Problem with converter not staying on.

Darkstar

New Member
Joined
Jan 16, 2025
Messages
4
Location
California
When power is turned on, the converter fan comes on, and then shuts off after a couple seconds. Batteries are dead.
 
Hello & welcome.

The fan in our converter does not run constantly. I assume it runs only when a temperature sensor tells it to. There may be something else wrong with your set up. Is the RV new to you? If not, did it work properly before?
 
Hello, it used to run correctly when the batteries needed charging. One day I checked the rv and the batteries were dead. It is plugged into shore power. I had a tech come out and he said it was the latching relay. I installed a new one but the problem persist.
 
Many chargers will not charge a totally dead battery. Their circuitry doesn't recognize that there is a battery connected if the voltage is very low. And the typical lead acid battery (automobile or marine type) will usually never recover if they are discharged too far - and especially if left in a discharged state for long.
 
Hello, it used to run correctly when the batteries needed charging. One day I checked the rv and the batteries were dead. It is plugged into shore power. I had a tech come out and he said it was the latching relay. I installed a new one but the problem persist.
Year/Make/Model of RV is good to know.
If your house batteries are completely dead the latching relay will have no control power to shut and connect the converter/charger to the house batteries to charge them. You can get around this by either:
Charging the house batteries directly with an external charger until you get enough power to switch the USE/STORE switch to USE (Main Power switch ON), or
Run the engine to charge the house batteries enough to switch the USE/STORE switch to USE (Main Power switch ON), or
Have someone hold the Emergency Start switch on while you switch the USE/STORE switch to USE (Main Power switch ON).

Any "indicating light" near the USE/STORE/Main Power switch is NOT an indication the latching relay is closed if you are connected to SP.
 
I always carry a basic Harbor Freight battery charger. If I have something screwy going on with battery charging I can't figure out, I simply plug the charger in and snap the alligator clips directly to the battery posts.

Also if your lead acid battery is toast (dead cells, etc.) it probably won't hold a charge. Worst case it won't charge at all. Use a volt meter and check resting voltage of the battery.
 
I just have an on off switch. When connected to shore it automatically suppost to charge the batteries.
Your "on off" switch is probably called a Master Power switch and does the exact same thing as the USE/STORE switch - it controls the latching relay to connect and disconnect the house battery bank from the house DC buss and converter/charger. There is no "automatic" charging. The light next to the switch does not show the position of the latching relay, it simply lights when the house DC buss has 12 VDC to it, which will always be the case when plugged into SP. So unless to turn the Master Power switch ON when plugged into SP the house batteries will NOT charge.
 
When power is turned on, the converter fan comes on, and then shuts off after a couple seconds. Batteries are dead.

When power is turned on, the converter fan comes on, and then shuts off after a couple seconds. Batteries are dead.
Make sure you have 110 going into your converter and 13.6 volts dc coming out. There are two 40-amp automotive fuses On the converter make sure they are good. Make sure your battery use switch is on. You should have 13.6 volts at the batteries if all is working. Like someone else said a completely dead battery may not come back. I had the same problem, my converter was bad.
 

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