Electrical issue or brain dead

[Flook]

Hi Every one, I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and had fun seeing in the New Year under restricted circumstances.

Since my last service on the van In January last year I have not used it at all, yep, not been anywhere, it has been there on my drive way locked up, with frequent visits in and out, also a kind neighbour has jacked the van up to allow me to turn the wheels so I do not get flat spots (every 3 months) and is due again soon to turn them again.

However it is not that I want to ask you about. The wife (her indoors) and I were discussing yesterday about the motorhome and she mentioned when she went in there the other day the lights were not working. So in the freezing cold and sort of wrapped up, I ventured out, or into the van to check this out. No lights no power. I checked power to the van okay, no power to the Auxiliary battery either. TV light was on and went out when it was unplugged, however I have not checked out the other 13A mains sockets, I will do when it is not quite so cold. However, with my trusty Fluke meter, I traced power to the rcd board, but a trip had been made to the Fridge. I flipped the trip up okay but nothing else happened. No power to that, microwave or lights lights.

The circuit diagram I have is basic stuff for a circuit diagram and should be easily readable, however it is in fits and starts and not specific enough to trace out easily.

So to assist in this I need your advice, also it will help for make and model. Elddis Autoquest 175 2014 model.

I suppose I am looking for two things:-
1 - a more definitive circuit diagram as the one that came with the motorhome not specific enough.
2 - has any one else had this experience with theirs, or if your in the trade advice would be appreciated.

It was too cold yesterday for me to continue too long inside the van, so I did not check out any fuses at all. I appreciate I must do that next, but meanwhile if you can make any suggestions or provide a proper circuit diagram that would assist me when this cold spell is over.

Or, do I have lock down brain syndrome, missing something like a brain cell or three, or just plain bing a silly arse. Her indoors reckons I am over thinking it, mmm might just be old age creeping upon me as well.

Flook

 

[Itsmcb]

Did you get it sorted?

 

[JFD]

For what it’s worth, my previous Moho had a discrete trip switch for the EHU socket - always seemed a little OTT to me, as every EHU I have used has had a trip in the source, but I guess belt and braces is better than a shock!!

Are you sure you don’t have a discrete EHU internal protector that may have tripped, or blown it’s fuse?

 

[Flook]

Hi JFD, regarding your last paragraph, I would have thought any discrete protection would be an internal fuse on a circuit board. When I feel up to it I am going to check out all 240v sockets with an appropriate test meter I have from my past days repairing domestic appliances, once happy with that I will remove the mains voltage from the van. Check out all fuses I can find, if clear okay, if not replace any failed fuse, refit mains and check. If all clear, next to remove and strip down as possible the RCD unit and look for any fuses or burnt circuit board and or components.

Hopefully I will be successful, but I have my doubts, a complete circuit diagram would help. The one that came with the moho is not to good. A circuit diagram is a map of the wiring with the components like lights etc being the destinations. The problem here is where there are the connections, road maps you can read where to go, however these connections don’t have any continuity or numbered to show what goes where, so can lead one to a problem.

Ah well, such is life, if not one thing then another aye.

Flook

 

[andy63]

I've tried following your post but not sure I've got it all..
Your mh has been fine until recently..you believe the mains trip activated and the 12v power has failed presumably because the battery charger had no mains supply..
If that's the case is it possible to at least reinstate power to the battery charger and get the 12v side up and running again..you won't be doing the batteries any favours if you don't get that done..
You can leave the 230v side to sort when conditions improve... that all assumes its not the charger bringing the trip out..
Andy..

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Flook]

Andy, thank you for your response. The leisure battery is dead totally. I removed the battery and put it on trickle charge for a few days with no response, hence I need a new one.

However, I want to know why the system went down, something failed and took out the power to the battery via the RCD unit. I suspect a fuse as the fridge trip was down, and I do not know how long all this was down for. Hence my asking for a complete circuit diagram and I will carry out a full fuse check when I can, then I will take it from there.

However I wont be able to replace the leisure battery due to the local moho place is closed for spare parts, but I do have an old car and motorbike 12v battery's I could possibly link up, but the weather at the moment is too cold for me to stay outside for too long.

Flook

 

[autorouter]

If the RCD tripped that means there's an earth leakage fault, not an excessive current fault. You could (after removing the hookup cable to isolate from the mains) check the resistance between live and earth, and neutral and earth. Possible faults include failed heater element, failed insulation, mouse nibbles, squashed wire finally failing, water leaking into connections etc. Insulation resistance should be very high (1 megohm or more) and if it's less than 8000 ohms the RCD will trip.

 

[Jaws]

Andy, thank you for your response. The leisure battery is dead totally. I removed the battery and put it on trickle charge for a few days with no response, hence I need a new one.

However, I want to know why the system went down, something failed and took out the power to the battery via the RCD unit. I suspect a fuse as the fridge trip was down, and I do not know how long all this was down for. Hence my asking for a complete circuit diagram and I will carry out a full fuse check when I can, then I will take it from there.

However I wont be able to replace the leisure battery due to the local moho place is closed for spare parts, but I do have an old car and motorbike 12v battery's I could possibly link up, but the weather at the moment is too cold for me to stay outside for too long.

Flook

Possibly the fridge had been left on and the element has broken down leaking to earth...
Lets face it, a van is fairly basic and not that many possibles to cause the fault
Fridge
Charger
Telly ( if on mains )
13v sockets

You could isolate each circuit and check it
Of course, it could have been just a spider got in somewhere of even a bit of damp. condensation causing a momentary earth leak

 

[Flook]

Thanks for the replies autorouter and Jaws.
I will take your comments on board and mega test as suggested autorouter, and I appreciate what you say Jaws, all what you say could well be true, and I am hoping it will be nothing more than a simple fault.

One thing I may not have mentioned is there is no power to the control panel for lights water pump battery test and outside light either, so I am hoping a small fuse may have failed either at the rcd, or maybe a printed circuit board (PCB) fuse.

All I need is a day when it is warmer for me to venture onto my drive way to check out the van outside and in. I have a problem as I am slightly anaemic so the cold chills me more than it did last year.

Thanks again guy's

Flook

PS I nearly forgot the TV appears to work so some hope for me huh