Inverter no VAC

[Chief141]

2014 Itasca sunstar 35f purchased 1yr ago. Inverter was inop error code E05 sporatic E02 and E07. Replaced the inverter with same xentrex 1000 pro. 12VDC in ok. 120VAC in ok.120VAC out AT THE INVETER ok. Remote panel displays VDC 13.6, Amps and Kw zero.
Question is there a breaker before the main panel? Does VAC from the inverter go through the main trasfer switch ?
No power is getting to the main panel bus. Is there a mechanical interrupter, or am I dealing with an open circuit?
Any help appreciated . Thank you

[Morich]

Ok, some of that is quick to answer so let me start with the easy stuff. The inverter comes after the transfer switch and no transfer happens there. It simply passes through the AC from the cord or it uses the 12Volt battery to "make" ac and pass it along.
This is the 110AC drawing for your RV and shows the path:
https://www.winnebago.com/Files/File...ire_182386.pdf

Go direct or click this snip for better picture of what I see there?



If not used to reading this sort of thing, this is kind of the "quickie" tour!
Cord at left side goes to to transfer switch, also wiring from gen output goes to transfer switch and it decides which to pass along to the load center.
One of the red pathes is passed on as green path to load center. At the load center that main power goes through breakers which then connect to the various smaller breakers including one that feeds the inverter.

So if you do have 110AC at the inverter all is well from cord or gen to that point and problem is in inverter if no power passed through. Is there AC power coming out of the inverter to outlets, etc past the inverter, showing it is making the AC okay?

I have not dealt with installing one of the newer inverter, so pretty vague on that but I read that there are some which have various settings to consider. Might want to check other info on that point?

Main point might be that the inverter isonly involved with powering things as shown to the right of it on this drawing. If all else AC in the RV seems to work okay, seems trouble with the install is most likely problem.

Good luck on the chase! Some of the other folks here have dealt with the newer inverters and make be far more help with any details on settings if any!!

[Chief141]

Thanks for the schematics. Pass through inverter with gen or shore power ok. Inverter panel display acknowledges shore pwr and internal transfer switch does it's job. Kill the shore pwr panel displays inverter mode. At the inverter AC out is present. It never gets to the main pnl. Doesn't make sense

[Chief141]

I correct myself. I see the inverter feeds just the ONE circuit to the few outlets and tvs. And that circuit is fed only via the inverter . Pass shore pwr or pwr from the inverter. With shore pwr circuit is live. Remove shore pwr no voltage. Out at inverter still 120. I have a case # with xentrex. Inverter is working. See what they have to say.Will attempt a contact with Winnebago.

[Morich]

Correct on the inverter only feeding that one group when not plugged in. But there is one detail that you likely know but doesn't show on the Winnebago drawing due to the way they split things up. For that inverter to make AC from DC, it has to have a connection to DC and that is not shown on the drawing!
I don't know where/how it gets that feed but I might think it easy to have something as simple as a tripped breaker that is supposed to feed that DC to the inverter.
Where and how to find that feed is open question.
One way that "might " help is if you can get a look at the input wiring to the inverter, there is supposed to be a label on the wires.


If you can get that 2-3 letter ID, it might be possible to use this chart to get the from and to location and that gives some ideas of what the function of each wire might be.

I might guess the input wiring would need a positve battery as well as likely a ground?

https://www.winnebago.com/Files/File...ical_guide.pdf

Time saver on finding the code on the list is to get the list up, hit "ctrl and "F" on yur keyboard to bring up a drop down to put the ID in to quickly locate all those entries on the list.
See if that might be any help?
When in the dark we have to look for light in any place we can??

[creativepart]

To answer one question you initially asked, no the inverter output does not go through you RV’s transfer switch. I haven’t checked your model but many (most?) newer inverters have AC transfer/pass through built in.

My motorhome came with a Magnum inverter so I’m not familiar enough with Xantrex installations, but my RV has a factory installed rotary cutoff switch wired between the inverter and the batteries.

[Upinsmoke]

I have essentially the same model RV and, on occasion, there would be no VAC to the outlets supplied by the inverter. I also had to replace my inverter and the commonality between them was that they both had GFCI receptacles in the end of them, In both cases, for some reason, the GFCIs would trip and then no VAC got past that point.

My permanent solution was to replace the GFCI receptacle with a standard one. No problem since then. From a safety standpoint there isn't an issue because the next outlet in line is also GFCI protected.

Don't know whether this is your problem bu it may be a place to start.

[Chief141]

Thanks for the heads up. I will look into that.

[Morich]

I would lean away from it being a GFCI tripped on the inverter, if I understand the situation correctly. If there is power to those outlets downstream /past the inverter when powered from shore OR when the inverter is providing the power, that is past the GFCI which normally would have to be reset manually.
In other words if there is a hole in the road at the inverter due to GFCI tripped, it should stay dead until reset.

But I might also ask for more detail on what you say here?
QUOTE:
With shore pwr circuit is live. Remove shore pwr no voltage. Out at inverter still 120.

I understand it all works when plugged into shore power. Unplug and it is dead but are you saying the output at the inverter still has 120 power coming out?

I'm missing something if the circuit coming out of the inverter is dead but still has 120 volts??
Not dealing with a loose wire which looks good when you have a probe on it but goes open/dead when you take the probe off??

I'm missing something!

