Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: Lights flashing on and off (Read 912 times) previous topic - next topic

Lights flashing on and off

When I turn on more than half of my interior lights, the DC power shuts off for a few seconds and the turns back on.  With only a few lights on everything is OK.  Is there a thermal or time delay fuse or relay that is going bad?  It does this on shore power or generator power.  When the power shuts on and off I can hear a sound like a relay clicking.  Help!!!
Terry
Terry and Cheryl Brown
1997 U295 36'
Build #5066
2006 Jeep TJ Rubicon
1993 BMW R100 GSPD

Re: Lights flashing on and off

Reply #1 –
Perhaps too obvious, but check your connections on the house batteries... when mine are disconnected, I will get 12 V DC, but I will get the relays flashing and the voltage flickering between 12.4 and 13.8 from the heart inverter.
Don
The selected media item is not currently available.
Don & Tys
1999 U270 3602 WTFE #5402
Xtreme Stage 1 w/Headlight, Step Conversion, etc.
2009 Honda Fit Sport with Navi
Freedom is NOT "just another word for nothing left to lose"... with apologies to Kris Kristofferson

Re: Lights flashing on and off

Reply #2 –
Terry,
I haven't heard of this kind of failure but it sounds like an auto resetting breaker is tripping and then resetting itself again.  While there are branch DC fuses (auto style) under the bed in a panel, there's a master auto resetting breaker (90 amp on my coach) that I think feeds the main panel under the bed.  I don't know if it's in the same place as mine, but in the "utilities" bay (drivers side, just in front of rear axle) there is a master DC panel that contains a few of these large breakers.  In the upper left of photo you can see it - round shape, black, two terminals with what looks like a fine adjustment screw in the middle with staking compound over the screw head.  This would be my guess as to what's clicking.  A voltmeter or test light across the two terminals would show 12 volts if it's tripped.  If you think it might be failing below it's rated current setting you might try turning the little screw in the middle, but you need to realize you'll be bypassing the current protection that its providing.
John Fitzgerald
1991 U300 (SAI) Side Aisle Island Bed 40'
Detroit 6V92 with Allison Retarder
Meridian (Boise), Idaho

Re: Lights flashing on and off

Reply #3 –
This happend to me once...Cause,weak house batteries.
1996 U270 36'

Re: Lights flashing on and off

Reply #4 –
Quote from: CAPEHORN31 –
When I turn on more than half of my interior lights, the DC power shuts off for a few seconds and the turns back on.  With only a few lights on everything is OK.  Is there a thermal or time delay fuse or relay that is going bad?  It does this on shore power or generator power.  When the power shuts on and off I can hear a sound like a relay clicking.  Help!!!
Terry

 Terry,
Is the sound possibly coming from the front, right dash area?
If yes, pry open the upholstered vertical switch panel by the stairwell and ID the circuit breaker (CB) that is tripping and resetting (by sound and by the CB case which will probably be warmer to the touch).
I'd try a new CB first (most any auto parts stores and relatively inexpensive) as they have been known to age.
If that doesn't fix it, you need an ammeter and a helper.  Turn the fixtures on, one by one, until you find the fixture that has an inappropriately large current draw, as compared to the others.  When you find that fixture, then there's something failed or failing in that fixture.  Further investigation of that fixture should yield your answer.  If the fixture is good, then unfortunately a wire to that fixture has been compromised and that "cycling" CB may well be preventing the start of a fire.
Good Luck.
Neal
 
The selected media item is not currently available.
Neal (& Brenda) Pillsbury
'02 U320 SPEC, 4200, DGFE, Build #5984
'04 Gold Wing
'07 Featherlite 24'
'14 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit
MC #14494
Exeter, NH & LaBelle FL
Quality makes the Heart Soar long after Price is Forgotten

Re: Lights flashing on and off

Reply #5 –
It does sound like an auto reset circuit breaker. Think back through everything you touched or moved when working on the AC and look for a short or bad connection or something hooked back up wrong.
Rick & Rhonda
2003 U320 4220  Build #6199
Was
91 36' GV 300 Caterpillar, 92 40' U280 300 Cummins, 97 36' U295 300 Cummins, 2002
U320 450 Cummins
(Guess we're hooked)

The selected media item is not currently available.

Re: Lights flashing on and off

Reply #6 –
My 93GV had a auto resetting 80A CB mounted on the forward bulkhead in the battery compartment.  All of the power from the charger went through the breaker to the battery.  Last year mine failed.  I noticed most of the lights started not working.  Looked at the monitor and the house voltage was in the red.  We connected a spare charger to the battery, but because it was only 10A it couldn't keep up.  When we checked we found we had good voltage on one side of the CB, actually doesn't look like CB, and low on the other. Removed it and put the 3 wires together and everything was fine.  When I took it apart it has a convex metal plate that contacts two pins.  The stud holding the whole thing together failed and the plate just fell off.  Still not sure what function it served.  My charger has a 60 Amp internal protection so what an 80 amp auto-resetting CB was suppose to do is unclear.  It is almost like having a larger CB protecting a lower one incase it failed to trip.  Anyway, the way it is designed it isn't going to trip fast and it is going to have to cool down to reset.  The diagram I have indicates all the current for the coach from the charger goes through this CB EXCEPT the sense voltage for the fridge.  I'm sure the Foretravel engineers had some thought in mind, I just don't understand what it was.  Maybe they wanted double protection for the charger.

