Community Forums

Bootjack · 07-26-2017, 09:00 AM

While plugged into shore power I have noticed the lights in the coach slowly get dim. I ck the battery condition on the gauge and it will show that the house batteries all but dead. Then the lights become bright and the inside fan speeds up. I go ck the battery condition again and its being fully charged. This just keeps repeating. Every time I walk by the gauge I ck it. It either shows the batteries are being fully charged or it shows dead.

Am I right to assume that while plugged into shore that gauge should be showing the batteries up and charged? Or does it go through some type of cycle that it only kicks in when the batteries go down ? I have tried using the convertor to run the blender or the TV while the batteries are showing down and they just shut off and the low batt light comes on. if at that some time I plug the tv or the blender into a shore powered socket they will run fine.

Being new to all this and not really understanding how it all works it appears that the shore power is only feeding the batteries every so often and not all the time while plugged into shore. I havnt done a test to see if it acts the same way with the gen running. I did have the gen on for awhile yesterday (30 min ) and the batteries were being charged the whole time.

I did look into the electric room in the basement and found the box with the two transfer switches in them . One marked gen and one shore. There were two spare switches sitting in that area from the last owner. I am not sure if they are new ones for spares or old ones they replaced.

It seems to me that the shore power is kicking in and kicking out while being plugged in. I would like to find out what is causing this to happen. I don't believe this is normal operation

Any advice to trouble shoot this problem would be great.

96Bounder1st · 07-26-2017, 09:12 AM

If your battery charger is failing it may be overheating and shutting down to cool of. Perhaps a bad battery issue, as batteries going bad can cause an excessive demand on your coach's charging system.
There will be more people chime in that can give you a much better trouble shooting path than I have.
All the best, Terry .

Affinityfan · 07-26-2017, 09:16 AM

I think your transfer switch is an all or none phenomenon. I would suspect shore power pedestal and breaker. I just went through this. Had to replace the 50 amp pedestal breaker. Problem solved.

NealC · 07-26-2017, 09:23 AM

Consider a Hughes Autoformer.

Bootjack · 07-26-2017, 09:32 AM

where is that breaker?

luqutus · 07-26-2017, 09:48 AM

You probably have an inverter charger not a converter to charger the batteries. I had the same problem in my coach and turned out it was the fan in the inverter. It is suppose to turn on when the inverter gets to warm, if it does not then the inverter charger shuts down until it cools down on its own then fires back up and the cycle continues.

Bootjack · 07-26-2017, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luqutus

You probably have an inverter charger not a converter to charger the batteries. I had the same problem in my coach and turned out it was the fan in the inverter. It is suppose to turn on when the inverter gets to warm, if it does not then the inverter charger shuts down until it cools down on its own then fires back up and the cycle continues.

I have an inverter and a converter

96Bounder1st · 07-26-2017, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bootjack

Am I right to assume that while plugged into shore that gauge should be showing the batteries up and charged? Or does it go through some type of cycle that it only kicks in when the batteries go down ? I have tried using the convertor to run the blender or the TV while the batteries are showing down and they just shut off and the low batt light comes on. if at that some time I plug the tv or the blender into a shore powered socket they will run fine.

As per your info that when the batteries are not charging you can plug an 110 appliance in and they work I would look at the charging side of the system. The converter per your previous post would be a good place to start. Is it warm to hot when it kicks out or will in operation? Place hand over not on it burns hurt more then pride. Temp probe gun also great way to check temperature of things.
Terry

Roy1 · 07-26-2017, 09:53 AM

The way I would approach this problem when the battery showed it was loosing its charge check the shore power it should be around 120 on each leg. Then check and see if the converter has 120 a/c to the input if all is good to this point and the out put of the converter is lower then 12.5 volts I would suspect a bad converter or a problem with the battery bank. However if there is a shorted cell in a battery it would be bad all the time not on and off. If you are not getting 120 a/c to the converter when this is happening I would suspect a problem with the transfer relays or isolator . Did you check all the shore cord connectors and adaptors for good clean contacts? Maybe try another shore cord if you have one.

Affinityfan · 07-26-2017, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bootjack

where is that breaker?

It is the breaker (if u have one) at the receptacle your shore power is plugged into.

birdhunter · 07-26-2017, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luqutus

You probably have an inverter charger not a converter to charger the batteries. I had the same problem in my coach and turned out it was the fan in the inverter. It is suppose to turn on when the inverter gets to warm, if it does not then the inverter charger shuts down until it cools down on its own then fires back up and the cycle continues.

You are so right. My Freedom 458 3k was into Xantrex twice at their expense. They never found the problem. Eventually I discovered that the fan was going, replaced it myself, problem solved.