Replaced Batteries, Inverter Problems

[jrlandrum]

Battery dealer checked my batteries tody to replace the bad ones. Inverter is off and I can not get it back on. Please Help. Reset button will not start Inverter Up.

[Dale777]

jrlandrum,

Did the dealer actually replace one or more house batteries?

If so, you need to check the settings on the Xantrex System Control Panel (SCP). There is a setting on the SCP that enables INVERT or NO INVERT. Is the SCP set to INVERT? There is also a SLEEP mode on the SCP. Is the SCP in sleep mode?

Tell us what the settings are on the SCP, so we can suggest solutions based on more information. How did you determine that the inverter is off? Not all the electrical outlets are on the inverter circuit. Does the CHARGE function of the inverter work? Answers to these questions will help to determine what the actual problem is and the source of the problem.

[jrlandrum]

Thanks for getting back to me. I Have other problems! I have a 40 ft Alpine Limited. The battery dealer checked my batteries today and found two(2) of them to be not charging. He will replace those in the morning. For some reason I am not getting electricity to my coach. I thought the problem was the Inverter, and it may still be a problem. When I hooked my coach to shore power and turn the breaker on, I can hear the transfer switch come on. When I did not get power from shore connection, I cranked the generator, still no power. My refridge is an home Amana ref. It is not on. My surge protector above the passenger seat is not showing power coming to the coach. I am back on shore power now. Any suggestions as where to look? Thanks r

[jrlandrum]

Can we talk on phone?

[jrlandrum]

Does anyone have a suggestion as to what I need to look for?

[Beast1989]

replace inverter

[UFO Pilot]

Have you checked all of the breakers? I would turn each breaker off and then back on. You should have 2 - 50 amp breakers for the shore power. Check all of the GFI's also.

The dealer said the batteries weren't charging, did he check the converter?

If you don't have shore power, generator power or inverter power, I doubt that it is the inverter.

[Old Rv'er]

On the side of the Inverter is a cable from the Temperture Sensor on the Batteries. It looks like a regular phone line. Disconnect this connection from the inverter and see if the inverter restarts. If it does contact Xantrex to purchase a new temp sensor. They say Camping world can sell them, but they never could get the part for me so I had to call Xantrex. Mine acted just like yours when we were in Branson. Nothing would work, disconnected the sensor, and everything worked fine. Try it.

[wa8yxm]

Odds are the dealer either turned your inverter off ON THE INVERTER or simply failed to re-connect it after testing the batteries.

On my Xantrex Prosine there are several switches.. ONE is on the inverter itself.. this is the real ON/OFF/ON switch.. One position is "ON but with remote control, The other ON is just plane ON

If he turned it off there not only will it not invert. it won't pass shore or generator power either.

The other switches are the remote on/off (optional requires the On/off/Remote-on switch be in the Remote-on position for it to work)

and the Panel switches,, The "Inverter" switch on the panel just disables the inverter. it allows power pass through to work.. but it will disable the inverter itself.

He may also have messed up and played pop-a-fuse on you.

[Shadowcatche]

A VOM is your friend, check voltage and continuity starting at the batteries and working your way forward!

[EngineerMike]

Another possibility is the dealer arced to the newly connected batteries and blew the inverter fuse. Check it for continuity.
After that, you will need the VOM discussed above and a diagnostic pattern to find the missing link.

I'm not completely clear on what is going wrong, i.e. when you say "For some reason I am not getting electricity to my coach", is that 12Vdc or 120Vac? If you hear the xfer switch bump on then 120Vac is getting somewhere, and there and the VOM or an outlet tester will tell you if you are getting 120V anywhere else (check all other outlets inside & out).

Add a "signature" to your profile that has your coach year and length. The inverter model and arrangement changed over the years so knowing that gives kibutzers more info to suggest better tests starting at the battery compartment.

[jrlandrum]

Thanks for all of you that replied to my difficulty. As you might know, everything is not as it seems. I am getting shore power thru my transfer switch and to the main panel. The Surge Guard panel lights up and says I am gettng power, but not using any. My Inverter is still not on, but the bulk light is on indicating that it is charging to my batteries.

I know many of you will hate to hear this, but due to time constraints, I carried the Coach to the local RV shop late yesterday. In addition, I felt that I had reached my limits on looking for the problem. I have passed on to them all your suggestions and what we had done in researching the problem. Will keep you posted. Would still like to receive any info you might think I need to look at.

[Old Rv'er]

I know this is a stupid suggestion, but check to make sure the master coach & chassis switches are really in the on position and working properly. My suggestion would be to turn the coach off, chassis off, then wait for 15 seconds, and then turn them back on one last time to see if this helps. Sometimes these things get a wild hair up the circuits and just kiilling the power puts everything to rights.

[EngineerMike]

There are two transfer switches, one allows 120V to enter the coach's AC panel, the second allows it to pass into/thru the inverter and is contained within the inverter. Could be the inverter xfer switch is bad; that happens on occasion. This would preclude electricity to any of the stuff wired thru the inverter panel circuits.

Another easy fix to check is to flip all 120V breakers fully off, then back on. When a breaker trips it goes to a neutral position so it has to be turned off (resetting the spring that provides the energy to trip it off if triggered), before it can be turned back on. This neutral position may be only slightly out of line of the other "on" breakers and is easily missed. If that's the main inverter breaker, then nothing goes to the inverter by 120V. Sounds like that's not your situation, but it takes only a minute to do all the breakers to run this check.