AC and some coach lights won't work

[Boiler Maker]

I have a 2001 Executive. Coming from Houston yesterday the AC cut off and only part of the lights work (the one over the dining table and one over the driver). All the lights in the bays work. It is nearly the same as if the 12v kill switch is off. I did all the obvious. Jumpered around the kill switch, checked the breakers and fuses. Anyone have any ideas........

[Diplomat Don]

Did you check the circuit breakers on the inverter. They will shut down what you loss.

[Robi.1014]

Boiler.... more info please. Is your problem with dash air? You describe losing some 12VDC lighting, and indeed, dash air needs 12v to work.

[Boiler Maker]

Don, I have checked and reset (several times) the circuit breaker for the Inverter. This is the one that is with the other ac breakers in the bedroom. The Inverter appears to be working. I've also checked every 12v fuse I can find with a meter.

Robi, the 3 roof airs aren't working. Although they run on 110 ac you still need 12v for the thermostats.

Thanks

[38 Special]

I have a 2002 Diplomat, look in the battery compartment on the wall for a circuit breaker marked "Hi-Amp Buss", wheh it trips, it throws a "flag" out the side, to re-set, push the flag back in. That acts real close to the 12 volt off switch at the door.

[Robi.1014]

I think 38 Special has a good suggestion.

WRT: "I did all the obvious. Jumpered around the kill switch, ..."
Did you jumper around the dash kill switch?...or around the kill solenoid (typically in the front-left equipment bay)? It is this solenoid (a "latching relay" technology) that can fail and kill most DC throughout the coach.

But I can't explain why you have a couple of working DC lights in the coach and throughout your basement bays (also DC lighting). I'm being redundant here, but I have to ask: Is there no power to your one (or multiple) thermostat(s)?

[allegro5]

I have a 96 Dynasty, and on our way to Vt. from Fl. we stayed in a RV campground. Our lights were acting funny so I moved a few spaces over where the hookup was better! Notices the roof airs didnt work with the Gen.. I looked at the switch in the big bay and found a badly burned white wire & the jumper under it. Cut back a foot to solid wire and replaced the short jumper. All is well now! allegro5

[Twomed]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boiler Maker Don, I have checked and reset (several times) the circuit breaker for the Inverter. This is the one that is with the other ac breakers in the bedroom. The Inverter appears to be working. I've also checked every 12v fuse I can find with a meter. Robi, the 3 roof airs aren't working. Although they run on 110 ac you still need 12v for the thermostats. Thanks

Check the breakers on the inverter itself. These are small button pop out breakers. If you have the Magnum mounted like mine they are kind of hard to see...look good up on the side.

[Robi.1014]

Just for reference:
The AC output of the Inverter (probably 2 breakers) is for (1) the microwave, and (2) several AC outlet/receptacles throughout the coach (including the TVs). Inverter AC outputs don't feed to the roof AC units.

[Twomed]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robi.1014 Just for reference: The AC output of the Inverter (probably 2 breakers) is for (1) the microwave, and (2) several AC outlet/receptacles throughout the coach (including the TVs). Inverter AC outputs don't feed to the roof AC units.

Exactly...he said "AC" not air conditioners.

Sheesh this is starting to look like rvnet answers!

Excuuuuuuuuuuuuse me.

[Robi.1014]

Boiler Maker:
Clearly we're having fun with this one!! Put us our of our misery if you've resolved the problem and tell us what you found.

Twomed:
Boiler Maker's response included: "Robi, the 3 roof airs aren't working...."

So at this point it's understood that "AC" (HVAC, if you will) is not working because BM doesn't have 12VDC to the controlling thermostats (and certain lighting w/i the coach is not working). BM stated that the Inverter appears to be working ... so it "appears" that he has AC power throughout the coach. Need confirmation on my latter comment.

So back to you BM: How are we doing?

[Boiler Maker]

This is what I found. There was a bad connection on one of the 6v house batteries. I cleaned that up and it started working....for a while. Then it quit when I wired the 12v kill switch by the door back in the circuit. I could touch the two wires together at the switch and sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. I crimped the wires together and it started working and has continued to do so. Looks as though I'm due new connectors and a new switch also will redo my battery cables. Found something interesting in this process. I could find no fuses or circuit breaker on the 12v going to the coach. I found plenty of fuses and breakers but not one to the 12v to the coach.

[Robi.1014]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robi.1014 I think 38 Special has a good suggestion. WRT: "I did all the obvious. Jumpered around the kill switch, ..." Did you jumper around the dash kill switch?...or around the kill solenoid (typically in the front-left equipment bay)? It is this solenoid (a "latching relay" technology) that can fail and kill most DC throughout the coach.

BM,
Your DC power to the coach seems intermittent, and your experimentation at the door kill-switch may not provide resolution. It is important to know that the all DC "house" power runs through the solenoid that I describe above. Your kill switch at the door controls this solenoid.

Confirming that this solenoid is OK and is responding to the dash kill-switch in a 100% successful pattern is appropriate. How?

When the solenoid is "closed" it passes DC power to the coach lighting, thermostats, pumps, radio, etc. Using a multi-meter on the 20 VDC scale, measuring the voltage-drop across this solenoid's main terminals should reveal a drop of no more than .3 volts (or so). When the solenoid is "open" (i.e., the dash kill-switch sent the "kill" signal to the solenoid), then the voltage drop across the solenoid's main terminals should look like battery voltage (on the order of 12.6 volts, give-or-take). Via this process, you can isolate that the kill-switch and kill-solenoid are working 100% or not.

Finally (as part of testing how "healthy" the solenoid is), you need to stress this puppy. Turn on all house lights, all pumps, a heater or two, basement lights .... all things DC. This will cause upwards of 25 amps to flow through the solenoid. If lights flicker or DC completely fails after a few minutes, this indicates that the kill-solenoid's contacts can't handle the load that it was designed to handle. This test will also stress battery connections including the bad one you just found. If this doesn't work 100% when at home, you can be money that it will fail on the road at the worst opportunity!!!

[nanor]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robi.1014 Just for reference: The AC output of the Inverter (probably 2 breakers) is for (1) the microwave, and (2) several AC outlet/receptacles throughout the coach (including the TVs). Inverter AC outputs don't feed to the roof AC units.

Help. If the inverter is completely off, should all the 120 receptacles and tvs still work as long as the generator is running or I'm plugged into shore power?
Nan