INVERTER BATTERY CHARGING |
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Mirado
Groupie Joined: 20 Oct 2017 Location: NW Ohio Online Status: Offline Posts: 56 |
Topic: INVERTER BATTERY CHARGING Posted: 08 Nov 2019 at 10:35am |
A large percentage of the converter failures are due to poor contacts or bad solder joints. Any time you have a failure it is a good idea to check the circuit board first. Another r-podder has posted instructions on the facebook page for doing this.
Glad you got your problem fixed without spending $$$.
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Miriam and Doug
2015 Rpod 181G Silverado 1500 |
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TEDDY
Groupie Joined: 22 Oct 2017 Location: Arkansas Online Status: Offline Posts: 94 |
Posted: 30 Oct 2019 at 9:58am |
Have a friend who fixes vending machines for a living .... asked him to take a look at my screwed up system. We metered the 12 batty connected, the batty terminals open circuited (disconnected + lead), charging current from the WECO unit, etc. Weird readings - some good, mostly inconsistent. Verified AC to the WFCO unit, but DC out was intermittent.
Removed 2 screws and slid out the rectifier - at that point there was DC output - but then it went away. Removed the circuit board to get a better look at the board's components - while doing so, we saw an arc on the bottom of the board where the flow solder connections are. Disconnected the battery (the 120VAC was already disconnected) and removed the board from its supports. One solder connection on the bottom was black - obviously it has been arcing at least the one time we saw it, and probably at many other times. we could wiggle the component lead sticking out of the board bottom with a finger. Re-soldered that lead's blob and replaced the ground and other wires we had disconnected to get the board out. DC output was now consistent and correct - 13.4vdc at the open ckt batty term, all the lights worked, no flickering. Replaced the rectifier, placing a slim piece of foam rubber between the board support and the top of the plastic tray the rectifier was mounted on, then another between that tray and the floor of the rectifier compartment. All is now OK. My friend saved me the $300 it would have cost to have a dealer fix this problem - they certainly would not have attempted to fix a solder joint, so it would have been $200 for a new rectifier and probably $100 for their labor. We'll be taking our friend and his wife out to dinner!! |
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Teddy
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StephenH
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6297 |
Posted: 20 Oct 2019 at 6:48pm |
+1 to Podwerkz. If you see LEDs glowing, that is an indicator of a blown fuse It seems backwards since one would think that a light indicates something is working, but it is just the opposite. I hope you get it diagnosed. I had to replace the converter in ours. Depending on how old your RPod is, the converter may still be under warranty. If it is, go on WFCO's web site and get a return authorization to get it repaired/replaced. I had a situation where ours went out while we were on a trip so I ordered a replacement. After we got back, I sent the bad one off and got one that now travels with us as a spare in case the currently installed one goes bad.
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
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TEDDY
Groupie Joined: 22 Oct 2017 Location: Arkansas Online Status: Offline Posts: 94 |
Posted: 20 Oct 2019 at 5:57pm |
Thanks - printed out the flow chart - will try it out tomorrow. I'll let you know if it works .....
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Teddy
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podwerkz
Senior Member Joined: 11 Mar 2019 Location: Texas Online Status: Offline Posts: 966 |
Posted: 20 Oct 2019 at 5:37pm |
Yes, it's a converter not an inverter. Just so we are all on the same page.
But inside the unit:
Those red LEDs are supposed to be unlit, if they are lit, then that indicates blown fuses. Pull the fuses and look closely, are they blown or are they good?
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r・pod 171 gone but not forgotten!
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mcarter
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 07 Apr 2016 Location: Greenbrier, TN Online Status: Offline Posts: 3419 |
Posted: 20 Oct 2019 at 4:42pm |
+1, spot on advice.
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Mike Carter
2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability." |
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StephenH
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6297 |
Posted: 20 Oct 2019 at 3:41pm |
First off, an inverter is used to take DC 12V power and output AC 120V power. The RPods (with the exception of possibly the newer models) do not come with an inverter. What may not be working is the Converter. The Converter takes AC 120V power and outputs DC 12V power (actually varies a bit for charging the batteries, but I'm generalizing). If you look in the center of your power panel between the 120V breakers and the 12V fuses, there are two 40A fuses. These are to protect the converter as they will blow if the battery polarity is connected in reverse, even for a second. Check those. There are troubleshooting steps for the WFCO converters on the wfcoelectronics.com web site. Here is a direct link to a troubleshooting chart: I hope this helps.
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
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Lear111
Groupie Joined: 20 Oct 2016 Location: Montgomery, tx Online Status: Offline Posts: 66 |
Posted: 20 Oct 2019 at 3:37pm |
Check the voltage at the fuse panel with a meter should read normally 13.6. If lower than 13.2 most likely a converter problem. If disconnected from shore power check resting battery voltage at the battery 12.7 is a full battery. The entire thing is more complicated but you are in the preliminary stages of troubleshooting.
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Olddawgsrule
Senior Member Joined: 20 Sep 2017 Location: New Hampshire Online Status: Offline Posts: 1014 |
Posted: 20 Oct 2019 at 9:42am |
There's a auto breaker inline to the battery. Mine's up front/driver's side under (exposed). Hopefully someone can say how to test it. I found it while inspecting the undercarriage and googled it. |
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Tars Tarkas
Senior Member Joined: 14 Jan 2013 Location: Near Nashville Online Status: Offline Posts: 1446 |
Posted: 20 Oct 2019 at 9:10am |
I don't know the answer to your question, but it might help if you end up calling someone at a dealership or shop to know that what you're talking about is the converter. Inverters take 12v DC and change it to 120v AC (most commonly, at least for the purpose of this discussion). Converters take 120v AC and change it to 12v DC. Best I can tell, the names are arbitrary, but they are what they are. There's a fuse or breaker in there somewhere that protects the converter from the battery being connected backwards. Sorry, I don't know where or what it looks like. Could be that, or you could indeed have a bad converter. TT
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2010 176
FJ Cruiser |
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