2012 GWV Legend EX, All four house batteries dead!

[booster]

That looks just like the fuse panel we have in our Roadtrek, and it is just a panel with fuses and wiring on ours. The older Progressive Dynamics ones had the converter behind them, but I don't know if they do that at all anymore. Usually the converter would be right with the transfer switches and inverter, close to the batteries.

[CleanLivin]

Originally Posted by booster

That looks just like the fuse panel we have in our Roadtrek, and it is just a panel with fuses and wiring on ours. The older Progressive Dynamics ones had the converter behind them, but I don't know if they do that at all anymore. Usually the converter would be right with the transfer switches and inverter, close to the batteries.

We found the PD Converter, 9200S sits squashed behind the panel!
NO room to maneuver back there.

But, at least we now know where it is at.

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by CleanLivin

We found the PD Converter, 9200S sits squashed behind the panel!
NO room to maneuver back there.

But, at least we now know where it is at.

The PD9200 series is still a state of the art converter and it's unlikely that it has failed. However, the unit is ATC blade fused and they should be checked. Also, if not equipped, that converter permits adding a plugin remote pendant that permits you to manually choose the battery charger state. If you have any questions about the operation of this converter, the go-to guy to engage is Randy at Best Converter.

[booster]

Can you see well enough to tell if any indicator lights are on?

[CleanLivin]

Originally Posted by cruising7388

The PD9200 series is still a state of the art converter and it's unlikely that it has failed. However, the unit is ATC blade fused and they should be checked. Also, if not equipped, that converter permits adding a plugin remote pendant that permits you to manually choose the battery charger state. If you have any questions about the operation of this converter, the go-to guy to engage is Randy at Best Converter.

Great info, thanks.

So far, we have found no remote "pendant" that lets us user define the PD9200 state.

Do you know, since these batteries are only showing 0.3 volts in each, will the PD9200 even attempt to charge?

[CleanLivin]

Originally Posted by booster

Can you see well enough to tell if any indicator lights are on?

From what little we can see, there is NO indication of any lights on.
We have concluded that the PD is plugged into an outlet that does have power at it.

[booster]

Sounds like you are getting close to finding out what is up. Can you get at the outlet to test it?

I think nearly all of the 9200 series PD converters have a small button on them to change the charge stage, as they have the built in Charge Wizard. It may be hard to find in tight quarters, though

[avanti]

Originally Posted by CleanLivin

JAlso, if there is another GWV owner that knows what the black "switch" in the top left corner of the photo below does, I'd like to know.

Yeah, they never labelled that switch.

It controls the 120VAC heating element in the expansion tank of your Espar hydronic heating system. It lets you have limited heat and hot water when you are plugged into shore power without running the Espar. Hint: Do NOT leave that switch on when you are running from the inverter. The other (smaller) switch controls the driver-side outdoor porch light.


Back to the main topic:
Now that you have found the converter, you should (a) make 100% sure that it is getting AC power in; and (b) see if it is producing 12VDC, using a volt meter. I do not know whether it will do so with no battery, but my guess would be Yes. If you do see 12V, you should then see if there is power at the blade fuses on the front panel. If not, you have to trace the circuit between them, which may well lead you to the under-vehicle circuit breaker discussed above.

If you DON'T see any output from the converter, I would take a side trip and figure out why you are not getting DC from the coach when the engine is running. There is probably an isolation relay in the engine compartment on the driver's side, mounted to the side bulkhead. It has three terminals. The center terminal should have 12V when engine is running. One of the other two should have 12v at all times, and the third one should provide power to the coach when the engine is running. There is probably yet another self-resetting breaker involved in this that will need to be checked. If the isolation relay is bad, you can bypass it by shorting together the two outside terminals. You can do this with the alligator clip of a set of jumper cables. Once you have power to the coach, there will be a battery present (the chassis battery), so that should meet all possible requirements for the converter working.

[booster]

The PD literature is very squishy on if the converter checks for a battery or not. They say it checks the battery voltage to see what stage to chose, but not what it does if the voltage is very low or missing. Nothing in the troubleshooting about low or missing voltage either. I think the basic PD unit is a 13.6v power supply type design, so unless the Charge Wizard tells it not to run, it probably would be able to hold 13.6v without a battery, as any power supply would.

I am sure Randy would know.