Bill and Doris
OKC
93 GV gas
Bill and Doris
93 GV gas

Re: Lights flashing on and off

Reply #7 –
After looking over the wiring diagram for the 12vdc system, nothing was making any sense so I stood out side an looked in an noticed the BATTERY DISCONNECT SWITCH WAS OFF.  I switched it to the ON position and like magic everything worked.  The next question would be "what does the battery disconnect actually do'?  Of course who knows how the switch got turned off in the first place. 
Terry
Terry and Cheryl Brown
1997 U295 36'
Build #5066
2006 Jeep TJ Rubicon
1993 BMW R100 GSPD

Re: Lights flashing on and off

Reply #8 –
It's easy to bump into it getting in and out of the coach. Don't ask me how I know.
Peter & Beth Martin
No Forrest? What have you done?
MC# 15890 until Dec 2016; FMCA #F329677
Cincinnati, OH

Re: Lights flashing on and off

Reply #9 –
Quote from: CAPEHORN31 –
Of course who knows how the switch got turned off in the first place. 
I always blame it on the dog.

That switch is one of the first things to check if something powered by electricity doesn't work right.
J D Stevens
1997 U295 CAI 36' Build #5085
2002 Subaru Outback
Motorcade 16869
Bellville, TX

Re: Lights flashing on and off

Reply #10 –
Quote from: CAPEHORN31 –
After looking over the wiring diagram for the 12vdc system, nothing was making any sense so I stood out side an looked in an noticed the BATTERY DISCONNECT SWITCH WAS OFF.  I switched it to the ON position and like magic everything worked.Terry

It happens to everyone at one time or another. I added an "L" bracket that I can move up and down over it to prevent it from moving. (by the dog) ::)
The selected media item is not currently available.Barry BEAM #16014
2003 U320 40' AGDS
Beamalarm, Foretravel technical help and specifications
"Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve"

Re: Lights flashing on and off

Reply #11 –
Quote from: Barry Beam –
to prevent it from moving. (by the dog) ::)
Barry, you got a puppy - who knew?!!  :P
The selected media item is not currently available.Pat Hatfield
2000 U295 3600 #5666 WTFE (sold 1/7/20)
2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
previously: 2003 U295 3610 #6228 (sold 5/29/14)
previously:  2009 Honda CRV (sold 6/9/14)

Re: Lights flashing on and off

Reply #12 –
Quote from: Patricia –
Barry, you got a puppy - who knew?!!  :P
YA, in your dreams. we are in our selfish stage. No time for animals. Probably could not find one that liked Bluegrass ???  Everyone we know has one or more. They are like our grandkids. (Our reward for not killing our kids) Spoil them rotten and give them back. We get to enjoy all of them without the overhead. We are the only ones in our local monthly RV club without a dog. I suggested renaming the club to a kennel club. That went over real well ::)
The selected media item is not currently available.Barry BEAM #16014
2003 U320 40' AGDS
Beamalarm, Foretravel technical help and specifications
"Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve"

Re: Lights flashing on and off

Reply #13 –
Your comment Barry on the kennel club gave me a laugh, just like the ads for coaches in the FMCA magazine of coaches for sale. Is'nt it funny that almost all of the ads state--No smoke, no pets, when almost every coach seems to have one I see??? So where do all these animal free ones come from?
John H
Coachless, now use aircraft. 2003 Ford Travelair TC280 class C. Super shape. Just for 1 yr .
1994 Ford E350 ClassC,total renovation inside and out. Now sold.
2000 U295  36' Cummins 350 c/w Banks Stinger, Resonator upgrade,Solar, LED lites.Residential fridge with slide out pantry. Build 5674. Sold
ex 92 GV 022C ored Cummins. Sold
ex 95 GV240 cat 3116. Sold
2017 Mini cooper s & 2016 land Rover LR2 HSE  LUX.
jhaygarth@aol.com    SKP #130098
treat everyone as you would like to be.

Re: Lights flashing on and off

Reply #14 –
Quote from: John Haygarth –
Your comment Barry on the kennel club gave me a laugh, just like the ads for coaches in the FMCA magazine of coaches for sale. Is'nt it funny that almost all of the ads state--No smoke, no pets, when almost every coach seems to have one I see??? So where do all these animal free ones come from?
John H

Maybe they ride in the Toad and stay outside? :giggle: :giggle:
"97 40' U320 build 5035

The best things in life are not things.... It's fulltiming in a Foretravel.

Re: Lights flashing on and off

Reply #15 –
Quote from: Barry Beam –
It happens to everyone at one time or another. I added an "L" bracket that I can move up and down over it to prevent it from moving. (by the dog) ::)

I had the same (?) problem - "dog" = MY clumsiness. I installed Barry's lock-out L-bracket.
 

Re: Lights flashing on and off

Reply #16 –
Quote from: Barry Beam –
It happens to everyone at one time or another. I added an "L" bracket that I can move up and down over it to prevent it from moving. (by the dog) ::)

Thanks Barry, I intend to install one this week.  I wonder what my next "valueable Lesson" will be.
Terry
Terry and Cheryl Brown
1997 U295 36'
Build #5066
2006 Jeep TJ Rubicon
1993 BMW R100 GSPD