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Alde won't start

RollinWithShirleyRollinWithShirley Member Posts: 39
in Heating/Plumbing & Winterizing
I had the heater on in my T@B using shore power while camped in my daughter's driveway. I have a manual control on the Alde.  I had the LP gas toggled on but the valve on the propane tank was closed. After two days the LED light above the LP switch came on and was fixed.  When I turned off the LP switch, the light went out and I continued to hi using the shore power only.   I turned off the Alde when I travelled home.  When I plug to shore power at home the Alde is not starting.  I see in the manual that a fixed LED light may require "resetting the main switch of the vehicle."  How is that done?   What else should I consider?  Fuse? etc.    Thanks....you all are so helpful.
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Comments

  • ScottGScottG Administrator Posts: 5,557
    "Resetting the main switch" just translates to "turn everything off." I.e., unplug from shore power and disconnect the battery. (If you don't have a battery disconnect switch, you can pull the small blade fuse at the battery, or just disconnect the battery negative lead.) Count to 100, or better yet go take a walk before turning the power back on.
    But, before you do that...
    When you tried the system at home, are you sure you put the third slider up as well as first? Both need to be on for the system to work. Also, if you want cabin heat, the thermostat needs to be turned up sufficiently. Forgive me for asking--I just want to cover all the bases!  :-)
    If that still doesn't fix the problem, check the following:
    • Alde circuit breaker in the 120V AC distribution panel.
    • Alde blade fuse in  the 12V DC distribution panel.
    • Two glass fuses under the small cover on the top of the Alde itself.
    If the breaker is tripped the Alde's electric heating elements won't operate.
    If any of the fuses are blown the Alde's electronic brain won't work.
    Let us know what you find, or if you have additional questions.

    2015 T@B S

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  • Grumpy_GGrumpy_G Member Posts: 546
    Also, make sure your shore power is working, could be a tripped GFCI or breaker on the house side. 
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  • RollinWithShirleyRollinWithShirley Member Posts: 39

    Thanks for the advice. I checked all the fuses, AC DC and on the Alde. Disconnected shore power and turned off switch at the battery for 15 minutes.   Verified that the shore power is working. Any other ideas?




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  • RollinWithShirleyRollinWithShirley Member Posts: 39

    See photo of my control settings.   
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  • Denny16Denny16 Member Posts: 5,431
    edited January 2023
    Test the 120VAC outlet the Alde is plugged into under the bench seat.  Also check the 120VAC breaker for this circuit.  Also check that the Alde plug is fully seated in the outlet.  Seems something came loose on the trip home.
     Cheers 
    2018 TaB400 Custom Boondock,  Jeep Gladiator truck, Northern California Coast.
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  • pthomas745pthomas745 Moderator Posts: 3,987
    edited January 2023
    Your picture is a bit hard to see. 
    The Alde fuses (the ones on the Alde unit) have proved to be impossible to eyeball to figure out if they are blown.  If you just pulled them out and looked, you might not be able to tell.  If the other power solutions don't work here, go back to the fuses and replace them both...or if you have a multimeter, test them.
    There are a couple of nice threads from the first days of the Alde that have good comments on the manual panel.
    2017 Outback
    Towed by 2014 Touareg TDi
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  • ScottGScottG Administrator Posts: 5,557
    When you turn the Alde on using the control panel, do you hear anything? There should be some faint clicks and a slight whirring from the circulator pump (assuming the thermostat is high enough and the cabin cool enough to call for heat).
    If you hear those sounds but just never get any heat, that suggests a problem with the 120V AC side. If the Alde doesn't respond at all, more likely it's an issue with the 12V DC supply, or with the Alde circuitry itself.
    I can't really see the position of the controls in your photo. Is the third slider in the middle position, and the thermostat turned all the way up?
    2015 T@B S

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  • RollinWithShirleyRollinWithShirley Member Posts: 39
    yes, third slider is in the middle---heat and hot water.  thermostat is all the way on. The left hand slider is set in the middle. i switched the fuses on top of the Alde. checked AC and DC fuse. I don't hear anything when i turn up the thermostat.   I have an appt scheduled at the shop....but would rather save the money and solve it myself.   Is it worth removing the manual control?
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  • RollinWithShirleyRollinWithShirley Member Posts: 39
    Here is a better picture of my controls.   I have the left slider set in the middle.  Not sure that is best for my shore power at home.    Also I checked the outlet where Alde is plugged in and it has power.