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by CleanLivin

From what little we can see, there is NO indication of any lights on.
We have concluded that the PD is plugged into an outlet that does have power at it.

There are no indicator lights on the PD. The 120AC side should be controlled by a breaker in the panel. The 12V side is wired to the 12V distribution board in the panel. If necessary, the PD can be removed from the panel interior or at least it should be. It's typically held in place with mounting screws into a flange integrated with the unit. The 12 volt leads can be disconnected with a stubby screw driver. There should be sufficient slack in the 120V leads to pulll out the supply. If you get that far you will find a Telco RJ11 receptacle on the side of the unit which is the receiver port for the manual control pendant which I suggest you add.

But IMO the supply is OK and you're not getting suds to it. The AC is delivered to the breaker panel via a transfer relay that permits energizing the PD either from shorepower or from a generator.

[booster]

That's interesting about the lights because the PD manual online says there will be a button to change stage and and indicator that flashes code as to what stage it is running in through the internal Charge Wizard.

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by CleanLivin

From what little we can see, there is NO indication of any lights on.
We have concluded that the PD is plugged into an outlet that does have power at it.

There may be power at the outlet but it shouldn't feed the PD9200 directly. It should feed to a breaker assigned to the PD in the panel and this is where input voltage should be verified.

[booster]

Originally Posted by cruising7388

There may be power at the outlet but it shouldn't feed the PD9200 directly. It should feed to a breaker assigned to the PD in the panel and this is where input voltage should be verified.

Wouldn't that be the other way around? Power from transfer switch goes to panel, then a breaker, then to outlet, then to PD that is plugged into the outlet or wired directly into a box.

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by CleanLivin

Great info, thanks.

So far, we have found no remote "pendant" that lets us user define the PD9200 state.

Do you know, since these batteries are only showing 0.3 volts in each, will the PD9200 even attempt to charge?

It will attempt to charge the battery regardless 'of its condition but if the batteries have been at the .3 volts you cite for a lengthy period, they will have so much hardened sulfate on the plates that there is no longer an effective charging path. Even if you could get them up to design terminal voltage with repeated boost charging they are likely to retain only a fraction of their design capacity.

[CleanLivin]

What a pilgrimage this has been, and all the help assisted in finding a conclusion.
Thank you!

1. The Progressive Dynamics PD9245 is dead. Confirmed it has incoming power but zero DC going to the batteries!

2. Learned: In the Great West Vans, 2012 Legend EX the PD9245 is located behind the electrical control panel, just behind the drivers side seat above the "closet". To actually get access to for checking the input/output you need to remove all of the instrument gauges/controls and you'll see it stuffed back against the side wall of the van.

We could find NO manuals or documentation from the factory package that such a unit was even in the van!

Extended warranty should cover the replacement and then we hope that the "Desulfation" Cycle of the Charge Wizard will bring back to life the 4 Power Surge 6 volt batteries.

Again, thanks to all!

[eric1514]

Originally Posted by CleanLivin

...we hope that the "Desulfation" Cycle of the Charge Wizard will bring back to life the 4 Power Surge 6 volt batteries.

Again, thanks to all!

I hope so too, but, that cycle is only 15 min every 21 hours and you're going to need the remote pendant PD sells so you can force the converter into "storage mode". "Boost Mode" is also 14.4v but lasts for around 4 hours. The converter might default into that mode when it first starts. Either way, I would get the pendant just so you can tell what mode the converter is in.

[CleanLivin]

Your advice is taken.
I told the shop that will replace the unit to order it with the converter!

Thanks

[avanti]

Did you ever figure out why the coach isn't being powered when the engine is running?

[CleanLivin]

Originally Posted by avanti

Did you ever figure out why the coach isn't being powered when the engine is running?

Not yet, I'm hoping it has to do with the converter, some way or other.

Will seem once we get the major issue resolved with the controller and hopefully bringing the batteries back to life!

[avanti]

Originally Posted by CleanLivin

Not yet, I'm hoping it has to do with the converter, some way or other.

Will seem once we get the major issue resolved with the controller and hopefully bringing the batteries back to life!

Just for completeness:
You appear to have not ruled out the possibility that the converter needs to see a battery before it will produce current. That is why I suggested you get the coach power working--it would help diagnose the converter.

I don't personally subscribe to that theory, but I wanted to point out that it is still possible.