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Tailfins · 10-24-2015, 04:34 PM

I am having a very frustrating time with my Magnum Inverter ME2512 with a remote control panel.
Ultimately it ends up with an FET Overload error message which my research states an overheating circuit in the board. Cools down, reset Inverter and its back on.
Now for the scenario's, Chassis battery's are fine checked and charged.
When I turn on Shore Power...( set at 15 amps, running off house plug-in)
Nothing is on drawing any current, Panel shows Charge light blinking, after about 20 blinks, one per sec., Inverter kicks in, Inverter green light goes on, Power light goes on. At same time AMP meter pegs on full amps. After about 5 sec. inverter kicks off, amp gauge returns to normal. This happens again in about 10 more sec, scenario repeats. After a number of times I get the FET Overload.
Sounds to me like a switch issue in the inverter or at the main control switch?
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azSkier · 10-24-2015, 04:47 PM

The magnum inverter is 2 components; inverter and charger. You need to isolate which is causing the problem. Without shore power (or generator), you cannot run the charger, so is the inverter working when not on shore power?

Also, the high amps and over heating is similar to a problem I had last summer. The charger was causing the over heating. I had to set the charge rate to 30% to allow the system to work.

Before hooking up to shore power, turn off both the inverter and the charger. Then turn on only the charger. If the problem occurs, try reducing the charge rate.

ghaynes754 · 10-24-2015, 04:51 PM

Sounds like a call to Magnum on Monday. FET overheat is usually caused by general overheating of the Magnum, like in a closed space on a hot day. I had that problem on my Airstream on occasion in the summer time. Opened the side hatch and/or put a fan in the compartment with the Magnum. Issue solved. Just working it to hard.

If it's been working fine and just started with no changes in habits then sounds like a failure.

YC1 · 10-24-2015, 04:56 PM

Make sure something has not blocked the inverter compartment and listen for a fan that might be used to ventilate it.

Check your charger setup to see if it is set up to charge at 100%. Maybe having the shoreline set for the low setting and the charger trying to run full blast is causing an issue. I doubt it but worth checking.

Tailfins · 10-27-2015, 05:10 AM

Thanks for all the ideas, solved problem today. Talked to Tech and they were a little baffled, isolated problem of low voltage on shore power that was setting the inverter to click in and out. Bypassed coach shore line plug and plugged in directly to inverter, this proved inverter was actually working fine. Discovered garage wall outlet that I plugged into was not giving coach enough amperage. Plugged into an outlet that was pulling a full 25 amps and problem went away. New project, put a 50amp circuit plug in garage. Funny how often the simplest things are the answer. Now to pack up the Bus for my maiden trip to Vegas!

YC1 · 10-27-2015, 11:53 AM

Did you check your charger setup? Was it set to run at 100 % . That is a good thing to know if you are plugged into a wimpy shoreline outlet.

TQ60 · 10-27-2015, 07:34 PM

Where is this ammeter at?

What is it messuring?

It sounds like it is measuring ac current into coach.

Simple math...amps at 120 volts converts to watts back to amps at 12 volts and actual voltages not 120 and 12 exactly but close enough to just state that current is multiplied by 10 going down and it will be close enough.

So 25 amps at 120 vac is 250 amps at 12 vdc.

Either batteries real dead and pulled high charge current for awhile or inverter was on and trying to operate high current devices.

Do take some time to figure out what is going on.

Batteries pulling high charging current could be a good thing as it indicates low resistance but the current would need to drop as batteries charge.

A battery with a hard short in one cell combined with low resistance (good condition) in the rest could also cause the higher charge currents.

Looking at the bubbles in the cells (very carefully) could show issues.

Check charge setting as YC1 advises.

Bottom line is there may be a problem that the symptoms made yiu aware while connecting to a larger capacity source may have hidden the symtoms.

Tailfins · 10-28-2015, 06:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YC1

Did you check your charger setup? Was it set to run at 100 % . That is a good thing to know if you are plugged into a wimpy shoreline outlet.

It was when problem started, dropped to 80% then all the way to 10% and problem remained.

HHIDan · 10-28-2015, 07:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tailfins

Thanks for all the ideas, solved problem today. Talked to Tech and they were a little baffled, isolated problem of low voltage on shore power that was setting the inverter to click in and out. Bypassed coach shore line plug and plugged in directly to inverter, this proved inverter was actually working fine. Discovered garage wall outlet that I plugged into was not giving coach enough amperage. Plugged into an outlet that was pulling a full 25 amps and problem went away. New project, put a 50amp circuit plug in garage. Funny how often the simplest things are the answer. Now to pack up the Bus for my maiden trip to Vegas!

You do not need a 50A plug inside the garage. A 50A plug will give you 50A at 240 volts or 12000 watts with is the same as 100Amps at 120 which is enough to run everything in the coach including AC's at the same time.

If you are looking to run the battery charger/inverter, a 15A will do (especially if everything else is turned off). When batteries are charged you need about 10 amps at 12 volts to keep them at their top (float charge). This is about 1 amp at 120. If batteries are dead when you roll into garage then the Bulk charge rate can be set to limit the Bulk charge current to 100 amps at 12 which is about 10 amps on your 120.

Hope this helps!

Tailfins · 10-28-2015, 07:13 AM

Thanks everyone for your input. I checked the batteries and they are good, couple cells low on water, but still holding 12.3 amps. Battery was initially drawn down because I had the Ice maker fridge running and it drained batteries. Will need to remember to turn off while I'm traveling.
Problem came up again yesterday....this time went after the power cords checking for continuity and proper grounds. Found that all my cord ends, including receptical rely on grounding through the casing. Bad connections all over. Pulled all them apart and polished all the corrosion off and reassembled. Everything is now metering proper all through system. Problem gone! Hope this is it!