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Old 12-01-2018, 05:01 AM   #1
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New batteries, but house electrical still won't work.

We're new at the RV life and need some assistance in troubleshooting why our house electrical still won't work. We have a 1998 Itasca suncruiser and just installed 2x12V new batteries for the house; thinking the old batteries had became too cold and died. Installation seems to have been done correctly.
Is there a master switch we are missing to reboot the system or a faulty circuit connection? By pressing and holding the "Aux battery" button on the dash, the house will light up, but does not stay on, nor will the generator start up. The owners manual doesn't give much information for troubleshooting this problem. Any help would be appropriated!
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Old 12-01-2018, 05:40 AM   #2
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1sttimeRVers-

First off, welcome to winnieowners!

Second, you should add a signature to your user profile. It usually includes the year, make and model of your coach, but can include other information. A signature is appended to each post. To create/edit a signature, click on the "User CP" link in the orange bar at the top, then click on "Edit Signature."

Re: The house batteries. According to your coach's owner's manual (link here), page 2-13, there is a switch to the right of the instrument cluster on the dash. It is marked "AUX BATT." is that switch in the "ON" position? This switch activates a solenoid (big relay) that disconnects the house batteries from the loads, such as the lights.

Are you sure the new batteries are charged?

Is the converter (which supplies 12V to the house and charges the house batteries) working?

Wiring diagrams for your coach are available at this link.
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Old 12-01-2018, 05:53 AM   #3
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Thanks for quick reply. Yes, the batteries are charged and the house lights only light up when that "Aux Batt" switch is held in the OFF position. Nothing happens when it is switched to on. How can we tell if the converter is working?
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Old 12-01-2018, 08:40 AM   #4
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When new to something, it can be very easy to get overwhelmed, so my first move is to try to divide the problem into smaller bits and work the question as small sections. Many times, working the small sections will let me cure the whole, as I have just been confused?.;
so perhaps start with what DOES work. Batteries can fool us as they are a somewhat temporary thing that needs charge,etc. so I move to the power I KNOW is there. Plug it in and check ever item to see what works, perhaps even write it down. A meter will be handy for this but you can make due using something simple to test the outlets. Once you find things are working on AC, forget about them as they will not be working on the DC?? That can cut 50% of the confusion, perhaps as things can be AC or DC but not at the same time!
You can get meters for under ten dollars and I find them almost "required" to keep a MH working as there are so many electrical items. I simple burned out bulb can really get confusing if we can't actually stick a meter in the socket and say, for sure, that power is getting there or not.
With a meter, I would then go to the breaker or fuse panel and look for AC on the AC section and DC on the DC section as they may be in a combined panel. But the panel will often be labeled, so read carefully for something that says a fuse feeds what you are looking at like the lights. While in the panel, you may also be able to test the fuses?
Many have small open spaces on the top where the meter probe can be touched to the metal to test. One meter lead to ground and then the other to touch the fuse contacts. Power on the left side and no power on the right will tell you that fuse is blown, without having to pull it out, get it back, etc.
Divide and conquer the small parts until the big question is solved.
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Old 12-01-2018, 05:58 PM   #5
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Here is something to look at/for: Lift the top of the dashboard (the "pod" that contains the instrument cluster); it hinges on the edge nearest the windshield. There's a picture of that on page 2-13 of the owner's manual (link I provided in post #2). Under there there is a 40A circuit breaker. Find it (it should be above the fuse panel) and reset it.

Is your coach built on a Chevy, Ford or Freightliner chassis? And which sub-model of the Suncruiser is it?
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Old 12-02-2018, 01:08 PM   #6
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It's built on a Ford, icg35wp. We opened the dash, checked the 40A circuit breaker, seems good since it wasn't popped out. All the fuses there looked good as well. Still can't figure out why holding the OFF side of the "Aux batt" button makes the coach work. The ON side does nothing. Although it's odd that the only electrical that does work are the automated steps to outside. Could that be something?
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Old 12-02-2018, 02:59 PM   #7
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Okay, cuts the chase way down so some more looking/thinking may help. When you say the steps are the only things that works. Is that really all or just at some times, under certain conditions?
I would look at it as a problem to sort out by finding what DOES work and starting with the plugged in AC stuff as they are pretty easy to see. Does the microwave light up, AC frig portion show the right light like it is working? Then check anything like TV, outlets and such that you might expect to have AC to them. Look at all the outlets to be sure there is not a GFCI that needs to be reset as they often control/protect more than one outlet.
Are you up on where the "control center" for electrical is located? That would be a place to start and might be quick and easy. I've not looked at the siring diagram yet but often the control center will have an AC side with breakers for those circuits and then a second side with a bunch of DC circuits and those DC may be fed from some form of converter that uses AC to make the DC. Reason I suggest looking at AC first as it is needed to get the DC to all work as it often also does the battery charging. If we look at the DC first, we may find the DC lights don't work and then find the battery is dead because the converter is not working and finally find that it is not getting the AC to do the job. Better to work from the end where we are pretty sure it is working and that is often the shore power.
Take good look at what is and is not working and we can begin to sort things? I'll take a look at drawings and try to locate the control center.
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Old 12-02-2018, 03:19 PM   #8
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Found a couple good points. This is the drawing for your unit:
http://www.winnebagoind.com/diagram/1998/126818.pdf
Scroll down to page 2 and you are looking at the right side of the unit with the front to the left side. Load center looks to be near the floor to the right of the microwave. Perhaps under the frig? Sheet three tells you what you have there. One main breaker is the 30 amp on the left and it feeds the others to the right. These are all AC circuits as they are outlets/ receptacles, microwave, refrig/converter and Air conditioner. That frig/convert may be one to remember if you are working AC outlets but not a bunch of DC stuff as the converter has to work to get DC for lights, Pumps and lots of the 12volt DC stuff that is not powered off the car battery.
Good luck but get back with more info and we can chase it down closer.
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Old 12-10-2018, 12:32 PM   #9
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It's the AUX BATT switching your pressing and not the AUX START switch, right?

If the interior house lights work when the AUX BATT switch is off and don't work when it's on, it sounds to me like somebody wired that switch backwards but your batteries are fine.

The AUX START switch simply connects the house batteries with the chassis (engine) battery temporarily while you hold the switch. It's like a built-in jump start in case you kill the chassis battery and need a boost from the house batteries to start the engine.
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Old 12-10-2018, 03:35 PM   #10
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Giving advice on forums can often seem much like shooting arrows in the dark! You never know if you hit anything until somebody yells!
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