More WFCO Woes

[BFL13]

Friend with new to her 2008 Class C called saying while camping with grand-daughter and some dogs, with hook ups, the lights are dim and going dimmer back and forth.

So I as an rv.net trained "tech" am off to the rescue! 🙂

120v intake was ok, output at the converter was 11v sometimes 8v. Disconnected the single (new) 12v battery (voltage 10.6--yipes)

Lights in rig still work, so converter is working--but lights still going even dimmer at times then brighter. I have no clue how bright is normal with her rig. Still 11v and 8v at times, so converter has to be the culprit.

Attached my PowerMax adjustable voltage converter with wire clamps, set to 13.6v to battery wires in her rig. Ta da! Lights now very bright. Also now getting four lights instead of just three on the idiot light battery monitor.

Ok detached the PowerMax, installed a charged up 12v batt I took along just in case---lights still bright, re-attached the PowerMax at 13.6 and the lights went a little brighter. All is good!

So it seems the WFCO is having problems. It works with no battery and you get some voltage--11 or 8 so it seems like it is working but acting up a bit and the lights are really dim. BUT obviously the thing is not working right at 11v or 8v

So the plan is to get that WFCO out of there when she gets back and replace it.

I found it to be very confusing at first, that the WFCO was working with no battery so I suspected the battery, but the voltages were just too low and it kept dropping from 11 to 8 back and forth, with no battery at all, so it had to be the WFCO converter at fault.

(I have since recharged her battery and will get mine back and the PowerMax in a later swap)

[Old-Biscuit]

W/O Battery and good 120V AC the converter DC out S/B 13.2V DC MINIMUM

YES the converter section is failing

IF that WFCO is a 8900 series a PowerMax 55A is direct replacement
WFCO 8900 Series (35,45,55) replacement


Just did one for neighbor.
Front panel comes off allowing access to lower section where converter is
Couple of mounting screws.......5 wires (2 AC/2 DC/1 chassis grd)

[BFL13]

MrWizard wrote:
Nice to be able to help
I think loaning her, one of the vector battery charger would he been better for her
No chance of changing the voltage and damaging the battery

Good point, but she won't mess up things. She is a respected judge for dog agility trials, so is very level-headed. One of DW's best pals, so I was sent off with no delay permitted. 🙂

The tech interest would be how the converter was still actually working to a degree. Just not enough voltage. I suppose it would quit entirely eventually.

Her fridge was not happy. With its door open it had a blinking light inside it. I didn't catch which brand of fridge. That stopped blinking once the voltage was back to what it should be. I didn't look at the fridge aspect, so no details on that.

The battery compartment had a "battery control panel" with various fuses in it and some wires here and there. I had no clue what that was all about. Thanks goodness it didn't matter in this case.

The WFCO inside the rig was just the breakers and fuses, with the converter behind the wall from that it in a separate compartment. The 120v for the WFCO was on the receptacle circuit but not sure how the converter was wired in. I think it must be hard wired, and not a plug in, from what I could tell.

If I am sent to help with replacing it, I will learn more WFCOology later on.

[azrving]

Can she cook?

[MrWizard]

Nice to be able to help
I think loaning her, one of the vector battery charger would he been better for her
No chance of changing the voltage and damaging the battery

[pianotuna]

Nice that you were there to help out.