No 12v power to generator

[Explorer1016]

I originally posted this in tech but am not getting much response. Seems like the Class C group is more active than the tech group. Need some help on this one!

Last winter I had a new Xantrex 3000w Pure Sine Wave inverter/charger installed in my RV. Get the rig home from the RV shop and test all systems. Everything worked. We take a 2500 mile trip to Utah and back, same thing, all systems good. RV sits in my driveway all summer except a short trip for a weekend with the guys. This time I didn't test the genset but we were heading out last weekend in the high heat and I wanted to run the generator so I could run the house A/C. No genset.

I do not have power to the start switch or the digital hour meter.
I pulled the remote start switch panel out of the wall to check the wiring and all is good, I opened the gen compartment and checked the fuse, good, hit the 30 amp breaker, no difference and I also hit the ECM reset switch. Still no power to the genset. It is a kubota diesel powered Powertech unit.

The heat is supposed to subside this weekend so I plan to crawl under the RV and start tracing my power wires to where ever they take me. I don't know if the gen 12v power comes from the house batteries (4-6 volt batteries) or from my chassis batteries (2- 12 volt batteries).

Any ideas?

Thank you
Dennis

[Explorer1016]

enblethen wrote:
Have you checked around where the installer attached cables to the batteries when they did the inverter install? They could have dropped a wire.

Enblethen, the generator worked as normal on our long trip to Utah and back and several times at the house for testing purposes so I have eliminated that item.

Dennis

[Explorer1016]

dirko wrote:
Hi Ho Dennis: Troubleshooting something like this is pretty straight forward. Rather than guessing where power is (and where it isn't) take your VOM (voltmeter) and measure the battery voltage. You should see this same voltage all the way to the generator. Be sure to check the ground connections. It will probably turn out to be a bad connection or fuse. I'm not familiar with your rig, but electrical schematics will also be a big help in tracing the power.

\

Thanks Dirko. I wish I was as adept at the complex electrical systems as I am with the mechanical systems. I know this should be easy but for me it is a challenge due to lack of knowledge of not quite having a grasp of the way the electrical systems operate.

[Explorer1016]

Good morning All,
I was outside in, on and under the MH all day yesterday until a little after 9pm. Wasn't too hot but the humidity from the south found it way up here in Missouri. Not a big fan of heat or humidity, however, back to the subject.

To answer a few questions from yesterday. I do have a battery disconnect in the coach. This switch operates just fine. I checked the wiring on it and it is good and up to code.

All of my 12v lighting and systems work. They all also go on and off with the battery disconnect switch. No issues here.

Regarding the multimeter test. My truck has a diesel engine which gives me 2 chassis batteries and I have 4- 6 volt house batteries so not sure how I can do a true voltage test.

I crawled under the truck yesterday and tried to trace the +/- wiring from the genset and all I can say is holy guacamole. There are so many wire/cable runs under there that go inside the chassis rails, over boxes around tanks and through openings it is very difficult and frustrating tracing anything under there, so as my automatic ADD disfunction kicked in I was side tracked by many other things. I found a broken exhaust hanger and drug the welder out and repaired that, I put air in the tires, then I installed a coolant filter kit that I bought in February, then the DW found a small BluRay disc player at Sams and we looked at that and tried to find a nice permanent location in the mh for it.

Bottom line is, I was unable to trace the + generator wire because of the plethora of cables under that thing. Now that the exhaust hanger is welded securely back in its place and the coolant filter system is neatly installed, it is time for yet another trip under there to try once again to follow that red wire. If you don't hear from me for a few days, send someone in to look for me.

[cgmartine]

Dou you have a battery disconnect switch inside the house?

[dirko]

Hi Ho Dennis: Troubleshooting something like this is pretty straight forward. Rather than guessing where power is (and where it isn't) take your VOM (voltmeter) and measure the battery voltage. You should see this same voltage all the way to the generator. Be sure to check the ground connections. It will probably turn out to be a bad connection or fuse. I'm not familiar with your rig, but electrical schematics will also be a big help in tracing the power.

[Bordercollie]

Check for good ground cable connection from Genset to RV frame. Contact your RV maker and ask whether genset starts from chassis or house batteries. If genset were starting and running, you could disconnect chassis battery or house battery to determine which runs starter on generator. Are your 12 volt interior lights, furnace and other 12 vdc items getting power from the house batteries?
If not, the auxiliary battery switch relay may not be working properly.

[Mandalay_Parr]

There doesn't seem to be any consistent generator wiring to the batteries. Some are on house and others on chassis.

Don't know about yours.

Also check the starting solenoid for bad connections.

Jerry

[enblethen]

Have you checked around where the installer attached cables to the batteries when they did the inverter install? They could have dropped a wire.

[Explorer1016]

Mandalay Parr wrote:
Did you try the things I previously suggested?
How about the others?

You gave no response.
If you want help we need a little feedback.

The rv.net site went down last night and just came back up, at least in my area so sorry about that. Yes, that was done during all of my other testing procedures. The next thing I will be doing (in about 30 minutes) is crawling under the truck and trace all of the wiring. At this point I am not sure which batteries the gen is connected to, however, my shore power and the chassis batteries are all good. I either have a bad wire, either + or -, or a bad inline fuse somewhere, or a bad ECU.

I did notice some corrosion at one post of one of the house batteries so I will find out what is connected to that particular battery post and also clean it.

One more item, I have only owned this rig just over a year and during that time it was in the shop for 6 months for a rear tire blow out repair and subsequent upgrade modifications, so have not had a chance to completely familiarize myself with all systems yet.

[Mandalay_Parr]

Did you try the things I previously suggested?
How about the others?

You gave no response.
If you want help we need a little feedback.