177 lights don't work with battery disconnected
Printed From: R-pod Owners Forum
Category: R-pod Discussion Forums
Forum Name: Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
Forum Discription: Ask maintenance questions, share your podmods (modifications) and helpful tips
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7397
Printed Date: 21 Jun 2025 at 1:55pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.64 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: 177 lights don't work with battery disconnected
Posted By: spacemonkey
Subject: 177 lights don't work with battery disconnected
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2016 at 7:59pm
|
so I have a question! I have a rpod 177 with a progressive dynamics pd4600 converter in it. Today I plugged in my trailer, went inside and turned on the lights to start getting ready for a camping trip. The battery cutoff switch was still cutoff! After about 4 minuted or so I heard a click and the lights went out. I assumed a tripped breaker so I checked are none were tripped. I flipped them all just to be sure. Next I pulled all the fuses an they were all fine. I then went and checked my main 30 amp breaker in my shop. It was fine. I tested the 30 amp outlet with my multi meter and I have proper voltage. Anyone have any idea why the lights would no longer come on with the battery disconnected but plugged into power. It's worked fine that way for more than a year. The clock on my microwave comes on when just plugged in and no battery! I was planning to leave on a trip tomorrow but I'm concerned that my lights are only running off battery and the battery may not be recharging.
|
Replies:
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2016 at 8:34pm
|
The clock on your microwave should work fine with no battery, and plugged in.. it's 120v. When resetting the breakers on the 120v side did you move them ALL THE WAY left, before returning them to the locked/on position to the right? It matters. Did you check the fuses with a multimeter? They can be tricky to "see" if they are out. Next, if you have NO 12v plugged in or not, the usual suspect is a combination of dead, or disconnected battery AND blown fuses on the converter itself. 2 40A fuses on the stock converter, check those. ------------- |
Posted By: jswann
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2016 at 9:33pm
|
Hey Furpod
I see you have 2 dogs that camp with you ? I have 2 as well . one real big one and one small one . What do you do for sleeping arrangements? Jeff |
Posted By: spacemonkey
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2016 at 9:45pm
|
Hi thanks for the quick reply! Yes I did flip the breakers fully. I did do a continuity check on every single fuse and they were all fine. This is what confuses me. I do think that my battery could be bad. I plan to take it to the auto part store tomorrow and have it tested. But still I don't think that explains why my lights won't come on unless the battery is connected. It sounds like a fuse but I can't find any out. Something else I noticed is that when my frige is on the 120vac mode and I disconnect the battery it goes off as well. It's never done this in the past. The power inverter is just over a year old! Could it have already failed on me?
|
Posted By: spacemonkey
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2016 at 10:31pm
|
Ok so I just went out to look at my converter again. I had forgotten about the two automotive type fuses on the converter board. Here is a pic of the fuses I found on the board. https://www.dropbox.com/s/obzh8wzv6o87h3x/Fuse.jpg?dl=0 - https://www.dropbox.com/s/obzh8wzv6o87h3x/Fuse.jpg?dl=0 The top fuse (15 amp) just under the red wire appears to be blown. Continuity check gets no tone! The bottom fuse tests fine. I suppose this is probably the root of my problem. Is there a trick to removing this fuse. That sucker is in there tight. Do I have to desolder this fuse or will it just pop out somehow? Do you bend those caps back? My next question is what do these two fuses do? What would cause them to blow? Is there another underlying issue I need to root out?
|
Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2016 at 11:22pm
|
It sounds like your converter has failed. Make sure you didn't accidentally short the output and check the two large reversed battery fuses. I'm surprised PD soldered in two fuses. They must be unsoldered to replace, but the bigger problem is why did they blow. I'm guessing something on the circuit board itself has failed. Troubleshooting the converter unit at this level requires electrical expertise and access to parts. You can start by calling PD http://www.progressivedyn.com/troubleshooting_pwr_con.html - http://www.progressivedyn.com/troubleshooting_pwr_con.html Check with them on warranty if it's only a year old. If not under warranty you may be able to have them or their service center repair it. ------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
Posted By: spacemonkey
Date Posted: 30 Jan 2016 at 9:33am
|
Darn that's what I was afraid of! Looks like I'll be spending my vacation fixing the trailer instead of camping! A bit of backstory was that this trailer was accidentally plugged into a miswired outlet when I bought a new house (240 instead of 120). I should have tested first. The original converter and tv were fried. I upgraded to the pd4655 at this forums recommendation. I'm guessing there could still be a problem because of this. Here is the old thread http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=4993&PN=1&title=i-made-an-expensive-mistake - http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=4993&PN=1&title=i-made-an-expensive-mistake The converter should still be under warranty. I think it's a 2 yr warranty and I bought it on7-20-14!
