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Old 08-21-2014, 10:11 PM   #1
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12dcV Problem:

12dcV Problem:
Intermittently the 12 volt RV lights will dim for about 20 seconds after which the lights oscillate between bright and dim for a few minutes and then return to normal. Or if I turn off the convertor and turn it back on then the flickering stops. The 120acV analog meter indicates a steady supply voltage during these oscillations.
So far I have performed the following with no good results:
The five year old 12 Volt RV battery has water.
The Battery Connections are clean and tight.
I have exercised the battery cutoff switch.
I also cleaned the blades of the 120acV RV cable and those of the Surge Protector.

Any Ideas?
Should I assume that this is a Convertor Failure?
If so, can I get away with just replacing the main board of the WFCO 8965?

Thank you in advance.
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Old 08-22-2014, 04:52 AM   #2
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Do a battery test, if that is good it is the converter
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Old 08-22-2014, 08:39 AM   #3
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Dave....it sounds to me like maybe a loose connection. Isolate the circuit and try starting at the converter and swap/replace the fuse. Make sure the wires are screwed tight. Then check the connections under the first light in the circuit, etc. I have found wire splices inside the walls (yeah I know - stupid).
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Old 08-22-2014, 10:03 AM   #4
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Have you monitored the 12V power to see if it drops when the lights dim? What about if all lights are on? Since there are multiple circuits involved, if all lights behave the same, then the problem has to be before the distribution panel. It might be a loose connection on the 12V side, especially between the battery and the converter. But more than likely, the converter is failing. And yes you can just replace the board. That is what I did on my '04 Cruiser.
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Old 08-22-2014, 10:15 AM   #5
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Have the battery checked. It sounds like the converter is working. When it's on the lights are bright, it senses the battery is charged and shuts down, the battery voltage drops from the load and the charger starts it's charging cycle and the dim/bright cycle starts again.

Sounds like the battery is not holding a charge.
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Old 08-22-2014, 12:58 PM   #6
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If I was a bettin' man, I would say your converter is ready for Last Rites. When the lights dim, does the converter make any sounds (or lack of) such as the fan working/not working? Loose wires - maybe - but unless the trailer is moving causing the wires to make/break connection - odds are - converter....ashes to ashes......
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Old 08-24-2014, 06:02 AM   #7
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Did some trouble shooting.......

I finally got a day off and some time to investigate the INTERMITTENT FLICKERING Lights.
Facts:
1. Turning OFF the second 120acV Circuit Breaker on the WFCO 8965 removes power from the Convertor.
2. Removing power from the Convertor and running of the RV battery for 30 minutes produces no flickering of lights and no loss of light over the 30 minute cycle. (no big intermittent power drain)
3. When Re-Powering the Convertor there is a 30 second delay before the Convertor kicks in and the lights brighten and the convertor fan runs.
4. With 120acV power restored to the convertor, the fan ran for 5 minutes and then the oscillations (flickering) started up at all locations again for about 10 minutes; or until I reboot the convertor.
5. During the flickering session we removed 120acV from the convertor and back on the battery alone and again no flickers lights.
6. Re-powered the convertor waited the 30 seconds to re-boot and the flickering started up again.
7. This morning all was well and since today is cold and rainy we are running plenty of 12dcV lights and not one is flickering.

Correct me if I am wrong but after trouble shooting I am led to believe that the Convertor is failing.

Thank you all for your help.
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Old 08-24-2014, 06:55 AM   #8
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If you have a good battery charger, then hook it up to the battery and use the breaker to shut off the converter. This should completely solve the problem for days until you can get a replacement board. We did this with a friend's RV for several weeks until he returned home.
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Old 08-24-2014, 07:25 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dayle1 View Post
If you have a good battery charger, then hook it up to the battery and use the breaker to shut off the converter. This should completely solve the problem for days until you can get a replacement board. We did this with a friend's RV for several weeks until he returned home.
Thanks Dayle,
I always bring along a good battery charger and was wondering about this possibility; if and when things go completely south.
I'll line up a main board now for that purpose.
Thanks again.
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Old 08-26-2014, 09:00 PM   #10
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We finally called WFCO to check on a Main Circuit Board and was told to that we could further trouble shoot the problem by waiting for the flickering to begin and then disconnect the battery and see if the problem continues. If the flickering continues then it's a bad board; if the problem stops then take the battery in for testing. The battery cutoff that we installed truly isolates the batteries positive leg so it will be easy to test.
I was concerned about running the convertor without the battery connected but it appears to be OK to do.
Thank you all for your input.
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Old 08-27-2014, 06:02 AM   #11
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Simple did not think of that thanks for the info Dave. Let us know what you discover.
Oh yea stay warm!
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Old 10-01-2014, 08:12 PM   #12
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Hopefully FIXED………………


Our old RV battery had a 12 month warranty and was 5 years old. I found that the acid in one of the cells was grey. We picked up another Interstate deep cycle battery from Costco and was not surprised that the flickering continued.
I had already disconnected the battery during a flickering episode and the lights went very dim and the furnace motor was slowing down by the second. I reconnected the battery immediately and ordered a new main circuit board for the WFCO 8965 via Amazon.com. Today the Main Circuit Board arrived and we found it to be an easy install. We did remove plenty of construction debris but we found no loose connections in the converter. Upon powering up the converter the cooling fan ran for 3 hours while charging the battery but finally all is quiet and no flickering.
I’m breathing easier as it snowed on and off all day with temperatures in the 30’s and tonight it will drop into the 20’s. Burrrrr.
Thank you all for your pointers and suggestions!!
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