After the mysterious starting issue, discussed earlier, I decided to clean contacts in the control box. I disconnected the shore power, but not batteries. I used a voltage tester (light) to check the terminals and contacts that I could see before disconnecting and cleaning contacts. My tester showed no voltage.
To the right of the three relays (see photo), is a rectangular devise with two lugs mounted vertically. I removed the top red wire with yellow collar and touched the side of the "box" that the lug is mounted to with a resultant arc - similar to crossing battery terminals. Again, I had tested that lug with the tester (which was working properly) and it showed no power.
I put the wire back on and checked to see if I could start the generator. Not surprisingly, the pre-heat would not come on. The two circuit breakers (switches?) mounted on the front of the control box had not tripped and the 5w and 10w fuses were intact.
Two questions: What is that black thing (for lack of a better word) with the two lugs? Is there another fuse or circuit breaker I need to check (the 12v fuses under bed are good)?
That is a self resetting circuit breaker. Once power is removed it will reset itself.
Mark
I'm guessing I should disconnect the batteries along with the shore power. If so, how long before it resets?
Sven,
That breaker works the same way as the self resting breakers on the breaker panel that is behind the passengers kick panel. You don't have to remove the voltage just the load/over amp condition. Once the over load condition has been remover it should reset in just a couple of seconds. If this breaker don't reset then the breaker most likely is going/gone bad and needs to be replaced. The amp rating should be on the side of the breaker and most any auto parts store will have one (the breakers inside may have to be ordered due to they are panel track mounted)
Mike
the top single wire should be hot 12v to ground and so should the bottom wires if breaker is in normal closed position. the bottom wires feed the relays which are the other black boxes to the left.