2016 ERA 70C Battery Charging Issue

[TdykstraRV]

I am new to the ERA RV. I had issues with my battery - it was down to 7 volts. Had it checked and replaced. Seemed fine - charging when the engine is running.

But we are camping now and the battery level keeps going down. I don’t think the converter is charging it while connected to SP. I checked the breaker and fuse. Both seemed good.

Is there a reset button in the physical converter? And if so, is the converter behind the breaker panel?

Thanks for any help!

[Morich]

I suspect there is a stand alone converter and spot that on some. But to get down to the correct location, we will need more info as there are several different models of 2016 Era and each has early and late builds.
To get to the correct info can you spot which Era?

If not on hand, you can often get the correct serial number (NOT VIN!) to check the 7th digit, on a label next to the drivers left side! 1 for early, 2 for later year build!

Meanwhile one "quickie way to test if the converter is getting charge to the batteries is somewhat easy.
Put a voltmeter on the coach batteries without the RV engine running but while plugged to power.
If you test the voltage with converter breaker off and then compare it when turning the breaker on, there should be a higher reading if the converter charge is getting to the batteries!

I assume the battery cutoff switch is on? That being off will cutoff charging to battery as well as lights, fans, etc.!

[TdykstraRV]

Hi Moriah, thanks for the info. My unit is a 15166u2.

For your quick test, can I use the One Place power monitor to check the difference? The battery is extremely hard to get to under the low riding vehicle.

[Winterbagoal]

Yes, check battery enable/disable switch near side entry door well. Enable it. Easiest fix if it's disabled.

[TdykstraRV]

Thank you for your post. It is enabled

[Morich]

Okay! Looks to be a stand alone converter, not connected to the load center, etc.
Located looks like floor level just in front of the drivers side rear wheel well.
Click this snip for best view:


I did a closer look at all sides of the converter and see no sing of any reset, GFCI, etc. involved. Connections look on inner side with cooling fan on the side by outer wall!

Looking at a different set of drawings, the location is not nearly as clear as they tried to draw from and angle that makes the distribution panel and converter overlap. That makes it a mess that looks more like a pile of junk! But I see some odd looking points on this last drawing that you may want to take a look at as they are not well explained and not clear to me what they mean. Maybe nothing to consider or maybe something good to know?
Thing that makes me wonder is what looks like a coax connections? Is that communications to a control panel that might be loose if you have trouble with turning it on? I'm not used to thinking of power and coax together!
If you want to look at more small points and notes on this drawing the full info is here:
https://www.winnebago.com/Files/File.../000180118.pdf
Sheet 2 down in lower right corner is detail BD that looks like it comes from the converter? Not a good drawing but maybe makes more sense in person?
Click for best view!

On that sheet, there is also what might be some form of solid state control I marked in orange here?

Bunches of info but not a drawing that shows how batteries and converter are wired together!
Maybe some help to look at to ID what you are seeing?
A help on ID is the way Winnebago stamps smaller wires with ID:
Decoder chart
https://www.winnebago.com/Files/File...ical_guide.pdf
ID on drawings or wires can be found on this list to find from and to locations! Sometimes helps to know if it is a battery or ground wire!


CORRECTIOn? That solid state item is marked as water pump control!!

[TdykstraRV]

Wow! You are the master! You provided a lot of detail I have not been able to find.

The diagrams show the converter is behind the fuse and breaker panel in the bottom cabinet next to the refrigerator.

I am a little cautious going in there without more knowledge of the electrical system.

You did provide a simple test for the converter. Check the amperage with and without the converter breaker on. My question, since the battery is so inaccessible, can I validate the same using the voltage meter showing up on my One Panel?

[Morich]

I'm prone to being a bit of a skeptic when using any monitor, etc. as that depends on the wiring from whereever they tie the battery to that monitor.
But we can work around it if we do a little test first.
Have you tried or found the coach battery voltage that shows on that panel changes if you start the RV engine?
Thinking is that when we run the engine the chassis or start battery with the engine alternator connected to it, will be connected to the coach battery!
If you check the voltage of the coach battery, then start the engine and look again, we expect the panel voltage to go up. If you rev up the engine, the voltage goes high and low as the engine RPM changes. That will verify that all should be good on reading that voltage.
I'm kind of old school simple and like to stick a meter right on the battery but that may just be a personal problem!! I know monitor panels work good but I worry!
Any way, if it tells you the right answer with using the engine alternator to get power to the coach and read it, we can say it will be fine!
Turn the RV engine off And you may still show higher than 12.8 for a bit as there is still remains of the 13+ charge voltage shows for a time. Part of the stuff that is confusing is that we can get a higher reading after charging but a really good lead acid battery will only hold 12.8 if fully charged and if it has time to settle!

But if you have a reading on the panel for the coach battery voltage when nothing is charging them, then plug in and turn the converter on, it will make the voltage jump higher in most cases.
One thing to watch if you have solar charging of some sort, it can get confusing if we try to figure if the converter is working when the solar may already be putting a voltage out to the batteries. I don't know if your RV has that or not, but be aware that you want to see charge come from the converter and it's hard to tell that if the solar is already doing it?

