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Old 06-09-2012, 10:06 PM   #1
03heritagerider
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Default HELP! 12v issues.

When plugged into shore power all 12v systems are off. Checked fuses and breakers also checked campground main power source and breaker at shore power box.

With inverter on I get 110 power to Microwave, tv's etc. I have to start the engine to get power to start the generator.

When generator is started, 12v lights are dim. The invert indicator light is blinking slowly.

Anybody got any ideas?
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Old 06-09-2012, 10:19 PM   #2
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Default Re: HELP!

I just went through the same problem last week. I have 12 V wet cell batteries for my house 12 V use from my converter in my Tourmaster. My batteries were toast and had to be replaced. They tested the batteries after they were removed and one was totally dead and the other was barely putting out anything. I had charged them the night before and they lost their charge almost instantly.
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Old 06-10-2012, 06:53 AM   #3
03heritagerider
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Sorry to hear that, but I'm not sure that helps me. My batteries are 90 days old. When gen is on, everything seems O.K. Fridge goes to ac. When gen is off and shore power is plugged in, the fridge is OFF...no gas...no ac not even the light comes on. I have to start the coach to get the gen to start.

Don't know if I'm dealing with a bad set of batteries, a bad inverter, wiring problem or a bad transfer switch.

Couple years back I had to change the transfer switch (under bed). Could that be the problem again? If so, can I bypass the switch and make a direct connection from shore power? Would that harm anything?
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Old 06-10-2012, 09:10 AM   #4
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O.K. I did some testing on the transfer switch. Here are the results:

With generator running-inverter off-shore power off-testing the lines from the generator...
power to both red and black - LED indicator GREEN

With generator running-inverter off-shore power off-testing the lines from the inverter...
power to both red and black-LED indicator GREEN

With generator running-inverter off-shore power off-testing the lines from shore power...
no power to red or black-LED indicator GREEN


With inverter on-generator off-shore power off-testing the lines from the inverter...
no power ro red or black-LED indicator OFF

With inverter on-generator off-shore power off-testing the lines from the generator...
no power to red or black-LED indicator OFF

With inverter on-generator off-shore power off-testing the lines from shore power...
no power to red or black-LED indicator OFF


With shore power on-inverter off-generator off-testing the lines from shore power...
Power to both red and black-LED indicator OFF

With shore power on-inverter off-generator off-testing the lines from the inverter...
Power to both red and black-LED indicator OFF

With shore power on-inverter off-generator off-testing the lines from the generator...
No power to red or black-LED indicator OFF

I would think that in any mode the LED indicator should be GREEN. Should I, or could I, disconnect the lines from the inverter? It seems that my house batteries are running low while shore power is on. Last night we came back to the coach after about 10 hours and we had no lights, no fridge, and I had to start the engine to get the generator to turn over. It had obviously gone out shortly before our retun, as the thermometer in the fridge was still reading 40 degrees.

Fridge will not switch to gas when power is off- no power to fridge (GAS OR AC) when inverter is on. Fridge on AC when generator or shore power is on.

Color me confused!

P.S. It's Sunday...can't get any help from dealers.
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Old 06-11-2012, 05:43 AM   #5
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Latest development...12v systems weak. When gen goes off all power to 12v items goes off. Pilot on water heater goes off and won't relight. Lights are dim. Fridge is off. A/C won't come on.

However, items plugged into 110 outlets work. Laptop is fully charged, phones are charging, TV and microwave are on, but A/C will and fridge will not run unless gen is running.

