Ok you electrical WIZARDS, need tech help here! - Page 3

FIRE UP · 04-05-2015, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nothermark

I have been watching the thread with a bit of frustration because between the two of us it would be a fun project. The problem is you do not understand what you see because you do not understand electronics. Most of what you are talking about makes sense to me because I have made a living at it or messed with it for a hobby for more than 50 years. ;-) For instance the meter makes sense to me because the motor line will be noisy and the meter is trying to read the noise. Digital meters have a problem that way.

I think your problem is in the current sensing that determines when the awning is at the end of travel. If there is one set of terminals set for higher current/bigger awning then you should be using them. If that does not work the current monitoring needs some tweaking.

You are correct Sir in that, I do not understand some or, maybe most electronics. As far as I can see in that circuit board, other than the dip-switches, there no other adjustments of any type that could be "tweaked" as you say, at least not that I can see. But, what's kind-a strange in this whole thing now is, when I first started messing with this door awning issue way back a couple years ago, it would not even THINK about retracting if you had extended it to the point it was all the way out and, the elbows were both straight.

But, since I've started goofing around with it lately, it will retract from the "all the way out position" but, only maybe two or three times. After those 2-3 full retractions, it will do it's "stop" thing, either on the way out, or, on the way in or, if the elbows are straight, it won't even begin to retract due to the added force needed to overcome the "un-bending" of the elbows.
Scott

SCVJeff · 04-06-2015, 01:38 AM

Once you find that relay, cut it open and your problem will be obvious. I had the same issue with the relay that drives the big contactor that runs the room slide, and it was all carboned up. Here is the driver relay I opened up before trashing it. It's a tad out of focus, but that's a high impedance gold contact.

grtharris · 04-06-2015, 09:04 AM

FIRE UP a couple of thoughts from a old controls engineer. I don't see where you did any current measurements. It would be helpful to know what the current going to the motor is doing. If the current goes up when the motor stalls that points to a binding in the awning. If the current goes down that points to high resistance in the controller.
Don't know what the motor should pull but probably a 10 amp meter in series with a motor lead would do it.
On our 03 Journey I think it would just stall when all the way in.
Looked for a schematic of the control box but could not fine one.
Had the control box smoke during warranty so after replacing the control box I made patch cable and switch to use if I could not get the awning back in.

ernieh · 04-06-2015, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grtharris

Had the control box smoke during warranty so after replacing the control box I made patch cable and switch to use if I could not get the awning back in.

My 03 Journey DL came from the factory with a cable just for that purpose.

nothermark · 04-07-2015, 08:59 AM

FWIW as I understand it a previous owner changed the awning without changing the control box to the one for the new awning. The current sensing is probably set for the old awning with a fixed value resistor as the current sense. The way to tweak it is to change it or put a larger value in parallel to trim the value down so a little more current looks like "normal".

A second problem with that scenario is that the old control box may not be designed to handle the current on the new awning and is protecting itself instead of frying. Protection is defined as shutting itself off. I do not think that is the case here because it usually takes some kind of reset action with a protection circuit. That is an assumption and you know what they say about that. ;-)

FIRE UP · 04-07-2015, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nothermark

FWIW as I understand it a previous owner changed the awning without changing the control box to the one for the new awning. The current sensing is probably set for the old awning with a fixed value resistor as the current sense. The way to tweak it is to change it or put a larger value in parallel to trim the value down so a little more current looks like "normal".

A second problem with that scenario is that the old control box may not be designed to handle the current on the new awning and is protecting itself instead of frying. Protection is defined as shutting itself off. I do not think that is the case here because it usually takes some kind of reset action with a protection circuit. That is an assumption and you know what they say about that. ;-)

nothermark,
Well Sir, not that it makes a difference but, it wasn't the previous owner that changed the awnings, it was the original owner and, it was done at the factory, based on all the investigation we've done so far and, we're the fourth owners of this coach. Again, no biggie. Well, at present, I've decided to back down on the investigation as to why it quits for now. As stated, it works and, it works for a few cycles before it shuts down.
And, based on the fact that it does work and, I've got other, "More imperative" projects backing up on me 'cause I've neglected them, I've decided to let it ride for now. I will attack it again, at a later date when I'm caught up.

I again want to thank any and all of you for helping or, attempting to help, analyze, figure out what was/is the cause of my "Quitting" over the door awning. I will definitely keep all in formed if I should "happen" up the cause. As usual, this forum is great. Thanks again.
Scott