Maybe someone can help me here. I am scurrying to get ready for Quartzite, and I have an electrical problem. All the 12VDC is dead in the coach. Both the "salesman switch" solenoid and the adjacent identical chassis solenoid are bypassed with 4 Gage jumpers. See attached pix.
Three things are going on at once presently:
1) Just replaced the old Trace RV2012 MSW inverter with a new Xantrex 3012 PSW unit. Don't have the controller mounted and connected yet, but the unit is charging the batteries at the present. Have not tried it in "inverting" mode yet, due to not having the controller mounted and wired. Its internal transfer switch is working properly--all the 120VAC in the coach is OK. I have a Lambert chassis battery charging unit, and it is working correctly, its GREEN light is on, and it is charging the CHASSIS battery. Charging voltage on COACH batteries is 13.51 VDC.
2) Lowered the COACH battery slide to allow an upgrade from (4) Trojan T-105's to (4) Trojan T-145's. New T-145's are installed and wired in. I sketched the battery interconnections before removing them. It does not appear possible to mis-wire them without immediate, dramatic results.
3) Replacing the Norcold with a new Samsung RF18 (Samsung replacement for the RF197). Norcold is removed. It appears to me the only thing 12VDC on the fridge is one set of wires supplying 12VDC to the fridge electronics. Those wires are now disconnected and tied off.
The problem is that there is no 12VDC in the COACH circuits--no lights, or anything else running from the COACH batteries. Looking at the wiring diagram attached for this coach, in the lower right corner is the "Solenoid Domestic Power". There is 13.5 VDC on the right side of this solenoid. It is unclear to me WHERE that terminal on the right side of the solenoid is going. The wiring diagram says it goes to the "Domestic Fuse Panel", which is located in a cabinet above the bed, adjacent to the AC panels. There is no 12VDC at the input to that "Domestic Fuse Panel". Since ALL the COACH 12VDC is gone, one might suspect the "Domestic Kill Switch". Too long for an explanation, but I DO NOT think the "Domestic Kill Switch" is bad, although I could be wrong. Does the power leaving the "Solenoid Domestic Power" go directly to the "Domestic Kill Switch"?...or to the "Domestic Fuse Panel"?
One other curious (to me) thing is that measuring the voltage directly from the negative terminal of the COACH batteries to the large stud marked "Battery Positive Stud" on the left side of the wiring diagram (approximately in the middle of the second pix) yields 26.2VDC--approximately the sum of the voltages measured at the COACH and CHASSIS batteries.
Normally, I would remove the "Domestic Kill Switch" and check it, but it is in a booger of a place and will be very difficult to remove, and I have a feeling it is not at fault. I have noticed that the radio is not switched off by the "Domestic Kill Switch" (always displays the current time) and the radio is also off.
iRV2.com RV Community - Are you about to start a new improvement on your RV or need some help with some maintenance? Do you need advice on what products to buy? Or maybe you can give others some advice? No matter where you fit in you'll find that iRV2 is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more!
It sounds like you've covered quite a bit, have you found a 160-200 amp fuse in the line between the salesman switch you've bypassed and the house fuse panel? Mine are mounted right next to the solenoids in my 12 v electric compartment. Here's a Google search of possible styles: https://www.google.com/search?q=180+...h=701#imgdii=_
__________________
Bob & Donna
'98 Gulf Stream Sun Voyager DP being pushed by a '00 Beetle TDI
I'm feeling your pain Van. I wish I had a good answer for you but the first thing that comes to mind is a dumb question (that's how my mind works)... what do you measure if you meter at the cables coming off of the coach battery bank? I'm quite sure it is 13.something but just had to ask.
I'll offer this up... the guy in CO Springs that does my heavy coach work specializes in coach electrical and inverters. He's the one that helped me with my x-brace install and I'm sure would be happy to try offer some assistance by phone. I probably can't get a hold of him until Monday but if you are still having problems then I'll be happy to give him a shout.
Glenn
__________________ Glenn & Mary 2000 Monaco Dynasty 34 York / 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee Diesel / 2017 Polaris General
Isn't there a big 300 amp fuse or fusible link between the battery box and the rear run box. I thought with all the work you did it would have been easy to pop it. If there is no current to the domestic 12 VDC fuse block it's got to be somewhere in that wiring.
Steve Ownby
Full time since '07
__________________
Steve Ownby
Full time since 2007
2003 Monaco Signature
Van I can't think of any reason why you have a reading of 26.2 VDC at that terminal. I don't think that is a voltage necessary to operate any component wired in the motorhome. Maybe someone can explain why you have that reading. The color of your wires going to the batteries is a little confusing. I believe your batteries are all 6 VDC. If that is true then they should be wired two in series and then parallel to = 12.6 VDC. The other thought I have is a solenoid or relay is not activating to send the 12.6 VDC to the "Domestic Fuse Panel". Hopefully by the time you read this you already have it figured out and fixed. Sanford
__________________
Sanford, Linda & R cats: Molly, Levi, Cody
2011 Monaco by Navistar RV
Good Sam Life Member Good Sam Hams Chapter
It sounds like you've covered quite a bit, have you found a 160-200 amp fuse in the line between the salesman switch you've bypassed and the house fuse panel? Mine are mounted right next to the solenoids in my 12 v electric compartment. Here's a Google search of possible styles: https://www.google.com/search?q=180+...h=701#imgdii=_
Well, that's worth a look, but I don't think there is anything there. There are some huge fuses, but they are for the engine grid heater. I'll look again. It stands to reason there should be a fuse somewhere to limit it to 200A or so--the max the inverter might draw.
