Community Forums

Brumeiser · 08-04-2013, 10:34 PM

I thought I understood how to read the control panel in my 2010 Istacha Sunstar and now I am not sure. For LP and Battery I have green light on full, green light on 2/3, Yellow on 1/3 and red on the E light. So what is the reading on this is between a 1/3 and 2/3? Please explain. Thanks

Mekanic · 08-04-2013, 10:48 PM

I'm gonna guess and say both the yellow and green lights are on??

sdennislee · 08-04-2013, 11:00 PM

A picture of the gauge would help us answer your question.

cimplexsound · 08-05-2013, 12:02 AM

What is the green and yellow for?

cimplexsound · 08-05-2013, 12:03 AM

This might be your holding tank indicators.

Ranger Smith · 08-05-2013, 05:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brumeiser

I thought I understood how to read the control panel in my 2010 Istacha Sunstar and now I am not sure. For LP and Battery I have green light on full, green light on 2/3, Yellow on 1/3 and red on the E light. So what is the reading on this is between a 1/3 and 2/3? Please explain. Thanks

It is full. The reading is the highest light lit. If your battery were on say 1/3 only the yellow would be on.

wa8yxm · 08-05-2013, 06:25 AM

meaningless... The lights show only the minimum in each group.

So up to 1/3 you get the red light, From 1/2 to 2/3 the yellow light, and from 2/3 to full the green..

But the battery iudicator "Take off" point (Test point) is no where near the battery in most coaches. For example in mine it is about 10-12 feet from the converter and a good 30 from the battery, thus it reads CONVERTER voltage, not battery voltage.. Absolutly useless. I have a second indicator (Digital voltmeter in fact) that is closer to the battery. and yet another way to test (Digital voltmeter) which I can use ON the batteries.

So this is what the battery indicator means..> FULL (Green) The converter is working.

Anything else; The converter is NOT working

IT will not indicate the true state of charge of the battery under most any condition (If you turn off EVERY 12 volt device, then it gets close. but still off)

cimplexsound · 08-06-2013, 12:59 PM

I hate to be the bearer of bad news. But it sounds like you have a bad grounding wire. Check the wiring harness to level gauges unit. Make sure you don't have a loose connection somewhere.

QUOTE=wa8yxm;1672131]meaningless... The lights show only the minimum in each group.

So up to 1/3 you get the red light, From 1/2 to 2/3 the yellow light, and from 2/3 to full the green..

But the battery iudicator "Take off" point (Test point) is no where near the battery in most coaches. For example in mine it is about 10-12 feet from the converter and a good 30 from the battery, thus it reads CONVERTER voltage, not battery voltage.. Absolutly useless. I have a second indicator (Digital voltmeter in fact) that is closer to the battery. and yet another way to test (Digital voltmeter) which I can use ON the batteries.

So this is what the battery indicator means..> FULL (Green) The converter is working.

Anything else; The converter is NOT working

IT will not indicate the true state of charge of the battery under most any condition (If you turn off EVERY 12 volt device, then it gets close. but still off)[/QUOTE]

akeyzoo · 08-07-2013, 09:45 AM

Wa8yxm,
Not sure of the wiring in your coach, but I do not understand what distance to the battery has to do with this? To test voltage (very low current draw application, thus only a small wire is needed) there would be a negligible voltage drop over a 30 foot wire. If you were pulling a heavy load across that wire, sure, but to merely test voltage you will get an accurate reading.

Chris

Quote:

Originally Posted by wa8yxm

meaningless... The lights show only the minimum in each group.

So up to 1/3 you get the red light, From 1/2 to 2/3 the yellow light, and from 2/3 to full the green..

But the battery iudicator "Take off" point (Test point) is no where near the battery in most coaches. For example in mine it is about 10-12 feet from the converter and a good 30 from the battery, thus it reads CONVERTER voltage, not battery voltage.. Absolutly useless. I have a second indicator (Digital voltmeter in fact) that is closer to the battery. and yet another way to test (Digital voltmeter) which I can use ON the batteries.

So this is what the battery indicator means..> FULL (Green) The converter is working.

Anything else; The converter is NOT working

IT will not indicate the true state of charge of the battery under most any condition (If you turn off EVERY 12 volt device, then it gets close. but still off)

Tony Lee · 08-07-2013, 12:21 PM

It is also possible that neither the Propane nor the battery is even hooked up on your rig.
Have they ever shown anything different?

cimplexsound · 08-08-2013, 12:09 AM

Because your motorhome is indeed an automobile, the electricity in an automobile works very different from household electricity. With AC power distance do not matter, but with battery or DC power (your 12 volt system) you loose power for every foot of wire you add to your system. You could be loosing all your current at the end where the gauges tell you tank level, etc. so by measure the distance you can figure out how power your actually losing. I hope this make sense. You might want to have someone who knows a lot about RV's show you what I mean. In any case I still think you have a bad wire somewhere.

Quote:

Originally Posted by akeyzoo

Wa8yxm,
Not sure of the wiring in your coach, but I do not understand what distance to the battery has to do with this? To test voltage (very low current draw application, thus only a small wire is needed) there would be a negligible voltage drop over a 30 foot wire. If you were pulling a heavy load across that wire, sure, but to merely test voltage you will get an accurate reading.

Chris

zeeyaarv · 08-08-2013, 03:23 AM

I call my display the "idiot Board." Just like the idiot lights on your cars dash, they're pretty but
absolutely useless. The Lp's never accurate. The Fresh Water tells me the tank is wet inside (maybe). The black holding tank is always full and mostly when empty. The gray water, I wait for an odor to confirm its status. Now the house battery light somewhat works but only on shore power and generator. Other then that, it's also useless normally stuck on yellow. I use a metering device to fill the water tank just so I have an accurate starting point to wag.