PROBLEM SOLVING
Mirage technical manual
page 53 of 65
Problem solving
Although we take the utmost care to include the best possible parts in the Mirage, some parts have
been known to malfunction more often than others. Below we describe the most common electro-
mechanical failures in the Mirage and the behaviour displayed by the machine when that part breaks
down.
Controller
The Gicar controller is located behind the right hand side panel and combines several functions in
one.
1) For brewing coffee.
The controller converts the touchpad or bastone unit instructions to open the appropriate group
valve and close the boiler fill valve in case it is open at the time, engages the water pump motor,
measures the amount of pulses from the corresponding water meter, and closes the group valve
and water pump when the set volume of water has passed through the water meter (or any of the
buttons on the active group touchpad/bastone is pressed before the set volume is reached).
2) For hot water dispension.
When the hot water button is pressed, the pump motor is engaged, both hot- and cold- water
flange valves on the mix-block are opened and a timer starts to run. When the timer reaches the
set value (or when the hot water button is pressed again before the set time is reached), the
valves are closed and the pump motor disengaged.
3) For keeping the water in the steam boiler up at operational level.
The controller converts the 230 VAC into an appr. 1.2 VAC (high frequency) tension which is sent
to the operational level probe. When the water inside the boiler touches the probe, a small current
will run through the operational level circuit. When no current exists in the operational level circuit
(i.e. the water in the boiler does not touch the operational level probe), the water pump motor is
engaged and the boiler fill valve is opened with the condition that no group valve is open at the
same time. As soon as the circuit is closed (water inside the boiler touches the probe), the pump
motor is disengaged and the fill valve closed.
4) For shutting down the heating elements when water level becomes dangerously low. The
controller converts the 230 VAC into a 1.2 VAC (high frequency) tension which is sent to the
safety level probe. When water touches the safely level probe, a small current will run through the
safety level circuit. When no current exists in the safety level circuit (i.e. the water in the boiler
does not touch the safety level probe), the governing current to the solid state relays is shut off.
5) For shutting all solenoid valves in case one of them remains open for more than 2 minutes.
As soon as a solenoid valve is opened, an individual timer for that valve is started from zero.
When any of the
timers reaches 2 minutes, all solenoid valves are shut and the LED’s on the
touchpads/bastone units start flashing.
6) For giving alarm and eventually disengaging the corresponding group when the water meter does
not send out pulses on an engaged group.
If the water meter on an engaged group does not send any pulses to the controller for more than 5
seconds, the LED on the corresponding dose starts blinking. If no action is taken and the water
meter does not send any pulse for more than 4 minutes, the group is disengaged automatically.
Failure characteristics of the controller
If erratic behaviour of the machine is encountered, check if the individual leads (black, blue and
brown) of the water meters have not broken off at the 7-pole connector in the Gicar controller or in the
water-meter plugs. Be careful when stripping these leads to make a new connection, the metal strands
in the leads are very easily cut.
The transformer in the controller is most likely to fail. When this occurs, there is no power for the
controller’s internal electronics and the machine will not function at all. With transformer failure, 230