Battery Shut-off Bug

DurangoTaB

Like many of you I have a disconnect switch on my battery for long-term storage. It's one of those simple red cut-off switches that I installed on the battery case and wired to the negative/ground wiring. It works fine to eliminate the parasitic drain, but...when I turn the power back on the light above the shower (we have a 2014/15 S Maxx) turns on. Other normally powered items (e.g. CO monitor) come on line fine, and no other lights turn themselves on. Does anyone out there have similar problems and/or suggestions as to the cause? We hope to take "Dory" out one more time on Thanksgiving (barring snow). Many thanks in advance as always.

Michigan_Mike

Hi JD,

From the sounds of things you are powering up one of the flat profile LED style lights, correct?  And if you are powering up the trailer via the (red disconnect switch you installed) battery these lights are hooked into the system (no fuses have been removed) and are taking a power surge of sorts (basically just receiving voltage) for the first time after the trailer has been powered down.  I noticed something similar when I installed some updated LED lights in my Silver Shadow.  When I hooked up the lights for the first time they came right on immediately.  What I am guessing this means is that their is circuitry in the light that is "very sensitive" and these circuits remain on all the time (this would explain your parasitic drain), or at least until you open the red disconnect switch on your battery.  It's a guess, but with the light being so sensitive the voltage "first" coming on turns on the small circuit (which now remains on, full time) and whatever imbalance or slight up-tick in voltage that is created, causes the light to immediately come on.  This light might also be the first light wired in from the battery and creates this phenomenon?  I don't know this for a fact, other than what I have experienced when first hooking up one of these lights.  I have installed three new LED lights in my trailer and was surprised when I did experience this when tapping the lights into the 12 volt feed wire.  I believe that you might be able to re-duplicate this experience, even by removing a fuse and re-inserting the fuse.  It won't matter whether you hook into shore power (with the red battery switch closed) as the light's circuit will be powered by the battery, only unless you open up the red switch.

Hopefully this makes some sense as the LED lights require minimal voltage and can even be dimly lit in cars via circuitry that draws off the battery.  We have had some reports over on the Little Guy forum where people installed LED lights on older trailers and noticed them dimming faintly after being turned off.  It has to be a result of stray voltage that is either bleeding through a ground wire or somehow remains on the circuit via another device.  But that is different from the experience you encountered. 

judymac

Durango, we remove our battery fuse each time we leave our T@B. Invariably our bathroom light comes on when we put the fuse back in. We were wondering if this was a 'sign' that battery was live. I fear that in daylight it would not be noticed. We haven't yet camped in ours but getting things lined out. Glad I am not the only one who has this issue.

Wanderoo

My 2014 T@B S Maxx has a little switch on the bathroom light to turn it on or off.  Don't know whether yours has that option or not?  Sometimes, it's the less than obvious . . . but other times, not. #-o

judymac

Have the on-off switch as well. However, even if in OFF position when removing battery fuse, the light comes on by itself when the fuse is reinstalled. It has a mind of its own.

DurangoTaB

Very interesting...special thanks to Mike! Beth...I do have a switch on the ceiling light in the bath room; when it goes on with power-up, I turn it off. Then the power up / light on happens again whether I power up with the battery switch or with shore power.

DurangoTaB

I was thinking about just unplugging the light bulb in the shower...but can't quite figure out how the fixture cover comes off (it seems tight if it just snaps off)...doesn't anyone have any experience? If not, I'll call Ed...

breakaway

Mine does the same thing. We take out the 30 amp fuse when it is in storage and when we reconnect the shower light comes on. Weird

Michigan_Mike

I got a note back from the factory yesterday and they said that my observation was correct as noted above regarding the 'phantom light" coming on.   I was surprised when I replaced my galley light and when I tapped the hot side on the light came on!  So it's not really an issue, but is common place because of the internal circuit built into the LED lights.  Goes without saying that you learn something new every day!