Magnum normal float amp draw

[magicrider]

Noticed the Magnum charger in my class A shows 4 amps plugged into to 50 amp shore power and then will go up to 16 amps and stay there. That seems excessive. My son's parked next to mine shows 4amp draw...? Is the likely problem a battery (open,shorted) or a controller issue? Thanks

[SCVJeff]

Start at the batteries and work backwards. Look at the SG of the fully charged batteries and see if you have a bad cell. After that hopefully you have a DVM because you will get nowhere without.

BTW- the stock Magnum current monitor is wildly inaccurate but it should not be drifting around like you describe

[magicrider]

Update. After doing what Doug suggested here's is the result. I unplugged from shore power for 2 minutes. Reconnected and watched Magnum monitor. Started at "bulk", high amps, screen changed to "absorb" and amps are fluctuating all over.....25-67. It did settle down some after a while but still goes bonkers and changes up and down the scale?... I feel there just may be an issue with cables, batteries...or? Can the controller board cause this? Has anyone had an issue similar. I will tear into it Saturday. Thanks again.

[dougrainer]

magicrider wrote:
Doug, the link you provided for the Magnum remote is the exact match to what I have. I guess I misunderstood the instructions in the manual. It does not say to select the mode but describes how it will cycle thru as needed. I just push the button "charger on" and that is when it raises to 16 amps , but never drops down to float. So you are saying leave it off and it will step thru the modes as needed? The system may be functioning as designed.

What I am saying simple. You NEVER have to select Charger. It is automatic every time 120 is connected to the RV. You CAN turn the charger OFF at the button. Lets say you turn the charger OFF manually at the charger button.
1. It will stay OFF until you turn it back on
2. BUT, when OFF, if you disconnect the 120 shore power and restore 120 shore Power, the charger will automatically come ON even if you had it turned OFF.
3. There is NO reason to ever turn the charger off unless you are having some type of problem
4. The Magnum is constantly monitoring the batteries. It also has a sensor on the batteries for temp controlled charging to prevent OVERCHARGE of the batteries.
5. Usually once it goes to Float/absorbsion charge, the display goes blank after a few minutes.
6. Have you checked the battery water? Are ALL batteries correct on water level? Doug

[CA_Traveler]

Leave the Magnum charger on and it will cycle through the 4 stages. But be aware that the display amps represents the total battery and house loads so 16A may be OK.

What stages are displayed on the remote? I would expect bulk, absorption and then float and it may also display 16A or even more for house loads.

And you could have a bad battery - why not have them load tested so that you know?

[magicrider]

Doug, the link you provided for the Magnum remote is the exact match to what I have. I guess I misunderstood the instructions in the manual. It does not say to select the mode but describes how it will cycle thru as needed. I just push the button "charger on" and that is when it raises to 16 amps , but never drops down to float. So you are saying leave it off and it will step thru the modes as needed? The system may be functioning as designed.

[dougrainer]

magicrider wrote:
Gents, my apologies for not responding sooner. The RV is plugged in my shop and I do not need to resolve immediately. My son is coming up this weekend and we will tear into it to check batteries etc. the unit is a Magnum ME series in a 2007 Fleetwood. Per the book if I select charge, it should bulk charge, then absorption, finally change to float if I read this correct. It never drops down on its own. I can select absorption with an indicator of flash once per second. The reading is DC and on bulk is 16 amps and 13.2 volts. If I switch to absorption it drops to 3 or 4 amps and 12.7 volts. I am assuming it never drops down from bulk to absorption to float on its own because of a problem?

Why can't you answer my question(type remote panel)? You people want help but do not answer questions to get help. The Magnum does NOT have to have charge selected. It is automatic every time 120 volts is supplied to the Inverter. I have NEVER seen a Magnum do what you state it is doing. I have been working on Magnum Inverters for 10 years ever since they started production. Doug

[Canadian_Rainbi]

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Repair by guesswork. I guess this isn't my thread 🙂

And you were so helpful and polite in your first post too. Maybe they didn't know it was you David.

Whew! For a moment there I thought your accident had damaged your delightful sarcastic witticism. :@

[magicrider]

Gents, my apologies for not responding sooner. The RV is plugged in my shop and I do not need to resolve immediately. My son is coming up this weekend and we will tear into it to check batteries etc. the unit is a Magnum ME series in a 2007 Fleetwood. Per the book if I select charge, it should bulk charge, then absorption, finally change to float if I read this correct. It never drops down on its own. I can select absorption with an indicator of flash once per second. The reading is DC and on bulk is 16 amps and 13.2 volts. If I switch to absorption it drops to 3 or 4 amps and 12.7 volts. I am assuming it never drops down from bulk to absorption to float on its own because of a problem?

[dougrainer]

You want help but you fail to answer questions. Click on this link. Respond and verify THIS is the remote panel you are looking at for that amp draw. IF it is NOT, then your question is NOT about the Magnum system. Doug
http://www.magnum-dimensions.com/sites/default/files/MagDocs/64-0003-Rev-G-ME-RC_Web.pdf

[SCVJeff]

magicrider wrote:
Thanks to all for the replies. The batteries were new Interstates last year. The previous owner drained them down all the way at least once I know of. Nothing is on in the RV except the fridge. It might very well be a defective battery. I am learning slowly how these systems work. I was just thinking there might be a defective controller board. I think the first thing will be check batt connections and maybe have those tested for issues. Individual battery problems can cause weird, intermittent issues. I will post what I find to be the problem.

if you post answers to the questions you will get a lot more intelligent answers from folks that have Magnums and understand their operation. What you have right now are guesses

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Repair by guesswork. I guess this isn't my thread 🙂

[jharrell]

magicrider wrote:
Nothing is on in the RV except the fridge. It might very well be a defective battery.

Is it a 3 way fridge with 12v mode? 4 amps AC / 40 amps DC would be about right for a fridge. If the fridge was in AC mode you would not see the draw through the inverter but would if you had a separate shore meter.

[jharrell]

You still didn't make it clear if it was AC or DC reading. If 4 amps AC that's 40 amps DC and pretty significant. If its the DC reading, it may be inaccurate on the Magnum below 10 amps as its using the AC current internally, from the manual:

"While inverting, the DC: A (Amps) displays a negative number to show the
battery current used by the inverter. If you are charging, the DC A (amps)
displays a positive number to show the amount of current delivered to the
batteries. The accuracy of this display below 1 amp AC (~10 amps DC @
12VDC) is not detected. When the current into or out of the batteries is
greater than 1 amp AC, the display accuracy is ±20%."

The BMK shunt meter has a tenth amp accuracy to and from the batteries but wont tell you what house load are drawing direct from the charger.

[magicrider]

Thanks to all for the replies. The batteries were new Interstates last year. The previous owner drained them down all the way at least once I know of. Nothing is on in the RV except the fridge. It might very well be a defective battery. I am learning slowly how these systems work. I was just thinking there might be a defective controller board. I think the first thing will be check batt connections and maybe have those tested for issues. Individual battery problems can cause weird, intermittent issues. I will post what I find to be the problem.