ALDE 3020 Touchscreen not responding

Maple_Geek

I'm having a problem with my Alde 3020 touchscreen panel. The panel is lighting up and the two plastic physical buttons are responsive, but the touchscreen is not responding to any touch. This happens on 12V or on 110V.

I've had this issue once last year and I took out and repositioned the slow blow glass fuse under the black Alde cover and it started working but this time it didn't. I even replaced the fuse but it didn't help.

When I turn on the Alde control panel, even if the touchscreen is not responding, it is fully ON and I do hear the Alde pump starting to work.

Any thoughts on what the problem could be? It's interesting that both times I've seen this issue, it was in the spring when I first try to use the system. 

I see some posts here about the panel being not responsive but staying dark. That's not my case. The panel lights up but isn't responding to touch.

Bayliss

@Maple_Geek, this is a new one for me, mainly because the panel is illuminated, but not working, plus you hear the Alde running.

However, the first thing to check is that you have a fully-charged battery (test with a multimeter or similar battery tester.)  Make sure you disconnect the 120V/30A connection before testing the battery.    It is possible that the panel controls may not work if the battery is 10.8V or less.  (I'm basing that on what occurs when you get a "low battery" error message and my understanding that the Alde will not work on propane if the battery drops below 10.5V.  Maybe it is the same for your described situation, even though there is no error message displayed on the Alde panel.)

Assuming the battery is charged, you could try resetting your Alde system.  At a minimum, disconnect the 120V AC power (i.e., unplug your 30A connection) and turn the battery disconnect switch to "off."  Leave both off for 5-10 minutes.  Then, reconnect your power and turn on the battery and see if that resolves the issue.

Also, review the "Fault Messages" section of the Alde manual under (section 2.11 in my copy of the manual) regarding resetting ("rebooting") the system.  That section also mentions that for "Panel Failure," the issue may be that "moisture is trapped in the control panel.  Remove the Alde control panel from the vehicle and air it in a warm, dry place overnight."  (That does not sound like what is going on with your panel, but good to be aware of anyway.)

Finally, one additional troubleshooting step you might try is to turn off the power (AC and DC) and remove the cover of the Alde display panel (pries/pops off easily around the edges) and unscrew the panel base from the wall.  Unplug the wire(s) behind the panel for maybe a minute, plug them back in, and then turn the power back on and see if that fixes the problem.

The below discussions, although not specific to your situation, may help, or at least provide some additional insight:

https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/11035/alde-3010-connection-failure/p1

https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/11818/alde-red-alert-warning-for-nucamp-tab-s-320-resolved

Maple_Geek

@Bayliss thank you for your reply. This is indeed puzzling.
Some more clarifications:
1) I have 2x100Ah LiFePo4 batteries and they were at 100%. Measured with Victron Shunt.
2) When the panel comes on, it seems to default to gas and 2kW electricity (not sure which is the priority). If 2kW heater is the priority, it makes me think that the glass fuse would be the culprit since I was only plugged on 15A service at the time...but then again I replaced the fuse and made sure I was only on 12V and it didn't help.
3) I feel that the glass fuse in the green plastic holder is loose. It doesn't seem hard to pull the cover and fuse holder but it worked all of last year once I fixed the original occurence of this issue.
4) I thought about moisture somewhere. Maybe I'll try to disconnect the panel and bring it inside for a few days.
5) I didn't carefully look at the type of glass fuse that was there. Some report that they were given fast blown fuse. I will order a bunch of spares and make sure I get slow blow ones. But when this happened last year, I didn't have to replace the fuse. I only removed it, looked at it and put it back in place since it looked good and the panel started working right after. Hence why I think the holder may be loose or something. But if that was the case, you would think I would have seen the issue again at some point last year with all the bumps on the road.

Bayliss

@Maple_Geek, thanks for the additional info.  I can see how it could be a problem with the fuse since it sounds like the system is using 2 kW on electric, which is too much for a 15A circuit.

As far as priority, per the Alde manual, "the control system allows you to select LP Gas, electricity or both as the energy source. If both electricity and gas are selected, the system gives priority to electrical power."

You can change the priority using the "Prio" button in the tools menu (see Alde manual section 2.9, "TOOL MENU - FUNCTIONS."  Unfortunately, you can't access that since your panel is not operating correctly.

Do try powering off the system completely to reboot it and see if that changes anything, but maybe removing the panel to unplug it and let it air out will do the trick.

You may want to call Truma-Alde to see if they have any better suggestions.

Good luck!  I will be following this discussion to see how it is resolved.

MuttonChops

As @Bayliss suggested try a full power off 'rest/reset' to see if the system will recover.
You should also try the no power 'rest/reset' followed by operating the Alde on Propane and Battery (no shore power connected).

Overall if the Control Panel touch-screen remains non-functional it would seem the Control Panel or Control PCB has failed and will require replacement.  Adle Support may be able to identify which part has failed.

The Control PCB operates on +12VDC from the Power Center.  The Control PCB creates the +5VDC needed to power the Control Panel and has the control logic to 'read the Control Panel Data Bus Information'

Sharon_is_SAM

@Maple_Geek - for some reason, I also think it is moisture related.  It seems like someone contacted Truma/Alde about this issue and they indicated it was moisture related.  🤞

Maple_Geek

Thanks @Sharon_is_SAM. I have contacted their customer support but so far no response. In any case, I will be working on the RV this weekend so I should know more and will report my findings. 

