SeeLevel II Tank Monitor problems

jalars8

My SeeLevel II Tank Monitor seemed to be functioning ok until yesterday when I was de-winterizing my 2018 T@b 320S.  The battery level had been consistently reading 12.3 volts prior to yesterday and the various tank level readings seemed to be fairly close to what they should have been.  Yesterday, battery voltage started reading 9.3 every time I checked it and the tank readings were erratic and not reasonably consistent with what they should have been.  At one point, each tank reading was 13% - when I knew black was empty and gray and fresh had water in them - but shouldn't have been reading 13.  Today I drained the gray and fresh and all three tanks did read 0 and battery was still 9.3.  None of the error codes described in the manual have appeared.  On front cover of manual, signal levels written in are black, 86; gray, 49, and: fresh, 37.  Sender heights written in were 5,4 and 4, respectively.  Trailer is connected to shore power.  

MuttonChops

1]  SeeLevel operating range is 11 to 16 VDC.
      Assuming the 'battery' voltage reading is correct . . . weird tank reading would
      not be a surprise.

2]   Assuming 9.3 Volts readings is correct - - -
      a)  Your Convertor is not 'on' or is no longer outputting correctly
      b)  SeeLevel maybe reading your trailer Battery . . . which has been drained very low
           due to the possible Convertor failure.

Try these things:

A]  Switch circuit breaker #1 off and on.  (the one next to the Main 30A)
     Circuit Breaker might have tripped - - - - is SeeLevel voltage above 12V now?

B]  Switch the battery Cut-off Switch to Off - - - what does SeeLevel read now?
     If Convertor is not outputting voltage, SeeLevel will now read Zero.

dsfdogs

@MuttonChops for your [B] test, doesn't that assume the Tab is plugged into electric? 

@jalars8 when was the last time you saw 12.3v on the SeeLevel?
In between that time and now, was the battery switch left on?
Were you plugged in or only using the battery?
Can you use a multi-meter directly on the battery to measure the voltage?

MuttonChops

dsfdogs said:
@MuttonChops for your [B] test, {{battery cut-off  OFF}} doesn't that assume the Tab is

  plugged into electric?

Yes, you are correct . . . for that mini-test-data-point . . .
    If trailer is connected to Shore Power and SeeLevel reads zero volts,
    then the Convertor is most likely not working.

However, if the SeeLevel continues to read 9.3V then we have more questions as:
 - = -  The convertor could be outputting 9.3V  (a really weird failure mode)
 - = -  The SeeLevel itself has failed.  (I've no memory of the SeeLevel Panel being reported as BAD
              while several posts/threads discuss the Seelevel Sender unit[s] failing).

Rambling - SeeLevel vs. nüCamp Panel (KIB) usefulness.
The SeeLevel is not 100% perfect/correct but IMHO it is a world better than the KIB - idiot light - system.
KIB monitors use the resistance of water, which requires probes in the liquid tank and simple voltage level competitors to turn on the LED level lights and are known RV Industry Wide to be cheap and inaccurate.

SeeLevel uses external sensor boards on each tank that must be 'factory calibrated' so it requires more RV production staff time & skill.

Escape Trailers and Phoenix Class-B (two examples) provide the SeeLevel as a semi-custom build extra cost option.  My experience with both systems is that SeeLevel is way, way, way better.

If I ever move-on-to-a-400 I'm hoping nüCamp will be offering the SeeLevel as at least an option if not the standard . . . . as the KIB LED method is near useless.  {{and I have used both systems real-world.  With KIB I found "sounding the tank to be far more accurate". 

dsfdogs

100% agree with you and was definitely upgrading to the SeeLevel when I thought I was getting an Escape.

jalars8

Problem solved.  I discovered that my shore power source (outside outlet on my son's garage where I have been keeping the trailer) had no power.  So, at some point recently I stopped getting power and battery was no longer being charged.  In any event, thank you for your comments and suggestions.  I have always been impressed (and thankful) for the prompt help I've received when I've had issues with my T@b.