INVERTER PANEL

[rogo88]

04 Journey 39W

Went out to get ready to head south.  Steps did not deploy.  Voltage at the chassis batteries 5.8 volts.

Batteries were 6 yrs. old[can't complain].  Replaced them and everything seems fine with the exception of the inverter panel which does not function.

 

We seldom use it, but I'm wondering if it could be involved with the fact that the chassis batteries died such a major death.

 

Also the chassis and house batteries read exactly the same at the panel.

 

Just concerned that something might be amiss which will make itself apparent a day or two into our trip.

 

Welcome all input.

   Ron

[Kirk W]

1 hour ago, rogo88 said:

We seldom use it, but I'm wondering if it could be involved with the fact that the chassis batteries died such a major death.

Also the chassis and house batteries read exactly the same at the panel.

2

By chassis batteries, were you referring to the batteries for the coach systems or to the one that supplies the engine starter? There are actually 2 separate 12V systems which are normally only cross-connected when the engine is running to charge them all or when you press the emergency start switch. I am also wondering just where you measured that voltage? And which battery(or batteries) were replaced?

[Chad Heiser]

By inverter panel, I assume you are talking about an electrical 120 volt sub panel which the inverter powers.  If this is the case, the typical set up for this type of install is the inverter passes shore power through to the sub panel when the coach is plugged in.  When their is no shore (or generator) power available, you physically turn the inverter on and it then powers the 120 volt electrical circuits in the sub panel.

Your main power panel should have a circuit breaker in it that feeds the inverter and the inverter sub panel with shore power when available.  Make sure this breaker is active (on).  Flip it to off and then back to on, even if it looks like it is already on.  If this breaker is off, then the inverter sub panel will not receive any shore power for it's circuits.

If your inverter sub panel has power when the coach is plugged in (shore power), but does not have power supplied when the coach is not plugged in then it could be several things.  First thing to check is whether the inverter is turned on or not.  Unplug from shore power and turn the inverter on.  There is most likely a remote switch in your main control center to turn the inverter on/off.  If the inverter does not turn on, then it is not receiving 12 volt power.  This could be caused by the fact it was not connected back to the batteries when the batteries were replaced.  This should be easy to check as there would be a large gauge positive and negative wire run from the battery terminals directly to the inverter.  Make sure they are both connected to the battery bank properly.  Additionally, check the actual batter cable internal connections.  There is typically a lug connector on the end of the battery cables that then connects to the batteries.  These connectors are usually crimped onto the end of the cable.  This crimp connection can fail (although this is rare) when the cables are jostled around like in the process of removing old batteries and replacing them with new.  This connection can look ok from the outside, but be bad internally.  Finally, there should be a catastrophe fuse in the positive cable from the battery to the inverter.  This fuse should be near the batteries.  Make sure it is not blown and that all the connections to it are in good order.

[rogo88]

Kirk;

I'm referring to the starting [chassis] batteries.

Measured voltage at the batteries.  While both house and chassis batteries read 5.8 at the "One Place" panel, at the batteries themselves the chassis batteries read 5.8 while the house read 11.5.

I replaced both chassis batteries.

 

Chad;

I am referring to the inverter control panel at the "One Place" panel inside the coach.  It has an On/Off button.  This button does not function...it does not light up that portion of the panel.

  I will check battery connections and fuses.

 

Thank you both.

   Ron

[Chad Heiser]

OK, if it is simply the on/off switch that is no longer functioning then that is a different set of things to check.  Those switches are usually powered by a typical telephone cable.  Check the inverter and the back of the panel and make sure the cable is still plugged in in both places.  If the inverter has an on/off switch on the inverter itself, then use that to determine if the inverter is functioning properly.  This will help narrow down the issue to just the on/off switch at the panel or the cabling between the panel and the inverter if the inverter functions properly when switched at the inverter.

[lenp]

House batteries at 11.5?  Sounds like they are not in good health either.  Your inverter panel may be "seeing" low battery voltage and refusing to function.  Try charging the house batteries and see what happens.   Letting them get down to 11.5 is not good for them and it may be time to replace them as well.

Lenp

[Chad Heiser]

1 hour ago, lenp said:

House batteries at 11.5?  Sounds like they are not in good health either.  Your inverter panel may be "seeing" low battery voltage and refusing to function.  Try charging the house batteries and see what happens.   Letting them get down to 11.5 is not good for them and it may be time to replace them as well.

Lenp

I missed the part about your house batteries being at 11.5 volts when I read your original post.  Many inverter’s have a low battery cutout voltage.  This means that when your batteries reach a certain voltage, the inverter will no longer invert/operate.  If your batteries are truly at 11.5 volts and your inverter LBCO is 11.5 volts or more, this will also cause your inverter switch panel to fail to turn the inverter on.

[Wrknrvr]

 I would suggest disconnecting all batteries. Do that by taking the 12vdc positive leads off.

 

 Next put a battery charger on the house batteries. Charge them to well above 12.4 or there about. Now that voltage is just to get the inverter operational again.

 

 Now with that said, remove each terminal and clean with sand paper. Both the cable end and battery post. 

 If you get one clean and tested above 12.4 without the battery charger hooked up. Then you can hook the inverter to it and see if the inverter will charge. Now I would leave the inverter not hooked up for 30 minutes before you try that first battery. 

 Get all the connections clean then hook everything back up on the house batteries. It would be good to check battery voltage and have it above 12.5 with a battery charger separate from the coach.

 What the inverter will do is test the batteries and if the inverter does not like what it sees it may not charge them.

 

 The inverter may need a 24 hour hard reset to get it functional again. To do this leave the separate batty charger on the batteries but with the positive lead of the house and chassis batteries off. Now the batteries should change over night with the separate battery charger. This battery charger should be 10 amps.

 

 Then I would only hook the chassis batteries up. Them see if the inverter will charge them.

 You will need a 12vdc volt meter to watch what is happening. It would be great if you had a 12vdc amp meter to see how much the inverter is charging.

 

 

 Hopefully this will help if al else fails,     Vern

 

[Kirk W]

35 minutes ago, Wrknrvr said:

Do that by taking the 12vdc positive leads off.

I am wondering why you put it this way? In my years as a service tech and even today, I always advice removing the negative cable first to avoid any chance of sparks from hitting a tool against metal near the battery. 

[Wrknrvr]

 Actually you should remove the positive off the inverter. This must be done with all shore power off the inverter.  But normally there is a cover over those connections. But I was just trying to make it simple.

 So one may want to remove the neg on the battery , then positive, then remove the positive on the inverter .

 Now once the inverter is separated then one may put the battery terminals on for charging with a separate battery charger.

 

 I am suppose to be fishing,     Vern