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  • ScottGScottG Administrator Posts: 5,557
    edited January 2023
    Note that if it is warm where you are turning up the thermostat won't necessarily engage the system--with the manual control there is no way to force the circulator pump to turn on other than the thermostat dial.
    However, there should still be some sounds when the unit is started up. Do you hear anything when you move any of the sliders? The electric elements make a faint click when they switch on and off. The propane burner has an audible blower fan that changes speed during start-up, and an igniter that clicks.
    There is no way to be certain but I doubt the issue is with the manual control panel.
    2015 T@B S

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  • Grumpy_GGrumpy_G Member Posts: 546
    While you can use propane in addition to electric heating, for trouble shooting purposes set the middle slider to "0". The left slider controls two heating elements, the lower two settings select either one and the top turns on both (requires twice the power and should only be used with a 30A connection.). Switch to the lower setting, possibly the second heating element is defective. 
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  • RollinWithShirleyRollinWithShirley Member Posts: 39
    I took it into and they say the control board is bad and I should upgrade to a touchpad control.....$1300 to replace and repair. Is that in the ballpark?

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  • Sharon_is_SAMSharon_is_SAM Administrator Posts: 9,760
    I believe the touchpad control is an easy swap.  That estimate is high.
    Sharon / 2017 T@B CSS / 2015 Toyota Sienna Minivan / Westlake, Ohio
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  • T@BalongT@Balong Member Posts: 317
    I had similar issues with my Alde 3010 on my 2015 T@B 320 and had the control panel replaced at the Truma Corporation center in Elkhart, Indiana.......cost was about $350.
    2015 T@B 320 S, 2019 Jeep Cherokee
    States Visited Map
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  • ScottGScottG Administrator Posts: 5,557
    I think there are two different things being suggested here...

    The "control board" is the circuit board/brain inside the Alde. As I noted previously,  a bad control board would explain your symptoms. I have no idea what the board costs or what would be a reasonable price to replace it.

    It sounds like they are also suggesting replacing the analog control panel with the newer digital touchpad. Whether that is necessary or not I also have no idea.
    2015 T@B S

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  • T@BalongT@Balong Member Posts: 317
    Sorry if I didn't use the right terminology........what I had replaced was the circuit board inside the Alde
    2015 T@B 320 S, 2019 Jeep Cherokee
    States Visited Map
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  • Grumpy_GGrumpy_G Member Posts: 546
    The circuit board and the newer control panel are ~$750, and possibly it needs  cabling as well. Plus some padded labor it might well be $1300.

    However replacing pretty much all the electronics makes me wonder if the problem was properly diagnosed. Does the dealer have much experience with Alde systems ?
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  • pthomas745pthomas745 Moderator Posts: 3,987
    edited January 2023
    In the Alde service manual, on page 6, it shows how to get the circuit board out.  The You Tube video below shows the steps. The control panel is about as easy.
    The service manual is here.
    You Tube here.  I bet the tech will use the same video.
    I also wonder if this isn't the "hidden" Alde thermal fuse that has blown.  This is a much more complicated fix, however.




    2017 Outback
    Towed by 2014 Touareg TDi
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  • Jax0913Jax0913 Member Posts: 64
    We have the digital alde control in the 400, we had an error on our control panel "no heater found". I ended up having to replace the circuit board in our alde and one other member with a 400 had to do the same. Its a little tight and slightly tedious, but you can easily swap them if in fact the circuit board is the issue. When I pulled my old board there was a burnt spot near one of the chips. Thread here: https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/14387/heater-not-found-error#latest

    2018 T@B 400
    2020 Toyota Tacoma Double Cab
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  • RollinWithShirleyRollinWithShirley Member Posts: 39
    I chickened out on replacing the board myself and decided to stay with the manual control instead of touchpad, which saved me a chunk.  Thanks for the great advice.  My shop doesn't see a lot of Alde's but is getting good support from Alde.
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  • Phil0110Phil0110 Member Posts: 10
    Did you manage to fix the malfunction? What was that?
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