Answered Electrical Readings while on Generator

[RandyB]

2017 Ventana LE 4037
Onan 8HDKAK-1046N
MS2012 Inverter
Precision Circuits Inc Central Monitor Panel

No shore power. Generator running, and waiting for the 30 second delay before starting anything. I could here the "thump" of the relay pull in at 30 seconds, but it was not quite as loud as what I remember compared to the shore power relay.
Line 1 = Zone 1 AC on and cooling
Line 2 = Zone 2 AC on and cooling
Voltage reading on the Central monitor panel:

What's so weird is the 0 volts with 14 amps and the AC on that line is running just fine.

Then, looking at another page of the Control panel is the error code:

At the transfer switch relay, the voltages are as follows:
Red to White = 120 volts
Black to White = 120 volts
Black to Red = 0 volts
Green to White = 0 volts, with continuity
Isn't the voltage between the 2 leads red and black supposed to equal 240 volts?
What does the error code mean in the display?

Here is another page of the display:

By the way, I have looked at the "manual" from PCI. The copy I have is quite worthless. There have been no changes made since the last operation of the systems when everything was fine.

To summarize my questions:
1. How can the display read 0 volts with 14 amps and the devices being run are just fine?
2. Are the volts between red and black supposed to be 240 on generator?
3. What does the control panel display error code mean or indicate?

Note: I am not using the coach at this moment, it is in storage facility, so access is not immediate, but possible with time.

 

[Richpatty]

Can you verify that ALL of your breakers are on in your breaker box? If key ones are turned off (I.e. engine heater), you will get odd readings from the display.

 

[RandyB]

I can confirm that not all breakers are on. I will flip them all on, try again and report back. Thank you.

 

[Neal]

Sounds like a bad pedestal and/or breaker. Be prepared for "it's your coach" and not their problem.

Edit: I understand this as a GEN test. Paging Dr. @Chuggs

 

[RandyB]

Went to coach. Block heater and refrig breakers were intentionally off. Flipped them both on, started gen, all readings now normal, error code now OK.

whodathunkit?

thanks for the advice, dilemma solved

 

[Neal]

Resolution: Don't do that!

 

[Richpatty]

Neal is right, basically.... I discovered this oddity last year when I was messing around with my breakers. It took a while to figure out, but I did some googling and also read some info on their web site.

Here is my post from then:
......I began to Google it and although I did not find anyone who saw this before, I did find these troubleshooting notes from Precisions site (http://www.precisioncircuitsinc.com). This is when I realized that this behavior is probably expected based on these notesHighlighting mine)

-----------------------------------------------
If Incorrect Voltage Displayed:
If not check to make sure all circuit breakers are on and that L1 screw terminal is wired to L1 Breaker, L2 screw terminal is wired to an L2 Breaker, and that there is a wire from N to the Neutral Bar.
-----------------------------------------------
If System displays 50A Service when plugged into 30A Service.
1. Make Sure all Circuit Breakers are on.
2. Check Voltage between L1 and L2 DIRECTLY ON PCS Module, should be 0Vac
-----------------------------------------------
Tip: Things like Water Heater, whose circuit breaker is occasionally turned off, should not be wired to Relay 3 or Relay 5
-----------------------------------------------
As you can see, the common denominator is to not shut down key breakers on the shore power side...or it will mess with the PCS Power Control System.

 

[RandyB]

Precision Circuits has responded to my distress call. They offer this:

“The PCS control board is inside of the breaker box, the hot wires from the breakers go to the shed relays on that board. The system is reading the line voltage off of those relays so when you turn the breakers off the PCS cant read the voltage.”

NOW I get it.

Thank you so much @Richpatty for the quick and accurate analysis.
Thank you to Danny at Precision Circuits for his quick and accurate analysis, too.

 

[Neal]

Remember all, we welcome commercial/vendors to assist here if they choose to join. I think it's valuable for their participation in this "forum" if they choose. Please mention to them should you reach out and let them know of this new community where they are welcome.

 

[Richpatty]

Glad I could help! I have not been able to be as active on the forum as I would like to be, but I hope to get back into things in the future.

 

[RandyB]

To that end, I did copy the link to this thread to Precision Circuits.

edit: in my thank you to Danny I invited them to visit, participate and even sponsor.

 

[NWIP]

Well I learned something new today, thanks?. I had not experienced this and hopefully can remember when I see this.

 

[RandyB]

Yes. All the AC breakers in the half bath panel. I had 2 turned off that caused the error code you are asking about in your other thread.

 

[Old-RV'er]

All - Assuming residential refer, so if not ignore some of this. To turn off the Whirlpool refer at the unit, hold down both freezer and fridge temp controls at the same time for a few seconds, this turns off the unit, then no need to turn off breaker. FWIW: No genset power, no shore power, and if I turn off inverter, the microwave and refer will go off, so I turn refer off as above, so it's not shocked when loss of AC happens. Another person said about 30 seconds for genset to stabilize and take over coach load, that is about what mine does I'm sure. Oh, if inverter is left on, even if master switches are OFF, it will still draw some current as it thinks it going to be needed, so make sure you turn it off, as part of shutdown for storage. I never turn off breakers on this coach because it operates differently than last one, so I leave things alone, have not experienced any issues doing it this way.

FWIW: Just got back from Gaffney, SC Freightliner for 1 year service. Excellent service, great folks, got in and out in `1/2 day. Told me about Comfort Drive and said to leave it at 2, that is to me to soft but tech said it won't make difference, as higher setting is for a situation where road/wind is pushing coach severe, and higher setting is needed to overcome that. Will review CD video and see if newer info exists. He also showed me how to move things on the Dashboard LCD, but I forgot already. Oh, coach bleeds down in like 3-5 days, bags empty, air gauge reads zero or near that. He said, that is normal, and to time, end of compressor run (psst noise), to when compressor starts again, that is then compared against the chart for correct operating air brake systems. I have not done that, but he said my explanation is in the normal range.

 

[Neal]

FWIW: Just got back from Gaffney, SC Freightliner for 1 year service. Excellent service, great folks, got in and out in `1/2 day. Told me about Comfort Drive and said to leave it at 2, that is to me to soft but tech said it won't make difference, as higher setting is for a situation where road/wind is pushing coach severe, and higher setting is needed to overcome that.

Set CD where the wheel feels right for you and the conditions. I am typically around 4 to 4 1/2. I'll run it up in high wind conditions. This is the same as service center techs and tire pressures or Newmar techs and how to use sani-con and other camping procedures. Listen to your peer RVers and not these techs! They don't use these coaches like we do.

 

[Old-RV'er]

That is where I had it, but it wanted to pull to the left I thought, he took it down to 2 and it does not do that, but is too soft. Going to put it at 4 and see how that goes. Thx for the info.

 

[RandyB]

Is there a special icon or acronym for a hi-jacked thread? ? ✈ ? ?
generator evolves to comfort drive??

 

[Neal]

That is where I had it, but it wanted to pull to the left I thought, he took it down to 2 and it does not do that, but is too soft. Going to put it at 4 and see how that goes. Thx for the info.

To discuss further please start a new thread on this topic.

 

[JJT-NC]

@RandyB @Richpatty I appreciate your post. It saved me a lot of time! I had different, but weird readings on the panel, (ie amperage with 0 voltage) and t was because I had breakers turned off. THANKS!

 

[Fish]

I've seen lots of posts on Monaco making strange readings because people turn off the washer/dryer breaker because they either don't have one or don't use it. It drives the multiplex crazy for some reason.
I need to remember to check mine because I think I turned off the central vac breaker since wife won't use it and insists on her own vac.