Difficulty starting generator... batteries? Converter?

Just took a look at the picture you posted. Things look very unhealthy. I would strongly suggest to pull the converter out of there and clean it up. Take it outside, remove the cover and either vacuum with a soft brush or blow it out with compressed air. You can use a soft paint brush to loosen things up. Clean the area it is mounted in as well and hang the flex duct so it is not on top of the converter.

Henry J Fate said:

Just took a look at the picture you posted. Things look very unhealthy. I would strongly suggest to pull the converter out of there and clean it up. Take it outside, remove the cover and either vacuum with a soft brush or blow it out with compressed air. You can use a soft paint brush to loosen things up. Clean the area it is mounted in as well and hang the flex duct so it is not on top of the converter.

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That device is not the converter - the converter is a black plastic box, clearly labeled, with positive and l negative 12v leads plus a NEMA plug (as you'd expect!). I don't know what the device in the picture is - which is why I was asking about it. That device has only a ground lead. I suspect it's a noise filter (a big capacitor) but I'm not certain. I was hoping someone could ID it. There is no room to move the duct - it's sandwiched by the cabinet hardware. It was built that way, has been there for 30 years. I'm not too worried about it. But, I do need to know if that filter (if that's what it is) should remain with a new converter.

Don't know what it is. Sorry. It certainly looks like power generation. If you are not sure what it is, take it out to get a closer look. Looks like it should come out anyway for either cleaning or removal. I assume no other member is familiar with the component. Later today I will do some research to see what I can find. Question...... Is it possible that the unknown device is disconnected and not functioning?

Just looked at the picture again. There looks to be a red wire exiting the unit from the bottom right. The wire looks like it exits the picture but returns and connects to the connector with two other wires. That connector is insulated from the mounting surface. That appears to be the positive side of your 12 volt system. The wire size signals a large amount of current. If it is not a converter it could possibly be an inverter. They existed in those days. Some coaches came stock with them. Look in there carefully to see if you can find any other clues and be careful if you decide to remove it. If that wire is what it looks to be, there is the potential of a pretty good amount of fireworks if you short any of those wires at the connector. I would disconnect all batteries first.

I think it's unlikely to be an inverter - there is no AC when the generator isn't running (and/or shore power missing) and in order for it to be an inverter it would need a connection back to the AC system, which is not present. It's a mystery box!

How about planning a day and time to pull the box out? We could all wager cash on the identity. I am betting it is the power supply to a flux capacitor. For those of us that don't know what a flux capacitor is......... It makes time travel possible. Doc Brown invented it in 1985. Fabulous invention.

Henry J Fate said:

How about planning a day and time to pull the box out? We could all wager cash on the identity. I am betting it is the power supply to a flux capacitor. For those of us that don't know what a flux capacitor is......... It makes time travel possible. Doc Brown invented it in 1985. Fabulous invention.

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I would have to almost agree with you....The power supply for the flux capacitor is a very solid piece of hardware. Just replace the flux capacitor...It's the problem.

https://www.amazon.com/Flux-Capacitor-Makes-Travel-Possible/dp/B01N7CVF78/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=flux+capacitor&qid=1556230041&s=gateway&sr=8-5

I think you are correct. Gota get free shipping though. The $4.49 is a deal breaker.

Henry J Fate said:

I think you are correct. Gota get free shipping though. The $4.49 is a deal breaker.

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Boy this is a tough/cheap room.....Go back and read the reviews...It's worth the extra shipping

My gut was right - it's a giant capacitor.

http://rvelectrical.com/product/50000-mfd-15vdc-capacitor/

It's on the 12v output side of the converter, which makes sense.

I'm not sure it's actually necessary with the new converter, and I'm similarly not sure I want to keep it simply due to age.

I guess I will do a bit of research and see what replacement options are.

For the record, my generator does start from the house batteries.

I spent an hour crawling around underneath, tracing wires to and fro as I wanted to be sure my no-charge issue was really the converter and not a wiring issue. It wasn't fun, but it was educational. I can say confidently it's not a wiring problem.

New converter is in and charging away.... we'll see what happens tomorrow.

Everything looks good today - batteries are charged, holding a charge, and starting the generator. Converter has cycled between boost, normal, and maintenance so all seems good there as well.

Looks like:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/southwind_converter.jpg

I cut some "mounts" for it to lift it off the floor - everything else under the cabinetry is similarly mounted, I'm guessing to protect it in the event of water intrusion? I don't know. But the new converter is mounted similarly.

Did a little research, and it seems that modern converters all have capacitors built into the output stage, so there is likely no need for the giant external capacitor. Progressive Dynamics mentions their solution in their FAQ -

https://www.progressivedyn.com/service/frequently-asked-questions/

Unfortunately there is no way to direct link to the answer, but it says:

Electronic converter/chargers first convert the 120 VAC 60 Hz from the outlet to 120 VDC after it passes through Diode Rectifier #1, the Capacitor then filters the ripple voltage. This 120 VDC voltage is then fed to an Electronic Switching Circuit that converts it to back to AC and increases the frequency from the original 60 Hz to 3,500 HZ. This high frequency AC voltage is now fed to a step-down transformer where the output voltage reduced to approximately 13.6 volts AC and Diode Rectifier #2 converts the AC to 13.6 Volts DC and the Capacitor filters out the ripple.

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I yanked Big Blue out and put it back together... Win!