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Weird 12v power problem

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RVF Regular
Joined
Aug 13, 2020
Messages
5
I have a converter or generator problem, leaning towards the converter being the culprit.

So, the whole electric system works great. No ac problems when connected to shore power or generator. No 12v problems either, unless I use the on board Honda ev6010. While running, everything works great. Generator seems to run well and powers what it needs to. Batteries get charged. But, when I shut down the gen, I lose 12v power. 12v comes back after awhile. It's like a switch/breaker/some component needs time to reset. Maybe heat related?

Shore power does not cause this issue and if I use my portable inverter generator, it also does not cause the issue. It only happens with the on board generator.

Anybody have any ideas? I don't get it. It works great with shore power or my inverter generator and If I unplug or shutdown the gen, 12v remains on. But if I use the onboard gen, the generator runs great, ac and 12v power work while it's running but when I turn the gen off, 12v power turns off and restores after some time.

This is a '94 damon frontier flyer I bought a year ago and I have no manuals for it so I do not know what converter it has. Batteries are good.
 
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How long is "after a while?" Many automatic transfer switches (ATS) have a built-in delay of up to a couple of minutes to switch over to avoid "hot switching." If your delay is longer than a couple of minutes, then something may be wrong with the ATS.

TJ
 
How long is "after a while?" Many automatic transfer switches (ATS) have a built-in delay of up to a couple of minutes to switch over to avoid "hot switching." If your delay is longer than a couple of minutes, then something may be wrong with the ATS.

TJ

15-30 minutes. I'm not sure. It varies.

But why only the onboard generator? Shore power or my little inverter gen does not cause the issue?
 
I don't have sufficient knowledge of your specific coach to understand the actual switching protocol. My guess is that something in the ATS control circuitry has changed and is locking things out for the 15-30 minutes you mention. It could be a failing control circuit board or a sticking relay. Have you tried firmly tapping the ATS enclosure to see if that results in quicker power restoration?

Otherwise, not knowing your unit, I am at a loss other than that something is holding the switching mechanism open.

Good luck.

TJ
 
I don't have sufficient knowledge of your specific coach to understand the actual switching protocol. My guess is that something in the ATS control circuitry has changed and is locking things out for the 15-30 minutes you mention. It could be a failing control circuit board or a sticking relay. Have you tried firmly tapping the ATS enclosure to see if that results in quicker power restoration?

Otherwise, not knowing your unit, I am at a loss other than that something is holding the switching mechanism open.

Good luck.

TJ
Thanks. I'm afraid I have no information myself. No manuals and I can't or haven't found a name or model number in the converter box. I found the switch in question and can manually reset it.
20200813_151300.jpg

The actual switch is black the solenoid on the bottom does the button pushing. The solenoid seems to be the issue, or whatever controls the solenoid as the solenoid itself is working.

I can hear and see the the solenoid/switch work when I start the gen and the gen will not run on it's own until that switch switches. It does not switch when I turn the gen off and I lose 12v. Unless I use my other gen, then it works fine. Anyway, forcing the solenoid down restores 12v.
 
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Update.

I watched the switch while my wife started the gen and turned it off. It seemed to be working but still no 12v after shutdown. I played with it manually and it seemed that there was very little "play" between open and closed, like it was moving but just not quite enough. I thought maybe the spring was weakened and wasn't up to the job so, without removing it because it's all one unit riveted together, I did my best with a couple of screwdrivers to stretch the spring back out. I started and stopped the gen a couple of times and 12v stayed on. Now I'm letting the gen run for awhile and see how it goes.

I hope the the spring was/is the problem. Hard to find, but a free and easy fix if it works. I'll update after an hour or so to make sure that was the problem and not heat or another problem
 
Glad to hear that you have found the source of the problem. From the photo, a good blast of compressed air would clear away some of the accumulated dust/debris. After that, I would suggest a judicious spray of silicone lubricant at the point where the shaft enters the solenoid coil, followed by a few manual activations. It may just have a little grime at the shaft entry point that needs to be cleaned away and a little lubricant applied. The same treatment at the button entry point to the switch body might also help.

TJ
 
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Glad to hear that you have found the source of the problem. From the photo, a good blast of compressed air would clear away some of the accumulated dust/debris. After that, I would suggest a judicious spray of silicone lubricant at the point where the shaft enters the solenoid coil, followed by a few manual activations. It may just have a little grime at the shaft entry point that needs to be cleaned away and a little lubricant applied. The same treatment at the button entry point to the switch body might also help.

TJ

Done and done. Thanks for your help, I doubt I would have found it without your help.

I assume the cutoff from shore power or the inverter generator is more abrupt allowing the solenoid a faster action whereas the on board generator eases off as it dies so the solenoid sees a more gradual reduction of amps. I don't know. It's the only thing I can think of to explain why it only happened with the on board gen.
 
Let's hope this is a lasting solution. And, I'm pretty sure you would have found the problem eventually. It is just a bit easier and quicker if you have others making suggestions to follow up on. Been there, done that!

TJ
 

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