Community Forums

ereadingrv · 04-28-2016, 11:56 PM

Our interior lights have been abruptly shutting off suddenly the past two days, even as the generator continues to hum along just fine and the 110v outlets work just fine.

Is this bad batteries? Our batteries are in need of replacement. Or just a bad or loose fuse?

Thanks!

P.S. We came across a shop selling a 2/16 stamped set of six brand new 6-volt Trojan batteries for $520, cash. Anyone have any thoughts? Seems like a great price.

ereadingrv · 04-29-2016, 05:17 AM

Anyone?

nodine · 04-29-2016, 05:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ereadingrv

Our interior lights have been abruptly shutting off suddenly the past two days, even as the generator continues to hum along just fine and the 110v outlets work just fine.

Is this bad batteries? Our batteries are in need of replacement. Or just a bad or loose fuse?

Thanks!

P.S. We came across a shop selling a 2/16 stamped set of six brand new 6-volt Trojan batteries for $520, cash. Anyone have any thoughts? Seems like a great price.

Have you checked to see if any other 12 volt systems in the coach also loose power when the lights go off. The lights and many of the 12 volt powered components of your coach receive their power through the infamous "Salesman Relay" that is controlled by the so called "Salesman Switch" near the entry door. That contactor is in the front run bay and looks like an old Ford starter contactor. It is very common for these contactors to be intermittent and cause just the symptoms you describe. Most everyone, my self included, have bypassed that contactor. The easiest way is to remove the two battery size cables and connect them together with a bolt. Then tape up the bolt. Do a search on "Salesman Switch" and you will find days of reading.

Bob

MSHappyCampers · 04-29-2016, 09:43 AM

Our coach has several florescent lights on the ceiling down the living room. All of them except the front one would go off sometimes. I opened up the front fixture and reworked the wire nut connections going to the other lights. Problem solved!

mel s · 04-29-2016, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nodine

Have you checked to see if any other 12 volt systems in the coach also loose power when the lights go off. The lights and many of the 12 volt powered components of your coach receive their power through the infamous "Salesman Relay" that is controlled by the so called "Salesman Switch" near the entry door. That contactor is in the front run bay and looks like an old Ford starter contactor. It is very common for these contactors to be intermittent and cause just the symptoms you describe. Most everyone, my self included, have bypassed that contactor. The easiest way is to remove the two battery size cables and connect them together with a bolt. Then tape up the bolt. Do a search on "Salesman Switch" and you will find days of reading.

Bob

nodine

ereadingrv
I agree with Bob.
Most likely your "salesman switch" has failed.
Mel
'96 Safari

ereadingrv · 04-29-2016, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nodine

Have you checked to see if any other 12 volt systems in the coach also loose power when the lights go off. The lights and many of the 12 volt powered components of your coach receive their power through the infamous "Salesman Relay" that is controlled by the so called "Salesman Switch" near the entry door. That contactor is in the front run bay and looks like an old Ford starter contactor. It is very common for these contactors to be intermittent and cause just the symptoms you describe. Most everyone, my self included, have bypassed that contactor. The easiest way is to remove the two battery size cables and connect them together with a bolt. Then tape up the bolt. Do a search on "Salesman Switch" and you will find days of reading.

Bob

Hi, Bob:

Okay, here's what is probably a REALLY dumb question...but what other systems in the coach are 12v besides the interior lights? I honestly thought that was the only thing.

Again, dumb question, I know...but I honestly didn't know 12v was anything but the interior lighting, cigarette lighter jack (yes, ours has one), etc.

ereadingrv · 04-30-2016, 03:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nodine

Have you checked to see if any other 12 volt systems in the coach also loose power when the lights go off. The lights and many of the 12 volt powered components of your coach receive their power through the infamous "Salesman Relay" that is controlled by the so called "Salesman Switch" near the entry door. That contactor is in the front run bay and looks like an old Ford starter contactor. It is very common for these contactors to be intermittent and cause just the symptoms you describe. Most everyone, my self included, have bypassed that contactor. The easiest way is to remove the two battery size cables and connect them together with a bolt. Then tape up the bolt. Do a search on "Salesman Switch" and you will find days of reading.

