All of a sudden the Alde's not working -- any ideas?

ScottG

Chris_and_Sarah said:

Also, what under bench fuse controls the Alde? Even though they all look good I'll replace that one too.

There should be a label inside the cover of the converter that tells you which 12V fuses protect which circuits. (However, based on my experience, I make no guarantee that label is correct!)

Chris_and_Sarah said:

...
Certainly I'd be willing to try a 3.75 fuse on the right side...anything to get it working again!  I didn't check the old fuse I pulled out before I threw it away -- can anyone else corroborate that they have two 3.15amp fuses, and not a 3.15 and a 3.75?

The Alde manual indicates in multiple places that these are both 3.15A fuses. I don't recommend experimenting with larger fuses. If the 3.15A fuses are not blown, then that is not the cause of your problem. If one or both 3.15A are blown, then replacing them with a larger fuse without identifying the source of the overload is just asking for more trouble!

Tabaz

I just replaced my 3.75A with a 3.15A.  Not sure why my Alde had that unusual fuse on the right side.  Hopefully PXLated can modify and correct the "Fuses for Newbies" post.  Glad we got that cleared up.

Nomad

How's that Frank - Ok?

Tabaz

Thanks PXL - that should avoid any confusion.

Nomad

No problem.

Chris_and_Sarah

@ScottG , the label is there, but all the lines are blank, so I can't tell which fuse powers the Alde.

The fuses in the converter -- are they just standard fuses?  I saw some at Radioshack that were the same type and colors but they said "32V" on them so I was afraid they were the wrong ones.  There's a label in the converter that says "replace only with littelfuse type 257 fuse"  -- is that really necessary?

Nomad

The fuses in the converter box are just standard 12v automotive - available at any auto parts store or Walmart in the auto section. You can usually buy a variety pack that has all the colors.

ScottG

Chris_and_Sarah said:

@ScottG , the label is there, but all the lines are blank, so I can't tell which fuse powers the Alde.

The fuses in the converter -- are they just standard fuses?  I saw some at Radioshack that were the same type and colors but they said "32V" on them so I was afraid they were the wrong ones.  There's a label in the converter that says "replace only with littelfuse type 257 fuse"  -- is that really necessary?

I don't think it matters. Like PXL said, any ATC-type automotive fuse of the correct amperage should be functionally equivalent. (If I recall correctly, the voltage rating is just a maximum the fuse can handle--32V appears typical for this style.)

I need to poke around in my T@B later today, so I'll get back to you with any additional information as to which fuse protects the 12V side of the Alde.

ScottG

Chris_and_Sarah said:

@ScottG , the label is there, but all the lines are blank, so I can't tell which fuse powers the Alde.
...

Just checked my label. It wasn't blank, but--just like the label for my 120V AC breakers--it wasn't correct either...

My label says the Alde 12V supply is hooked to the 20A fuse in slot #5. In reality, the Alde is hooked to the 10A fuse in slot #2. (Slot #5 serves the fridge.) Yours may be different.

I recommend you locate the 12V + line to the Alde. (Mine is the brown wire indicated in the first photo below.) Trace this wire back to the converter harness and see which color wire it plugs into. (In my case it was the gray wire indicated in the second photo below.) The sticker on the back of the converter should tell you, by color, which fuse slot is served by that wire.

Check that fuse. If it's not the source of the problem, report back and I have a couple other suggestions for things you can look at.

Chris_and_Sarah

Thanks, @ScottG !  I'll check tomorrow and report back.

Alan

I hate to throw this in. When ours suddenly stopped working and fuses were checked as ok, it was diagnosed as the main circuit board that needed replacing. Camping World was able to work with Alde America to replace it. I hope that isn't it!

Chris_and_Sarah

@ScottG , as you can see from the photos below, it looks like I have 4 wires coming out of that hole.  In addition, all those wires are all taped together under the converter -- when I try to pull them there is something resisting.  It's probably just electrical tape but I can't get my head (or my camera) wedged in there deep enough to see it, and I don't want to pull anything loose.  However from what I am able to see, there is no obvious problem.  Since I wasn't able to tell which fuse in the converter is controlling the Alde, I just changed ALL OF THEM to make sure I got the right one

Unless anyone has any other suggestions I'm just going to take this in to get serviced.

And @boo if you scroll through the earlier comments you'll see that I already changed the two fuses inside the Alde.

ScottG

Yup, I had to remove some tape in order to trace my wires--they sure belt everything in there tightly. Regardless, even if you couldn't trace the correct wire, your mass replacement strategy probably eliminated the fuse as the source of the problem.

If you have (and know how to use) a multimeter, you could check for 12V DC at the Alde itself. To do this, carefully disconnect the little white plug between the fuses under the cover of the Alde. With shore power (or battery) connected, connect your voltmeter across the plug pins and see if you get 12V. If not, the problem is likely a loose connection upstream (most likely at the converter's wiring harness) or a problem within the converter itself.

If you don't get 12V on those pins, then--as Alan suggested above--I'd cast suspicion on the Alde's main board. In all likelihood, that will require an Alde tech to repair or replace. If I had to guess, I'd say that's where this is heading.

Good luck. Please let us know what you find and how you get it resolved.

Bsindahl

Hi There:  I'm a newbie to this site, this forum, being drawn to the fuse-blow problem at the Alde.  Mine's blowing on the negative side.  Have traced the negative (black) lead through to its crimped "white" version that passes out of the Alde chamber into the wheel-well chamber, which end up at a common ground buss.  I see no evidence of corrosion or chaffing which might blow the fuse.

If it helps, I've been told that I need to replace the fuse with a "slow-blow" variety, what's called a T-type fuse, instead of the current S-type ("fast-blow") that's stock in the TaB at the Alde 3010 boiler.  Keep the same amperage at 3.15A, but change out the S3.15A for a T3.15A.  I have yet to search for this critter.

But that doesn't solve why the fuse is blowing.  I suspect some sort of surge due to another appliance coming online, or perhaps just connecting up the car to the trailer--anything that could send a pulse through the wiring.  To that end, I'll be connecting that black wire, from off the white power clip at the Alde, directly to the battery.  It's a pain-in-the-butt, but I don't know what else to do.  We need heat here in Colorado.

Thought I'd share these ideas. with this group.

Cheers, Bruce in Boulder

Nomad

From OutbackAZs fuse thread...Alde Fuses...

Chris_and_Sarah

Thanks everyone for all your helpful info.

I took the tab in for service -- to an authorized Alde repair center -- and they really couldn't tell me very much.  They were able to determine that there was power going into the Alde's main board but that there was no power coming out of it.  I brought it in on a Saturday and they just charged me for a half an hour labor and said they'd have to contact Alde the next Monday to really find out what was going on.  

Rather than waiting, we drove straight to a giant dealership and traded her in.  I felt like the dealer gave us really good trade value considering the heater wasn't working and it had some wear and tear from full-timing it all year.

JustJohn

"Rather than waiting, we drove straight to a giant dealership and traded her in.  I felt like the dealer gave us really good trade value considering the heater wasn't working and it had some wear and tear from full-timing it all year. "            So, what did you trade for?

pcaddy

Moved tothis thread... http://tab-rv.vanillaforums.com/discussion/4095/alde-bleeding#latest

Chris_and_Sarah

@JustJohn , we traded for an RPod.  I think it's the smallest one --the 171.  The key space difference being that there is a permanent bed and a separate booth, rather than combining them like the tab.  We've been full-time since last December, and I have to say, after a year in the tab (with a dog and cat no less), the Rpod feels like a MANSION!

Ratkity

A cat too???? Ok, there's got to be a T@B University badge for that.