A cautionary tale of a blinkered approach to a problem!

[motorhomer]

There is a lesson here for us all, I'll tell the story despite some embarrassment in my direction!

Whilst touring in france, one day my step failed to retract fully when I started the engine, and the warning bleeper continued. Some gunge had stuck on the step, which I cleared off and all was well again.

2 days later on a site, having pitched up I then decided to put the van on ramps as it was not quite flat. I started the engine, and the warning bleep for the step started, the step retracted but the warning bleep just carried on. Tried several times and the same thing happened.

Having had a problem with the step a couple of days earlier I deduced that the problem had recurred only this time the switch that turned the buzzer off must have failed. I could not have driven with this buzzer going!

So I spent the next 2 hours dismantling the step and cleaning it, only to find that the switch was working perfectly, and when I put it all together again the problem was still there.

Decided that the next day I would ring the dealer for help. But I also decided to read the manual carefully in case a fuse or something else could cause this.

To my embarrassment I found that there is also a buzzer that goes off when you start the engine with mains plugged in. I had not bothered to unplug the mains just to drive 18inches on to the ramps. This was the problem!!!!

I felt rather stupid and had clearly been too blinkered.

But in my defence:

This is my 5th van, although the first british built. (Autosleeper). none of the previous 4 vans had a warning buzzer for the mains.

Which bright spark designed the system warnings to use the SAME buzzer for the step and the power cable????

Several lessons here though, maybe the first is to read the manual very carefully!

 

[davidbaldam]

Or never drive with your EHU connected even for a few inches.

 

[peter marshall]

Hi As one of my old workmates said read the fecking instructions, I still dont lol

Ps There was a post on here a while back where his son borrowed the MH for a break started up with the EHU attached and blew the fuses.

Pete

 

[Cal54]

Went to my local dealer with a perceived problem and within 2 minutes they showed me what to do and told me this was what they refer to as a 'R.T.F.I. fault. When I asked for an explanation that advised ' read the F*** Instructions' (didn't actually say the 4th word!). We had a laugh and I apologised for being a daft female but they assured me men were equally as bad.

 

[Scattycat]

When we bought our first van we were told never to start the engine when plugged into the mains because there is a good chance you'd blow the charging system

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[pappajohn]

Went to my local dealer with a perceived problem and within 2 minutes they showed me what to do and told me this was what they refer to as a 'R.T.F.I. fault. When I asked for an explanation that advised ' read the F*** Instructions' (didn't actually say the 4th word!). We had a laugh and I apologised for being a daft female but they assured me men were equally as bad.

what !!! They never said 'instructions'

 

[pappajohn]

Hi As one of my old workmates said read the fecking instructions, I still dont lol

Ps There was a post on here a while back where his son borrowed the MH for a break started up with the EHU attached and blew the fuses.

Pete

When we bought our first van we were told never to start the engine when plugged into the mains because there is a good chance you'd blow the charging system

An old wives tale....

The engine charge relay is in no way connected to the mains charger.

Both can supply charge to the battery and the solar panel can charge, if fitted, all at the same time

If you so desired you could fit an infinate number of chargers to charge one battery or more simultaniously.

 

[mjltigger]

At least your step is cleaner than when it left the factory..

As far as the ehu I drove off with mine attached. It blew the main trip switch in the house but did no harm to the camper....

 

[Scattycat]

An old wives tale....

The engine charge relay is in no way connected to the mains charger.

Both can supply charge to the battery and the solar panel can charge, if fitted, all at the same time

If you so desired you could fit an infinate number of chargers to charge one battery or more simultaniously.

I'll bow to my elders superior knowledge. Having said that it was the habitation service engineer at the dealership we bought our van from that made a big point of telling us 'not' to run the engine while on mains hook up.

 

[peter marshall]

An old wives tale....

The engine charge relay is in no way connected to the mains charger.

Both can supply charge to the battery and the solar panel can charge, if fitted, all at the same time

If you so desired you could fit an infinate number of chargers to charge one battery or more simultaniously.

I only stated what was on here in a post a good while back, I always unplug if I nead to move a little. Pete

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[Allanm]

Like this...Broken Link Removed

 

[tonyidle]

Like this...Broken Link Removed

It's my sig line on a different forum.

 

[mjltigger]

These modern things with computers to close the Damn step no doubt are wired differently to my old van... I'm guessing the split charge relay is built into some complicated box of tricks that only charges the battery when the engine is running or something..