push button for battery charge on panel inoperable but push button for inverter works fine

[Knight 40 PLQ]

My wife was using a steam mop in the coach and it just quit, I looked at the control panel and the red light was on default, reset the 20 amp breaker on inverter now the GFI by bathroom sink is dead and the panel says 50 amp but we are plugged in to 30 amp, checked voltage in all batteries and they are fine, started coach no problem and its charging, unplugged shore power and  and plugged back in, reset control panel back to factory specs by the manual, any ideas would be helpful, could a bad GFIC be the culprit it resets but you plug anything in it acts dead, thanks Tim 2006 Monaco Knight

[Tom Cherry]

If the GFCI will not “reset”, then it is old and cantankerous.  These things die.  As to your inverter, if you have THREE pin or pop out little circuit breakers, one is a 30 Amp and that is connected to the 30 A inverter Breaker in the panel.  The other two will be 20 amps.  They are the OUTGOING POWER.  One goes to the microwave.  The other to the GFCI.  IF the microwave clock is on or blinking or working…..then you have, probably, good AC power.  There is a small ATS inside the inverter.  Some inverters hav3 to “see” of measure or detect 12VDC for the ATS to switch the incoming 30 A, through the main and then the 30 A pin breaker….

Then, it is split into 2 circuits.  One dedicated to microwave.  The other is the GFCI.  You need  to use ONLY AN APPROVED new GFCI.  EATON WIRING DEVICES is my choice, but probably prejudice as i worked for them.  Leviton and Hubbell are the other 2 brands.  Use a 20 A.  Unless you need it, i prefer the standard not the kiddie style.
 

if you have THREE pieces of Romex, then i recommend you fix Monaco’s GOOF.  THE top or LINE is fine.  Hook up only one of the LOAD or bottom pieces of Romex.  You don’t need to mount it…obviously power is off.  Turn on power and carefully hold the GFCI with a pair of insulated pliers….the metal part or tab that attaches it.  Push in the reset button with a wooden pencil or dowel.  Check an outlet next to the sink.  If power, check the other ones next to or nearby a source of water.  If all work, then try the TV or the icemaker outlet in the rear of the refrigerator access compartment.  Odds are….no power.  That is GOOD.  KILL POWER.  You can NOW put the disconnected Romex on the LINE or TOP side of the GFCI.  You will have eliminated a major headache; mount GFCI.  POWER ON.  make sure GFCI is working and reset

 

[Knight 40 PLQ]

Thanks Tom, got the new GFI squared away, now to figure why the Magnum inverter battery charge is not working, is there a reset button or fuse somewhere?

[Tom Cherry]

3 hours ago, Knight 40 PLQ said:

Thanks Tom, got the new GFI squared away, now to figure why the Magnum inverter battery charge is not working, is there a reset button or fuse somewhere?

Nope.  Should be charging.  Push the two buttons on the upper left.  They toggle on and off.  You want the two led’s (below) to be green.

Should that fail.  Make sure you re on Genny power or plugged in.  Then go to the magnum.  Since you have AC power, the pin circuit breakers should be OK and the internal ATS is ON….giving you internal AC power.

There is an ON OFF push button switch.  Hold it in for maybe 20 or so seconds.  Wait about 1 - 2 minutes.  That does a soft reset.  Now, push the ON button.  That should do it.  No JOY.  Call Magnum when in the MH and let them diagnose.

[hex_nut]

Tim

I am having the same problem with my Magnum remote.  Evidently the button contacts are corroded and not making contact.  If anyone has knowledge as to disassembling and repairing, I am also in need.  

Richard

[Tom Cherry]

1 hour ago, hex_nut said:

Tim

I am having the same problem with my Magnum remote.  Evidently the button contacts are corroded and not making contact.  If anyone has knowledge as to disassembling and repairing, I am also in need.  

