Community Forums

nodine · 12-26-2007, 03:49 PM

My cargo heater does not come on anymore and the red light on the switch does not illuminate. I suspect a blown fuse or tripped breaker but have not been able to locate them. I called Monaco 24/7 number and the tech said they were located in the battery compartment inside the covered box. All that appears to be there are the 4 slideout controls.

Does anyone know where these are located on a 2006 Diplomat 40PDQ?

Thanks,

Bob

bsavage · 12-26-2007, 04:59 PM

Call them back and keep them on the phone until you locate what you are looking for. They will eventually get you there.

Good luck!

Brenda, of...

MonacoMama · 12-26-2007, 06:20 PM

Nodine...
Sacs says that it is located up in the "electrical compartment"..or what we might call the "front roadside compartment" (in front of the driver side tire area).When you open the compartment door-you will see a panel that has 3 wingnuts that you need to remove and pull that cover off. Inside that panel..look for section C412...and fuse # 2-70. (In the book it is labeled "system heat/snap disc" ...not sure how it is labeled on the panel). Sacs says it should be a 5 amp fuse. The info is according to the manual for 2006 Diplomats (pg 256)
Let me know if you don't have the book...and I might be able to scan the pg in for you!

Good Luck!

MM

nodine · 12-27-2007, 02:24 AM

Bingo MM, tell Sacs thanks. I looked in the manual but missed that. I'll have to go out when we get to our next campground and check things out. We are on the road for a few weeks

Bob

MonacoMama · 12-27-2007, 05:57 AM

Sacs has been properly thanked!

MM

Eureka · 01-07-2008, 05:05 PM

I am having the same problem, except the CB is good. Do you know of a way to test it to see if it is functioning, with out waiting for it to get below 40?.

nodine · 01-08-2008, 02:03 AM

Eureaka,

This is an on going project for me as I have not yet got the darn thing fixed. You did not say what coach you have so things may be located in different places on yours.

In the left front outside maintenance compartment below the driver is a 5 amp fuse for the thermostat circuit. Mine checks good. In the black covered box above the batteries in the battery compartment there is a row of circuit breakers on the left side. On my unit the second breaker from the top is the one for the cargo heater (according to Monaco). It has 12 volts on both sides so does not appear to be the problem.

If I take off the rectangular black cover on the upper right side of the compartment where the cargo heater is located I can see the button thermostat way back mounted against the cable raceway. I confirmed with Monaco that this is in fact the thermostat. I think this is dumb location because it is high up in the bay and the cold air will be at the bottom. The Monaco tech said to lay an ice cube on the thermostat to test the heater. I have not done this yet but will when I get back home. Currently on the road. I also had Monaco to mail me the schematics for the cargo heat system to my house so hope they will be there when I get home. I still have not found the control relay for the heater and think there has to be one somewhere. I would think a small thermostat like that would have a problem controlling a 25 amp 12 volt heater.

I'll try to keep you posted on my progress and maybe between the two of us we can get both of these fixed. In the mean time I have a small 110 VAC ceramic heater that I will place in the water bay when parked at home.

Bob

MonacoMama · 01-08-2008, 05:16 AM

Eureka...I think you tryed to sneak in here undetected!

I am still going to give you a proper "MonacoMama welcome"!!

I would like to truly welcome you to iRV2

...but hopefully to also coerce you into joining the "Monaco Owners Forum"!

That shouldn't take too much...I hope...because as you can see... you will find everyone here especially friendly,

pretty darned knowledgable and always willing to help another RVer here on the board!

I feel iRV2 (and even more so here on the Monaco forum) happens to be the best place on the web if you are searching for almost any information that is RV related! (The extra silliness is found usually somewhere near my name...at no extra charge!

)

Again...welcome to iRV2! I hope you visit & post often!

