when all the sudden the trolly moved, ran over some of his fingers with the rollers. Lots of stitches later he is allright and has all his fingers. "China made" remote control was in his back pocket, butt pressed the movement buttons and got him. The Tech has been part of all our installs, 6 lasers at three locations over the last 9 years, and in on the M5 update. Very good guy and great with the PDQ machines. It can happen to the best of us, I saw it. Pls be carefull.
My first impressions of the M5 from a maintence man standpoint has went from "YUCK" to "plain crappy". But I sure don't pay the big bills, just try to help keep um runnin.
Have a good one,
DeereTopher

 

[bigleo48]

DeereTopher,

Sorry to hear about your tech. I did think about the remote and inadvertantly issuing commands while working on it, so we now keep the remote on the maintance switch while working on the bridge.

I've never owned the 4000, but got a new M5. The email reports and the ability to log into it remotly (like from home or my phone) is nice. It also SMSs my phone if an error occurs. So it's way more than the SS side that is low tech (but works well). But you get use to doing things a certain way and then they change and that forces you to change along with it and it can be frustrating. Also, upgrades are never 100% and so growing pains can be more substantial.

There are a few things I found kinda weird with the M5 from a tech standpoint. First, it had difficulty communicating with my Wash Select II. Now both units are very common and so I can't beleive that they can't get that right. So I had to put in a PLC to fix some of the issues. I think they fixed the problem in a later rev...but I haven't tried it. Also, running microsoft CE as an OS is a big??? Everyone in the industry has gone to more stable and free versions of linux. The fact that the machine needs to reboot every 48hrs to clear it's memory is a good indicator that the OS has a problem. Also, the machine won't always prevent you from moving the machine in imposible ways. Like getting almost all the way to one side and turning the arch right into the bridge!? The machine should be smart enough to know it's software and hardware limits.

All in all, I'm happy with the machine and it's work well so far. But there is much room for improvement.

BigLeo

 

[koliver]

Keep in mind that PDQ does offer training to the customer at the factory if you would like to learn more about your equipment.

 

[MEP001]

Deeretopher, to me the injury seems like it was a careless one. In many industries, equipment is required by OSHA regulations to be completely locked out when it's being serviced. The same caution should be exercised when working on IBA's. Trying to blame the incident on the design of a machine when it could easily have been prevented is in bad taste.

 

[Deeretopher]

Mep001, not really blaming the machine it did what it was mistakebly told to do.
ACCIDENT. Happened to a darn good tech. I did not really think the signal would bounce off something with out being directly pointed at the sign. Just a heads up to anyone else.
Now MEP001, the only bad taste I have is the few issues that "I" don't care for on the
M5. For my little farmers brain this wash is a couple steps up from the 4000 I reckon, but change is not allways for the better. The pagers on the 4000 warned me of any issues. Believe it or not I have gotten one text message on my phone ever! Phone lines were "free" for the wash. Cable internet is not. Had to pay for phone line for the acw's.
I could 63556 a pump on and immedietly see my leak and kill that output, now when ya turn it on in the bay, hustle back to the machine room, see wheres she's spoutin water, back out to the bay to point at a sign. Atleast put a ir reciever in the machine jo cabinet so i can turn on stuff inside, heck whats another bit of monies when the machines cost almost $90,000. Enough of my rants.
PLEASE anyone wanting an M5 do not let my little opinions influence you in anyway. I am sure someone sliding into a new M5 will love them.
Mr. university Tech, I appreciate the offer for the training, but I have watched and learned from some of the best techs working on PDQ's washes. I guess they have told and showed me what I need to know to make um work. Just don't care for some of the options or "upgrades".
Sorry, if I wasted the good time of a fellow car washers, but I hope this also put a little thought in the back of an M5 owner, to be carefull with his remote.
Have a good one,
DeereTopher

P.S Mep001 are you totally OSHA compliant? Wish I could be that probably would have even saved me some stitches a time or two!

 

[MEP001]

P.S Mep001 are you totally OSHA compliant?

No, but I've had enough different jobs and dealings with OSHA to know the kinds of things of which to be careful. I can't afford to be injured and in the hospital for any length of time, so I take great care to make sure it won't happen. Working on the auto with it powered up is a perfect example, unfortunately there are times when you have to. Keeping in mind anything that could possibly happen or go wrong is the only way to stay safe in those situations. When I work on our Vector and need the power on (which is rare) I "chock" the wheels with a couple of screwdrivers.

 

[koliver]

If you have a computer set up in the back room, you can go to the remote interface from there and issue the commands manually without being in the bay. Same as you have done in the past.

 

[bigleo48]

If you have a computer set up in the back room, you can go to the remote interface from there and issue the commands manually without being in the bay. Same as you have done in the past.

Kris...do you have a list of all M5 commands? I'd like to have these incase I loose my remote.

 

[koliver]

Commands to be used from the computer interface can be found by clicking on the "Issue Manual Commands" button and then clicking on the "Help" button. In the newer software (when released), we will have a picture of the remote that you can interface with and only have a single set of commands to use with the remote and from the computer interface.