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Old 07-03-2005, 04:45 PM   #1
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Just returned from a week in the Fl Keys. I seem to be having some power issues>

1. Inverter lights just seem to run now stop kind of like those chasing lights you put on a Christmas tree???

2. Hurricane hot water system, now says remote swith turned off?, check all the switches both inside and out everything is on??? Last trip out the Hurrican blew a fuse, replaced it all seemed ok.

3. Start generator, when power is up turn on the AC and it filps off the "breaker" switch on the actual generator itself and AC shuts down. If I go out and flip the switch all is ok going forward. Only does this when you first start out for the day and then works ok????

Any ideas other than taking it to the Cummins/Onan Coach repair shop??
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Old 07-03-2005, 04:45 PM   #2
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Just returned from a week in the Fl Keys. I seem to be having some power issues>

1. Inverter lights just seem to run now stop kind of like those chasing lights you put on a Christmas tree???

2. Hurricane hot water system, now says remote swith turned off?, check all the switches both inside and out everything is on??? Last trip out the Hurrican blew a fuse, replaced it all seemed ok.

3. Start generator, when power is up turn on the AC and it filps off the "breaker" switch on the actual generator itself and AC shuts down. If I go out and flip the switch all is ok going forward. Only does this when you first start out for the day and then works ok????

Any ideas other than taking it to the Cummins/Onan Coach repair shop??
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Old 07-03-2005, 10:29 PM   #3
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Lou, what brand and model is the inverter? How long had the air cond. not been used prior to starting it up and it blew the breaker? If I remember correctly, you are not one that had a lot of electrical background and so I am not sure if I should try to walk you through any diagnostics or let you take it into a shop.
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Old 07-05-2005, 12:08 PM   #4
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">
1. Inverter lights just seem to run now stop kind of like those chasing lights you put on a Christmas tree???
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Lou,
Do they ripple continuously like those Xmas lights or just blink on or off once in awhile? And what lights do this? Most of your interior lighting will be 12V stuff and not inverter powered. Perhaps your inverter is sucking enough battery power tht the 12V lights are dimming/brightening as the inverter load changes. What was being powered from the inverter when this happens?

It takes a LOT of battery juice to produce a little bit of AC power via an inverter. Weak batteries or an insufficient mount of batteries for the load could be one reason that other things (e.g. lights) dim when the inverterload increases.
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Old 07-05-2005, 01:28 PM   #5
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RV Wizard,
Unless there is someone around that is fairly knowledgeable with Lou to assist, this could end up being REAL expensive. Better yet, explain it to Robin, she has a better handle on this type of problem and even has her own tools.
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Old 07-06-2005, 03:37 PM   #6
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Mindcandies "Derek" just so you can rest easy, I took the motorhome over to the Cummins/Onan Coach Care center here in Orlando.
I have had the motorhome for a year so according to the Cummins/Onan folks I am due to change the fluids.
I figured while it was there I would give them a stab at the rest of the items. Not a whole lot of comfort when the Service writer had never seen an AC unit in the basement, "wow this inverter has a lot of lights on it", and then the big suprise when I showed him the Hurricane System and his response was, " it looks like this thing runs off of diesel !".
So I have great confidence in the engine and generator work...but a few lingering doubts on the actual coach items....I'll keep all updated.

Gary the lights were "chasing" all over the panels non-stop, with the exception of the row that goes from 5 up to 50. Make starts with an "X", but I left the books laid out in the Motorhome with the repair shop in hopes that someone might take a look through them.
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Old 07-11-2005, 04:08 AM   #7
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My mistake, Lou! I thought you were talking about the house lights, not the inverter panel indicator lights.

Based on that, I would guess either a failed battery (shorted cell) or bad inverter.
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Old 07-11-2005, 02:39 PM   #8
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We'll according to the Coach Care Cummins/Onan service center they have solved the problem.
Now keep in mind that I took a trip down there Friday mid day to explain everything to them again. I also had in hand a printed e-mail received from Derek aka Mindcandies.

Derek suggested I have them do some sort of hydro(something, that's why I printed the e-mail) test on the house batteries. They discovered shortly after I left Friday that two of the three house batteries had bad cells. They replaced all three, and according to them all of my problems have been resolved. I will probably pick it up tomorrow so we will see.

Now for the AMAZING thing I discoverd this afternoon. I asked that they fax me over the bill so I could review it tonight. In addition to the inverter/eclectric light show I also asked them to do the annual service on the engine, generator, and chassis. The Coach Care Center had two "special" packages one for the Generator and one for the Engine/Chassis so I slected the "packaged deals". They serviced the generator, engine, and chassis PRIOR to troubleshooting my light show problem. Now the invoice is very specific and lists out item by item what they do in each "package". Both the Generator and the Engine/ Chassis list out checking all batteries. The question is IF the batteries were "checked" out would the service "packages" I purchaed not discovered the bad cells in the batteries???
The engine service package was 383.
The generator pakcage was 340.
The three batteries were 228.
The trouble shooting for my inverter/light show was 216.
Is it unreasonable for me to think that the bad batteries should have been discovered in the "service packages"?

Thoughts and or comments before I go pay this $1,248. bill
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Old 07-11-2005, 08:02 PM   #9
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Lou,
It would depend on there check list of what items to do for each package. When I check the house batteries on a used coach, I look at the terminals for corrision and will also do a voltage check without it being charged. I normally check battery voltage before either running the generator or plugging it in. As long as it reads 12.2 to 12.6 I feel the battery is up to snuff. If it's lower, then I'll take a reading of the specific gravity (SG) and see where the reading is. It should be in the 12 to 1300's, lower than 1210 sg it needs to be charge, if it won't take a charge, then replace the battery. I have had brand new units come in and the house batteries couldn't light a small bulb. Tested the sg and it was below 1110 or basically water. Any of the autoparts store carries them, should get one to keep on the coach. Doing this from time to time will give you an early indication of battery trouble.

See you at the August rally. We will be fulltiming it after July 27th. Sold the house. Oh yes I will be putting in at least 2 camp sites on our property in Tennessee, or maybe 3.
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Old 07-12-2005, 04:57 AM   #10
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Thanks Jim for the techical info.

2 to 3 sites, hummmmmmm...sounds like a road trip to me !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

See ya in August, do you need directions to the campground for they Aug. rally...he he he.
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