I had to remove my batteries and have them recharged. While reconnecting them I mistakenly connected the negative first resulting in some sparking. After successful installation, and after disconnecting from shore power, I have no power to my tank monitors or to the refrig. I have power elsewhere. Under shore power everything is fine. I cannot find any problems with circuit breakers. Are there any relay fuses somewhere in the 12-volt system that would cause this? Wish I had stematics of the electrical system. Any help is appreciated.
Battery power to monitor panel.
- Thread starter beaverfan
- Start date
danemayer
Well-known member
No power to the refrigerator and tank monitors when on battery, but they do have power when on shore power suggests that power from the converter is getting to the 12V fuse panel, but battery power is not. Try resetting the circuit breaker near the battery cutoff switch.
Attachments
Thanks for the info. The connections near my battery cut-off is a little different than your picture in that my cables are just fastened to posts without any plastic coverings, and I can find no tiny reset button. Is it possible that the reset or an in-line fuse could be located elsewhere? The cables just go through the wall to where I can't tell.
danemayer
Well-known member
Somewhere close by the battery you should see a row of small automotive circuit breakers. They don't look like the circuit breakers in your main breaker box. They're each roughly 1/2" wide and 3/4" high. There will be several (5 or 6?) mounted together. Each breaker has small mounting posts (1/8" diam?) to which the wires are attached. There may or may not be a rubber boot covering the whole group of breakers (as in the earlier picture). Some breakers are auto-reset and some are not. The one to the 12V panel is not and has a very tiny reset button.
And of course there should be a wire coming from the battery terminal to at least one of these breakers.
Here's what a single breaker looks like (mounting holes might be placed differently on yours). Note the tiny button on the end.
And of course there should be a wire coming from the battery terminal to at least one of these breakers.
Here's what a single breaker looks like (mounting holes might be placed differently on yours). Note the tiny button on the end.
wdk450
Well-known member
Bob:
The GFI is on the 120 volt circuitry; they are having 12 volt DC problems.
Beaverfan:
You said you connected up the negative cable first and got sparking. That would indicate that the positive cable had to be still connected, so you didn't connect up the cables to the backwards, did you? That can cause a LOT of problems with electronics. Some sparking of the CORRECTLY connected negative (or positive - whichever is connected last) is normal since there is always at least the propane gas detector on all the time. If your refrigerator was turned on (even on propane) it will draw some power and normally cause sparking of the battery cable. The systems monitor is only connected to the 12 volts when you press the "Test" switch on it. You had to press the "Test" switch to know the monitor isn't working. Are you SURE the battery cables are connected to the battery in the correct polarity???
Also, the refrigerator has some fuses on its circuit board (accessable from the outside panel), besides the fuse in the main fuse panel. Check all of those with an ohmmeter.
