# Help, electrics have gone!



## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

Hi, we were messing trying to find a loose connection to the water level indicator and seem to have b**ed the whole system!

We had the display panel off and there was a very 'silted up' greenish connection. Took this apart (it was a male/male connector joining 2 females behind the circuit board.

Anyway, putting it back again, nothing works! The little light that shows the 12v is coming through is not lit, and of course we have no fridge now cos the gas seems to have cut out, maybe as a safety measure. Actually, 1 light works - the one that shows the state of the cab battery, but not the hab battery.

We've an Elektroblok EBL-99G. What should we be checing there to see if power is getting through? 

Thanks for any help!!


----------



## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

I would check all your fuses at your EBL and at your batteries first in case you have shorted something, then if that doesn't work check all the connections behind the display panel, there must be quite a few behind it, Alan.


----------



## Christine600 (Jan 20, 2011)

And if the fuses look OK they still can be gone - I know from my own experience.

If you have a multimeter you can check that they are OK with that.


----------



## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Have you got the handbook for this?

If not you can download a copy in English from here;

Elektroblok handbook

pages 9 and 10 have the troubleshooting guide - which is not a lot of help IMO,

page 4 has the various connections, it may well be that you have damaged the system if there is no obvious fuse blown or safety cutout to protect it....but as far as I am aware there isn't a resettable trip in the Electrobloc.

Schaudt GmbH
Elektrotechnik und Apparatebau
Planckstr. 8
D-88677 Markdorf
Germany

The most likely fuse would be the one between the battery and the unit - if there is one and if you can find it, since if this was blown nothing would get through so it could not power up.....

I hope that you can sort it....

Dave

PS

You might find this thread useful;

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopicp-1203330.html#1203330

particularly the last post on page 1 which describes what they located the fault to be;

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopicp-1204040.html#1204040


----------



## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

Thanks Alan.

All the fuses on the Schaudt are ok - there don't appear to be ab=ny fuses on the batteries themselves, but we can't see down the back. Should there be? We've 2 125 batteries in there.

I'll attach a pic of the wires behind the panel - I'm guessing that it should be possible to bypass the panel if there's a problem with it?

I'll post a photo.


----------



## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

Here's a pic of the panel wires.

Any idea how we might tackle this?


----------



## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Wiggle the connectors around while watching the panel and see if it lights up properly. Have a good look at the one you cleaned and make sure all the contacts are correctly aligned and that none are broken or damaged. 

I don't know about your van but on our Frankia there were fuses in the battery compartment on the main live wires going to various things including the Ebl.

As Christine says visually checking fuses can be quite unreliable, a multimeter is much better. I too once missed one checking by and spent all day looking for the fault only to find ot right where I should have started with the meter, Alan.

Edit: I would check the wires in that connector block we can see, often carless assembly means they are clamped on the insulation and only just making contact, moving it could have disconnected it if so.


----------



## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

Wahey - sorted!!

Our friend Steve managed to acertain that there was no power getting to the Schaudt. Eventually found inline fuses for the batteries. One of them had a 2A fuse ind of piggybacked on a 30A fuse - and the 2A was the one that had blown. 

Didn't have a 2A replacement so there's a 5A in at the moment and all seems to be working.

Or we think it is - there are no bars showing on the water level indicator - but that's cos we have none! The dump valve released all our water when the electrics failed, and of course we didn't notice till our neighbour said, and all the water had gone. All brought by hand this afternoon!

Still, very relieved that everything is now ok.

Thank you so much for all your help.

I'm posting a photo of the offending fuse in case it might help someone else. You can see the little orange replacement fuse in front of the green one.

I shall cone back later and 'thank' everyone, when we've had something to eat! It's 8.30pm here in France and wer're absolutely starving!

Thanks again.


----------



## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

The important thing is that it now works and you can enjoy your trip, where are you in this massive country?

There looks to be one red wire going into the fuses and two black ones coming out (but I may be mistaken.....) if so does the 2a supply the current to a relay (somewhere) that will only be closed and allow current to flow if the 2a is intact?

