Water Pump One More Time - Wiper Blade - and ...

[chaajoad]

Hi Guys -

My attempt to find a water pump fuse is at a standstill. I hate to keep asking, but - it's maddening.

I can't find a fuse in the water tank compartment itself. No fuse in either the under dash or under the hood fuse boxes. No fuse under both sinks. This has to be a lot easier than this on such a common model. Any specific help at all? The little Shurflo pump next to the water tank has to be the pump itself, correct?

To be honest, I'm really frustrated to the point of mild anger that I can't find any manuals for my rig. I've scoured the net and nothing beyond a $10 generic Fleetwood manual which is pretty worthless. I see rigs for sale on ebay showing stacks of manuals that came with it originally (God bless those owners!) and I've easily purchased manuals for cars. Very, very mystifying.

In addition -

I went to replace a wiper blade. On the passenger side I bought a slide in blade, no problem. On the driver's side, the replacement fell out. It was actually okay because with all that glass and sitting way up, I could still see fairly well through a heavy rain - so we arrived home, no problem. At Shuck's I bought an entire blade replacement - the length is right but obviously it won't just snap in like a car wiper. I'm going t o look on the Net but can I assume that blades for RVs are different than cars?

Finally - while looking for the pump fuse, I noticed a box in the water tank compartment with 4 wire leads going into it marked "mpx low side 7amp latching controller". What in the world is that thing? Any clues?

Thanks as always. If no one can tell me precisely where that fuse might be, that's cool. I understand the responsibility is mine and there's only so much the forum can do. But your advice this last 6 months has been wonderful and useful. Thanks to all. Here's to a safe, healthy and happy NEW YEAR!!!

Danny
Poulsbo WA
99 Bounder 34J

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

To be honest, I'm really frustrated to the point of mild anger that I can't find any manuals for my rig. I've scoured the net and nothing beyond a $10 generic Fleetwood manual which is pretty worthless. I see rigs for sale on ebay showing stacks of manuals that came with it originally (God bless those owners!) and I've easily purchased manuals for cars. Very, very mystifying.

Well, surprise, Danny, but that generic Fleetwood manual is probably what came with the Bounder and most other coaches as well, with possibly an insert showing the dash layout of your particular model.  That plus dozens of component manuals supplied by the manufacturers of the furnace, fridge, water heater, a/c, etc. that are installed in your motorhome.  There won't be any comprehensive manual for it, so you just have to hunt. It's possible that Fleetwood might have a schematic for the wiring harness. Call Fleetwood Customer Service and ask - you might get lucky. See Contact Fleetwood .  Don't bother asking for a service manual - there is none.

As for the wiper blade, RVs use generic blades but there are several types. I suggest you take your old one to an auto parts store (a good one like a NAPA store where there are knowledgeable clerks) and ask them to help match it up.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Now, about the water pump. Have you tested at the pump with a voltmeter to see if power is reaching that far? Could save you a lot of hunting for a fuse! If you don't have a meter, how about running a pair of temporary wires from the battery right to the pump, to see if it spins?

Another question: do you have more than  one switch that turns on the pump? If so, and neither switch works,there is probably a relay somewhere.  It might be that the relay went bad.

 

[chaajoad]

Hi Roamer -

The wiper blade assembly is screwed onto the arm with several phillips head screws. I've replaced a lot of blades in my time but this one doesn't just swing out and you can snap the new assembly in. That's why I was thinking that it might take a specialty blade.

As for the pump -

Yes, two locations turn it on - one in the bathroom and one in the kitchen. If it's a relay, is there anyway for me to check that out or is it a dealer thing?

I'm thinking it must be a fuse because it was ice cold weather and I went to turn the pump on and the light/pump came on and then went dead. I'm guessing there was ice in the line and the fuse blew as the pump trying to pump it out and meeting resistance.

Thoughts?

Thanks -

Danny

 

[Jeff]

Danny:

What Gary is suggesting is taking a voltmeter (or test light) to the pump and checking for power on the positive lead. That is a very simple test that will definitely rule out a pump problem if there is power to the lead.

Another way would be to apply 12v power to the pump if you have a battery to use to do that.

Once you know your pump is working you can run a new wire and fuse if you have to.

 

[Ned]

The box marked "mpx low side 7amp latching controller" is probably the relay that controls the pump from the two switches.  The 4 wires are one for each switch, one for 12VDC and one out for the water pump.  There should be an inline fuse in the wire from the relay to the pump or it may be in the wire from the battery to the relay.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

The fuse may be in or near that relay box.  That's also another place you can check for power to the pump, i.e. at the relay's output side.  You need to do basic problem isolation and figure out whether the problem is the pump or the power. Then you know will how to proceed.

