Coach 12V Power Lost When Converter Is Off

[grashley]

Last year, I switched from LA to LI batteries - 400aH. No issues. My PD9245 converter, with a pendant, keeps them charged. The RV is parked in my yard and plugged into 50A power. When I changed batteries, they did not fit under the steps, so I ran 4 Ga wires to the old location (2 ft) and wired them to the existing posts. Everything was good all winter. A couple weeks ago, I noted the Battery monitor, which had remained above 98% SOC all winter was drifting down. As of this morning, it was 74% SOC and losing about 1 - 1.5A.

While all 12V is currently working, if I drop the converter circuit, I lose ALL 12V power to the coach. No lights, no LP detector, no inverter. The batteries have power. Batteries are getting power into the old battery bay under the steps but not into the coach.

It seems the batteries are fine. The battery monitor, powered directly from the batteries is working. I have 12V at the old connections to the coach. I am losing power somewhere between here and the rest of the coach. The Winnie wiring diagrams are printed in greek, and only show component locations, not how they are wired. Since the converter will power the coach, I assume it is functioning properly. Any idea where the break in the circuit is?? Where do the battery wires go from the battery bay? Inverter? Converter? Are there separate converter fuses for coach power and battery charging?

As always, thank you very much for the help.

 

[DonTom]

Last year, I switched from LA to LI batteries - 400aH. No issues. My PD9245 converter, with a pendant, keeps them charged. The RV is parked in my yard and plugged into 50A power. When I changed batteries, they did not fit under the steps, so I ran 4 Ga wires to the old location (2 ft) and wired them to the existing posts. Everything was good all winter. A couple weeks ago, I noted the Battery monitor, which had remained above 98% SOC all winter was drifting down. As of this morning, it was 74% SOC and losing about 1 - 1.5A.

While all 12V is currently working, if I drop the converter circuit, I lose ALL 12V power to the coach. No lights, no LP detector, no inverter. The batteries have power. Batteries are getting power into the old battery bay under the steps but not into the coach.

It seems the batteries are fine. The battery monitor, powered directly from the batteries is working. I have 12V at the old connections to the coach. I am losing power somewhere between here and the rest of the coach. The Winnie wiring diagrams are printed in greek, and only show component locations, not how they are wired. Since the converter will power the coach, I assume it is functioning properly. Any idea where the break in the circuit is?? Where do the battery wires go from the battery bay? Inverter? Converter? Are there separate converter fuses for coach power and battery charging?

As always, thank you very much for the help.

Do not troubleshoot it while the converter is on. Turn it off, lose all your power, and then start with checking the voltage at the battery and go on from there.

-Don- Sac Pass, NV

 

[John From Detroit]

PD 9245 Should have a pair of 30 amp fuses near the 12 volt connections.
With the unit NOT plugged in check with a test light clip to black (negative) terminal and tip to the windows in one of the fuses. check both. .If one side is dark one bright replace both

Plug back in

re-test or use a volt meter to read (same connetions) should be same voltage on both sides.
Always replace both (or if it has 3 all 3) at same time.

PS converters are not bomb proof. Minwe lasted 12.5 years. I had to replace it .At the time I got a refurb for about 200 direct from PS By Direct I mean I walked in with dead and out with refurb at PD" factory in Marshall MI.. I'll be in Marshall (Not at PD) on May 2

 

[grashley]

Well, I figured it out. After pulling out half of the hair I have left and trying to trace wires thru the floor, I was reading the Inverter manual. Their suggested wiring was from the battery thru the cut off switch to the inverter. I am embarrassed and relieved to report I must have bumped the Salesman Switch. As soon as I turned it on, my test light also came on. And it only took 3 days to figure it out!

A special thanks to Don & John.

 

[John From Detroit]

Sounds like a radio project I'm working on.
I need to interface two devices and the company's advice does not fit the device.

Turns out I need to do very little "modification" and I'm half done with the job now
I could just uese one of the cables in the KIT (and in fact I still will possibly 2 or 3 of 'em)

But I added a standard jack (From stock) to the device (looks factory installed) and 3 wires later I need to hook up to easily accessed points then use the supplied cable for power and done.
(Well ready for testing) should finish tomorrow.)