# Sawstop SS Error Code - Slow Green, Solid Red



## garberfc (Mar 24, 2012)

Hey All,

I've been using / loving my new SS for a month now. No issues what so ever!

Until now… :-( I installed my 8 inch dado blade (3/4") and the new dado brake cartridge and table insert. When I power up the saw it settles on the light codes shown above. The manual says: "Adjust Position of Brake Cartridge".

I had adjusted the position of the brake prior to powering up the saw, but I decided to lessen the gap even further. I reduced the gap until the blade was touching the cartridge and then backed it out a quarter turn. I spun the blade all the way around by hand to make sure it wasn't touching anywhere. When I power up the saw I continue to get the same error code…

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance,
F


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## OggieOglethorpe (Aug 15, 2012)

If you haven't used the cartridge before, maybe it's defective?


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## iminmyshop (Dec 9, 2012)

Call SawStop on Monday. Whenever I have called them they have been excellent. But of course then you are SOL until Monday….. : ((


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## NewEnglandsWoodWorks (Apr 12, 2011)

Turn the locking key tighter. This happens to me a lot.


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## garberfc (Mar 24, 2012)

I tried turning the key farther, but that had no effect. It was already turned past the detent. I turned it to loosen it and back to full tight; no luck. I turned it to loosen it and left it on top of the detent making it hold the cartridge in even tighter; no luck… :-(


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## garberfc (Mar 24, 2012)

Problem solved!!!

I got on the phone with a tech support person and three quarters of an hour later the problem was determined and solved! It thought I'd post the solution here encase some other poor fool runs into the same problem….

Apparently they've made some modifications to the software in the brake cartridges. My cartridge was versoin xxxxxx - D15 which is the latest. The issue is basically this: the more blade you have on the arbor the farther the blade needs to be from the brake.

The problem came about when I switched from my 10" to the 8" stacked dado set. I had 2 outside blades plus 3 chippers installed for a total of 5 blades for 3/4".

As part of the troubleshooting effort I re-installed the 10" blade and adjusted the brake nice and close to the blade. I got the same error as with the dado set. So, I backed the brake away an 1/8 turn at a time and after a couple of adjustments the 10" was running again. *So I learned that there is such a thing as having the brake too close.* I then mounted just 3 of the dado blades and once again went through the backing out of the blade by 1/8 turns until it was working again. I then added the final 2 blades and without any adjustment the brake gap it wouldn't work again. I again started backing out the blade until it worked. It took quite a few turns until the SS was happy.

The good news is that it's running, the bad news is that the blade is now about 3-4/16" from the brake. Hopefully, should I feed my fingers into the blade it'll only take off one finger… :-(

Wish me luck,
F


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## bloomingtonmike (Mar 10, 2013)

The rule of thumb on my 2006 ICS is a nickle's thickness distance from the blade to the brake. I check that every time I swap out the dado and the 10" blade.


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## 280305 (Sep 28, 2008)

A nickel is 1.95 mm thick, just over 1/16". But garberfc found that he has to have the brake set at least 3/16" from the blade. So, is the software in his cartridge faulty or has something changed?


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## garberfc (Mar 24, 2012)

I don't know if the software is 'faulty', just a newer version that behaves a little differently…


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## OggieOglethorpe (Aug 15, 2012)

My 2012 ICS, and other three examples I've used in other shops, all work like Mike and Chuck's… I use the same spacer to set the gap for all my blades, as well as dados.

3 or 4 16ths is awfully far away…

Can you borrow another cartridge and try it?


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## garberfc (Mar 24, 2012)

Out of the blue SS contacted me and wanted to do some more testing. They sent me some instructions on how to "self-flash" data from the saw onto the brake cartridge. This transfers information about the environment back onto the brake so they can help determine what's going on.

They also sent me another D15 to see if the error was repeatable (which it was) and an older D13 to see if the problem appeared with it. It didn't, no error at all with the D13.

Oh, one other note. I'm using and SS doesn't support the Oshlun dado set because it has solid chippers and the overall blade set will be too heavy to stop in a hurry (if you know what I mean…).

So, at the end of the day I have a new D13 that's working properly, a never used D15 (for sale ??) and a dado set that needs replacing…

Oh well, life goes on…


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## JJohnston (May 22, 2009)

How did you find out they don't support the Oshlun? I wonder if they support the Freud Dial-a-width. Now there's a heavy dado set.


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## garberfc (Mar 24, 2012)

During the initial trouble shooting effort while speaking w/ one of the reps on the phone.


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## splinter164 (Jan 31, 2013)

I recently ran into a similar error code (adjust position of brake cartridge) a with a PCS 175 after switching to a Forrest WWII blade - After reading here, I tried adjustments in both directions to the extreme but couldn't get it to clear.

A call to tech support identified that the closer proximity of riving knife clamp to the brake cartridge was the likely problem. Because my WW II blade was a 1/8" smaller in diameter and the stock blade, I had lowered the riving knife and its clamp about an 1/8" for clearance. I pulled the knife, ground off the top a bit, and re-installed it with the clamp back in the higher position. Green light!


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## garberfc (Mar 24, 2012)

@splinter164: Good for you! SS support has been very good!


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