I agree the symptoms indicate a freeze-up failure and hopefully a fuse would blow before the pump itlelf burned out.

Have you found the place where most 12V fuses are located? Somewhere there will be a moderate sized circuit board with relays and fuses, typically in one of the basement bays but maybe under the bed or...? Maybe another Bounder owner could suggest where they are located, though there can be a lot of variation across models and years. Anyway, one of them should be the main power source for the pump. However, there may be another inline fuse somewhere else too.

 

[Karl]

Ned is right. That is the control relay for the pump. Do either of the two switches for the pump light up when you press it (them) and turn back off when you press it (them) again? If so, chances are the relay is o.k., but not for certain. It may be switching enough current for the switch lights but not enough for the pump itself. Have someone toggle one of the switches a few times while you listen for it to operate. If the lights don't switch on and off or you don't hear it operating, there may be no power in the switch circuit. The fuse holder for the pump should be within 6-12" of the pump itself.

 

[Karl]

I have a '96 Bounder and the 12V fuses are located in the same area as the 120V circuit breakers (over the fridge), but in a small panel to the right of it. May not be the same for yours.

 

[chaajoad]

Hi Guys -

I'm embarrassed to say I've never used a multimeter or ever checked a circuit for juice. I know that might be incredible for most on this board, but my weakpoint has always been math and that figures into electricity ...

Anyway ...

Neither pump control light comes on. I'll look for a 12v fuse location. Stupid question # (fill in the blank) - when I check to see if power is reaching the pump, I'm assuming I have to do nothing special - just leave it like I have it, with shore power and batteries disconnected -
right?

Might not be able to get to it until Saturday - just consider this an old-fashioned serial ... kind of like "Lost" - only in my case it might be called "Totally Lost".

 

[Ned]

If the lights don't light, then the relay isn't getting 12VDC from the batteries.  Of course, if you have no shore power and the batteries are disconnected, then nothing electrical will work

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I'm embarrassed to say I've never used a multimeter or ever checked a circuit for juice.

That's not really unusual, but you are trying to diagnose an electrical problem without the knowledge or tools for the job. We can supply some of the knowledge, but it helps if you can use the basic tools.  You can pick up a basic digital voltmeter (aka VOM) in many stores and operation is simple. No math or electrical skills needed - just follow the directions that come with it. Or simpler yet, pick up a 12v test light at an auto parts store (or maybe even Walmart) and simply touch the ends to the two pump leads. If the bulb lights, you have power. A test light looks like an ice pick with a wire attached. The wire clips to one of the pump leads and the pointed end is touched to the other.

As Ned says, with 12v power off (no battery and no converter via shore power), nothing is going to work anyway.

 

[chaajoad]

Hi Gary -

I'll follow your advice. I do have shore power and the pump should work. More on my quest soon. BTW - you remind me of an across-the-street neighbor I once had. He would watch me attempt various maintenance chores with amusement BUT ... he was always there to help. One day I was clambering around outside the house bn an aluminum ladder that had a bend it it - very rickety. He literally stopped in the middle of the street and hollered at me to get a new ladder. As a violunteer fireman, he knew what I was doing was pretty dangerous. That day I went out and got a $300 fiberglass extension ladder. I might be silly - but I'm not stupid.

 

[On The Road Again]

Danny, where is your MH now? Do you have it in Mukilteo? If so, I live by Silver Lake. Can met you at your house and can bring a meter with me. Maybe between the 2 of us and all the help you have received from here, we can find your problem and get it fixed. You can email me at [email protected] and we can go from there. It will be a few days though. Got to get rid of this Cold our grandson gave all of us. Maybe this week end or what ever might work best for you. Seems like this has been giving you fits for some time. Lets see if we can fix it.    Bud

 

[Lou Schneider]

I didn't realize we were neighbors.  I'm also in Mukilteo.  Send me some email with your phone number or whatever and I'll be glad to come over and help you figure it out.  Click on my name to see my profile including the email address.

 

[fredethomas]

We had a 1994 Bounder and hunted in dozens of states for windshield wiper blades.  Finley found a set in a small RV shop near Knoxville.  I wrote to Fleetwood complaining that is should be a violation of law to have wiperblades that could not be found in auto stores.  I don't know what others have done or if those blades can be found now.  Even Camping World did not have them and Fleetwood would not sell to me.

