Head lights not working

[CFXCH]

I have all lights working (marker, tail, brake, signal) but no DRL or any headlights. Contacted Monaco and service tech tells me it is a smart wheel controller issue. Anyone else ever have this problem?

__________________
Wintering in the Fortuna Foothills of Yuma Arizona
2007 HR Scepter 42' PDQ
2006 Jeep Liberty Renegade toad with M&G brake system

[Robi.1014]

CFXCH,
I don't have a smart wheel, so I waited several days to see if anyone else might respond to you. They haven't, so I'll give you what I've got....

Many many of our 12VDC high-current devices on our rigs are switched on/off via relays (black, 1" cubed buggers....that plug in). If you have any documentation on your RV, you might be able to find the fuse and the relay that both must be working in order for your headlights to come on. If these two devices check out OK, then oops, you're into "logic circuits" and the smart-wheel itself as to where the problem might be.

[CFXCH]

Thanks Robi

Checked running and headlight relays and fuses....all OK. She goes in to get checked out at the RV Centre in Yuma on Dec 5. I'll post the fix after that date.

Best Regards
__________________
Wintering in the Fortuna Foothills of Yuma Arizona
2007 HR Scepter 42' PDQ
2006 Jeep Liberty Renegade toad with M&G brake system

[CFXCH]

Took the MH in to RV World in Yuma to checkout my headlight problem. They checked fuses, relays and circuitry……all OK. I have juice at the headlight switch. Took them 2 hrs to find where the smartwheel controller was. If you sat in the driver’s seat it is where your left knee hits the wall…. Under the panel ahead of the transmission shifter tabs.

I was in at 9:00 a.m. for the appointment and they didn’t get too it until 4:00 p.m. I was not a happy camper. By the time they found the controller they didn’t have time to diagnose the controller as per manufacturer’s trouble shoot procedures and I needed to get home before dark with the rig. Everything else checks out so I suspect it is the controller.

I called Northwest RV supplies in Oregon and they have SM211 controller for $139.00. Monaco wants $311.00 for one. I think I’ll order one and install it myself. If that doesn’t solve the problem, I’ll at least have an extra controller.

I'll post the results.

__________________
Wintering in the Fortuna Foothills of Yuma Arizona
2007 HR Scepter 42' PDQ
2006 Jeep Liberty Renegade toad with M&G brake system

[RCLImperial]

A couple of years ago, while driving at night, I switched from low to high beam and my lights went dead. I was able to drive with the fog lights until I found a supermarket to spend the night. I stopped at the place I had bought the motorhome in Indiana and they rigged a work-around that gave me low beams only. When I got to the Monaco plant in Coburg, Oregon, they didn't have time to work on it, so I drove the rest of the way home to the SF Bay area. After finding the smart wheel controller, I started checking and found that all that was wrong was that one of the connectors wasn't properly seated. It would appear that it had vibrated loose.

There is a troubleshooting guide at www.vipwheel.com that may help you to find out what the problem is.

Dick Lucas, '04 HR Imperial

[CFXCH]

Thanks for the input Dick. I wished my fix is as simple as was yours. I couldn't find a trouble shoot guide at www.vipwheel.com. Is this the correct site?

Gerrit

__________________
Wintering in the Fortuna Foothills of Yuma Arizona
2007 HR Scepter 42' PDQ
2006 Jeep Liberty Renegade toad with M&G brake system

[Happycarz]

VIP Troubleshooting Guide for the Smart Wheel

VIP website

[Dutch Star Don]

CFXCH.......Just for the heck of it, turn on your wipers while the coach is running and see if your headlights come on. They're tied together and your headlights are suppose to come on when the wipers are used. If its a SmartWheel issue, this may make the lights go on and confirm an issue with the SmartWheel controller. You may also want to check the connection at the base of the steering wheel where the SmartWheel wiring exits.

[SteveSkinner]

What a headache
I got back from having the coach serviced and was told that they replaced the smartwheel controller because apparently I had no head lights turn lights or brake lights - news to me
300 miles further down the road
Same problem
I'd thrown out the old "broken" parts
Spent 3 hrs at a camping world in Atlanta "fixing" the problem. It was too far to go back to Titusville as I was heading for Dallas.
Lesson - never throw away parts till you are absolutely sure it was the problem
By the way the lights don't come on threw the smartwheel anymore. But all lights work

[RCLImperial]

Originally Posted by CFXCH

Thanks for the input Dick. I wished my fix is as simple as was yours. I couldn't find a trouble shoot guide at www.vipwheel.com. Is this the correct site?

Gerrit

__________________
Wintering in the Fortuna Foothills of Yuma Arizona
2007 HR Scepter 42' PDQ
2006 Jeep Liberty Renegade toad with M&G brake system

My mistake.... The correct site is www.vipwheels.com

Dick Lucas, 04 HR imperial

[CFXCH]

Thanks for all the input people. Dick I already had the trouble shoot pdf from VIP and haven't gone through the procedure yet. Thanks anyway. Don what you suggested was one of the first things I tried. Head lights don't come on either when activating wipers which they always did before. I'll do a few more plug and ground checks and if that doesn''t fix the problem I'll get another controller. If that doesn't fix it I'll do like Steve and bypass the smart wheel for lights. Thanks everyone. I'll keep you posted. Gerrit (CFXCH)

__________________
Wintering in the Fortuna Foothills of Yuma Arizona
2007 HR Scepter 42' PDQ
2006 Jeep Liberty Renegade toad with M&G brake system

[CFXCH]

YAHOOO
As promised I said I'd let you all know when I got my light issue resolved.
Monaco suggested I change the smart wheel controller. Which I did. Made no difference. Change all light related relays. Still no lights. Re-checked all fuses, all tested OK (one in fuse panel and one in Monaco A box).
Decided to follow wiring from Headlight relay to headlight pigtail. I have 12v after the relay but it terminates some place between here and the lights. Tore the harnesses apart and followed the headlight low beam wire out the relay, out the electrical panel box (in bay below driver) to the generator compartment. It then makes a U-turn back into the electric panel in the bay and goes to a little black plug bolted to the bottom of the panel box. Took the plug apart and Voila a 15 amp fuse inside and it was blown. Changed the fuse and we have lights.
No-where in the electrical schematics does this little sucker appear. Probably a factory quick fix for something and not added to the coach electrical schematics.

Heading to Quartzsite for the RV show.

__________________
Wintering in the Fortuna Foothills of Yuma Arizona
2007 HR Scepter 42' PDQ
2006 Jeep Liberty Renegade toad with M&G brake system

[Dutch Star Don]

CFXCH......GOOD find! One of those things I'll keep in the memory bank. Its a small hard drive so I'll have to delete something else.

[Steve N Sal]

Glad you found your problem. Could you imagine what that would have cost to have fixed? Don't know how long it took you to trace it out but I would assume at a dealer it would have been awhile.