I have a 9269 that I bought from Best in May of 12. Recently the pendant stopped working, so I bought a new one and installed it a couple of weeks ago. It changes mode as it should now.I'g getting ready for a 2 week trip this weekend and I was checking out all the systems. I cycled the pendant on the 9260 and all the correct voltages showed up on the Trimetric, BUT no amperage at all zero, zip. In fact, the Trimetric showed -.4amps which is my normal parasitic for what I had on. Confirmed the voltages with a VOM on the battery and they matched Trimetric.I left the old WFCO installed and when I switch to the WFCO, amperage an voltage reads as anticipated on the Trimetric.I called Randy at Best and he was not able to help over the phone. Has anyone experienced this situation and is there a cure other than replacement.I can live with the WFCO for this trip, but it never goes into boost and that means longer recharge times.

NOT RECOMMENDEDBut I connected a 2-farad cap through a 50-amp switch and my stupid Wifco sucks it up hook, line & sinker. Goes into boost. Wonder when the cap is going to grenade?

If you have the chassis ground to frame connected (as is proper) on the deck- mounted 9260, is it possible the voltage is showing on the batts (from 9260 POS output and frame) but no amps to batts because the 9260 DC NEG output path is "open" ? I assume that NEG output path goes via Tri shunt, but is open before reaching the shunt.Not sure that would explain it, but giving it a try :)

It sounds like there's probably something wonky about the connections between the battery, the converter, and the trimetric, rather than a fault in any of those units themselves.How are the battery, the trimetric, and the converter connected together in relation to each other? In particular, does the trimetric's current sensor actually see the current from the converter to the battery? If, for example, it uses a current shut on the ground lead of the battery, does the converter connect to the battery rather than the chassis side of the shunt?

Again, nothing has changed in the connections from a condition where it was working properly for 3 years. I've checked the connections at the battery, the PD and ohmed the cables. The PD is located about 2' from the batterys with #4 cable. The fact that the WFCO gives proper charge readings on the Trimetric would seem to indicate that all connections are correct. Another note is that the fan on the PD never moves when the pendant switches it to 14.4 volts which would indicate that something "popped" in the PD and no output.

The mystery is of course, why the PD is showing the proper voltages at the battery but the batteries are seeing no amps from the PD.DrewE and I had possible explanations (his made more sense than mine) but something has happened. Since the connections have not changed, then IMO disconnect them all, clean them up, and try again.

PD 9260 Issue | Good Sam Community

joshuajim
Explorer II
Sep 10, 2015
wa8yxm wrote:
You have said a couple of times "All the proper voltages"

But .. Just out of coursity.. What are those voltages?

Page 2: How did you hook up your new converter.. Did you hook it DIRECT to the batteries (thus bypassing the Tri-metric's current sensor?)

I mean 13.2, 13.6 and 14.4 (+/-) depending on what mode it is in. It is not a new converter, it's been in use for 3 years. I just replaced a defective pendant.

I think what happened is that I had to unbolt the unit to plug in the new pendant. I probably stressed the ground cable that was improperly installed and it lost good contact with the lug. I installed it so no excuses. I believe the corrosion present acted somewhat like a semi-conductor allowing a voltage reading with a VOM, but not passing any significant amps. I learned a long time ago to check this type of problem with a test light, not a VOM but I foolishly skipped that test and just did an ohm test on the cable from the wrong point.

The negative cable was and is connected to the ground side of the shunt, not the battery per Trimetric's instructions.

Thanks all for your help.
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Sep 10, 2015
You have said a couple of times "All the proper voltages"

But .. Just out of coursity.. What are those voltages?

Page 2: How did you hook up your new converter.. Did you hook it DIRECT to the batteries (thus bypassing the Tri-metric's current sensor?)
bigfootford
Nomad II
Sep 10, 2015
joshuajim wrote:
BFL13 wrote:
The mystery is of course, why the PD is showing the proper voltages at the battery but the batteries are seeing no amps from the PD.

DrewE and I had possible explanations (his made more sense than mine) but something has happened. Since the connections have not changed, then IMO disconnect them all, clean them up, and try again.

Winner winner chicken dinner.

Pulled the converter out to check it on the bench. Pulled the cables from the converter and noted that the negative cable was not fully inserted into the socket and the screw only caught the end of the cable. The end was sigificantly corroded. Cut it off and reinserted. When I ohmed the cable, I stuck the partially exposed end of he cable, not the terminal lug. Oops!

All is well again. I've seen corroded wires pass voltage but not amps before.

Exact symptom as the fuses!

Glad you got it!

Jim
time2roll
Nomad
Sep 10, 2015
So when the PD is showing 14.4 volts... what is the voltage on the actual battery terminals?

Need a separate voltmeter to poke around. The Trimetric only reads at one place.
joshuajim
Explorer II
Sep 10, 2015
BFL13 wrote:
The mystery is of course, why the PD is showing the proper voltages at the battery but the batteries are seeing no amps from the PD.

DrewE and I had possible explanations (his made more sense than mine) but something has happened. Since the connections have not changed, then IMO disconnect them all, clean them up, and try again.

Winner winner chicken dinner.

Pulled the converter out to check it on the bench. Pulled the cables from the converter and noted that the negative cable was not fully inserted into the socket and the screw only caught the end of the cable. The end was sigificantly corroded. Cut it off and reinserted. When I ohmed the cable, I stuck the partially exposed end of he cable, not the terminal lug. Oops!

All is well again. I've seen corroded wires pass voltage but not amps before.
BFL13
Explorer II
Sep 10, 2015
bigfootford wrote:
The Pd has 2 30 amp fuses located close to the wire connections for dc... Probably blown, caused by XXXXXXX.

Pendant is happy because the modes are changing.

Trimetric is looking at the battery voltage not the converter.

You will not see any boost/absorb voltages from the PD with those fuses blown. You will only see the battery voltage

Jim

Right, but he said he got the battery voltage to be the same as the three Charge Wizard voltages on demand, so how can he get PD voltages at the battery with no amps?
bigfootford
Nomad II
Sep 10, 2015
The Pd has 2 30 amp fuses located close to the wire connections for dc... Probably blown, caused by XXXXXXX.

Pendant is happy because the modes are changing.

Trimetric is looking at the battery voltage not the converter.

You will not see any boost/absorb voltages from the PD with those fuses blown. You will only see the battery voltage

Jim
BFL13
Explorer II
Sep 10, 2015
The mystery is of course, why the PD is showing the proper voltages at the battery but the batteries are seeing no amps from the PD.

DrewE and I had possible explanations (his made more sense than mine) but something has happened. Since the connections have not changed, then IMO disconnect them all, clean them up, and try again.
joshuajim
Explorer II
Sep 10, 2015
Again, nothing has changed in the connections from a condition where it was working properly for 3 years. I've checked the connections at the battery, the PD and ohmed the cables. The PD is located about 2' from the batterys with #4 cable. The fact that the WFCO gives proper charge readings on the Trimetric would seem to indicate that all connections are correct.

Another note is that the fan on the PD never moves when the pendant switches it to 14.4 volts which would indicate that something "popped" in the PD and no output.
DrewE
Explorer II
Sep 09, 2015
It sounds like there's probably something wonky about the connections between the battery, the converter, and the trimetric, rather than a fault in any of those units themselves.

How are the battery, the trimetric, and the converter connected together in relation to each other? In particular, does the trimetric's current sensor actually see the current from the converter to the battery? If, for example, it uses a current shut on the ground lead of the battery, does the converter connect to the battery rather than the chassis side of the shunt?

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