Community Forums

R.Korn · 01-08-2018, 09:36 AM

We have been out on our first long trip and stoped In Boise ID for the night, we have had some intermittent electrical spirits come and go and some operator learning that was needed. The most persistent problems were the cover for the interior steps would stop working if I turned the engine off before we retracted it. I would need to cycle the main battery switch and it would come back to life. There was a note from the last owner about this.

Now I have lost all my dash guages and the information center. No tach, speedo fuel etc. the engine runs and it drives ok, trans and cruise control work, headlights, turn an brake lights all work
I have looked for bad fuses but haven’t found any yet, anyone seen this before ?
We downloaded an app for the cell phone to get road speed but driving without instruments is no fun.
Thanks in advance
Rick
2007 36ft 3 slide

BFlinn181 · 01-08-2018, 11:38 AM

Most obvious first step I think would be to check ground connection. If you use a jumper wire from a known good ground and touch it to an under the dash ground and things come alive, you'll know what to do. If no change, then you'll have to go further into checking connections between ECU and the dashboard.

Terry W · 01-08-2018, 01:19 PM

Rick,

Sorry to hear about your issues, hang in there, we've all had something not quite right. Once things are worked out I'm sure you'll like your Alpine as much as the rest of us like ours. Hopefully you've spent enough time in it to appreciate the ride and handling.

I haven't had any dash issues, but, I'll suggest the usual Alpine fix all, reset the Vansco. Turn off the disconnect switch in the battery compartment, this will turn off the Vanscos, wait a minute and switch it back on, this will reboot the Vanscos. Hopefully it will take care of your issue, if not somebody smarter than me will chime in fairly soon. Good luck!

I'm also wondering if there might be a problem in the ignition switch?

Terry

R.Korn · 01-08-2018, 03:36 PM

The reset doesn’t help, when we stop tonight I will pull the instrument cluster and look at the grounds.
Thanks
Rick

Wayne R · 01-08-2018, 06:32 PM

I had a similar problem. I removed the dash and unplugged and plugged back in all of the connectors. Problem solved, never identified the culprit but it has been 2 years and all is good.

EngineerMike · 01-14-2018, 01:21 PM

the connector inputs on back of gauges set have no keepers, so if the connection wasn't solid (or if you've been 4-wheeling in the coach) you may have rattled the main connection on the speedo loose (speedo is the brain of the whole gauge/light cluster). Easy fix per Wayne's adivce

R.Korn · 01-17-2018, 08:10 PM

Update.
I pulled the instrument cluster and looked around, there was no common ground to be found. But someone had been there before me, I found puncture holes in the wires that go to the speedo. all connections were good, firm and intact, so I put it all back in. It still did not function but the coach ran. I did notice that on the VMM in the front of the coach not many of the output lights were coming on. my next step was to video the module when it was running and then swap it with the rear one. we downloaded a phone app that gave me road speed and mileage, and when the head lights were on the buttons on the steering wheel would work and I had cruise control so we drove home from Boise to Bothell. I wanted to flush the holding tanks but we missed the dump station with a hose hookup so we came home and it sat for a week at home and ripened...
I drove down to lake pleasant rv park to do the dump n flushed and was going to work on it when I got back home. When I started the engine back up everything was working!
Oh how I hate intermittent technology issues.

I am thinking about video the modules and checking some outputs while it is working, then at least the next time it kacks I will know what signals are missing.

DrDaveMA · 01-18-2018, 04:56 PM

I would look for a loose connector.

Parkereng · 01-18-2018, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by R.Korn

Update.
I pulled the instrument cluster and looked around, there was no common ground to be found. But someone had been there before me, I found puncture holes in the wires that go to the speedo. all connections were good, firm and intact, so I put it all back in. It still did not function but the coach ran. I did notice that on the VMM in the front of the coach not many of the output lights were coming on. my next step was to video the module when it was running and then swap it with the rear one. we downloaded a phone app that gave me road speed and mileage, and when the head lights were on the buttons on the steering wheel would work and I had cruise control so we drove home from Boise to Bothell. I wanted to flush the holding tanks but we missed the dump station with a hose hookup so we came home and it sat for a week at home and ripened...
I drove down to lake pleasant rv park to do the dump n flushed and was going to work on it when I got back home. When I started the engine back up everything was working!
Oh how I hate intermittent technology issues.

