both power windows and power mirrors (driver and passenger) stopped working

[Professor David]

Both the power window and mirrors share a breaker, which has not tripped. I've taken the door panels off and checked the wiring from the door to the cap...no broken or loose wires. All the fuses in the cab are good. Noticed the problem right after replacing the driver side back up camera...so I may have disturbed something? Anyone else had this problem and/or know what to look for next?

 

[John Canfield]

Moved here from the Winnebago board.

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

When you say you checked the wiring and fuses, did this involve the use of a meter or test light? Fuses, wires and connectors can look good all day long but in my travels, a meter is the quickest way to isolate a fault. If you haven't downloaded the drawings yet for your RV, that would be the next step.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[Kirk]

Both the power window and mirrors share a breaker, which has not tripped.

A circuit breaker on the 12V side? Where is it located? Do you measure 12V between each side of it and ground? Have you checked it with an ohm meter? Since it happened right after working on it, have you used your meter to check everything that you worked near?

 

[Matt_C]

David, don't use a good meter for basic diagnostic. It will not always tell the truth. Use a test light instead. The problem is that a meter will report that you have ~12V there and that may be true at that moment, but if you load the circuit, that may go away. If the test light is not fully bright, you have a problem there.
Matt_C

 

[DonTom]

Aren't power windows usually powered by the BCM (Body Control Module) these days? Even in my Y2K RV, they sometime will not work (both sides) until I turn the ignition off and on.

I know another guy who thought he had an intermittent switch for the power windows. When he first replaced the switch, the windows did not work at all. A few days later, as well as a few drives later. everything started to work and he has not had an issue since. As if it took a while for the BCM to recognize the change.

I have also had such weird issues with motorcycles. Such as a windshield that will not go up or down until the ignition is turned off and back on.

A lot of this stuff isn't as simple as it used to be. There are also priorities in this stuff. For an example, in my Triumph Trophy SE, after I fill the gas tank, the fuel gauge will still say it is empty for the first mile of a full tank. This is normal on all such bikes. Stuff like the speedometer also comes from the BCM, but it is first priority and shows the speed instantly.

-Don- Turlock, CA

 

[tlmgcamp]

Is the camera on the circuit with the windows and mirrors?

 

[Professor David]

A circuit breaker on the 12V side? Where is it located? Do you measure 12V between each side of it and ground? Have you checked it with an ohm meter? Since it happened right after working on it, have you used your meter to check everything that you worked near?

The circuit breaker (marked power windows/power mirrors) is on the 12V side below the fuse panel located inside near drivers left foot. I'm not good at electrical but am willing to learn. Looks like a need to get a diagnostic tool of some sort.

 

[Professor David]

When you say you checked the wiring and fuses, did this involve the use of a meter or test light? Fuses, wires and connectors can look good all day long but in my travels, a meter is the quickest way to isolate a fault.

I need to bump up my electrical game and get some tools.

 

[Professor David]

don't use a good meter for basic diagnostic

What test light do you recommend?

 

[Professor David]

Is the camera on the circuit with the windows and mirrors?

I don't think so since the new camera is working fine. I might have jostled some wiring to the power window/power mirror or it might be unrelated.

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

In your favor are two distinct features of having a winnebago. One is downloadable diagrams. Get them. All of them. Having the electrical diagrams makes troubleshooting anything straightforward. Second is winnebago marks all the wiring with a unique code right on the wire. So you don't have to wonder if this wire or that is the one that goes from the switch to the mirror, or to power, or ground or something else. You can look up the marking and see it right on the wire, it should be 'MJ' or 'LU3' or whatever per your diagram and it shows it goes from this, to that, in a table. Given both power window and mirrors are out I would suspect a fuse, breaker or connector, and between knowing what wires there are as well as what signals you should expect on them, troubleshooting this is mostly systematic.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[Professor David]

In your favor are two distinct features of having a winnebago. One is downloadable diagrams. Get them. All of them. Having the electrical diagrams makes troubleshooting anything straightforward. Second is winnebago marks all the wiring with a unique code right on the wire. So you don't have to wonder if this wire or that is the one that goes from the switch to the mirror, or to power, or ground or something else. You can look up the marking and see it right on the wire, it should be 'MJ' or 'LU3' or whatever per your diagram and it shows it goes from this, to that, in a table. Given both power window and mirrors are out I would suspect a fuse, breaker or connector, and between knowing what wires there are as well as what signals you should expect on them, troubleshooting this is mostly systematic.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

thanks Mark. I do have the wiring diagrams. I'll do some homework on these and try to figure it out. Actually, your post is really helpful since it gives me a starting point or direction. I do have an appoint for the end of the month to take it to a pretty good mechanic but I'd much rather try to figure it out myself to save money and for the satisfaction of doing it myself.

 

[Lou Schneider]

What test light do you recommend?

Harbor Freight has a nice one. There's a light bulb inside the handle.

6/12V Circuit Tester with 5 ft. Lead

 

[DonTom]

Keep in mind there are some modern switches that are difficult to test on an ohmmeter. Some are active switches like the one I mentioned in post 6 above. A new one will read infinite when closed.

My Energica electric motorcycles also uses such for an ignition switch. In such a case, a closed switch will read infinite on an ohmmeter. Instead of using contacts, they use active components. Or perhaps have a transistor internally inside the switch to key on the contact or whatever.

But checking with voltage should still show a problem. But things are often not as simple as they used to be.

-Don- Auburn, CA