Finding A Fuse
Dear RV Doctor:
We have a 2008 Fleetwood Bounder in which we experienced a surge at the Atlanta Motor Speedway when the neutral wire on a 50-amp aftermarket plug failed. We replaced all the appliances when we arrived back home and had an electrical diagnostic completed by a local service shop. All is good again, and we’ve enjoyed the motorhome many times.
My question is regarding the dash radio and dash flasher indicators. While we are parked at an RV site and operating the coach from shore power, we noticed we can no longer operate the dash radio, but we could before the mishap. In addition, the flashers were inadvertently turned on while parked at the RV site, but the indicator lights on the dash did not light up. An RV friend tells me it might be that the lead was not reconnected to the original or proper place to bypass the ignition ACC (accessories). Could you shed some light on this? I’m hoping I can make the reconnection myself without having to lug the motorhome to another shop.
Steve Parks
Via e-mail
Yikes! That’s a tough experience to go through. I hope you’ve considered adding a surge protector to your list of necessary supplies from now on.
Without having the benefit of a wiring schematic in front of me, I’m just guessing, but it would seem to me that since the dash components, including the emergency flashers, worked before but not now, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that a hidden fuse or fusible link might have been affected by the power surge. In Type A motorhomes, the dash components typically are powered by the engine cranking battery, rather than the house battery bank, meaning the ignition key must be on in order to use the dash equipment (the flashers and perhaps the radio being the exceptions). But if yours was indeed wired to the auxiliary battery bank, it’s possible the service shop missed an in-line fuse or, more likely, a fusible link somewhere in the system.
It’s also possible that the 12-volt hot lead to the radio and the flashers has simply come loose from its connection. Wires and slip connectors can work loose over time as the motorhome bounces along down the highway. A closer inspection might be in order. One thing you can do is to physically trace the hot lead from the radio and see where it connects to the fuse block or accessory panel. If all else fails, you could always run a new wire and protect that circuit with an in-line fuse.
If it’s still possible to obtain the wiring diagrams from Fleetwood or perhaps online, we’d be able to discern where those protective devices might be located, as well as where the connection for the radio is made. Rarely will an RV manufacturer use fusible links, but chassis makers use them, so you might want to go on that “needle in a haystack” search under and behind the dash to avoid having to take the coach back in. A fusible link that is blown typically has insulation that appears burned or bubbled. And, of course, a loose wire hanging there would be more obvious.
In Need Of A Charge
Dear RV Doctor:
I have two questions. First, I have a 1992 Winnebago with a generator that will not start. I try to start it manually from outside, but all I get is a buzzing noise. Second, it seems the auxiliary batteries are not recharging themselves. What could be the problem?
Kenny Williams
Cleveland, Mississippi
I believe your two questions are related. Apparently, because of the low-voltage condition of the battery bank, the generator is not being provided sufficient voltage to start. That buzzing noise you hear is likely the starter solenoid or relay trying to pass the battery voltage to the generator starter circuit. There’s simply not enough voltage to get that generator cranked. Since RV batteries cannot recharge themselves, they require a charging device of some type to replenish the amp-hours stored in each cell of each battery. I’m guessing the battery bank is simply not fully charged. Good RV technicians will first eliminate the batteries as the cause, then look to the charging system on that RV, and finally to the loads connected to that system.
Most charging converters are very good at converting 120 volts AC to 12 volts DC for powering all the 12-volt devices found in the motorhome, but lack the sophistication of a processor-controlled charger. Custom charging algorithms, determined by battery type, bank size, and the electrolyte temperature, are needed for proper and complete battery charging. I’ve always been a strong proponent of adding a dedicated battery charger, one that can fully charge a battery bank without the fear of overcharging it.
The answer to your second question will be evident after verifying the integrity of the batteries themselves, the charging methodology, and the loads in the system. By the time all faults are identified and rectified, your first question will be moot.