Progressive Dynamics Converter/Charger 4645 - AGAIN

[xzyHollyxyz]

Several days ago, I asked you all about why my Charge Wizard Remote Pendant kept flashing quickly, meaning "normal mode", not "storage mode". You said it takes a while to go into storage mode (SLOWLY flashing) and that I should be patient.

Well, I went out to the trailer just now and the thing is in Boost Mode. There is nothing on in the trailer, except the CO alarm, the radio is "glowing" (but not on), and the little red light on the tv (indicating it's off). Refrigerator is off and no lights have been on at all.

I measured the voltage at the charger and it's 14.4 (or something close to that).

Is there anything I can do to test this thing? I am afraid to get on the road, heading toward Baja and not have a battery.

Sigh.

[time2roll]

Has it been on overnight? What is the status report?

[Pauljdav]

I have the same converter you have. It will go into the float or storage mode in about 24 hours of plugging it in. Even if I am turning on lights and other items it usually stays in storage mode.

Your low drain items like the radio and smoke detectors will NOT affect the float/storage mode.

I suspect the battery is bad as others have stated.

Paul

[westend]

Shadow Catcher wrote:
The common is one side of the AC and is not the ground, It means you have 120V running through the frame. Everything in our aluminum frame trailer has a separate ground and now nothing is 'grounded' to the frame.

There should be a ground from the AC load center to frame. Neutral should never be tied to ground, frame or other. Also, nothing wrong with having all DC grounds tied to one ground to frame or another for battery ground to frame.

[Shadow_Catcher]

The common is one side of the AC and is not the ground, It means you have 120V running through the frame. Everything in our aluminum frame trailer has a separate ground and now nothing is 'grounded' to the frame.

[BFL13]

Our 120v and 12v DC share the frame as a neg ground (not "Earth") with no problem. I thought that was normal for RVs. How else could they do it?

[Shadow_Catcher]

The PD goes through a Boost cycle ever 23 hours if I remember correctly but if it does not come down off of this then yes there is a problem. Do have the battery checked and if it is OK then call PD and say you need a replacement head unit. I had a problem because the manufacturer miss-wired the trailer, The common AC and DC ground were 'grounded to the frame leaving a hot frame and a fried converter. I called them Tuesday afternoon and had the replacement the next morning by FedEx (they are up in Michigan and I m in Ohio.

[RJsfishin]

mitch5252 wrote:

pianotuna wrote:
Hi Mitch,

Disconnect the battery (no charge, no loads) for 24 hours, then measure the voltage. If it is not 12.6 or better then it may be replacement time.

The battery has been sitting on the garage floor for 45 minutes or so now. It just measured 12.4V. Is that good, or bad, or too early to tell?

The battery is toast. if your 12.4 voltage reading is correct.
Your PD charger should still go into float mode, even w/ the parasidic loads you mention.
Mine goes into float mode w/ little red leds glowing all over the place, including 1 led light burning 24 hrs 365.

[xzyHollyxyz]

smkettner wrote:

mitch5252 wrote:
I measured the voltage at the charger and it's 14.4 (or something close to that).

Was it 14.4 in boost or 12.4?

I think it was 14.4 in the boost mode. Now I'm not sure. I'm going out there and hook it up again.

Okay, it's all hooked up to the trailer again. Pendant is flashing fast (normal) and reading at the posts is 13.62V.

[time2roll]

mitch5252 wrote:
I measured the voltage at the charger and it's 14.4 (or something close to that).

Was it 14.4 in boost or 12.4?

[xzyHollyxyz]

smkettner wrote:
Considering it was over 14 volts an hour ago, 12.4 is looking bad.

I'm sorry - my mind screwed that up. It was 12.4+ when I first measured it. Oops. NOT 14.4+. My bad.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

except the CO alarm, the radio is "glowing" (but not on), and the little red light on the tv (indicating it's off............................

Are not these things 12 volt? CO alarms need to be fed. Something cases the radio "to glow" and the little red light on the TV is showing it is at rest, not disconnected.

UNLESS a charger in "maintenance float stage" can support all of these "hidden" power draws, the hidden power draws will overpower the converter, suck the battery down, the charger senses low battery and comes out of float mode and goes to work. Your charger is most probably doing exactly that. Replenishing a battery that has been drawn down because the charger in float mode could not keep up with the hidden draws. Some chargers can only support a tiny amount of float load.

Time to turn EVERYTHING OFF, then check the house batteries for "mysterious, hidden, sneaky, power draws".

[pianotuna]

Hi Mitch,

Time to issue the last rights. You could "play" with it and try to add one of the "magic" powders--but the battery is basically toast.

That is--unless the top of the battery is really dirty and covered materials that are allowing current to flow across the surface.

Get out your wool pants--otherwise what you wear may become "holy" *grin*, and scrub the top clean?

[time2roll]

Considering it was over 14 volts an hour ago, 12.4 is looking bad.

[xzyHollyxyz]

smkettner wrote:

mitch5252 wrote:
I am now going to Google how to check the water on a battery...isn't that stuff acid?

Does Interstate still have a translucent case? Probably just look through and estimate if the plates are covered. Also look if one cell is very high or low compared to the others.

Otherwise just let the battery cool down if warm then take it in to your local interstate dealer and let them deal with it.

Never noticed a translucent case before. Yes, it is translucent. All the water, except one section is about maybe 1/4" above a line at the top. The other one is just barely above the line.

Bad?