Low voltage at atwood rv heater, help please

[mdecorso]

I am getting a low voltage reading at my heater. I am testing it with my voltmeter at the blower motor. I get a 10.6 reading when plugged into shore power. Furthur testing at the rv power distribution panel/fuse panel gives me a similar reading when I test from the blue shore power line attached to the 12v panel to the white ground input coming from my house battery. My house battery is at 12v, a little low I know, but a separate issue. My question is does this mean that my white ground has a bad connection somewhere?

The problem becomes evident when it gets dark and I turn on a couple of lights. They pull enough power away from the heater to slow the blowere and thus drop the sail switch, so no heat. At bedtime, lights go off, heater on, warm time.

[Almot]

mdecorso wrote:
I turned off ALL 12v stuff in the camper. Fridge, every light, water pump, whatever could be on. When I did this I got 16.45v at the blue and white wire on the converter.

16.45V alone is the reason to replace the converter.

[pianotuna]

Replace it.

[BFL13]

From posts a few years ago, there were examples of the 6300 running at up to 21v ISTR. Means it has an internal fault.

[mdecorso]

Here is a new development. I turned off ALL 12v stuff in the camper. Fridge, every light, water pump, whatever could be on. When I did this I got 16.45v at the blue and white wire on the converter. As soon as ANYTHING was turned on, one light, water pump switch (water was already pressurized so didn't actually run), heater, whatever, only ONE item, voltage dropped to 11.1v. Each successive item would drop it by .1v. So with nothing at all on, I have too much power. With one or more things, not enough.

Still wondering if this could be a ground issue and maybe I don't need a new converter.

[mdecorso]

Okay. I am following the very simple diagnostic there BFL13, and am seeing my converter is bad. Darn.

I cannot find any fuses on the unit besides the bladed 12v fuses for various circuits and the 120v breakers. Remain hopeful I'll find one after moving a few things to get to the back of the power converter unit and find it is blown.

[BFL13]

mdecorso wrote:
Okay. I am following the very simple diagnostic there BFL13, and am seeing my converter is bad. Darn.

I cannot find any fuses on the unit besides the bladed 12v fuses for various circuits and the 120v breakers. Remain hopeful I'll find one after moving a few things to get to the back of the power converter unit and find it is blown.

The two 30a fuses will be on the fuse panel (front upper left on mine), not on the unit, off by themselves, not part of the collection of 12v circuit fuses. Replace both if only one is blown.

[mdecorso]

Okay. I am following the very simple diagnostic there BFL13, and am seeing my converter is bad. Darn.

I cannot find any fuses on the unit besides the bladed 12v fuses for various circuits and the 120v breakers. Remain hopeful I'll find one after moving a few things to get to the back of the power converter unit and find it is blown.

[BFL13]

mdecorso wrote:
Sorry again, that's a series 6300, model 6345 specifically. The 1997 is a different unit than this. This one is a 1992.

Whichever it is, the 6xxx models are similar. You can use the above links to find yours and that troubleshooting step by step will also apply to yours pretty much.

To get by in the meantime, I agree with the others, just use any battery charger you can grab and get your battery back up to speed until later on you can solve the converter problem

(Replacement options --stay away from the 7300 upgrade and the Ultra/WFCO upgrade--choose the PowerMax or the PD upgrade instead for a better converter for the same or less money)

[mdecorso]

Sorry again, that's a series 6300, model 6345 specifically. The 1997 is a different unit than this. This one is a 1992.

[BFL13]

http://www.parallaxpower.com/archived-tech-docs

Go to Magnetek and it opens to a list of converters--go down to the 6500 section and check the links to see if anything there helps.

the 6300 section has the link to "diagnostic" which might also help.

http://d163axztg8am2h.cloudfront.net/static/doc/a4/16/7e62f5ee2c6fab2e7219f9686a4f.pdf

[time2roll]

mdecorso wrote:
Yes, I have a magnetek 6500

Time is good for replacement.

[BFL13]

I see you have a 1997 rig, so yours will be a 6300, not a 7300 converter. The 6300 has a somewhat different fuse panel, which is "split" between things that run straight from converter or battery and things which need the battery to act as filter (like the "monitor lights" panel often found in the range hood) for the "dirty" DC 12v power the converter makes. Also it has a battery charging section.

ISTR there is a relay that can be stuck which cuts off the battery charger, and ISTR you can bang on it to get it working again, but Not sure. some folks here know how to troubleshoot those 6300s. I have a 7300, so no help there.

I'll see if they still have a 6300 trouble shooting guide posted.

[mdecorso]

Yes, I have a magnetek 6500

[mdecorso]

So for for repeat postings. Not sure what's going on there.