Bob

Bob, in addition to my question about 12v (the dumb one), I have a question about what you mean by the "front run bay". Is this where the generator is? And by the "Salesman Switch" near the entry door, is this one of the switches on the bank of switches by the front door? Or is this some kind of hidden switch?

l1v3fr33ord1 · 04-30-2016, 04:06 AM

ereadingrv-

I can answer for Bob ("nodine").

The "Front Run Bay" refers to the box of electricals located inside the bay that's under the driver's right foot. It's also known as a "Front Distribution Panel." I'll post a link to a picture as soon as I can find one.

The "salesman switch" is usually found in the bank of switches immediately inside the entrance door to the coach. It's so located to allow a "salesman" to disable a portion of the 12V services when exiting the coach.

l1v3fr33ord1 · 04-30-2016, 04:13 AM

ereadingrv-

OK, here's a post showing the solenoid-in-question in the Front Distribution Panel of a 2001 Diplomat. Your coach's panel may be different.

There are "before" and "after" (i.e., bypassed) photos there.

ereadingrv · 04-30-2016, 04:30 AM

[[ The "Front Run Bay" refers to the box of electricals located inside the bay that's under the driver's right foot. It's also known as a "Front Distribution Panel." I'll post a link to a picture as soon as I can find one. ]]

Hi...thanks for the help! Okay, I'm assuming you mean the driver's LEFT foot, correct? We found that bay...but there are NO red-wrapped wires or cleanly-marked "solenoid" bolts/hookups that we can see. I'm going to take pictures in a bit and try and see if anyone can identify the right thing so we can bypass the solenoid.

I do know from looking at the pictures supplied that Monaco CLEARLY changed a good number of things around after 1999, which is the year of our Diplomat. I have a 2000 manual in PDF form, but it's not shedding much light on the solenoid issue...although the cutoff switch missing from beside the front door in the 1999 appears to be above the house batteries in the battery compartment.

[[ The "salesman switch" is usually found in the bank of switches immediately inside the entrance door to the coach. It's so located to allow a "salesman" to disable a portion of the 12V services when exiting the coach. ]]

Sadly, as mentioned above, there is no cutoff switch inside the door of the 99 Diplomat. I'm assuming for now that it is the same one as described in the 2000 manual, which is inside the battery compartment.

ereadingrv · 04-30-2016, 04:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by l1v3fr33ord1

ereadingrv-

OK, here's a post showing the solenoid-in-question in the Front Distribution Panel of a 2001 Diplomat. Your coach's panel may be different.

There are "before" and "after" (i.e., bypassed) photos there.

I think ours is, being a 1999, so we're taking pictures to post here. We're a lot less intimidated by poking around the coach than we were 8 months ago, but this is a new one to us. Hopefully, someone can look at the pictures we're going to post and "Cliff Note" us through the process of bypassing the solenoid. For the record, although our batteries need replacement, we are reading 13v on the status panel.

l1v3fr33ord1 · 04-30-2016, 04:41 AM

ereadingrv-

Yes, my mistake- The "Front Run Box" is under the driver's left foot. Of which I have two, so it's a wonder I wrote "right foot" at all. ;-)

ereadingrv · 04-30-2016, 05:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by l1v3fr33ord1

ereadingrv-

Yes, my mistake- The "Front Run Box" is under the driver's left foot. Of which I have two, so it's a wonder I wrote "right foot" at all. ;-)

No problem, Mark, I just wanted to make sure we weren't losing our minds. We've been working at this for about two hours, and it's now 4am...so losing our minds might be a real possibility before the sun comes up!

Richard & Erin

ereadingrv · 04-30-2016, 05:04 AM

Okay, posted are (first) two pictures of the battery compartment. Yes, we know that in the second, new picture of the battery bay there is a seventh battery shoehorned in their and being used to supplement the other two chassis batteries. That is a temporary situation until next week, when we're adding 6 new batteries.

Following the battery compartment photos are two photos of the Front Distribution Panel, so that people can see how (relatively) different it is from, for example, the 2001 Diplomat. At least, it is for those of less technically-proficient!

Any help with the solenoid and/or solenoid workaround would be appreciated! I did a search of the forums, and there ARE a lot of posts on this...unfortunately, none that we could relate to with our particular setup, since it is a 1999 Diplomat.