Multi Plex Lighting System - problem

[dtw1]

I have a 2012 Elite Suites. This unit is equipped with the multi plex lighting system. No problems with this system until now. Pushed the light master (all lights) button on the keypad in the bedroom. All lights came on but then when trying to turn off individual lights they will go off for 1 second and then come back on. Pressing the light master button turns all lights off for 1 second then all lights come back on. Spoke to RV service tech at Lazy Days RV in Tucson. They suggested a reset of the 12-volt system. This was done by turning off the 120-volt power and then unhooking the negative cable from the batteries on the trailer (the trailer has two 6 volt batteries hooked up in series. After leaving the battery unhooked for about 10 minutes I reconnected the negative cable and then activated the 120-volt power. This did not fix the problem. The only way to turn off the 12-volt lights in the trailer was to remove the 15 amp fuses for each light or section of lights. Since its tourist season in Tucson, all of the RV on Site services and even the RV dealers are backed up with waiting times of over 2 weeks. Do you have any suggestions for repairs that I could try?

[dougrainer]

Gdetrailer wrote:
6yrs and the manufacturer of your trailer no longer supports the high tech stuff that they used?

That is unacceptable, industry standard is 10 yrs (TEN YEARS) of parts support after a product has been sunsetted..

Pricey, but at least you might have a chance to get it fixed.

Good reason to avoid all the extra fancy electronic controls on any future RV purchase!

Curious, I have heard of that 10 year too. BUT, WHO or WHAT is responsible and is it a REAL rule??? What happens when the component supplier goes out of business? Doug

[Gdetrailer]

6yrs and the manufacturer of your trailer no longer supports the high tech stuff that they used?

That is unacceptable, industry standard is 10 yrs (TEN YEARS) of parts support after a product has been sunsetted..

Pricey, but at least you might have a chance to get it fixed.

Good reason to avoid all the extra fancy electronic controls on any future RV purchase!

[dtw1]

I am able to fix the Multi Plex lighting problem by replacing the bedroom keypad. DRV was unable to help as they no longer stock parts for my 6-year-old trailer. They suggested I contact Firefly Integrations in Middlebury, IN. Phone number 574-825-4600. The Firefly tech support people were very helpful. They identified the keypad from part numbers and a photo of the keypad that I sent to them. The keypad which is really a switch is specific to each location inside the trailer. The cost was $150 plus $35 core charge which is refunded when I send them the bad keypad.

[dtw1]

Thanks for the help on the Multi Plex system. It appears to be a bad keypad in the bedroom. Removing that Keypad has allowed the other keypads to work properly. Will check with DRV on replacement keypad.

[dougrainer]

Explain better. You have 2 keypads that have the Master Light switch. You were not clear on your response. Do BOTH Master pads NOT control the lights or 1 does and the other does NOT? They send a channel signal to a master control board. Each button response is designated a frequency channel. So, Since the lights go OFF and then come back ON, there can be 2 possibilities. 1. The Keypad is defective internally and the ON side continues to send the signal and WILL override the other keypad which as you will do, disconnect the defective keypad and test. If the other Keypad operates the system correctly, you have a defective keypad. 2. IF NOT, then the master control board is bad. Doug

[Gdetrailer]

dtw1 wrote:
thanks for the response. I have two keypads that have the light master button. The other 3 keypads do not have the light master button. I will try to disconnect the keypad where the problem originated from.

Disconnect ALL keypads but ONE.

If no change, disconnect the one, then connect one of the others.

Do that one at a time.

If symptoms still exist after testing each keypad individually then the fault is either in the main controller/logic board or if it has external relays (solid state or mechanical) the fault might be in the external relays.

Process of elimination.

[dtw1]

thanks for the response. I have two keypads that have the light master button. The other 3 keypads do not have the light master button. I will try to disconnect the keypad where the problem originated from.

[alaska_dennis]

how many keypads do you have? if more than one have you tried disconnecting it . It sounds like you have one keypad working against another.