Electrical Gremlins

[Pete Masterson]

Two or three months back, I discovered that I didn't have tail lights
(turn signals, stop lights, back up lights all worked). All other
driving lights work. This discovery occurred when I had a lube pump
installed in my car and (as part of the job) the technician hooked up
the lighting system.

When I got it home, after some trouble shooting, I discovered that a
wire was not connected to the Bosch Relay (on the output side). I
reattached the wire and the lights worked ... and worked for several
hours while coming back from the Southwest Rally last October
(including lighting my toad). The disconnected wire seemed odd to
me ... I couldn't imagine that someone removed the wire on purpose...
but, I suppose, someone may have been trying to disconnect something
and may have pulled the wrong wire. I note that the "headlight on"
light and alarm sound when this circuit is working (and the ignition
key is in the 'off' position).

We went for a short trip in November and the tail lights may not have
been working or my wife didn't see them during the light-check. I
attributed this to the morning sun at her back as I did a light check
as we departed but now I wonder if the lights had quit working at
that time.

Now, after a brief trip over the holiday, not only are the tail
lights not working, neither are the clearance lights nor the
dashboard lights (both the instruments _and_ the dashboard). These
lights had been in good working order before this trip.

I'm going to start trouble shooting tomorrow, but I wonder if anyone
has some ideas. The only thing that's occurred since I re-attached
the wire to the relay (it was still attached) is that we've had
several rain storms and some cool weather (barely below freezing, but
the heater was 'on' in the basement).

I have not noticed any water or moisture in the front panel (behind
the door on the front of the bus) nor have I noticed any electrical
odors. Fuses have not blown nor circuit breakers broken. No obviously
fried wires are visible.

Any comments will be helpful.

Pete Masterson
aeonix1@...
'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42'
El Sobrante, CA






[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Ralph L. Fullenwider]

Morning Pete:

Dash lights/running lights: Sounds like you have a bad connector on the
head light switch. The lower end wire has been known to get hot and char
the wire in the connector. This will affect the tail lights/running lights
as well. Just a thought.

Safe travels,

Ralph and Charolette Fullenwider
84FC35
Ralph's RV Solutions, Duncan, Oklahoma

At 05:16 PM 12/29/2006 -0800, you wrote:
>Two or three months back, I discovered that I didn't have tail lights
>(turn signals, stop lights, back up lights all worked). All other
>driving lights work. This discovery occurred when I had a lube pump
>installed in my car and (as part of the job) the technician hooked up
>the lighting system.
>
>When I got it home, after some trouble shooting, I discovered that a
>wire was not connected to the Bosch Relay (on the output side). I
>reattached the wire and the lights worked ... and worked for several
>hours while coming back from the Southwest Rally last October
>(including lighting my toad). The disconnected wire seemed odd to
>me ... I couldn't imagine that someone removed the wire on purpose...
>but, I suppose, someone may have been trying to disconnect something
>and may have pulled the wrong wire. I note that the "headlight on"
>light and alarm sound when this circuit is working (and the ignition
>key is in the 'off' position).
>
>We went for a short trip in November and the tail lights may not have
>been working or my wife didn't see them during the light-check. I
>attributed this to the morning sun at her back as I did a light check
>as we departed but now I wonder if the lights had quit working at
>that time.
>
>Now, after a brief trip over the holiday, not only are the tail
>lights not working, neither are the clearance lights nor the
>dashboard lights (both the instruments _and_ the dashboard). These
>lights had been in good working order before this trip.
>
>I'm going to start trouble shooting tomorrow, but I wonder if anyone
>has some ideas. The only thing that's occurred since I re-attached
>the wire to the relay (it was still attached) is that we've had
>several rain storms and some cool weather (barely below freezing, but
>the heater was 'on' in the basement).
>
>I have not noticed any water or moisture in the front panel (behind
>the door on the front of the bus) nor have I noticed any electrical
>odors. Fuses have not blown nor circuit breakers broken. No obviously
>fried wires are visible.
>
>Any comments will be helpful.
>
>Pete Masterson
>aeonix1@...
>'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42'
>El Sobrante, CA
>
>
>

[rogerwwebb@...]

An easy item to check is the shore power plug. I had a short/burnt wire and
wasted time believing it was the transfer switch. Open it up and inspect.
Your gauges may also give you a clue (leg 1/leg 2).

Others on the forum are more qualified than I on electrical issues, so I'm
sure you'll get more suggestions.

Roger Webb
91 WL
Cedar Rapids, IA (ice covered)





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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[erniecarpet@...]

