Blown capacitors? (Lost 12volt converter power)

[Alfred]

*** (This is an addendum - scroll to end of thread for current update/status)


Hey gang,

What would cause me to lose all 12volt power through my converter?

The 110 circuits are still doing fine, but I've lost all my 12volt circuits - individual fuses look OK, any I'm thinking they wouldn't all blow at once anyway - But now I've got no fan, no lanterns, no hatch light. Brand name for the box is American.

Here is an old picture of it:


I don't see any sort of breaker for the 12volt side. Also, the little fan in the inverter isn't running.

AL

[Shadow Catcher]

The little things at the top that say 15, all of those are automotive type 12V fuses. I carry a bunch of them in assorted amppacities as I have everything from 5A to 30A. The fan will not run unless it is needed in some/most converters.

[Alfred]

The little things at the top that say 15, all of those are automotive type 12V fuses. I carry a bunch of them in assorted amppacities as I have everything from 5A to 30A. The fan will not run unless it is needed in some/most converters.

Thanks, shadowcatcher - My question is would all four fuses go at the same time? I mean everything in the camper 12volt went dead at the same time, more or less (Unfortunately I wasn't in the camper at the moment it happened). I took out the 15amp fuses replaced them with new 10amp, which is all I had, but still nothing.

AL

[Nobody]

Take a look at that little glass fuse at the very bottom of the center section of your converter (directly under the 12v automotive fuses in your pic). I think that has to be intact for the 12v to work?? You may also have a loose connection from the battery to the converter.

[Dale M.]

Check all connections for tightness.... May be as simple as loose screw....

Dale

[S. Heisley]

You've gotten some good advice, Alfred. Like Harvey (Nobody is somebody) wrote, I think I would start by replacing the barrel style fuse at the bottom. If that doesn't work, start with the connections at the battery and work your way backwards, checking each connection all the way. Check both the positive and the negative this way because, if a wire (or screw) is loose from either side, it will stop the flow of electricity.

If you think back over every thing you did since it last worked, you may find the clue, though.

[glenpinpat]

mine will completely switch itself off if it over heats or gets wet. THe fan should come when it needs to cool. I do not have my manual around me so I am guessing at what fuse runs it.

[Alfred]

Hey Gang,

Still no 12volt coming out of the inverter. I should clarify that I have not had the box hooked up to a battery, just to the 110 shore power. The 110 circuits through the camper are working fine.

I tried replacing the fuses. Used a voltmeter and verified power going into the 12volt side from the 110. Still nothing coming out. Unless there is a breaker or switch in there I do not see, I think my inverter died.

I disconnected the individual 12volt wires from the box and hooked each circuit up briefly to a battery, and confirmed all of the circuits are working, when hooked directly to the battery (lights, fan, etc).

So at this point, I am thinking about buying another inverter and switching them out(?) I thought about driving over to the RV place, but I don't know how much they would charge to diagnose it - I saw the replacement inverter on Ebay for $65.

AL.

[Kharn]

Did you replace the glass fuse directly below the lug where the two yellow wires meet? That is probably your 12v main fuse.

Check the voltage across the lugs that go to the battery, does it show 12-14v? I would try hooking up a battery, the system may have an interlock of some sort.

[Shadow Catcher]

I would say that you are probably correct and that the converter has passed into the deceased status. Depending on who made your converter I would be talking with them and finding out if it would be cheaper to have it replaced, and you'll need only replace the converter module, or repaired. I don't see that you told us who made your converter, that may have something to do with whether it's worth replacing it completely and going with a better quality unit or repairing. The rule of thumb is that if it's going to cost more than 50% of the new product to repair it, it's probably better to replace it or if you wish to move up.

[Alfred]

Did you replace the glass fuse directly below the lug where the two yellow wires meet? That is probably your 12v main fuse.

Check the voltage across the lugs that go to the battery, does it show 12-14v? I would try hooking up a battery, the system may have an interlock of some sort.

Hi Kharn - I checked the glass fuse, and it is good. I don't have it hooked up to a battery - I've just been using shore power. The thing is, it has been working all along in this manner, over a year now.

I don't see that you told us who made your converter, that may have something to do with whether it's worth replacing it completely and going with a better quality unit or repairing. The rule of thumb is that if it's going to cost more than 50% of the new product to repair it, it's probably better to replace it or if you wish to move up.

Hi Shadow Catcher,

Its an American 2000 model CS 2000XL converter. I can buy one on Ebay for $65.00 plus S/H, so I would think it is not going to be cheaper to repair than just to replace it.

AL.

[Shadow Catcher]

You might want to buy a better quality converter if you ever plan on having a battery i.e. Progressive Dynamics. This is a single stage converter with a not very good reputation.

[Moho]

Most likely the transformer or rectifier died. With power supplies it is almost always an issue with overheating somewhere. Pull out the chassis and look for black areas on the board and components. Also look at the capaitors for swelling. The rectifier and voltage regulators (items attached to the heat sink) would be the likely canidates for failure.

I don't know how versed you are in electronics but you would want to test the output of the power transformer for dc voltage first. The voltage will be above 12v, most likely in the 24v to 36v range at transformer output.

If you pull out the chassis and take pictures I can try to help with test points, etc.

[Alfred]

If you pull out the chassis and take pictures I can try to help with test points, etc.

Hey Moho,

Thanks! - I'll try to get the board out and send you a picture.

AL

[Alfred]

Hey all,

I only got one picture off, before the battery in my digital camera ran out of power. So this is only part of the board, but I am wondering perhaps those black capacitors(?) perhaps aren't supposed to have the fuzz coming out of them, and note the brown powdery stuff which is all over the area in there.



Appears to be sort of similar to capacitor plague (see wiki article here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor_plague )

Regret I was unable to get a shot in of the whole board tonight (I can get that tomorrow) or the circuit board where you can read it. One of the capacitors is labeled on the board as "fan".

AL