I am just wondering, since to piggyback 30+2 means that the current would cut the fuses if it exceeded 32a and then the 2a would blow first (I think), but fuses are never that precise c/w trips...... and the 2a may take more than that before it blew.....

Dave


----------



## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

*MP*

MHF site may be having some problems, but the MHF community continues to be outstanding - thank you so much for your help.

I was also very glad to have a local sim with good internet access, otherwise I'd have been stumped.

We filled up with water this morning (having lost it all when it dumped yesterday). I checked when filling that there was no dumping going on. But of course, there wouldn't be - not till I ran the taps back on our pitch and filled the boiler. Unknown to us, it was dumping again!! So our pitch has been well watered!

Penguin, I'm afraid I can't answer your question about the fuses as I'm currently watching our only television - the washing machine in the laundromat in Limoux, a gorgeous little town in the South of France.

We've enjoyed a great brass band festival last weekend with lots of freebie music, and took part yesterday in their celebration of the end of WWII, and their homage to the dead. There's also a very interesting temporary exhibition of a local painter, Marie Petier, from an era when women weren't allowed to attend art school!

There's a great aire very near the TO. Excellent stop.


----------



## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Unless there is a specific reason why it is dumping water (such as a lack of electric power again....) then you can secure the dump valve using a peg (I believe).

The peg is used to secure the stem of the valve and stop it dumping, but of course, use with caution of the temperature drops to around 6C

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopicp-1376097.html#1376097

this thread may be useful to you,

sadly you are too far from us for us to be able to help you, but if you still have problems and are passing this way, drop me a PM before you get close and warn me - if I can help I will.

Dave


----------



## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

Penguin, I think what happened with the water was the dump valve dropped because of lack of electricity; I raised it and it stayed up (but only temporarily it would seem - the electrics were still off at this stage). 

When I didn't see the water flowing from underneath as I filled the tank, I wrongly assumed all was OK. But it must have been open all the time, it just didn't show till I ran the water through to the boiler. 

Ref the fuses: I had a better look and I think the 2 are not actually connected, they're just neighbours! The 30A has a thicker and a slightly thinner wire going into the holder, both black. The 2A has 2 thinner again black wires into it. 

I'm not sure of the significance of that but Steve assumed the 2A was governing the display panel and when that had problems it blew the fuse. 

Tried unsuccessfully to get a replacement 2A today. Will try again tomorrow. 

Thanks very much for your kind offer of help - what area are you in?


----------



## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

We are at the Northern end of the Lot et Garonne - north of Villenueve sur Lot, if you are still having troubles and are anywhere near us let me know and I will see what i can do - I do have multimeters etc and of course enough tools t dismantle anything (but I always seem to have a few bits left when I out them together again..... :lol: )

Replacement spade fuses can usually be picked up in hypermarkets, large supermarkets and many Bric- - stores - usually in packets for about 3€ for 3.

If you get stuck let me know and I will endeavour to find some for you both in our spares and also in the local stores. 2a is not the commonest size - most are 3 or 5 or more....

Dave


----------



## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Or pretty much any garage will have a selection, Alan.


----------



## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

We're pfaffing around pretty much in the middle of nowhere, so haven't yet found an open Bricolage or hypermarket. 

Did find a garage today and he was very helpful and produced a 5A. But I've plenty of those, and that's what's protecting it at the moment. 

He told me the wire used in both was the same - but I doubt that. 

I think I should keep looking. What do you think?


----------



## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Yes, keep looking, even a reasonable sized supermarket will have a "accessoires" section and you are likely to find them there.

Using a fuse which is too large means you are at risk if there is a fault and the appliance could be damaged and in the worst case scenario that could cause a fire.

Fuses are rated at what they say for a reason and even a 2a fuse has a useful function which would not be fulfilled by a 5a.

Keep looking, you will find them in packs of 3 usually.

Dave


----------