MM

Eureka · 01-08-2008, 06:22 AM

Thank you for the Welcome. I spent most of last night reading about the modifications. Have not done much myself, but, am fascinated with Ever ones work. Thank you for the information, "nodine" I will work on the problem and keep everyone informed of our progress. Thinking serious of just taking it to Monaco and leaving it for awhile. The only problem with that is I am a full-timer. By the way, I have a small heater I plugin too.

Letsgoagain · 01-08-2008, 02:27 PM

nodine,
Although it may not be the same problem you have with your cargo bay heater the problem I had may help you.
Our cargo bay heater quit and I went through the fuse search just as you. After determining the fuses and external connecting wiring were okay I took the heater itself out and took it apart. I found a broken wire inside that goes to the heating element. This wire looks like a normal plastic wrapped bundle of loose wires tighly bound until where its attached to the heating element terminal and at that point it is just a single stiff rod that was connected to the terminal with a crush type connector. Thats where it broke at. At first I soldered it but that didn't hold. The vibration from going down the road apparently shakes things up back there. Eventually I was able to squeeze open the connector and place the single strand back down in to make good contact. Its worked since and I'm crossing my fingers because these little 12volt heaters are expensive. To the tune of $260.00 if I remember correctly.
Good luck with it and let us know if you have any questions. Thats the greatest thing about this site. Rver's helping each other.
Letsgoagain

nodine · 01-08-2008, 04:09 PM

Thanks for the information. As soon as I get a chance I will take mine apart to make sure the internal connections are good.

Bob

Quote:

Originally posted by Letsgoagain:
nodine,
Although it may not be the same problem you have with your cargo bay heater the problem I had may help you.
Our cargo bay heater quit and I went through the fuse search just as you. After determining the fuses and external connecting wiring were okay I took the heater itself out and took it apart. I found a broken wire inside that goes to the heating element. This wire looks like a normal plastic wrapped bundle of loose wires tighly bound until where its attached to the heating element terminal and at that point it is just a single stiff rod that was connected to the terminal with a crush type connector. Thats where it broke at. At first I soldered it but that didn't hold. The vibration from going down the road apparently shakes things up back there. Eventually I was able to squeeze open the connector and place the single strand back down in to make good contact. Its worked since and I'm crossing my fingers because these little 12volt heaters are expensive. To the tune of $260.00 if I remember correctly.
Good luck with it and let us know if you have any questions. Thats the greatest thing about this site. Rver's helping each other.
Letsgoagain

Happycarz · 01-08-2008, 06:01 PM

Eureka,
If you can find the snap disc in the service bay (a dime size disc with two wires attached,) hold a ice cube to it and it will click and the heater should come on if you have turn on the inside switch. It takes only a few seconds to snap off when you remove the ice cube, Or if it is chilly outside, use a warm finger. After all these posts about bay heaters, I wanted to make sure mine ws working, so that is what I did. Mine works.

Eureka · 01-09-2008, 04:24 PM

Thank you Happycarz, will give it a try. Will hope for the best.

nodine · 01-13-2008, 02:31 PM

We got home this afternoon to the stick house and the schematic for the cargo heat system was in the mail as Monaco promised. Now that I see the schematic it is clear how things work and I need to get out there and do the ice cube test. I say this because I may only have a burned out bulb in the switch that enables the cargo heat. The 5A fuse supplies 12 volts to the snap disk when the switch is turned on to enable the system. The lamp internal to the switch is connected to the output side of the switch and should illuminated when the switch is on. I will also go back and double check the 5A fuse. The relay that handles the 30A circuit for the heater must be internal to the heater and is energized by the snap disk circuit closing.

By the way, the schematic states that the snap disk closes at 40 degrees +/- 6 and opens at 55 degrees +/- 6.

The other red indicator light on the control panel will come on when the snap disk closes. This indicator could be on and the heater still not functioning because it only requires that the snap disk be closed. If the relay inside the heater is bad or there is a broken wire the heater may still not be on. The ice cube and a hand on the front of the heater is the best test.

Bob