I'm feeling your pain Van. I wish I had a good answer for you but the first thing that comes to mind is a dumb question (that's how my mind works)... what do you measure if you meter at the cables coming off of the coach battery bank? I'm quite sure it is 13.something but just had to ask.
I'll offer this up... the guy in CO Springs that does my heavy coach work specializes in coach electrical and inverters. He's the one that helped me with my x-brace install and I'm sure would be happy to try offer some assistance by phone. I probably can't get a hold of him until Monday but if you are still having problems then I'll be happy to give him a shout.
Glenn
Glenn, the coach batteries are at 13.5 VDC, due to the charging current from the inverter. I'm sure it's something obvious I'm missing. Just have not found it. If I could reach the Domestic Kill Switch, I'd short the terminals and that would answer that question, but like I said, it's a bear to get to.
Thanks for offering the help of your mechanic. I hope I can fix it before then. I've got a lot to finish before the trip to Q!
Isn't there a big 300 amp fuse or fusible link between the battery box and the rear run box. I thought with all the work you did it would have been easy to pop it. If there is no current to the domestic 12 VDC fuse block it's got to be somewhere in that wiring.
Steve Ownby
Full time since '07
Agreed, Steve. I'm going to look again in the morning. Thanks!
Anyone know what is NOT disconnected by the Domestic Kill Switch?
Looking at the wiring diagram you posted I see a number of what appears to be fuses in the 150 and 80 amp range. In the lower right section of the schematic there is an 80 amp fuse that supplies power to what looks like the salesman solenoid and the output of the solenoid goes to the Domestic Fuse Panel. I know you are a smart guy and have a good feel for how things work. If you connect the negative lead of your meter to the negative post of the house battery system and use the positive lead of the meter to measure then both sides of the 80 amp fuse should indicate the voltage of the house battery system. Likewise, you should be able to measure the house voltage on both sides of the solenoid. From there the schematic shows a 2 GA cable supplying all power to the Domestic Fuse panel. If you have power there then the next thing I would do is leave the negative lead connected to the negative post of the house battery system and using a long wire connect the positive lead of the meter to the positive supply point in the Domestic Fuse panel. If you have house voltage there that would tell me you have and open ground somewhere. The fact that you have a location that measures the sum of the house and chassis batteries says there is a problem in the grounding system. Did you forget to connect a ground somewhere? Installing a new inverter could be causing this problem if the old inverter somehow supplied a ground connection that is now missing in the new inverter.
Bob
__________________
Bob and Pam
2022 Quantum JM31
2023 Colorado Z71
Although the schematic does not show connections for the house and chassis battery bank kill switches I would guess that they somehow are connected to the respective battery banks and should kill power from those battery banks to all the points shown on the right hand side of the schematic. On the top left section of the right hand portion of the schematic is a point labeled 4/0 Red Domestic battery. My guess is with the negative lead of the meter still connected to the negative post of the house battery bank, opening and closing the "Domestic Kill Switch" should remove power from that point. That would be one way to test the Kill Switch. I doubt that is your problem.
Bob
__________________
Bob and Pam
2022 Quantum JM31
2023 Colorado Z71
Forgive me but I am getting old. I went back and re-read your post and you stated that you do have House power on the right side of the solenoid supplying power to the domestic fuse panel. It is starting to look more and more like a ground is missing. If you still have the old inverter investigate how it was wired and if it is possible a ground connection was being supplied that is missing with the new inverter. Heck, if you are willing to think outside the box, using a large inline fuse for safety, run a 10 ga wire from the negative post of the house battery system to the negative input to the domestic fuse panel and see what happens.
Bob
__________________
Bob and Pam
2022 Quantum JM31
2023 Colorado Z71
Did you say the numbers were working on the radio? The power to make the numbers work comes thru the kill switch. I had intermitent problems IE no radio numbers, no map light,no power to 12 volt lights and no dash fans.
After checking everywhere I found the solinoid that the kill switch powers was closing but sometimes not good enough. My solution was turn the switch on and off many times in a row.Everything works now. Come summer I will delete that solinoid. Keep on looking and you will find the problem.
__________________
2002 Beaver Marquis Emerald C-12 Cat 505 HP towing 2004 Honda CR V with 300K on clock
2014 Volvo 630 Heren Bed ET Hitch SOLD
2017 New Horizons Majestic 35 foot SOLD
Linear Mode