Maple_Geek

TRUMA support just responded with this.

Could you please remove the panel from the wall and check the back of the controller.  Look for any damage to the ribbon, or signs of corrosion, and make sure that it’s plugged in all the way.  It may be that the controller is going bad.

It was in my plan to do this on the weekend anyway but it seems like they are on the "moisture" track also.

Bayliss

Good that you got a response from Truma, @Maple_Geek.  Thanks for keeping us updated.

Maple_Geek

I took the ALDE panel off the wall earlier but do not see any sign or corrosion or damage to the ribbon cable. Hard to tell if it's well seated as I don't know how deep inside the socket it needs to go in. It's still not working so I'll need to turn my attention to the fuse again I think.

Horigan

If it were me, I would carefully unseat and reseat the ribbon cable connectors and see it that works. 

Maple_Geek

I did that with the small ribbon cable (not the wider copper colored one) and it didn't work.
Again putting it back in is very difficult and i don't know how deep it's supposed to go. 
I don't know what tool to use to try and push it back in deeper withouth damaging it and I don't know if it will go deeper

Bayliss

@Maple_Geek, have you also tried disconnecting and reconnecting the cables on top of the Alde boiler (depicted in photo below)?

Also, I do not ever recall reading that it is a troubleshooting option, but just for the heck of it, depress and hold the display panel power button for about five seconds, and then release.  You may have to depress it again to power it back on.  I have done that when trying to reset different devices, but how long you depress the power button can vary by device type.  It's a hard reset.  I just don't know if that would work with the Alde panel - - - just throwing out the idea.

Unfortunately, if the above does not work, and you still can't locate a bad fuse, it does seem to be pointing toward a bad circuit board/controller.

Maple_Geek

Yesterday afternoon I did what many did before and mistakenly dropped the fuse holder in the abyss of the ALDE when I was trying to insert a new fuse...again.
Since you have to unplug all three cables to remove the cover, I can now confirm that I unplugged them for a while during the fuse holder rescue.
Once everything was pt back in place I still had the issue.
I also tried pushing the power button for several seconds. It did reset things after about 15 seconds but I still can't use the touch screen. 
At this point I think I'm dealing with a faulty panel (more likely) or with a faulty board (less likely in my opinion since the panel is getting power and the two main buttons work fine).

What I'm really puzzled with is that I had this exact same issue last spring and after fiddling with the fuse/holder it started working and it worked all summer and well into fall. Oh well...

Does anyone know what the warranty is on the ALDE and its components?
Also, does anyone know where I can buy ALDE parts online?

Bayliss

@Maple_Geek, the warranty should be one year (two years on the tank if the inner tank leaks due to corrosion.)  Look at the end of the Alde manual for the warranty.  If you are within that year, make sure you make a claim ASAP - - - first, to Truma/Alde, but also notify nuCamp of the issue.

From everything I have read on this forum, parts can often be difficult to obtain.  However, start by contacting Truma/Alde Customer Service to see what they suggest  or recommend as far as purchasing parts.

See the comments in the below discussion thread by @fstop32 (March 23rd) and @sequimite (April 20th) re their experiences:

https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/13226/corrosion-of-alde-convectors/p20

Maple_Geek

@Bayliss thank you. Yes I figured I was out of luck warranty-wise.
I'm in touch with Truma to see what they think and also with a dealer to see how much a new panel is...they seem relunctant just to ship me one as they want me to bring my TAB to them....not going to happen during the camping season since they are 2 hours away.

Maple_Geek

The one last thing I need to try before giving up and replacing parts is to connect to a 30A service. I have not had a chance to do that yet since I saw the issue this year. The panel comes up with 2kW heating (at least it did before resetting it). I don't think it will solve it but when I saw the issue last year I connected to 30A service along with fiddling with the glass fuse.

pthomas745

@Maple_Geek I think Truma is fully engulfed in the "you do not have the right to service your own equipment" right to repair issues.  

This is the Missouri Teardrops page.  They ordered parts for me and the process was effortless.

They will just need your VIN Number and a picture of the part.  (They just want to confirm what you need).

And, I bet you know more about your Alde and the panel and how it works than most of the dealer techs you might encounter!

https://www.missouriteardroptrailers.com/

Maple_Geek

Thank you @pthomas745. I'm in Canada but will take a look at the page anyway in case I have no other option.

Maple_Geek

I just thought I'd put this here for reference. The Canadian dealer I'm talking to is quoting me CAD$469.95 + tax + shipping for a new 3020 Panel. I'm still waiting to hear from Truma before ordering. Not cheap considering they also don't provide any warranty if I open the package...since they are not doing the work.

Bayliss

Yikes!!  That's outrageous, @Maple_Geek.  I hope you can get a better price somewhere else.  It may still be worth contacting Missouri Tear Drop Trailers.  I too have had very good results ordering through them.  I just don't know if they are going to be able to help you with Alde parts.

Maple_Geek

I must say, so far I'm very impressed by the customer service I'm getting from Truma. It looks like they will ship me a new panel if I return mine when I get the new one. We'll see if that pans out but they are being very responsive so far.

Bayliss

Fantastic, @Maple_Geek!

Maple_Geek

I received the new panel from Truma late last week while we were away camping. I had some time this morning to test it out and I'm happy to report that it works like a charm. Shout out to the great people at Truma who made this happened free of charge to me. They were also extremely pleasant to deal with.

Horigan

Great news!  Thanks for the follow up and Truma comments.