Troubleshooting gas flow issues - Lincoln ProMIG 180

[d33pt]

Used welder. Welds fine, but no gas flow to the nozzle so the weld has a lot of porosity and poor penetration. Gas bottle is full. I've verified that the regulator is working and there is gas flow to the back of the machine. Regulator is set to 40CFH. Also checked that the line is connected firmly in the front and the knob holding it in is tight. The two O-rings seem fine.

Note that right now I don't have the wire spool hooked up during troubleshooting. Didn't want to keep having to respool the wire. I don't think this makes any difference, but wanted to mention it.

How would I go about troubleshooting this?

 

[Mhyde52]

Open up the machine and make sure gas solenoid is working. Test wires to see if it's powering up when you squeeze trigger. If so, check for gas flow obstruction on outlet side. If not, check wiring. Pretty simple, should be easy to figure out once you have a look.

 

[d33pt]

Okay, I'll open it up and take a look. I've never seen that side of the machine yet. If I can't figure it out, i'll take some pictures.

 

[sberry]

They pack it in there.

 

[BD1]

Try going to the WELDINGWEB site and posting there.
http://weldingweb.com/

 

[d33pt]

Opened it up. Found the gas solenoid. All wires firmly attached. When the leads are connected, and I hit the trigger, it has a steady 6.5V. When the leads are not connected and I hit the trigger, it is 35v. Why the huge difference? It's supposed to be a 12v solenoid.

Also, the solenoid does not make any sound when it gets power. I'm not really sure what a solenoid is supposed to sound like, but I was hoping it would click like a relay.

Does it sound like a dead solenoid?

 

[d33pt]

no one?

 

[lilredex]

Maybe it is dead. When energized you should hear a click and you should feel a slight "thud" if you put your hand on it. If you can disconnect it, try blowing through it, power on and off. If nothing happens, try to isolate it electrically and test for continuity with a test light or an ohm meter, etc.

If it is a 12V coil you could also test with a battery charger......my soleniod coils are 24V but 12V should open them.

 

[eddiemeddiem]

It sounds like you already checked it, but I had a similar issue a couple years ago where the hose (with the gun cable) wasn't plugged completely in the jack. I used a lighter in front of the gun nozzle to verify if I had flow or not when I pulled the trigger.

Good luck.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DennisHutton]

Does your gauge show a drop when you pull the trigger?

 

[jonesg]

Opened it up. Found the gas solenoid. All wires firmly attached. When the leads are connected, and I hit the trigger, it has a steady 6.5V. When the leads are not connected and I hit the trigger, it is 35v. Why the huge difference? It's supposed to be a 12v solenoid.

Also, the solenoid does not make any sound when it gets power. I'm not really sure what a solenoid is supposed to sound like, but I was hoping it would click like a relay.

Does it sound like a dead solenoid?

Yes, dead solenoid.