I vote with Roger, sounds like a wire has come loose on your shore power.
Start your genny and see if you have full power.

Ernie Ekberg
83PT40
Weatherford, Tx




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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[John]

While on 50 amp. shore power, and running a couple of electric heaters
plugged into the outlets, several circuits stopped working. The front
electrical outlets and, interestingly enough, the hot water heater are
all out.

I couldn't find a tripped breaker even though I reset everything. So I
was thinking that perhaps a breaker was, uh ... broken ... and needed
to be replaced.

This morning I began to realize that the circuit that was out
approximated one side of the dual 30 amp hookup. Sure enough, when I
plugged a 30 amp line into the box I am getting hot water and the
forward electrical outlets are on again.

Anyone have any ideas as to what's going on?

--PirateJohn--
http://www.PirateJohn.com
1982 PT-40

[John]

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, erniecarpet@... wrote:
>
> I vote with Roger, sounds like a wire has come loose on your shore
power.
> Start your genny and see if you have full power.
>
> Ernie Ekberg
> 83PT40
> Weatherford, Tx
>
>


Thanks gentlemen. I'll try that tonight.

I am at work and cannot look at the plug right now, but IIRC a 50 amp
plug has 4 lugs. Am I safe in assuming that the lugs are paired and
that each pair connects to a separate circuit that gets split during
30 amp operation?

[Harold Prescott]

I just had the same thing happen. It turned out to be a blown breaker
on one leg of the shore power. Reset the breaker at the shore power
end, and I don't know why it blew in the first place.

Harold Prescott
"85 FC35
Rackerby, Ca.


-- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, erniecarpet@... wrote:
>
> I vote with Roger, sounds like a wire has come loose on your shore
power.
> Start your genny and see if you have full power.
>
> Ernie Ekberg
> 83PT40
> Weatherford, Tx
>
>
>
>
> **************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's
hottest
> products.
>
(http://money.aol.com/special/hot-product...0000000001)
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

[sfedeli3]

John, take the ends off your shore power plug and check for corrosion
or burned wires. You may have lost a leg. Thank Jesus that it wasn't
the neutral leg!!! I cut the wire back about 5 inches and re-connected
the ends a few years ago. Mine were pretty crispy after 20 years of
low voltage and moisture at various camps. You might also check the
main breakers too, but my money is on the cord ends having "issues"

Shane Fedeli
85PT40
Hershey, PA

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "John" wrote:
>
> While on 50 amp. shore power, and running a couple of electric heaters
> plugged into the outlets, several circuits stopped working. The front
> electrical outlets and, interestingly enough, the hot water heater are
> all out.
>
> I couldn't find a tripped breaker even though I reset everything. So I
> was thinking that perhaps a breaker was, uh ... broken ... and needed
> to be replaced.
>
> This morning I began to realize that the circuit that was out
> approximated one side of the dual 30 amp hookup. Sure enough, when I
> plugged a 30 amp line into the box I am getting hot water and the
> forward electrical outlets are on again.
>
> Anyone have any ideas as to what's going on?
>
> --PirateJohn--
> http://www.PirateJohn.com
> 1982 PT-40
>

[Don Bradner]

That one sounds the most likely. The water heater and the couple of electric
heaters may have exceeded 50 amps on the leg. Since the 50-amp breakers are
physically tied together normally everything would go, but it is not unheard of
for one side to pop but not strongly enough to dislodge the other leg.

The 30 amp would have been on a different breaker.

If it isn't the breaker, it would have to be the cord or plugs in the situation
described. I would bet on the breaker.

On 12/4/2007 at 3:19 PM Harold Prescott wrote:

>I just had the same thing happen. It turned out to be a blown breaker
>on one leg of the shore power. Reset the breaker at the shore power
>end, and I don't know why it blew in the first place.
>
>Harold Prescott
>"85 FC35
>Rackerby, Ca.

[Gregory OConnor]

inverter relays???????
GregoryO'Connor
94ptRomolandCA


--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "John" wrote:
>
> --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, erniecarpet@ wrote:
> >
> > I vote with Roger, sounds like a wire has come loose on your
shore
> power.
> > Start your genny and see if you have full power.
> >
> > Ernie Ekberg
> > 83PT40
> > Weatherford, Tx
> >
> >
>
>
> Thanks gentlemen. I'll try that tonight.
>
> I am at work and cannot look at the plug right now, but IIRC a 50
amp
> plug has 4 lugs. Am I safe in assuming that the lugs are paired
and
> that each pair connects to a separate circuit that gets split
during
> 30 amp operation?
>