2002 Adventurer Electrical Issues

[Mike P in Sumter]

I normally don't request help online, but I'm a bit stumped here. I had to replace the house battery because it wouldn't hold a charge. No problem at that point. Subsequently, I was troubleshooting a few interior lighting issues and I noticed I couldn't get a reading on the thermostat. I also noticed that both ceiling exhaust fans had stopped working, along with the parlor overhead light. In tracing the schematics, it appears to me that these are all on the same 12V circuit. I did check the Powerline EMS and it appears to be working fine. In disconnecting the t-stat, I verified that there is no power at the 3 wire power coupler. I have been underneath looking for disconnected couplings and broken wires and have found nothing wrong. If there is a fuse for this circuit, I cannot locate it. It is not one of the push-button fuses above the microwave or in the stairwell. If it's a blade fuse, I can't find it under the dash or hood.

Any help would be appreciated.
Thank you.

 

[Morich]

Too much confusion to start, so we need some basic info on exactly which model of 2002 Adventurer you have as a way to take a look at the drawings. One big thing is what problem you are looking at as you seem to be chasing things that are not involved with each other.

One big point is that the lights, fans, and thermostat are not going to be on the same circuit!
They WILL be on the same supply from coach batteries and charging but each of those will have different circuits from fuse or breakers.
No way all those can be run on the same circuit if there is any form of protection involved!
But as a place to start if just shot gunning around, it would seem with that many things all failed, the basic battery connections and supply would be a place to start.
If those are all out, have you found any other coach 12V things that DO work?
If nothing on that group work, it may pay to check battery is getting from the batteries to the fist big breaker on the coach group. There should be a 55 amp with full time power that then feeds the smaller breakers in that coach group.
If no power to this main coach breaker, begin to look back at the batteries and disconnect relay.
I can't say where that is without knowing which RV!

Do the normal chassis items like we find on most trucks work okay? Horn, wipers, outside lights and such on the chassis group, seem okay?

 

[Mike P in Sumter]

Too much confusion to start, so we need some basic info on exactly which model of 2002 Adventurer you have as a way to take a look at the drawings. One big thing is what problem you are looking at as you seem to be chasing things that are not involved with each other.
View attachment 1941265

One big point is that the lights, fans, and thermostat are not going to be on the same circuit!
They WILL be on the same supply from coach batteries and charging but each of those will have different circuits from fuse or breakers.
No way all those can be run on the same circuit if there is any form of protection involved!
But as a place to start if just shot gunning around, it would seem with that many things all failed, the basic battery connections and supply would be a place to start.
If those are all out, have you found any other coach 12V things that DO work?
If nothing on that group work, it may pay to check battery is getting from the batteries to the fist big breaker on the coach group. There should be a 55 amp with full time power that then feeds the smaller breakers in that coach group.
If no power to this main coach breaker, begin to look back at the batteries and disconnect relay.
I can't say where that is without knowing which RV!

Do the normal chassis items like we find on most trucks work okay? Horn, wipers, outside lights and such on the chassis group, seem okay?

The model would be the Adventurer WFG32V. The only other 12V items that are not working are the 2 sconces in the bedroom, which isn't a big deal since there are reading lamps that are working. All other 12V systems and items are working, both for the interior and exterior.

The one thing I found strange was that a number of the blade fuses don't show any continuity when checked with a probe, but when you pull the fuses, they are intact. I just attributed that to my inexperience testing with a probe, or using an inexpensive probe.

 

[Morich]

Okay, good place to start! Maybe some quick notes on the way Winnebago does there drawings to help with sorting the info they post online.
This should get you to the list of all the different drawings for that year,, model floorplan:

Wiring Diagrams

They break their drawings into several basic groups that show different info.
Install drawings are good for finding things like location and that can give vital info like wire ID of individual wires. Things like where the lamp and what switch is one that is hard for me to spot without being there, Likely something you already know!

Look down bottom left of this drawing list for the link to a wire ID listing. This will be info you likely will need! Maybe get a copy handy?
This is what I thought I spotted when looking for the lights in bedroom! Not always the best as following the lines can often get confused with cabinet lines or sometimes missing completely. So it takes some knowing more about the RV!

I thought the switch in detail CG would be bedroom lights but found I was wrong! Looking at detail CG, it shows the wire ID that will be on drawings as well as stamped on small wiring! When looking at wires, there will be a long string of numbers/letters and the very end of that string will be 1-3 letters to ID that wire!
On this switch the back lugs should have wires JF and PE!
Going to those wire ID on the list shows, they are for the bath light, so I missed on my guessing about location.
You probably can do better?

Once you find the correct location and find the info on what detail, you can go there and find the info on where that wire comes from and goes to! That lets you find which is from the power, get the wire ID and go to fuse or breaker to check that specific fuse! You can also use the drawings to follow the path back to the right fuse or breaker panel!
Info from wire ID list where I guessed wrong on switch location!

If you know where the correct switch, find that switch detail on the install drawing and get the CORRECT wire ID and also find the fuse or breaker panel locations!
Then if you go tot he other type drawing for schematic/ wire info you can locate which fuse or breaker!
Watch for the way they show front and back view and that means you need to mentally turn the drawing around, depending of you are looking at front as normal or from the back where they show the wires!

It can get tricky when going at the drawings cold but easier if you can look at them and compare to what you see on the RV!

On testing the fuses? If you have the type which has small slots cut into the top where you can see metal, those can make it easier/quicker to test as you don't need to pull the fuse.
If your meter has probes too blunt to fit down in the slot, one trick to help is using somethings sharper like a pin to stick into the slot on 12Volt stuff and then touch the pin with the probe!
Those two slots are on the "IN" and "OUT" of that fuse. So if you find 12V going in but not coming out, that will be a bad fuse! Normal, good fuse will let you see 12V on both in and out!