Got up this morning and no 12v lights. Pilot won't light. Fridge is off. Gen won't start unless I start engine first. BUT, power panel indicator light is green and shows house batteries are fully charged.
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Old 06-13-2012, 03:01 PM   #6
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I had been out and had not read anything until today the 13th. Did you get your 12 volt system working or are you still down? I was wondering if you had been messing around with your inverter lately and might have crossed the two wires that look like tv wire plug ins to your inverter. The reason why you have lights when your generator is running is because you are getting direct current from the generator. You might also have a problem with the transfer switch on mine it is inside the inverter/charger.
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Old 06-13-2012, 08:31 PM   #7
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Ray, thanks. I have not resolved the issue yet. Don't think I mixed them up. but if I did, it was a while back when I posted that the lights on the control panel were blinking. (Mine look like telephone jack plugs - one is gray and the other is black) Someone said to un-plug them and re-plug them. But that was back in October and there was no issue all winter long in Florida. But, I did have to replace the house batteries on the way back in April.

If, by chance, I did reverse them, can I try to switch them now? If that was not the problem, will it create one?

Talked to an RV tech on Monday and he said to check push button breaker on inverter. It was popped out and would not go back. He obviously wants me to bring it in for service. I had to change the transfer switch once before (mine is under the bed) and I was going to start with that. Figured it's a cheap fix and if it's not the problem, I'll have a spare.

Had to start the generator this morning to get the jacks up and slides in to come home from NYC. Fortunately, we spent 12-14 hour days in Manhattan, so it was no big deal to not have a fridge. By the time we got back we crashed then got up and started again. We did have hot water (electric) and plugs for lamps. Closest to "camping" in a long time.
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Old 06-13-2012, 08:56 PM   #8
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When my transfer switch was repaired on my Xantrex inverter in Portland, Oregon I went and pick it up on my toad and my coach was at SeaSide, Oregon in an RV park. So I hired an electrician to hook it up. I did not want any mistakes and end up messing up the inverter/charger. Anyways he crossed those two wires that plug into the inverter and my panel inside the coach was giving some weird readings with the lights, so I opened the window and yelled at the electrician that the inverter was not working right on the panel. I asked him if he might have plugged those two wires back wards. So he went and switched the wires and everything started working right. So I thought I would mention it just in case somebody could have plugged them backwards.
]
Not sure what kind of inverter/charger you have, but I have the 3K watt Xantrex 458 Freedom. You might want to call who ever manufactured your inverter and ask them what the problem might be and whether they think it is caused by the inverter. They usually will try and work with you.
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Old 06-14-2012, 08:31 AM   #9
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Default Re: HELP!

03heritagerider-
I hate to jump on your thread with another issue since you haven't solved yours as yet, but I read your comments about the lights on your inverter panel going off and on. You indicated you unplugged the wires going into your inverter and that took care of the problem. Was that correct, because I've been having the same issue with the lights going on and off?
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Old 06-14-2012, 10:51 AM   #10
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They weren't actually going on and off. They were more like going in a rotation pattern. My panel has three columns of lights "Share - Charge - Invert". Each column has about 10 lights in it. There are also the three battery status lights. The lights were actually blinking in a defined circular chase pattern. Someone told me to reset the system by unplugging the phone type cords going into the inverter and re-plug them. That stopped the blinking.
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Old 06-14-2012, 11:38 AM   #11
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OK! The lights on the panel on mine will go in a circular movement only when somebody presses the buttons on the panel to Equalize the batteries. That will go on for eight hours then it will stop automaticly or you can also stop the Equalization manually. You do not want to Equalize without turning the power off to the rest of the coach. There are some boards that might get fried at such a high rate of charge.
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Old 06-14-2012, 04:26 PM   #12
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I called Xantrex today about my problem, or lack of one. I began noticing this winter while in Florida that my entire panel would go out and eventually come back on. Sometimes it would just be a minute and sometimes longer. The Xantrex tech told me it was designed to do that. When there is no load called for, batteries aren't charging, etc. the board goes to sleep, as he put it, until a function is called for.

