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SHORE POWER WON”T CONNECT TO COACH
I have a 1997 Liberty Lady XL 40 12 Volt Coach. I recently changed all the batteries, but for some time when I switch from generator to Shore Power, I got a clicking or banging sound as the shore power tried to cut in. Usually after a few seconds to minutes the shore power cuts in and everything is fine. I figured the house batteries were low and replaced them …now there’s a fun job. When I finished I had the same banging sound from the electrical box in the the baggage compartment. This time it didn’t connect at all and I shut everything down to keep from draining the batteries to a point of no recharge, because I don’t want to do that job again.
It sounded like it was coming from the contactor inside that baggage compartment box and I replaced that contactor, but I still have the problem.
Generator works fine and inverters work fine with generator running. Unfortunately I am stored inside and can’t keep the generator on 24/7. I also can’t run the cruisairs without either the generator or the shore power. My wife is worried about not having the auxilliary refrigerator…typical…… …I am worried about mildew since we are in coastal Maryland.
Any ideas about what my problem might be and if it is a piece of electrical equipment where it might be located?
Chuck in Ocean City, Md. Land of Pleasant Living
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5 Replies
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Jeff Rowe is the answer man on that one. Taking a wild guess I would say to check the transfer switch connections since it sounds like a loose connection is causing an issue and a contactor is not engaging or latching when it sees shore power. The contactor for generator power appears like it can be ruled out but whatever power that engages the shore power contactor might have a bad ground or connection. Just a guess.
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feel free to call me 865-388-7665. Sounds like possibly time delay relay at first geuss with highest failure rate…
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Thanks Jon, when I connected the new contactor, I checked the connections around it pretty good.
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My 97 Liberty had the same problem and it was the time delay relay. There are two of them in the electrical box, in the main baggage compartment. They are plug-in and very easy to change. One is for the generator and one for the shore power. In my case, I swapped them with each other and that got me going on shore power.
The purpose of the relays is to introduce a delay so that when power is cut-over there is a pause to let the circuits stabilize. They are wired in a latching configuration and when the internal contacts get worn, they will rapidly cycle on and off. It sounds very bad but is actually very easy to remedy. Just plug in a new relay and set the time delay to a few seconds. The default timeout is something like 2 seconds. A longer delay does no harm.
These 8-pin, octal base relays were quite common a few years back however they are getting a bit more difficult to find these days when you’re in a hurry. They can also be more expensive than you might expect, now over $100 each.
-fred
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I was able to get that transfer switch at Masline Electronics in Rochester NY. http://www.masline.com
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