1995 damon challenger 12v

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john don

Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2006
Posts
8
hi guys just had a 1995 damon challenger its a great rig but i haven't got a clue. that brings me to my question, the water pump or the cooker hood dosn't work. the cooker hood also has a water pump switch and a battery test plus light and fan switch Incorporated. they don't work either,  every thing else works. through 12v, generater and mains supply. i.e heater lights water heater, Ive tried fuses (the ones i can find) but i think i'me missing something can some one please help

regards john.[
 
I've heard of others who had problems with those switches in the stove hood. Think maybe they get gunked up with cooking residu after awhile. Best i can suggest is to remove and clean, checking all wire connections.

Is there another water pump switch to turn the pump on? So you can see if the pump itself works?  It may not be too difficult to install another switch somewhere else.
 
John,

If I understand you correctly, the hood fan, hood light, water pump switch and water heater switch all do not work. If that's correct, I would suspect a bad 12 volt fuse, as there would be a single +12 volt wire feeding all the switches in the hood. Visual inspection of the fuses is NOT a good way to check them; they can be bad and look perfectly fine. Try replacing them, one at a time, with a known good fuse.
 
thanks karl i will try that  tomorrow. thanks again guys for your help, and i will let you no how i get on.

cheers john.
 
Man do I like my Progressive Dynamics fuse panel,  There are indicator LEDS to show which (if any) fuse is blown

If you do not have said LEDS on your system, you can make a very simple test light, Here is how.

Method 1:  For use with BLADE fuses

Take a 12 volt bulb, the kind with the flat base that has the wires bent up alongisde the base,  Bend them down straight.  They will now fit in the socket for both standard, mini and maxi blade fuses.  Replace fuse with bulb, Turn on fan or light switch on hood, if the light lights, switch is likely good (However may not be) replace fuse and try again

If fan now works you got it, if not, switch may be bad you need a meter to be sure

Method 2: If your system has cartridge fuses like the 3ag
IF your system uses cartridge fuses (IE 3ag fuses) they make light bulbs in the 3ag form

Method 3: "European style" fuses.
Thay make lamps in that form too
 
John Don,

Use the fuse replacement method I described. If you replace the fuse and things start to work again, you had a bad fuse. If the new fuse blows, you have a short at the hood fan, hood light, water heater, or other device connected to it. If nothing works after replacing the fuse and the new fuse doesn't blow, you probably don't have +12 Volts at the fuse holder. Check for +12 Volts by placing a 12 volt bulb from the fuse to ground. If it doesn't light, you've got a problem in the 12 volt wiring itself.

The bulb method described below may or may not work, and you won't know which. Example: If the bulb you're using draws less current than the load  you're checking (fan, for example), it will light regardless if it (the fan) is working properly or totally shorted. Conversely, if the bulb draws much more current the the load, it won't light at all (unless the load is shorted, but then you'd have a blown fuse), and you will have learned nothing. It won't tell you if the load is open, or if there isn't +12 volts present. 
 
hi guys, just a quickie to let you no how i got on with my electrics, not good ime afraid. i tried the light bulb method but everything was ok in the panel. i checked every fuse in the panel and there was power going in and going out. so that led me to believe it might be a fuse somewhere else. so as i was looking for the said fuse i noticed my hand brake needed adjusting so i did that instead. so now my brakes work good but i still have no power to my cooker hood. any idea guys what to do next?
cheers john don.
 
Ok, NO power TO the fuse panel,,, That's actually a good thing (It strongly narrows down the choices)

First question: No power ANY TIME or no power when not plugged into mains?

I know the 2005 Damon better than yours so here is how my rig works

I have a switch, it is under the hood of the motor home, right about in front of me when I'm driving but on the engine side of the firewall.  Wires run from it to the battery, and from it to the other battery, and from it to the power panel and one assumes the converter and generator.

Chassis battery runs headlights and marker lights and the like, (Vehicle lights) ciggarate lighter jack in dash, Engine starter, and other "Dash operated" things

House batteries run everything else, via that switch,  There may be a master fuse.

If you have the test lamp, hook up some test leads and do this, One lead each, Positive and negative battery, GOt light, GOOD, no light battery issues.

IN all cases, when the light don't light you have a clue

Next step, move negative lead to chassis ground (any hunk of metal)

Next step is the battery master switch, As I said, in my rig it's driver's side, top right, there are fuses there too

Move to the power panel, Same test (use chassis as ground, you may have to reach some to find a ground here)

Let us know where the light don't light

NOTE: there are many types of battery switches,  Mine has 3 very heavy leads (Chassis, House, Load) all 3 should light the light when the other test lead is connected to any chassis ground
 
Hello John, we have a 1994 Damon Challenger. We have not encountered the problem that you are having, but other problems. We have some schematics and drawing of the coach. Our rig is on the F-53 stripped Ford chassis. Should you like to discuss any other problems with your coach, please feel free to contact me.

Best regards, Jerry
 
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