 

[chaajoad]

Hi All -

Well, I live in Poulsbo and that's a bit of a hike. You need to take the Kingston-Edmonds ferry and that's $$. I could pick either one of up in Kingston and reimburse you for your ferry fee, parking, etc. Seems like a lot to help a goof like me figure out the water pump problem. But I'm game to keep talking about it ... cause I gotta get that fixed. And I could use the education.

As for wiper blades - I'm glad I'm not hallucinating. They aren't auto parts store blades. I tried a refill and it slipped out during rain. Wonderful. That's when I saw that the arm that holds the rubber blade doesn't come off with a little twist like a car - it's screwed on. I might have found a place that sells them for $30. THIRTY BUCKS! What a racket. I agree -
basic safety gear like lights, wiper blades, etc., should be more easy to obtain.

I feel certain the pump is a fuse - if I could find the doggone thing!

You guys will like this.

I commute a lot. 4 hours a day total. Last year our company moved and it added maybe another 20-30 minutes a day messing with busses to get to work. I have a big motorcycle but won't drive it in the rain - a problem in Seattle. So I bought a scooter online. Very reputable company, BBB member. I uncrate the thing - beautiful. Of course the manual is written in fractured english (made in China) and neglects basic set-up info. But I get it all together and - starts right up! I'm excited and get on it, take off down the driveway. I'm maybe a mile from the house. It's Christmas Eve, 9 PM. Cold, wet and I have a light shirt and jeans. The scooter stops running as if a plug had been pulled.

There are no street lights out here in the sticks, and the road is rough and a gentle incline uphill. I'd left my cell phone home, so ... I push it all the way back. Dirty and sweaty and swearing (Merry Cussmas!) I get in the garage and the thing turns over like a champ but won't start.

To sum up - the seller has been pretty decent at working with me. I need to take some pieces off to check for a loose coil wire - of course I need metric sockets with an extension -
which I don't have. I'll pick up a set later today.

My wife wonders why I go into spasms of joy every time I buy ANYTHING and it works as intended for a decent period of time.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

If you can't find them at a truck stop store, here's a source for Class A wiper blades, indexed by manufacturer and model. Bounder will be under Fleetwood.

Class A Wiper Blades

 

[chaajoad]

An update -

Still no luck in finding that water pump fuse ...

The blade I'd purchased at Shuck's didn't fit so I returned it today and spent an hour as the guys tried a bunch of attachments to get the blade to fit the Bounder. I think they did it - I have to wait for daylight to check it out. It will be an inch shorter than stock but that should be fine. Before out big wind storm a few weeks back, I drove the rig in pouring rain to get gas, propane - it was amazing how well I could see without wipers. Maybe it's because of sitting higher or all that glass surface but it was surprising to me.

Anyway - the wiper blade might be resolved. I also read someplace about keeping the wiper blades off the gas because both heat and cold/ice can damage them. I took two simple clothes pins and it works like a champ.

 

[chaajoad]

The learning curve continues ...

I went all over the coach today, determined to find the water pump fuse. It just can't be that hard. I started leafing through the generic "manual" I'd ordered from Fleetwood when we bought the coach. I read the fuse page a half dozen times - it mentioned a 20 amp fuse controlled the water pump and it listed three fuse locations and I'd checked them all numerous times.

But a phrase tripped something in my mind - it mentioned fuses under the dash, under the hood and ... "12 volt fuses". It dawned on me - all I'd seen in the fuse box located IN the coach over the dinette area were some breakers and those aren't 12 volt fuses. I raised the panel, looked it and there's a flat metal cover to the right of the breaker switches. I noticed a little thumb screw holding it shut. I unscrewed it and - voila! Fuses! I found one that was fried - a 7.5 amp fuse. I stuck a 20 in and the water pump works. Obviously, some Einstein stuck the 7.5 as a makeshift repair and never bothered to replace it with a 20.

Wow.

Then I discovered the adapter for the windshield wiper that a young guy at Shucks spent a long time hooking up was not going to work. So I either need to once again try just replacing the rubber blade or spending $30 on a whole new wiper arm.

Right after this, I found a GFI circuit that had tripped - it was hidden behind tools in the garage and was driving me nuts because an outside outlet had gone dead and I knew it was a GFI problem so now THAT works.

But I still have a $2000 scooter that won't start and that is getting to be a bigger issue by the day. I'm thinking of contesting the charge on the credit card but that's a topic for another forum ...

A new series of storms is rolling into the NW this week - wind, cold and even snow, which is rare in the Seattle area.

The beat goes on ...

Danny
Poulsbo WA