[Chief141]

With shore pwr inverter in and out 120VAC. All outlets and appliances live. Remove shore pwr inverter out, at inverter test on the out roamx, 120VAC. Remote pnl turns on, displays batt voltage, 14VDC. Status light momentarily green. Goes orange/ yellow batt voltage remains on the display. Scroll menu, ACV and load/draw show 0. No ACV anywhere in the coach.

[Morich]

When plugged in, all AC items work. When unplugged all those AC items EXCEPT those to the right of the inverter WILL be dead, so no reason to check them.

But when on inverter only and the leg normally fed by inverter goes dead, is that the meter reading on the output of the inverter or a panel reading?
I'm trying to work out if the inverter is failing after a bit or if the panel reading is the problem.

I might want to remove the question of which is the problem by looking at teh inverter connections with a meter first. With no shore power, there should be no voltage on the 110AC input to the inverter. you cut that off when unplugging!
But there should be good 12+ DC on a line coming from the batteries to the inverter and than needs to be checked to verify it is not a problem of dropping out.
Then if you do find good DC battery going in, there should be good 110 aC coming oout of the inverter.
Is this a panel situation where you can turn off or disconnect the panel for the time you read the voltages at the inverter? That would be good if practical as a way to isolate the problem to something in the inverter or something with the panel and wiring to it.
I begin to think posssible problems with the way the panel is reading DC voltage and thiking the batteries are going too low and shutting down.

So maybe a totally different question may need to be asked?
When you are plugged into power, the converter or whatever unit charges you coach batteries will be putting out 13-14 volts DC to the coach batteries. But when you unplug, that charge voltage is gone!
So what are the odds, your coach batteries are not actually good enough to maintain the 12Volt DC to the inverter?

A set of weak coach batteries might explain the inverter seeming to work but then quickly going weaker and quitting.

One quick way to test that theory is to start the RV engine while plugged into power. That makes your start battery connect to the coach battery and the engine alternator keeps both well up.
So when you unplug, the inverter will still have good DC input from the engine alternator and start battery, even if the coach batteries are totally gone!

Any chance you are chasing phantoms due to suspecting the inverter and panel but just bad coach batteries?

[Chief141]

Eng running same result. Batteries are 2yrs old and test good. Additionally no error codes. Tomorrow I'll get over to the truck and see if circuit tracing is possible. Head hurts thinking about it.

[Morich]

Originally Posted by Chief141

Eng running same result. Batteries are 2yrs old and test good. Additionally no error codes. Tomorrow I'll get over to the truck and see if circuit tracing is possible. Head hurts thinking about it.

Sounds good! Fullly understand the need to clear the head and take a break at times. Just setting here thinking makes it much easier for me, so take your time and do it when it's needed.

[Ray,IN]

I have a Xantrex RS2000, which is obsolete; anyway, what battery voltage do you have the Xantrex remote set to for inverter use? Whatever voltage you have set causes the inverter to shut down at that low battery voltage setting..
If you don't have your user manual, download it from the Xantrex website.
Example; say you have the cutoff battery voltage set at 12.0 V, when the inverter senses that voltage it shuts off. If you have voltage set to 10.5V the inverter will not shut down until it senses 10.5V, which is OK for batteries being drawn upon,, they will bounce back up to a higher voltage when the inverter current draw is reduced/stopped..


Not a lot of RV's have a Xantrex inverter/charger, they are commonly used in boats.. Thus, around large bodies of water is where Xantrex repair shop are located.

[Chief141]

Did not see any reference to that in the maual. May have breezed past it. Thank you

[Morich]

Sounds like a good idea as we seem to have run most everything else to ground. If the unit is getting good Battery in at all times, putting out good AC but fades away, settings would seem to be next step.
I've not looked at manuals for the model you have installed but that would seem to match what I would expect the lights to mean. Have you read up on them yet ?

[Ray,IN]

Originally Posted by Chief141

Did not see any reference to that in the maual. May have breezed past it. Thank you

Chief I don't think the manual addresses that. I learned it by experience/trial and error. I kept wondering why my inverter shut down with the msg. 'low battery". Then began perusing the internet and reading about inverter operation.The condition is called battery sag, and occurs when a large draw is happening, like when starting the engine or a large 120VAC draw from the inverter.
I suspect it's time for you to call Xantrex at 1-800-670-0707 in Elkhart, IN and ask questions of their technicial dept. Have you model # and serial # handy when you call.


UPDATE: I just remembered another feature of my Xantrex inverter. The inverter when on, goes into sleep-mode when no 120VAC electricity in being consumed. The menu, under inverter setup, has a sleep-mode to conserve battery power. I have my testing interval set to it lowest, 1 second, at which time it tests the AC circuts for any call for power. IF there is not it returns to sleep-mode and no 120VAC is being supplied. I used to have it set at the maximum(forget what it is) and my microwave would not run because the control panel did not draw enough amperage to awaken the inverter.
I've no idea it your unit has that feature, but thought I'd better pass it along..

[Chief141]

Still working it Ray. Will keep you in the loop. Thanks

[Chief141]

Thanks for all the heads up. Out here with a mobile tech. To update, the Winnebago schematic is inaccurate. With no ac pwr into the inverter and ac out disconnected as well, the circuit feed by the inverter is powered via shore pwr. Schematic is worthless.

[Morich]

I'm missing what you are saying. I think it is normal for AC power to bypass/ pass through the inverter when there is shore power connected.
I believe it is true that many leave the inverter off unless they want to use battery power to get Ac for TV, etc.

The Winnebago drawings do not deal with the added things like the inverter as we need to have the drawings for each inverter brand and model to see how the power is bypassed .