No 12v unless on shore power

[Romer1]

Have a 94 Adventurer with a magnetek 7345RU convertor. Last week DW was running on generator and cleaning MH. Genny died as did all of our 12v. House batteries are fully charged. Replaced battery disconnect switch and relay. still no 12v. However, if I turn on ignition switch I do get 12v and can even start generator, which will run for about 45 minutes and die. If I use disconnect switch, I can stop generator immediately. Start engine and then I can restart generator. Also, connecting shore power gives me 12v and ability to start generator. With generator or shore power have 12v at battery posts on the magnetek, otherwise no 12v.

What am I missing that I haven't looked at? I should have 12v everywhere as long as I haven't used disconnect switch, shouldn't I?

TIA,

Merrill

[Tracker16]

Romer1, The first place I would star is the battery solenoid.If that's not it and you have a meter,start working your way back from there.I don't envy you.

[Old Bounder]

There are some inline fuses or circuit breakers between the converter and batteries that are apparently open. By starting the engine or using the shore power to start the Gen you are using the chassis battery and eventually the converter to provide 12v.
The path is obviously open from the house batteries back to the distribution panel and the converter. Look very nearr the house batteries for these fuses or breakers.

PS - the breakers may look like a small terminal block. Look for a small reset plunger in the base.

[RJay]

Have you checked the fuse on the Magnetek?

[RJay]

There is a relay in the Magnetek that switches battery power depending on whether or not you are connected to shore power. This relay may not be switching back to the battery when shore/generator power is not available.

[Romer1]

Originally Posted by RJay

There is a relay in the Magnetek that switches battery power depending on whether or not you are connected to shore power. This relay may not be switching back to the battery when shore/generator power is not available.

which fuse are you referring to, and where is the relay. Behind the front panel I would assume?

I've checked all the fuses I can find on front of 12v panel, including the 30 amp ones.

[RJay]

Originally Posted by Romer1

which fuse are you referring to, and where is the relay. Behind the front panel I would assume?

I've checked all the fuses I can find on front of 12v panel, including the 30 amp ones.

The fuse/breaker should be on the converter visible from the outside and the relay is inside. You will have to take the cover off the converter to get access to it. When you take the cover off see if you can detect a burned odor.

[Romer1]

Originally Posted by RJay

The fuse/breaker should be on the converter visible from the outside and the relay is inside. You will have to take the cover off the converter to get access to it. When you take the cover off see if you can detect a burned odor.

Had the cover off several times, there's no odor.

Do you mean the 2 30 amp fuses on the 12v board above all the circuit breakers? Note, when plugged into shore power there is 12 at the 2 battery terminals on that board, just not when disconnected from shore power.

[RJay]

There should be a fuse/breaker visible on the outside of the converter. Have you measured the voltage from the output from the converter? One more thing you might try is to open the main 120 volt breaker when connected to shore power and see if you can hear the relay in the converter operate. I'm just not sure if it is loud enough to hear.

[Romer1]

Originally Posted by RJay

There should be a fuse/breaker visible on the outside of the converter. Have you measured the voltage from the output from the converter? One more thing you might try is to open the main 120 volt breaker when connected to shore power and see if you can hear the relay in the converter operate. I'm just not sure if it is loud enough to hear.

this is what I have, no fuses/breakers visible from outside.
http://www.parallaxpower.com/7300/73...structions.pdf

Not sure where the relay would be, but haven't been able to hear it so far. I have tripped the main 120v breaker as well as pulling the 2 30 amp fuses which are good.

[RJay]

On illustration 4 there are terminals to the left of the negative battery terminal. Are those your 12 volt feeders? If so, I'm assuming you don't have 12 volts at those terminals.

[Romer1]

Originally Posted by RJay

On illustration 4 there are terminals to the left of the negative battery terminal. Are those your 12 volt feeders? If so, I'm assuming you don't have 12 volts at those terminals.

That's correct, they're my 12v circuits.
Terminals C & D each have 2 wires attached. On shore power, they show 12v across them. Disconnect shore power and they're dead. The more we talk here the more I feel there's a break in the line between the battery disconnect switch and those terminals... but where.

[RJay]

I'm trying to eliminate the converter as being the problem. Terminal “C” is the directly connected to the positive side of the battery. If you remove the two 30 amp fuses and take a jumper wire(#14 or larger) from terminal “C” to a feeder, whatever is connected to that feeder should work and will prove that the feeder from the battery is ok and the converter is defective.

On Edit: I would disconnect the feeder from the terminal and and then either touch it to terminal "C" or jumper it to terminal "C"

[Romer1]

Originally Posted by RJay

I'm trying to eliminate the converter as being the problem. Terminal “C” is the directly connected to the positive side of the battery. If you remove the two 30 amp fuses and take a jumper wire(#14 or larger) from terminal “C” to a feeder, whatever is connected to that feeder should work and will prove that the feeder from the battery is ok and the converter is defective.

But shouldn't I have 12v at terminal "C" all the time? There's only 12v when connected to shore power, not when trying to run off batteries.