Troublesh5oot Converter Cooling Fan (on all the time)

[tragusa3]

Okay. I've read all I could on this forum and still don't know what's going on.

Here's what I know.

1. converter charges at 13.4v to battery.
2. battery is one month old and has full fluid in all cells.
3. battery was sitting with no load for a few weeks and holding 12.55v
4. converter cooling fan runs constantly when plugged into 120v
5. converter cooling fan does not run when running only 12v
6. I pulled off the cover and checked for dirt and dog hair making things run hot. It was spotless.

Any ideas? We leave in about 30 days for a 2 month trip. I hate to leave and have a problem. And, I hate to bring it in and loose it until the trip. Actually, based on their track record with me, 30 days isn't enough time for them to look at it anyway. :M

[tragusa3]

Brakes work fine. They didn't lock up...never do.

I was parked on our campsite, which was down in a hole with the gravel all washed out from a heavy rain. So, it felt a little tough to pull it off the site and onto the road, but at the time I just thought it was the site. When I got flat and on the road, it was obvious, so I stopped at that point.

I've got a bunch of slack in the breakaway cable. I need to zip tie it to the safety chains a little shorter.

[time2roll]

tragusa3 wrote:
I noticed the brakes after only 30' of towing. I don't think that would be enough to hurt anything? right?

That will not hurt the brakes. Just make sure the brakes are actually working. I don't think the magnets are designed to have power to them for a week. If the brakes work then nothing to worry.

[wa8yxm]

How hot is it, Is the converter on the Sunny Side of the Road..er, RV?

Global warming, per some, is a myth, the rest of use see the evidence, and the evidence is as follows:

The fan is turned on and off by a thermostat.. Gets hot, turns on

It is getting hotter and hotter every year.

The suspect.. In this post.. Is Temperature If the temp in the converter compartment is just a couple degrees below turn on, Then plugging in will turn it on, Guaranteed.

[CharlesinGA]

tragusa3 wrote:
I noticed the brakes after only 30' of towing. I don't think that would be enough to hurt anything? right?

Cannot imagine that 30 ft could have hurt a thing, If the brakes didn't set tight enough skid the tires, just give them a good look-see.

Got behind a guy pulling a U-haul with surge brakes headed up the on ramp on the interstate. Smoke was pouring from the wheels. I got him to pull over. He made a phone call and U-haul tech told him to check the break away cable. Turns out someone stepped on it when crossing over the tongue during a lunch stop and set the brakes, but he was about a mile from where he started, not 30 ft.

Had a neighbor with a Class A tow his toad a couple of miles with it in Park and the brake set, he was rather senile and I think that was his last trip in the MH.

Charles

[tragusa3]

I noticed the brakes after only 30' of towing. I don't think that would be enough to hurt anything? right?

[time2roll]

Clamp-on ammeter would have told the story.
I might be checking those brakes.....

[tragusa3]

I tell ya, this forum is worth way more than I pay for it! beemerphile, you got it. I'll take you out for a beer if we ever get the chance!

On our last trip, the steel cable for the breakaway got hung up in the power jack. When we left the site, it felt a little hard to pull. I stopped and noticed the breakaway and put it back in. When we got home, my wife asked me to explain exactly what happened. So, I showed her by pulling it out and letting her put it back in. She didn't put it all the way in, and I didn't check.

Problem solved. Fans not running!

Thanks again for being willing to help.

[tragusa3]

beemer!!! You've got me heading outside right now. The pin WAS pulled recently. I'll see if it's in or not. Be right back!

[beemerphile1]

Odds are you have a load. Something is drawing amperage. Did someone pull the breakaway pin?

[time2roll]

If the voltage is steady the fan is just an annoyance. There are no adjustments to the WFCO. The option is to replace it and quite frankly I would replace it with IOTA or Progressive Dynamics if you ever charge with a generator. Plugged in those are great and add Powermax Boondocker as another option and might be closest to a direct replacement.

WFCO fan typically comes on or shuts off based on amperage output. They are know to fail in some odd ways.

Most likely WFCO will be fine. Can always run to WalMart or autoparts store for a 10+ amp battery charger to get you through a trip. Or maybe you have one to bring along.

[tragusa3]

The cooling fan is still running all of the time, but the converter is otherwise doing its job.

We leave in about 3 weeks for a 6-7 week trip. I don't have time to deal with bringing it to the dealer, and they probably wouldn't have time to fit me in at this point. I suppose we are going to take our chances on this trip and get it looked at afterwards. Hope we have no issues... always happens at the wrong time.

[SoundGuy]

tragusa3 wrote:
WFCO 8955PEC is the model.

Sounds to me as though your WFCO 8955 is operating just as they all do, including mine which I've never seen go beyond 13.6 volts. Of course the converter fan won't run when you're not plugged into shore power as the converter is electrically "dead" with no 120 vac shore power feeding it but when it is the fan is load / heat sensitive and should run intermittently, not constantly ... other than that I don't see any concern. However, if you intend to dry camp and rely on battery power to any great extent you're going to want a better means of recharging than what your WFCO is capable of. WFCO claims the 8900 series converter will bulk charge at 14.4 volts but I've never seen it with any 8900 series WFCO I've owned.

[time2roll]

This might be normal. 13.4 is a bit low. WFCO should hold 13.6 on the battery after 24 hours but it is a slow trickle charge so it may take some time.

All loads must be off. A couple incandescent lights can kick the fan on. Any chance you have something else on?

Plug it in 72 hours and see what happens. WFCO is somewhat known for acting a bit odd.

[tragusa3]

WFCO 8955PEC is the model.

Battery is fully charged. It's been at rest over 24 hours and just measured 12.6v. This is probably why I was measuring 13.4v at the battery yesterday, as the converter wouldn't have been running that high?

No dirt causing heat.

I have a multi-meter (no clamp on). Don't know how to use it other than checking voltage.