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Old 05-07-2017, 01:59 PM   #1
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Unusual electrical problem!

Yesterday as we were loading the Windsor for a trip this morning, suddenly all the lights went out! I figured we had just blown a fuse in the DC fuse box, but all were good. I then used a voltmeter to check the main DC input to the fuse panel and it was dead! I went outside to the electrical bay right behind the battery compartment on the passenger side. I found the main cable going to the front and traced it back to the "Battery Cutoff Relay". This is not the "Battery Isolator Relay but is right below it on the panel. I had 12 VDC on the battery side of the relay but nothing coming out. One side of the relay coil was connected directly to the DC + and the other side has a purple wire going outside the box.

I have a 24" x 36" wiring diagram. I located the relay on it and traced the control wire to a switch labeled "Battery Disconnect Switch", which takes the circuit to ground when activated. It does not tell where this switch is located. I don't know if it's part of the big battery disconnect switch in that electrical bay or if it's a separate switch somewhere else. Anyway, it's not working! I used a short jumper wire to ground that side of the relay and it activated, turning the lights back on!

Does anyone have any idea where this switch might be?
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Old 05-07-2017, 02:15 PM   #2
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Sounds like the 'salesman switch' (actually a relay ).
On our (different model) I moved the cable from the output side to the input side. Bypassing the relay entirely. I bumped that switch to many times.
If you don't mind losing the 'switch'.....
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Old 05-07-2017, 02:35 PM   #3
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John, you nailed it! That switch had gotten turned off! I can't believe I did not think of that right off!

Thank you!
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Old 05-07-2017, 02:42 PM   #4
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Mine just did the same on my 2008 Monaco Knight. The Soleniod for the salesman switch that is located in the front drivers side compartment inside the fuse compartment went bad. Bypassed the soleniod until new one comes in this week.
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Old 05-07-2017, 03:17 PM   #5
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The weird thing is that there was nobody around the switch when it went off! Annette was putting things away when it happened! I guess it must have gotten turned part-way off as we were loading, and just finished the job on it's own!
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Old 05-07-2017, 03:21 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MSHappyCampers View Post
The weird thing is that there was nobody around the switch when it went off! Annette was putting things away when it happened! I guess it must have gotten turned part-way off as we were loading, and just finished the job on it's own!
Might just be sign that the coil in it is getting weak and it just dropped out, and it picked back up when power was applied to it again......Is it overly hot to touch Joe?
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Old 05-07-2017, 03:26 PM   #7
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I've had my coach since new and in the first year I by-passed the salesman's relay. In over 10 years, I've never missed that thing. Just last year I put a new LED patio rope line up near the awning and I put a new rocker switch labeled 'awning light' in the salesman's switch slot next to the front door.
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Old 05-09-2017, 06:42 AM   #8
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I don't even know where our switch is but I found the solenoid. Still had 12V power to the control side but it was still an open circuit. Couple of taps with a screwdriver and it started working. I just made a large jumper wire and bypassed it incase it ever did it again. Glad you got it figured out.
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Old 05-11-2017, 06:47 AM   #9
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NAPA cable MPB 781144 is a 12" cable perfect for jumping across the salesman's switch solenoid, which (in my case) is in the front electrical bay.
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Old 05-11-2017, 03:22 PM   #10
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After this happened to me a couple of times and I scratched my head for a few minutes each time and then remembered that darn switch. Since it controls the air conditoner and we have fur babies I decided it was best to just bypass the solenoid because they often fail by themselves. It was a very easy process and I do not have to worry about the dogs hitting it or any other issue.
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Old 05-12-2017, 02:18 AM   #11
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Glad you got it fixed.
Have a safe trip!
Iver.
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Old 05-12-2017, 07:25 AM   #12
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I bump it to many times, bypassed no issues.
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Old 05-12-2017, 12:28 PM   #13
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Many years ago I bumped mine way TOO many times so I installed a guard over the switch (see first photo). Then one night at 3 in the morning it finally happened, no DC which meant no toilet. The very next day I removed the cable from one side of the relay and stuck it on the other side and taped up the purple wire (see second photo).

I have had zero problems with the 12 VDC system ever since and never have to rack my one brain cell to think about what the hell is wrong.

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Old 05-21-2017, 10:45 AM   #14
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unusual electrical problem

I had noticed that 12v lamps may flicker when other items were switched on and off, the relay replacement solved the issue, just getting weak.
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