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12 volt circuit at fuse panel only 3 volts

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GCRicker View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote GCRicker Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: 12 volt circuit at fuse panel only 3 volts
    Posted: 30 Jul 2023 at 6:56pm
My RPod 190 started having an electrical problem when disconnected from shore power.  None of the 12 volt systems work after being disconnected from the shore power. The batteries are fine, proven by 13.5 volts within the converter as well as I can hook up lamps to the inverter.  The crazy thing is all the fuses are giving me 3 volts. I believe the problem is in the reverse polarity circuit, because when I pull the reverse polarity fuse, instead of dropping to 0 volts, the voltage actually raises to 4 volts.  Has this ever happened to anyone before?
Thanks in advance for your reply. 
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote StephenH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jul 2023 at 8:08pm
What is the condition of the battery? If it is working when connected, the converter is likely not the issue. Verify the voltage at the battery with a voltmeter/multimeter.
StephenH
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Post Options Post Options   Quote GCRicker Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jul 2023 at 9:34pm
Voltage at the battery is 13.5. Solar panel says it’s fully charged. 
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Post Options Post Options   Quote StephenH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 Jul 2023 at 6:37am
Also, check the ground connection between the negative battery terminal and the frame. That could be corroded. There should be two reverse polarity fuses. Check both of them. Did you have the battery disconnected? Are the battery connections tight with the correct polarity? Do you have access to another battery to set in temporarily to check (such as a 12V lawnmower or a car battery? 
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Post Options Post Options   Quote GCRicker Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Aug 2023 at 11:27am
No luck. How does the reverse polarity circuitry work?  Is it controlled from the 2nd positive wire routed along the driver side of the RPod?
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Post Options Post Options   Quote StephenH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Aug 2023 at 12:36pm
The reverse polarity fuses are there to protect the converter if you connect the battery backwards, even for a moment. If one or both are blown, then somebody reversed the positive and negative connections at the battery. If they are intact, then the battery was connected properly. The second positive wire is likely from your solar controller. I am afraid I can't do much else from here. You may need to make an appointment with your dealer to get it checked out or find someone local to you who can do some diagnostics there. We are too far away for me to come and take a look at it.
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Tars Tarkas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Aug 2023 at 7:03pm
I'm not very familiar with the converter wiring, but the best idea I've heard so far is a bad ground somewhere.  I'd suggest you take apart all the connections you can find, main ones first, clean them, and reconnect firmly.  A little dielectric grease on the connections wouldn't hurt.

Bad connections can be really insidious.  You can test positive for continuity but the connection isn't good enough to let all the volts or amps through.  Ask me how I know.  It's worth checking before doing anything more drastic.

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Post Options Post Options   Quote jato Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Aug 2023 at 7:22pm
+1  !!!  I had that exact thing happen to me about 5 years ago.  Battery tested out at 12.72v (100% fully charged.  Fuses and everything else checked 'good.'  Even cleaned the battery terminals and connections.  Still had a problem with the lights barely coming on, as well as the 12v water pump was dismal at best.  Did as TT wisely suggests above and checked the ground from the battery to the frame, AHA, corrosion city!  Cleaned that up, put on a new end piece, as well as dielectric grease, no problems since. 

Thanks for bringing that up Tars!
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Post Options Post Options   Quote StephenH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Aug 2023 at 10:51pm
+2 on checking the ground connection at the frame (mentioned in my previous post, #4 above). I expect that will end up being the problem.
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Post Options Post Options   Quote poohbill Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Aug 2023 at 3:21pm
My neighbor suggested a tap into the ground wire then a connection to the frame in a second location.
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