Richard

BEEN THERE... DONE THAT.  Bottom line.  You need a new remote.  When they get flaky and do NOT work, they do strange things.  They will NOT turn on (allow an automatic changeover from Shore to Inverting) and you loose power and your refrigerator may be unhappy.

BUT, what is worse....they can decide to "Change Things".  Mine would change the setup or operating parameters.  SO, instead of a 450 Amp Hr bank, it set it , ALWAYS, to 1050.  YES, I put in 450 and made sure.  But then let it run for a day or two.  Go back into setup and the Amp Hours were set wrong.  Then later on, it would not take the settings at the end of the programming.

Magnum had me do the soft reset, but UNPLUGGING the remote from the inverter FIRST.  It worked fine.  It would switch automatically from Shore to Invertering and back again.  It would also charge properly (I measured Voltage and Current) and also let the batteries recharge.  You just put a DVM on the bank.  When they are partially depleted, you will be in BULK, which is going to be in the high 14's.  Then as it switches to Absorb, the voltage will steadily decline and eventually go to Float which is around 13.1/2 or so 

SO, I knew the inverter was OK.  So, I ordered a new one (Magnum will tell you what model to get...but it is around $175.  Don't mess or try to fix an inverter remote if the inverter is OK.  If you mistreat your batteries and destroy $750 worth of batteries, what have you saved.

IF you do the Soft Start and then monitor and all is well....and your remote if flaky....then bite the bullet.  You do NOT want to risk damage in storage or destroy a good long trip by spending all your time on the phone and not having a quality MH Vacation.

There MAY be folks that have torn them apart.  BUT, the Printed Circuit board was bad in mine.  ODDS ARE, the contacts from the switch are just the same as in a Key Fob.  If you can get it apart and use an alcohol q Tip and clean....great.  I DO NOT KNOW.  But, if it acts flaky....do yourself a favor and don't destroy your good batteries....and the new ones, depending on your inverter have more features...

[Big Mama]

Battery charger will not come on if the inverter thinks it is getting less that 9V from the batteries. What does the voltage read on the remote monitor, and does it match your multimeter reading? If different, possible blown 300A fuse between inverter and batteries, though the inverter probably would no come on as you report it does.

[Knight 40 PLQ]

Voltage on the remote reads 11.1 and it says low battery, checked the T Fuse 11.1 volts going through, 4 6 volt batteries read 6.1, engine batteries both read 12.5, did a soft and hard reset on the inverter and it comes back on and about 10 minutes later goes into fault and everything is dead, I'm thinking the Magnum is the problem, have a call into Magnum will keep you posted, thanks Tim

[Knight 40 PLQ]

I think I got it squared away, two of the of the 6 volt battery's read 5.4 volts with all 4 read read 10.5 volts unplugged 30amp shore power soft set the inverter and started generator and what do you know Magnum remote started charging🙃 and everything seems back to normal so we will see, thanks for everybody's knowledge very appreciated thanks, Tim

[Tom Cherry]

24 minutes ago, Knight 40 PLQ said:

I think I got it squared away, two of the of the 6 volt battery's read 5.4 volts with all 4 read read 10.5 volts unplugged 30amp shore power soft set the inverter and started generator and what do you know Magnum remote started charging🙃 and everything seems back to normal so we will see, thanks for everybody's knowledge very appreciated thanks, Tim

Put BATTERY into the search box at the upper right.  Used the drop down and select FILES, not “everywhere”.  Battery 101 is what you need.

The 5.4 VDC on each means they are 100 dead.  There is also another topic going on “can’t recharge a bank”.  That one mirrors this one.  Check the electrolyte level.  Recharge them.  Then check the voltage.  You need to see what kind of shape they are in.

this is a case of batteries NOT charging….and the poster, offline, kept testing and he has a mixed bag of GOOD and BAD.  When you kill batteries, there is a chance or maybe more likely, that the cells have issues.  Read the post…focus on the “how to test and use the hydrometer and DVM” as well as discharge and exercise and maintain….