Electrical Problem with Coachmen Mirada

[Red Wolf 2]

Odd problem. I have a Coachmen with about 11,000 miles on it. When I plug my phone or gps charger into the lighter outlet, the devices actually DISCHARGE. The voltage tests out as normal. I can't use either device with them plugged in...

Thanks.

Red Wolf

[DriVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Wolf 2 Odd problem. I have a Coachmen with about 11,000 miles on it. When I plug my phone or gps charger into the lighter outlet, the devices actually DISCHARGE. The voltage tests out as normal. I can't use either device with them plugged in...

Red Wolf, Where did you connect the aligator jaw on the test lamp? On the dash or the frame of the lighter socket ????

I'm thinking that the frame on the lighter socket is not making a good connection the ground. You can poke the center pin of the socket between there and any point of ground and you should get a bright light. Try the same thing bewteen the pin and the frame of the socket.

I bet the ground wire fell off or the socket frame is loose. Good luck.

[Red Wolf 2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DriVer Red Wolf, Where did you connect the aligator jaw on the test lamp? On the dash or the frame of the lighter socket ???? I'm thinking that the frame on the lighter socket is not making a good connection the ground. You can poke the center pin of the socket between there and any point of ground and you should get a bright light. Try the same thing bewteen the pin and the frame of the socket. I bet the ground wire fell off or the socket frame is loose. Good luck.

I used a digital VOM. I'm gonna test again, both running and not today and see what gives. I put the red(+) lead to the inner, center contact, and the black to the housing to test it.

[Red Wolf 2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Wolf 2 I used a digital VOM. I'm gonna test again, both running and not today and see what gives. I put the red(+) lead to the inner, center contact, and the black to the housing to test it.

The charging voltage is 14.6v. I don't know if that's too high for the phone or gps. Any ideas?

[Red Wolf 2]

Back to the problem again... I heard a clicking/pulsating sound when the charger is plugged in and engine running. I isolated it to one of the relays on the f/w fuse block. I swapped two of them and the clicking continued. Now what should I check? Thanks!

[Jagtech]

Sounds like something within the lighter outlet is shorting out when you plug into it. Perhaps a bent prong inside the outlet? The clicking is could be an auto-reset 12 volt circuit breaker.

[Red Wolf 2]

Well, I got the problem fixed. I ran a new, fused circuit directly to the cigar lighters and abandoned the original sporadic circuit. It works fine and reliably. Gotta be inventive if you own an MH.

[Red Wolf 2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Wolf 2 Well, I got the problem fixed. I ran a new, fused circuit directly to the cigar lighters and abandoned the original sporadic circuit. It works fine and reliably. Gotta be inventive if you own an MH.

The fuse blew again, so I took the advice of one of you wise folks and checked the socket. I insulated the inner tube with electrical tape and re-installed it. No problems now. Thanks to all!