xantrax 2012 fan on

[BikerGirl]

hoping somone can help me out. just got the new/used coach; monaco windsor 2004. we are still going through things, but have noticed the inverter seems to have an issue. for one, the inverter fan will not shut off unless I turn off the entire coach battery system. even turning off the switch on the inverter box will not work. that and when I turn on the batteries (very cold here), the next day, the fan comes right on. xantrax wants me to take it to a service ctr certified by them, but this is 2 hrs away. the tech sais that it might be a sensor. (the other problem is the 1st error msg was the over temp)

so, is there a way to diagnose this problem for a non-certified local guy? also, is the control board in the inverter difficult to replace?

I appreciate all the help for this very new newbie ....LOL!

[Rex]

If you have an error that says ' over-temp ' that is most likely why the fan is running. The Inverter obviously has sensed an temperature higher than normal and turned the fan on to cool it. That part would be normal. Could be a sensor, or it could be the inverter really does have a problem and may fail soon. Best to get it looked at soon.

[RV Wizard]

Before jumping to the conclusion that the inverter has a problem. Check and verify that the battery bank is not the culprit; usually it is. The inverter will always be trying to charge the battery bank (even when turned off) and if need be the cooling fan inside will come on. If the battery voltage does not come up, the inverter will continue to charge and the cooling fan will continue to run. If the battery voltage comes up and the amperage of the inverter falls to below 10 amps, the fan should cycle off when things have cooled off. If not, then is the time to diagnose the fan continuing to run.

[BikerGirl]

rv wizard,

thanks for your reply. I know not where or what a battery bank looks like. can you help out? my dealer has offered to provide a "slightly used" 3012 unit, which I understand is an equal swap out. when I spoke to xantrex, they said the 3012 unit did not have the recall, but I can't find that product on their website. did they stop making this one too? I'm pretty handy. is the inverter swapout easy? batteries off, a few cables and bolt downs?

thanks for your help!

[deandec]

Battery Bank: Two or more batteries hooked together.

House Battery: A battery or bank of Storage batteries used to power your RV 12V appliances and lights.

Chassis Battery: A battery or bank of Starting batteries used to start the engine and operate the automotive functions of the chassis.

Check the voltage of the House Battery (Bank) to see if the inverter/charger is having to run to recharged the House batteries.

If so, you may have a battery problem causing the inverter fan to run.

Generally, battery replacement is cheaper than Inverter/Charger replacement.

[BikerGirl]

the batteries are all new within 6 mos and they showed as fully charged. thanks for your help

[Ray,IN]

"they said the 3012 unit did not have the recall," That statement may be the key to your question. If your particular model has an outstanding/unresolved recall, you really should visit an authorized service center.

[davecampbell]

The 2010 fan comes on when the FET (gadget inside that makes it work and gets hot) termperature is 194 *F or above. On an over-temperature, the RED indicator light on the inverter front panel will do as the manual indicates:

"When an error condition occurs, the LED will flash red, followed by a five-second
rest period. You can identify error conditions by counting the number of times the
LED flashes before turning off for five seconds. The following table lists LED
flashing patterns and their associated error conditions.

Table 3-3 LED activity and Error Conditions Number of Flashes Error Condition Cause

3 Inverter overtemperature The FET and transformer temperature has risen to 194°F (90°C). The RV Series stops inverting or charging. This error clears when the temperature falls below 194°F (90°C)."

Source: RV2010 GS Xantrex Owners Manual

The fan will not come on just by virtue of connecting a damaged battery/bank to the charger, the system senses FET temperature, NOT charge rate or battery state.

[Gary RVRoamer]

The entire RV series of inverters has been discontinued, but you may well find a new or used one available on the internet, ebay, etc. I was able to get my RV2512 rebuilt a couple years ago, even though Xantrex had no parts available. A shop in Tampa had the necessary parts. The RV GS series replaces the previous RV 2012, 2512 and 3012.

The 2010 LED flashes described above probably don't apply to the 2012/2512/3012. It's a different design.