Circuit breaker won't shut off house battery power - Page 2

Scalf77 · 06-05-2015, 11:22 AM

Ok, first let’s look at the circuit breaker scenario, I truly suspect that this circuit breaker is just for the distribution of house power, although if it is a 200 amp breaker that would not make sense. Sportsmobile did move to that style of breaker sometime back, at least I have seen it on a couple. It would be between battery and the fuse box. Ultimately it could be in line, but solar is on the other side of the breaker. It could be that it appears to work (in this case I say keep house batteries separated, because without solar the voltage is low enough that the ACR keeps the batteries disconnected. Solar comes on and voltage goes high enough to connect ACR, or join the batteries.

So let’s focus on the ACR for a bit, I assume it is the 7620 or 7622. If it is the 7622 it has yellow knob on top, if you move the knob to the right it disconnect the batteries manually, it will also prevent it from connecting or joining the batteries in this position. (Lockout). If you have the 7622 and can reach the knob that would be a way of making sure the batteries are disconnected. If you don’t have the 7622 and instead have the 7620, you can still control the unit with a switch. Blue Sea recommends a SPDT switch on off o). The actual control is pretty simple, the red control wire could be left open or floating (the off position on the switch) and the ACR operates in auto-mode (monitors voltage and connects and disconnects appropriately). We can tie the red control wire to 12 volts and this forces the ACR to connect the batteries. If we tie the control wire to ground it forces the ACR to disconnect the batteries.

It sound like sportsmobile installed a latching switch on yours, push it in and it puts 12 volts on the control wire. Push it again and it disconnects and goes to auto-mode. It may disconnect, but again that would depend on the battery voltages. This gives you the ability to jumpstart from house battery in emergencies. At a minimum I would recommend adding a LED (Blue sea 8172 – Green, 8171 – Red, 8033 - Amber) ; the anode side can go to 12 volts should have it at the switch, and the cathode goes to the yellow wire from the Bluesea ACR. Whenever the batteries are connected the LED will light up, there are also some blink codes for low voltage lockout and such.

Now on to your other issue looking at the attached schematic. It appears that you are saying that when you insert fuse F7 30Amp for upfitter relay #1 that you have a 8 amp draw, also that with switch 1 closed that power for LED and instrumentation lights up, even though key is off. You may want to remove fuse f.42 10amp in the smart junction box also. This kind of tells me that when the (F7)30 amp fuse is plugged in that I should have power on contact 30 of upfitter #1 relay. Also it appears that when you plug this in power is somehow applied to contact 86 of the relay. This is the power for the relay coil, Sense I expect the relay has been swapped, we would have to look at a wiring issue . If you pull the relay and put the fuse in do you still have the issue? If yes can you measure contact 86 does it have power. It should not if the switch is open, if the key is off, or if fuse f.42 is pulled.

I hope this helps, feel free to PM me.
greg

SteveInLA · 06-13-2015, 08:22 PM

I took the van to the mechanic who helped me identify which wires I could tap into to power things like my backup camera monitor and some other accessories I added back when it was new. He put in the fuse, saw the dash light up like the key was on and started carefully moving wire bundles related to the ignition. When he got to the Ravelco bundle, the dash lights went off. He moved the wires a bit and the lights came back on. He moved them again and the lights went off and now no amount of jiggling will get them to come on without the actual key on, as things should be. Next on the list is a call to Ravelco and possibly a service call. Though I never tried it, this probably means that while the Ravelco's key-on power source was getting its power elsewhere, I could have started the van without the plug inserted. I am considering having the Ravelco removed entirely, but I do feel safer with it since my van lives on the street.

What I now notice is that the lights on Upfitter #1 only come on when the Ravelco plug is inserted. This may have always been the case and it sort of makes sense since it appears that the Ravelco is obtaining its key-on power source from the same circuit.

Steve in L.A.