possible bad converter

[CactusJoe]

I think I have a bad converter, but wanted to post some of the symptoms and see if that's the case or if maybe I have more than one problem. So here are the facts I discovered on our last trip:

1) The converter itself buzzes. Loudly.

2) The AC unit won't start. I hear a click in the AC unit when I try to turn it on, but nothing else.

3) The lights in the coach are dim, and the one LED light sometimes flashes

4) My furnace won't stay on. It starts, the fan blows, does not get warm, then it kicks off. All the other propane devices work fine. (Water heater, stove, etc.)

5) The CO sensor periodically beeps and the red "low voltage" light comes on. Then it turns green after a few minutes.

6) The house battery is new, < 3 months.

7) The house battery indicator sometimes shows empty, then completely full. I am plugged into shore power continuously except while driving.

😎 The slide seems to move really slow and struggle to get all the way in or out.

9) I store the RV on the side of my house, always plugged in.

10) I live in Arizona (It's very hot now)

11) RV is a 2008 Forest River Sunseeker 3100 SSO

So all you gurus out there, is it likely just a bad converter? Any input/comments would be appreciated.

Thanks,

-JB

[BFL13]

Thank you for the update. Wish everyone would do that.

[CactusJoe]

Well that was it. New converter works fine, no electrical problems since. Battery is full and charged while plugged in, and it works dry for a day or so before needing to run the generator. I did find one loose wire near the breaker box that I tightened, may have been the cause of some of the other symptoms. Thanks all, this forum is great.

-JB

[CactusJoe]

PUCampin wrote:
I recommend a Progressive dynamics PD9145c, can be easily found for under $150.

Yup. Ordered that exact one.

Somehow, Amazon is going to get it here today. Not sure how they do that. Amazon Prime is a great thing.

-JB

[ksg5000]

Your converter is putting out 7volts - replace it - not too expensive and easy DIY.

[PUCampin]

CactusJoe wrote:

tenbear wrote:

CactusJoe wrote:
Well I disconnected the battery and now everything seems to work fine. No dimming, etc. Looks like I'll be replacing the converter.

Does this mean you are using the battery without the converter, or, the converter without the battery? If I read it correctly it seems like the battery is disconnected so it is running off the converter???

I disconnected the battery but left it plugged into shore power and everything seems to work fine now.

EDIT: Well maybe I spoke too soon. Everything 120v works fine but nothing 12v works. When I try to turn on a 12v light the AC cuts out and the CO sensor faults. I'm guessing that's because the house battery is disconnected...?

-JB

This is like I was saying above. You disconnected the battery, converter puts out 13.2v and enough current for the AC control board and CO detector, but once you turn on the light it is too much current and the voltage crashes shutting off the AC (control board uses 12V) low voltage fault on the detector.

[PUCampin]

Your symptoms sound a lot like mine. This is the same failure mode my WFCO converter experienced.

Open circuit voltage (voltage with the converter disconnected from everything) at the converter terminals would read 13.2, but it could provide very little current. With the battery connected, the battery could support the load which is why it took me a while to figure it out. Eventually the batteries slowly discharged. When I disconnected the battery, initally it looked like it was working. But I quickly discovered the converter could not provide enough current for much more than a led light or two, maybe a fridge control board. Once I exceeded about 1A current by turning on a couple other things it would crash. Lights would dim to almost nothing, fan would bairly rotate. I could shut everything off, unplug the converter and plug it back in and it would return to 13.2v, until I loaded it past 1A.

All WFCO converters are designed to provide power for 12V appliances and lights without batteries. It should be able to power every 12V item in your trailer and charge batteries at the same time. Your converter has failed, replace it. I recommend a Progressive dynamics PD9145c, can be easily found for under $150.

[CactusJoe]

tenbear wrote:

LarryJM wrote:

bluegypsy wrote:
I know this is a simple thing, but I suggest you loosen, "wiggle", and re-tighten all of your battery connections. I had a similar problem that turned out to be a resistance problem across some of the battery connections. The rig's power monitor showed good voltage, but under load I experienced many of the symptoms you describe.

This is something I too think should be carefully checked. A lot of connections are screw type and often are not properly tightened at the factory or have worked loose causing all sorts of issues.

Larry

I agree. I wouldn't spend the money for a new converter without making sure the wiring wasn't the problem.

+1

Well I crawled into the storage area where the converter is mounted early this morning and checked everything that looked like it might wiggle loose. Nothing there. Then I traced the line under the chassis to the battery compartment, nothing there either.

I came across a box mounted to the outside of the battery box labeled "battery control center" with a few fuses inside, no loose wires, no blown fuses that I could tell. Looks like something to control power to the slide-out motor. But again, nothing loose that I could see.

-JB

[tenbear]

LarryJM wrote:

bluegypsy wrote:
I know this is a simple thing, but I suggest you loosen, "wiggle", and re-tighten all of your battery connections. I had a similar problem that turned out to be a resistance problem across some of the battery connections. The rig's power monitor showed good voltage, but under load I experienced many of the symptoms you describe.

This is something I too think should be carefully checked. A lot of connections are screw type and often are not properly tightened at the factory or have worked loose causing all sorts of issues.

Larry

I agree. I wouldn't spend the money for a new converter without making sure the wiring wasn't the problem.

[LarryJM]

bluegypsy wrote:
I know this is a simple thing, but I suggest you loosen, "wiggle", and re-tighten all of your battery connections. I had a similar problem that turned out to be a resistance problem across some of the battery connections. The rig's power monitor showed good voltage, but under load I experienced many of the symptoms you describe.

This is something I too think should be carefully checked. A lot of connections are screw type and often are not properly tightened at the factory or have worked loose causing all sorts of issues.

Larry

[Dick_A]

Moved from General RV'ing Issues.

[CactusJoe]

Well now it doesn't seem to matter if the battery is connected or not, the whole 12v system won't work. If I try to turn on anything 12v the 120v cuts out.

Weird.

I'm going to replace the converter and see what happens.

-JB

[tenbear]

Some converters need to have a battery connected but I think this only applies to the older converters, but I don't really know. I also don't know if the low converter voltage would pull the battery voltage down. Maybe someone who knows these things can speak up.

At this point it seems it is the converter or a possible intermittent wiring problem.

[CactusJoe]

tenbear wrote:

CactusJoe wrote:

tenbear wrote:

CactusJoe wrote:
Well I disconnected the battery and now everything seems to work fine. No dimming, etc. Looks like I'll be replacing the converter.

Does this mean you are using the battery without the converter, or, the converter without the battery? If I read it correctly it seems like the battery is disconnected so it is running off the converter???

I disconnected the battery but left it plugged into shore power and everything seems to work fine now.

-JB

To me that indicates the battery, not the converter, is the problem. If you would, measure the converter output voltage and the disconnected battery voltage.

Voltage from the converter = 7v

Voltage from the disconnected battery = 12.3v

Should the 12v system still work with the battery disconnected while plugged into shore power?

-JB

[tenbear]

Just read your edit. Some converters need to have a battery connected but I am guessing the WFCO is not one of them, but I don't know. I guess this is pointing to the converter.

Don't you just love intermittant problems. :h