I am thinking about video the modules and checking some outputs while it is working, then at least the next time it kacks I will know what signals are missing.

So you found the answer, keep your black tanks full! JK

R.Korn · 02-12-2018, 07:26 PM

more update
we went out to the coast for the weekend and on the way out all was fine, when we went to leave everything was off again, after driving for a while we stopped and when I restarted the engine everything was working again, we are thinking that we have a temperature sensitive vansco unit. I was thinking about getting a small electric heater and next time it acts up, warm up the compartment and see what it does. this would be a good week to mess with it, we are cold and dry.
I took some videos of it when everything was up and down, can we post video to this site ?

Am I correct in thinking that the Vansco in the battery compartment is the one for the engine and controls ?

BFlinn181 · 02-12-2018, 07:52 PM

To post a video, upload it to YouTube then you can link or embed it in your post.

RVPioneer · 02-13-2018, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by R korn

more update
we went out to the coast for the weekend and on the way out all was fine, when we went to leave everything was off again, after driving for a while we stopped and when I restarted the engine everything was working again, we are thinking that we have a temperature sensitive vansco unit. I was thinking about getting a small electric heater and next time it acts up, warm up the compartment and see what it does. this would be a good week to mess with it, we are cold and dry.
I took some videos of it when everything was up and down, can we post video to this site ?

Am I correct in thinking that the Vansco in the battery compartment is the one for the engine and controls ?

The VMM manual states the operating temperature in Celsius of -40/+85, in Fahrenheit that is -40/+185. Stranger things have happened, however it is probably not a temperature issue. Do you have a copy of the Vansco manual? It will assist you in determining what circuit each LED controls.

Given that the problem is intermittent in nature, I would agree with EM, which is always a safe bet, that it has to do with the connections in the dash. Taping the connectors or adding some other sort of strain relief may help. I would go a step further and suggest the punctures in the wires may be a factor as well. The most likely culprit for such shenanigans could be a mouse.

BFlinn181 · 02-13-2018, 09:03 AM

A mouse doesn't just puncture the insulation in a wire, it chews it off. More likely the punctures show evidence of a previous owner's attempt to figure out why the gauges were intermittent. Sadly, you're dealing with one of the toughest gremlins to find and correct, an intermittent connection. They always work when hunting for them, it's when you're driving they fail. I don't think temperature has anything to do with it, re-crimping the connections, often only made by a small spike piercing the wires in the assembly of them.

I had a similar issue in a vehicle that caused issues for 2 years. I finally had it fail and stay failed even after a tow to a shop. Tracked down a loose connection in the fuse panel, evidenced first by no power then, under careful inspection, a melted bit of insulation at the connection.

RVPioneer · 02-13-2018, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BFlinn181

A mouse doesn't just puncture the insulation in a wire, it chews it off. More likely the punctures show evidence of a previous owner's attempt to figure out why the gauges were intermittent. Sadly, you're dealing with one of the toughest gremlins to find and correct, an intermittent connection. They always work when hunting for them, it's when you're driving they fail. I don't think temperature has anything to do with it, re-crimping the connections, often only made by a small spike piercing the wires in the assembly of them.

I had a similar issue in a vehicle that caused issues for 2 years. I finally had it fail and stay failed even after a tow to a shop. Tracked down a loose connection in the fuse panel, evidenced first by no power then, under careful inspection, a melted bit of insulation at the connection.

One never knows what a mouse will do. Even trained ones can be unpredictable at times.

My money is still on an intermittent connection at the speedo, with a remote possibility that the conductivity of the wires have been compromised by an unknown puncturing device.