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Hermes · 07-18-2018, 08:49 PM

I have come to the conclusion that my Use/Store switch is defective.

I used a separate 12V battery with two wires to briefly touch the two poles on the relay to test it. I touch the left relay pole with the (+) wire and the right pole with the (-) wire, and the relay clicks and closes the circuit (AS batteries are now connected and there is power in the AS), then I reverse the polarity of the two wires and briefly touch the two poles again: (-) to the left pole and (+) the right pole, and the relay clicks again, and opens the circuit (batteries are disconnected). So there is no problem with the relay, the fuses, etc.

The Use/Store switch does exactly the same thing but uses the AS batteries themselves (and not a separate 12V source as I used for testing) to send a short pulse to the relay to open or close the circuit, depending on polarity.

When testing, with the circuit closed (i.e. there is power to the AS), the Led on the Use/Store panel is lit (it is in Use mode). If I press the switch to Store mode, the relay clicks and the battery power is cut off, which is what we want. This means that the connection between the switch and the relay is fine since it is necessary to have both a (+) and (-) connection to the two relay poles to trigger it.

However, if I then press the switch to the Use position, nothing happens (!). But it is the same two wires to the relay poles that are involved, but the panel is not sending the reverse polarity current to the relay on those two wires, as I was doing manually. My conclusion is that the switch must be defective.

Anybody else experienced this? Or am I missing something?

SteveSueMac · 07-18-2018, 09:03 PM

When you say there's power to the AS, are you talking about batteries or shore power?

Deesnestwa · 07-18-2018, 09:38 PM

Mine makes a loud click. Although it doesn’t completely kill everything. The carbon dioxide detector still drains power from battery. I have a 2001 Safari

Hermes · 07-19-2018, 06:13 AM

I mean battery power; shore power is not connected.

Hermes · 07-19-2018, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveSueMac

When you say there's power to the AS, are you talking about batteries or shore power?

I was talking of battery power.

AirstreamInc · 07-19-2018, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hermes

I have come to the conclusion that my Use/Store switch is defective.

I used a separate 12V battery with two wires to briefly touch the two poles on the relay to test it. I touch the left relay pole with the (+) wire and the right pole with the (-) wire, and the relay clicks and closes the circuit (AS batteries are now connected and there is power in the AS), then I reverse the polarity of the two wires and briefly touch the two poles again: (-) to the left pole and (+) the right pole, and the relay clicks again, and opens the circuit (batteries are disconnected). So there is no problem with the relay, the fuses, etc.

The Use/Store switch does exactly the same thing but uses the AS batteries themselves (and not a separate 12V source as I used for testing) to send a short pulse to the relay to open or close the circuit, depending on polarity.

When testing, with the circuit closed (i.e. there is power to the AS), the Led on the Use/Store panel is lit (it is in Use mode). If I press the switch to Store mode, the relay clicks and the battery power is cut off, which is what we want. This means that the connection between the switch and the relay is fine since it is necessary to have both a (+) and (-) connection to the two relay poles to trigger it.

However, if I then press the switch to the Use position, nothing happens (!). But it is the same two wires to the relay poles that are involved, but the panel is not sending the reverse polarity current to the relay on those two wires, as I was doing manually. My conclusion is that the switch must be defective.

Anybody else experienced this? Or am I missing something?

Hi Hermes,

Please send us a direct message with your contact information and the last 6 digits of your VIN so we can share it with our Customer Service and Technical Support team. We look forward to helping you get this resolved.

You can also reach Airstream Customer Service and Technical Support at customer_support@airstream.com

Thank you.

SteveSueMac · 07-19-2018, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hermes

I was talking of battery power.

Ok. The reason I asked is because the light acts differently when on or off shore power. When on shore power that red light is on no matter the position of the switch. On battery only, it's red when in the use position and dark when in the store position.

I had a similar problem with mine but it was the fuse. You're saying it is not that (I'm assuming because the fuse looks good). Have you checked the wiring of the relay? If the fuse looks good but the connections are loose/intermittent you could get that problem.

Also - I see service wants you to reach out. They'll be of help!

Good luck!
Steve

sheriff1 · 07-19-2018, 10:00 AM

I just had this problem. 2 things, 1 loose wire at relay, 2nd problem was tougher to find. Disconnect the wires at the switch and clean the little terminals the wires plug on to. They won’t even look corroded but that’s where the problem was. Identical symptoms.

Hermes · 07-19-2018, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sheriff1

I just had this problem. 2 things, 1 loose wire at relay, 2nd problem was tougher to find. Disconnect the wires at the switch and clean the little terminals the wires plug on to. They won’t even look corroded but that’s where the problem was. Identical symptoms.

Solved!!
Thanks Sheriff1. You got me thinking. As you suggested I removed the Use/Store panel, removed the connector plug and the electrical connectors were not perfectly clean. Then while at it, I rechecked the fuses, this time with the continuity test function of my multi-meter and sure enough, there was a bad fuse! The filament in a 5 amp fuse is very fine and a small cut is not always visible. I replaced the fuse. Then when I put the Use/Store panel back into the wall, I touched the aluminum wall (somewhat hard to avoid in an AS) and shorted a fuse again!  Replaced the fuse again and voilà, everything works!
Thanks for the input and thanks to Airstream for their offer of support, it is appreciated. As I mentioned in my first (ever) post [on a solution to the sagging/rubbing shower door problem http://www.airforums.com/forums/show...4#post2128944], we spent two years reading hundreds of posts in the Air Forums, and it is this AS community that convinced us that the AS and its community represented our values and lifestyle profile. We know that Airstreams are not perfect, but being professionally conditioned to solving problems over my working years, my wife tells me if our AS was perfect, I’d be bored out of my mind! (and it is this community that keeps all those Airstreams on the road decade after decade…)

efornel · 07-23-2018, 02:21 PM

When on shore power light is detecting 12v so always lit no mater what position switch is in, on battery light is lit only in use position.

dkdouglas · 08-19-2018, 06:50 PM

Just thought it would be good to post an update on my issue of not getting the disconnect switch back in Use mode. My neighbor is a electrical specialist at a local hospital and with his help I have a greater knowledge of how all this works. First the switch itself. It should not stay in either Store or Use position but simply make a connection in one direction and return to the neutral position. We did continuity and resistance checks in both positions and found it was in proper working condition. On to the relay. Power coming from the battery but nothing happens when the switch is toggled in either position. So he took it apart and found that it was completely frozen and would not move. We did get it loosened up but it would not allow any current to pass through. So off to the RV store and bought a new relay. Put it in and now the 12v system is working perfectly. My guess is that one time I switched to Store and the toggle switch stuck in the connected state and fried the solenoid in the relay. It did stick once and I thought nothing of it and left it there. I am now ready for Boondocking 101.

Thanks again for everyone's assistance

rmkrum · 08-19-2018, 07:22 PM

Yup. It’s a weird latching relay that uses a permanent magnet and a solenoid coil to latch and unlatch the contacts. The coil is not designed for continuous power, and, based on your experience, it probably cooks and melts if power is on steady. A sticky control switch could easily explain the issue.
I’m upgrading to a Blue Sea Systems latching battery relay with a much better indicator switch as soon as I can...