Heritagerider- I hope you find out quickly what is going on with your system.
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Old 06-14-2012, 05:19 PM   #13
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Tarheel
, I guess mine has never gone to sleep in nine years I have had the coach. My green orange or red are always on display on the panel. Every light is on as long as the shore power is hooked up or if the inverter is on, or the generator is running and charging. Never heard about the panel going to sleep. That is a new one on me.
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Old 06-14-2012, 06:36 PM   #14
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Ray-
I've had 5 MHs with an inverter and that is the first time I've noticed it happening. I have an inverter with a bank of 4 batteries, a converter with 2 batters in additon to my 2 chassis batteries. Most of the time when I noticed the lights going off was when I got up in the morning during my being stationary for 4 months in Floria. I'm sure there were times that there was no demand for any actions of the inverter. The tech I talked with was very sure of his answer, so I'm going with that. Hope he was correct!
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Old 06-14-2012, 06:51 PM   #15
03heritagerider
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Mine are on all the time unless I turn everything off.

The circular blinking on mine went on for days, until I unplugged the "phone" lines. That was last October and until this weekend, everything functioned properly.

Got the coach in the driveway today and purposely did not plug it into the shore power. TV and microwave are off as expected. The control panel is completely out and I haven't turned on the inverter, but now everything else is working as you would expect.

These items would NOT work when connected to shore power this week, however today and not plugged into shore power:
I turned on the fridge and it immediately switched to gas and lit
All 12v lights now work
Water heater ignition clicked and it fired up

Tomorrow, I will plug it in to shore power and see what ceases to work.
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Old 06-16-2012, 12:29 PM   #16
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Default Re: HELP!

I had similar problem with previous Coach (Fleetwood Discovery). After many hours of self diagnosis over 3-4 days I gave up and went to RV local service center. What the problem ended up being is the common (white) wire for the converter/inverter 110v circuit was loose where it connected to the ground bar inside and behind the 110v circuit breakers. It might be worth a try to check the tightness of all wires connected to the ground bar. Interestingly I had checked the voltage from each 110v circuit breaker to the ground bar itself (all tested good) but not to each actual common wire!

John
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Old 06-17-2012, 06:40 PM   #17
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So what was the final outcome of your problem 03heritagerider? Don't leave us in suspense as to what the problem really was. The only time my Heart Interface Panel lights rotate in a circle is when it is equalizing the batteries. But in order to do that somebody had to have pressed two touch control buttons on that panel and the amp lights will go right away to around 16 amps of charging.
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Old 06-25-2012, 11:40 AM   #18
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Well what happened? Did you check the fuses on the converter? They are there if you hook up your batteries wrong. I accidently hit the positive pole with thje ground wire when installing new batteries and blew all three of the automotive type fuses on the converter. Didn't know it untill I saw low DC blinking on the refrigerator. Replaced the fuses and everything has been fine. On my motorhome(2006 Gulf Stream Tour Master)the xantex inverter really has nothing to do with the 12V as it doesn't have a built in converter in it. It might be nice if we knew what year and model you motor home is, we could be more specific with help.
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Old 06-26-2012, 06:04 AM   #19
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Talked to an RV tech on Monday and he said to check push button breaker on inverter. It was popped out and would not go back. He obviously wants me to bring it in for service. I had to change the transfer switch once before (mine is under the bed) and I was going to start with that. Figured it's a cheap fix and if it's not the problem, I'll have a spare





Wiring wrong somewhere
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Old 06-26-2012, 07:33 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nemo45
Well what happened? Did you check the fuses on the converter? They are there if you hook up your batteries wrong. I accidently hit the positive pole with thje ground wire when the inv installing new batteries and blew all three of the automotive type fuses on the converter. Didn't know it untill I saw low DC blinking on the refrigerator. Replaced the fuses and everything has been fine. On my motorhome(2006 Gulf Stream Tour Master)the xantex inverter really has nothing to do with the 12V as it doesn't have a built in converter in it. It might be
nice if we knew what year and model you motor home is, we could be more specific with help.

What do you mean the investor/charger has nothing to do with 12volt? It inverts DC 12volts to Ac 110 volts and if you have the xantrex 458 it has a transfer board right in the investor.
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