 

[Morich]

Got some more time for more info looking and it may be good to look at the vent fan circuit JB!
Looks like a group of breakers near microwave is correct one?
Chasing circuit JB I see it shows here as power for several things mentioned.

At thermostat above and fan switch below

That from fan switch to this plug

the plug above meets this on another page where it shows power comes up at right from breaker off drawing snip.

From here to above

View of front and back of panel

Does that say front furnace/exh fan?
That sounds like a suspect to check!

Or is the feed to this panel dead and there are a bunch more on this that don't work? Does the LP detector have a small LED light on or off?

 

[Morich]

Feed direct from converter and assumed to tie to batteries to the panel in micro cabinet?
Losing this feed or line between top and bottom would kill a lot!

So what on this is working or dead?

 

[Mike P in Sumter]

Got some more time for more info looking and it may be good to look at the vent fan circuit JB!
Looks like a group of breakers near microwave is correct one?
Chasing circuit JB I see it shows here as power for several things mentioned.
View attachment 1941544
At thermostat above and fan switch below
View attachment 1941545
That from fan switch to this plug
View attachment 1941546
the plug above meets this on another page where it shows power comes up at right from breaker off drawing snip.
View attachment 1941549
From here to above
View attachment 1941550
View of front and back of panel
View attachment 1941551
Does that say front furnace/exh fan?
That sounds like a suspect to check!

Or is the feed to this panel dead and there are a bunch more on this that don't work? Does the LP detector have a small LED light on or off?

Are these push-button circuit breakers supposed to be lit? None of them are. The circuit that says LP detector is not lit, but the small panel on the floor does have a green light. I have pushed these buttons numerous times, and even replaced the breaker for the sofa, before I found it was a cut wire. The overhead lamps were also affected by the cut wire and by reconnecting them, they started working.'

I do suspect some other issues, though. On a whim, I decided to disconnect the shore power. When I did that, I lost the entire Powerline EMS. Not only that, I tried to start the generator, both from the front dash and from the toggle switch at the generator. Both switches were totally unresponsive. The toggle switch at the generator doesn't even light up for priming. And it appears I have lost all 12V power throughout the rear, except for the steps.

 

[Morich]

I've not seen any that are lit, it would seem too power hungry to have a light when working off batteries. If the green LED is lit on the detector, that would say this whole panel is not out.

But it is a major clue when things are working when plugged in but die when you unplug!
When plugged the coach 12Volt items get power from the ac cord feeding the converter which makes the DC power to charge the coach batteries and run the 12V things. But if things die when you unplug, it is because they are not getting power from the batteries and the converter is no longer feeding power.

It sounds like the battery change is not correct. What do the coach batteries show for voltage after the change? If they are good batteries and charged, they should be above 12.7 when the RV engine is not running and the cord is not plugged in to provide any charge.

If you then start the engine, you should see the coach battery voltage go above 12. 7 and as you rev up the engine, it may go as high as 13+. That is power coming from the engine alternator tied to both the chassis and the coach batteries! That lets both charge as we drive.
OR
If you find the coach batteries are at 12.7 after they have had some time to rest and become stable again, you can plug in the cord and the coach batteries should begin to charge from the converter and go higher!
There is a coach battery disconnect which does kill the things using the coach battery and it does disconnect the converter from charging the coach batteries but that should not be a problem if there are some of the inside 12 volt items working! Possibly take a look at that switch and make sure it is not just turned off in some way?

 

[Mike P in Sumter]

I need to report back. All the issues that I had listed have been corrected. Each one had it's own remedy, there were no common causes. One cause was loose nuts on the isolation stud, which solved a number of problems. The thermostat was one bad contact point in the 9 wire plug. The overhead compartment light was a bad ballast. The bedroom sconces both had bad switches. Thanks to your help and that of an RV tech, nearly all my problems have been solved. I just have one problem left.

The two TV's are both older and tube type. They both turn on and with a new digital converter, they display picture, but no sound. If I use the dash radio, there is sound that comes from the speakers both in the front cab and in the parlor. The switch to select sound from the TV or radio has no effect. So, basically, both TV's have picture but no sound. I'm not sure if replacing the TV's would help me get sound or not.

 

[Morich]

Great! Sounds like you are of the correct mindset to get things done. Sometimes we just have to keep kicking it around!

But the next one is not one I like as it is not something that shows up on a volt meter!
Spooky stuff I can't see?
But I can pass a few ideas to check for luck.
This seems to be the WHOLE book on that year and model for a really, really big set of info with drawings to spot where things might be.

https://www.winnebago.com/Files/Files/Winnebago/Resources/Diagram/2002/2002_G_Series.pdf

Part of the problem is sorting down to your correct model as this seems to cover all sizes.
But then the second prob is finding which options and what they may call a deluxe sound versus what you have?
But maybe looking at what you find is a good place to start if no paperwork to tell what options were ordered when new!
For TV/radio, there are some points on this drawing that may help find things to compare what you have?

https://www.winnebago.com/Files/Files/Winnebago/Resources/Diagram/2002/02_g-ser_wire_137576.pdf

Seems to be one sheet only but listed/numbered as sheet 3 of 10???
But I find this detail drawing.

Maybe need to find this coax plug and clean?
But that is where I run into trouble finding WHERE! This is listed as detail CA but looking the the main drawing where I expect to find info to point me to this detailed drawing, I suspect it is labeled BA there?
All the other detail drawings in that area are C? NOT "B", so some guessing needed as I find no BA!
To error is human? AND we find it way to often?
Is my imagined dirty coax back here???

Good luck on making that all make sense!!
But I would have to think real hard about needing help-!