I will give them a call about that. I still need to find my root cause though. I will go do the test you posted above. |
Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 30 Jan 2016 at 9:46am
|
Did you replace the entire power distribution panel or just the converter unit? It's not surprising that the converter was fried with 220V, but replacing it should have fixed the problem. If you replaced the entire distribution panel there should be no residual damage. If you replaced only the converter and installed it in the old WFCO panel there may be an installation problem. I know the 4655 is advertised as a direct replacement, but...........In any case the PD tech support is your first stop. Good luck and let us know.
------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
Posted By: spacemonkey
Date Posted: 30 Jan 2016 at 11:54am
|
Charlie, I only replaced the converter and the control board with a charge wizard button. I did not replace the entire power distribution pannel. All the breakers and wiring are factory. After reading your last post I pulled out the installation instructions to make sure I wired everything correctly. I did in fact make a mistake...Dohhh! I accidentally reversed the negative battery wire and the negative converter wire. See the attached photo. https://www.dropbox.com/s/4rh4vkr5qetas94/Wiring2.jpg?dl=0 - https://www.dropbox.com/s/4rh4vkr5qetas94/Wiring2.jpg?dl=0 The two white wires at top right should be flopped. I was unable to find anything else installed incorrectly. I suppose this is what killed my converter prematurely. I bet PD won't cover that under their warranty. I will have to wait until Monday to call again. They are closed for the weekend. I did the test you mentioned above and I am in fact getting no output from the converter. I have 120v input but 0 output going back to the battery! Thanks for all your help so far
|
Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 30 Jan 2016 at 12:45pm
|
I can't follow exactly since I don't have the WFCO panel, but if you're referring to the two white wires in the upper RIGHT they look close enough that they may be wired directly together anyway. Functionally both negatives go to the same place so I doubt that reversal caused your problem. Unfortunately electronics do sometimes fail prematurely. I would still try for warranty from PD.
------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
Posted By: spacemonkey
Date Posted: 30 Jan 2016 at 12:57pm
| Yes that's the wires I was referring to. I thought the same thing. Looks as if they are connected. I'll call Monday. Thanks again |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 30 Jan 2016 at 5:18pm
|
Did you check the two 40A fuses on the WFCO board, and did you check the 3 25 A fuses on the converter? If, while connecting disconnecting the battery the leads touch anything.. and even sometimes even if they don't, those fuses can go. ------------- |
Posted By: spacemonkey
Date Posted: 30 Jan 2016 at 6:19pm
|
Well there is no wfco board anymore. I replaced the converter and board with the PD components that came in the new kit more than a year ago. Every single fuse on the board in the DC electrical section is still good. Even the battery reversal fuses are good. I posted a picture above of the fuse board! On the converter itself there are only two round automotive fuses. I posted a pic of these as well. I believe both are 15 amp or at least one is I know! I see no other fuses on the converter anywhere. One of these fuses, the 15 amp one ( the top one in the pic) is blown but must be de soldered to replace. I'll be calling Monday to see about warranty replacement! Kind of a bummer because I should be sitting in the campground as we speak!
 |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 30 Jan 2016 at 7:49pm
|
Ahh.. when I did mine, I used the 9260, and just changed the converter.
------------- |
Posted By: spacemonkey
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2016 at 1:35pm
| I called pd on Monday. They are sending me a refurbished convert or under warranty. Im skeptical of refurbished guess it's better than nothing! Thanks for all the help! |