If you are in a good quiet place, it may be worth while to try to hear the converter as they hum most of the time. Depends on how good the ears?

[TdykstraRV]

The voltage meter does go up over 13 for the coach battery when I run the engine. Once I stop the engine it slowly starts to go down. It is at 11.7 now after being o er 13.

I tried turning the breaker for the converter in and off. I do not see any impact on the voltage for the coach.

I also do not hear the humming, though my hearing isn’t rhe best.

Based on this, seems like the converter is suspect.

[Morich]

Ok! Let's talk about what that seems to show. I make funny drawings and leave out a lot of details like fuses!
But I like to keep it down to things we need to know!

The problem is that we don't get the info on where the monitor is connected and reading the voltage!
But if you see the monitor show a higher voltage when the engine is running, we know that has to be coming in like the green line all the way from alternator to monitor. The reading is coming from where I marked blue line and numbered 1!
So if you turned the engine off and turning the converter on did NOT give higher reading, it has to say the converter is not putting the voltage out, OR that voltage can't get through some connection like at the red marks, so it doesn't show on the monitor!
That tells us that the monitor is actually reading the voltage at the batteries and not just some point along the line!

We also now have the question of where we find the fuses as they are now remote and not right on the same cabinet with the converter! When they were built together we knew it was just a TEE type connection.

I would guess that it is still the same but where they pick up that connections is a bit of mystery.
Do all the 12V RV things get power from the converter or from the batteries and they are tied together?
Sorting the problem would be easier if we could tell where things connect together!

But it does seem like the problem come down to the converter not working or the connections from it to the batteries are not good!
Do RV things work okay when plugged in and trying to use the converter and does the monitor show low voltage at the same time?
I'm afraid you may have to dig to get to the converter or cables to find out??
Where and how to get to things on the newer, more compact RV are sometimes a different question!
Dirty battery cables used to be a frequent problem but they were also easy to get at them to clean them!

[BobC]

If I'm correct, the convertor is a Progressive 3-stage convertor, most likely a PD9345. The parts manual graphic closely matches the Progressive converter. This and similar Progressive converters (and I'd assume other brands) have on-board fuse(s) to protect against reverse battery connections. It's possible the converter is hooked up improperly to the battery and this fuse(s) is/are blown. The manual shows the PD9345 as having one fuse, while the PD9360 has two (pages 2-3 of the manual). Before replacing the fuse(s) you'll need to ensure the connections from the converter to the battery are correct + to + and - to -. We don't know why the connections would be backwards but if they're wrong, they're wrong (I hooked up a replacement converter incorrectly once due to non-standard wire colors). Even if they're OK, the fuse(s) could be blown or defective. Here's a link to the manual:

Chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.progressivedyn.com/wp-content/uploads/Support/manuals/PD9300/PD9300-Manual-111426A-english.pdf

If this link doesn't work, the link to the manual can be found here:

https://www.progressivedyn.com/power-converters-2/

[Morich]

Good info there, Bob!
It does help to clear a number of questions and we can compare what the Winn drawings and info give us to what that manual shows. I would also agree/guess that it is a PD9345.
It is listed as a 45amp.

It looks like the manual has a good troubleshooting section but then comes the big questions?
Can I? Should I or should I take it somewhere for help?
That is always tempting to think we can but when we get there we sometimes ask if we should have!
It's always a wise man who admits they think things are getting too deep and stop before they hurt themselves!
RV can be fun but not if we have to take a trip through the hospital!

[BobC]

When I replaced mine, I misread the wire colors and hooked it up backwards. When I applied power there was smoke. Fortunately it was only a fuse and the only damage was a blown fuse in my Coleman HVAC thermostat.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by Morich

RV can be fun but not if we have to take a trip through the hospital!

That's why I don't go up on my roof anymore, MH or house. The last time I did, I ended up with a torn rotator cuff and I consider myself lucky at that.

[TdykstraRV]

I do have the progressive converter. I found the documentation when we got home from camping today.

I saw the info on the fuses. My only thought is the converter did work when I first bought the unit.

My battery went down to under 7 a few weeks back. I brought it to an auto shop that had a lift to get to the battery. They tested the battery and said it was bad. They put in a new battery and we left for camping thinking all was good. Then we saw the battery not charging when we were plugged in.

Everything on the RV works fine. All 12 volt lights and controls. Even the slide out. Just don’t want to get stuck somewhere without a battery.

I plan on taking it to an RV place I trust. I am not too comfortable going into the electrical area of the RV, especially since I cannot get to the battery to disconnect it.

[BobC]

It's possible that the converter leads were mis-connected when the battery was replaced. Morich's info on the wire codes should be helpful and the wiring diagram should help show how the converter is connected to the battery. If reverse connection and fuse blowing is the cause of your problem it's a pretty simple fix. Hopefully the labor charge won't be too terrible. If you tell the shop that this might be the problem, and they check it first, you may save some troubleshooting $.