FID TEMP RDG fault message

[cmoral]

Hi all,

I am getting a FAULT: DETA TEMP RDG message on my HP5890 Series II GC. I think the problem lies probably with either a faulty heater and/or sensor. Can anyone let me know if this is the only thing that would cause this problem such that I can just replace the heater/sensor assembly or is there something else that could cause the problem. Impossible to try to get an answer out of Agilent for such an obsolete instrument so hoping someone in this forum knows the answer.

Thanks much.

[Consumer Products Guy]

I recently had such message on our 5890, believe it was for the inlet though. I replaced the heater and sensor with a used one from a decommissioned 5890, took me less than 1 hour. Toughest part was removing and replacing the little AMP pins in the harness for the wire connection (inside right hand panel).

[cmoral]

Thanks CPG,

I know what you are saying about those pins...I have done it a few times for inlet problems and other detector issues and they can be a pain. I just recently bought 200 of those pins, though, so if I screw up a few, I have plenty more.

I'll go ahead and purchase the heater/sensor assembly and see if that resolves the problem. Will let the forum know in case anyone else has the same issue.

[Consumer Products Guy]

I just didn't feel like cutting and soldering the wires, especially the sensor wires. And I had the AMP tool anyway. But I guess a tiny jewelers' screwdriver would work too.

[Peter Apps]

About the only thing that can go wrong with a heater or sensor is that the wires break and they go open circuit. It is worth checking continuity with a multimeter before investing in a replacement.

Peter

[cmoral]

Thanks, Peter. I'll check the wires. Is a problem with the heater/sensor assembly, as far as you know, the only thing that would cause the temperature fault...i.e. I don't need to worry about one of the boards?

Agreed, CPG, about soldering the wires, except I had to do some repair on the same wires for our second injector and simply crimping the small little posts without soldering seem to work OK if you can manage to hold on to those things long enough to crimp them. They are very small!

[Peter Apps]

It is impossible to rule out a problem on a board, but a broken heater or sensor is very much more likely. Only if the heater and sensor check out OK (with sensible resistance) do you need to worry about a fault on a board.

Peter

[cmoral]

Great, thanks Peter. I'll check it out and post my results on this forum in the event other people run into the same problem in the future.

[cmoral]

Hi all,

For anybody interested in the future, the wires were not damaged for the faulty sensor/heater so changed the whole assembly and problem was resolved.