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How old was your Alde 3010 when it stopped working?

EmyEmy Member Posts: 24
in Heating/Plumbing & Winterizing
4 seasons of super light use, and the Alde with analog panel stopped working on my 2015 S-Max.  

I followed good forum advice:
  • checked my shore power
  • checked the outlet
  • checked the 3.15 A fuses on the unit = good
  • checked the glycol level in the overflow reservoir
  • tried on battery only
  • tried on LP gas only
I discovered that my WFCO converter is wired differently than the labels that came on it.  (A/C breakers for fridge and A/C are mislabeled, #3 is the Fridge, and #4 is A/C, and D/C battery circuits: #3 fuse (10A) is for lights, TV/Radio, AND additionally the A/C Fan, and the LP detector - that sould have been on 4 and 5)  I have no idea if this could have somehow killed the Alde, although it did make me suspicious. Is something else not wired properly? 

What is left? That 'soldered fuse', the whole board, or the analog panel?  I want to fix this, but I can't solder like Chan or Photomom. Thoughts? 
emily . northern ohio . 2015 320s . jeep wrangler
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    Sharon_is_SAMSharon_is_SAM Administrator Posts: 9,489
    Have you tried to do a full reset?
    Sharon / 2017 T@B CSS / 2015 Toyota Sienna Minivan / Westlake, Ohio
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    db_cooperdb_cooper Member Posts: 726
    It's most likely the thermal fuse on the Alde circuit board.  You can test it by making a jumper with some wire and alligator clips.  I found new thermal fuses online and had a friend solder it in.  Under 10 dollar fix, Alde will tell you to buy a new circuit board for a couple hundred bucks.

    More info in this thread:


    2015 Max S Outback | 2010 Xterra



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    ChanWChanW Member Posts: 3,158
    edited March 2019
    Sounds like you did your research! 

    I agree with @db_cooper. it might be worth checking that thermal fuse. And possibly hunting down an electronics geek. There are easier ways to fix it than the way I did it, which should work just as well (mentioned in the thread referenced above).

    Worth trying, anyway. Let us know what you figure out, and good luck!
    Chan  -  near Buffalo NY
    2014 S Maxx
    2011 Tacoma 4cyl ... edit: 2022 Tacoma 6cyl - oh yeah! 

     A_Little_T@b'll_Do_Ya
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    EmyEmy Member Posts: 24
    Rig is in the shop.  WFCO converter tested at 17 volts!  Fried the Alde circuit board.  
    emily . northern ohio . 2015 320s . jeep wrangler
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    Sharon_is_SAMSharon_is_SAM Administrator Posts: 9,489
    Ouch!  Wonder what it did to the other appliances?
    Sharon / 2017 T@B CSS / 2015 Toyota Sienna Minivan / Westlake, Ohio
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    jkjennjkjenn Member Posts: 6,391
    Does anyone know how to test your converter? Probably not a bad idea for those of us with T@bs in this age range to do this periodically.

    2021 T@b 320 Boondock "Mattie Ross" | 2021 T@b Nights: 239 | Total nights in a T@b 455 | 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Overland | T@b owner since 2014

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    ChanWChanW Member Posts: 3,158
    edited March 2019
    Oh boy. That's a drag.

    @jkjenn, I'd think your battery monitor would tell you what the system voltage is. 

    I know it notifies you if your voltage gets too low. It'd be great if it would provide an 'overvoltage alarm'!
    Chan  -  near Buffalo NY
    2014 S Maxx
    2011 Tacoma 4cyl ... edit: 2022 Tacoma 6cyl - oh yeah! 

     A_Little_T@b'll_Do_Ya
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    jkjennjkjenn Member Posts: 6,391
    ChanW said:
    Oh boy. That's a drag.

    @jkjenn, I'd think your battery monitor would tell you what the system voltage is. 

    I know it notifies you if your voltage gets too low. It'd be great if it would provide an 'overvoltage alarm'!
    Oh, great point!! I think it might have an alarm for that, too!

    2021 T@b 320 Boondock "Mattie Ross" | 2021 T@b Nights: 239 | Total nights in a T@b 455 | 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Overland | T@b owner since 2014

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    ScottGScottG Administrator Posts: 5,421
    Yes, even a cheap plug-in voltage monitor will reflect the output of the converter when the T@B is on shore power. IIRC it's normally around 13.5V
    @Emy, I'd say you checked all the right connections, but given that you have a 2015, it sounds like you may not have a voltage monitor. If so, it's worth picking one up just to have sense of what's going on under the hood. Here's a cheap example that will set you back $10-15. If you dig lots of data, there are fancy (and expensive) units that will offer more features, but at least one of these will tell you the output of your converter as well as the general state of your battery. 

    2015 T@B S

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    PhotomomPhotomom Member Posts: 2,217
    jkjenn said:
    ChanW said:
    Oh boy. That's a drag.

    @jkjenn, I'd think your battery monitor would tell you what the system voltage is. 

    I know it notifies you if your voltage gets too low. It'd be great if it would provide an 'overvoltage alarm'!
    Oh, great point!! I think it might have an alarm for that, too!
    Please let us know what you find out. That might be a good reason to get the battery monitor. 

    Of course if the converter spikes the voltage suddenly, the Alde will fry at the same time the monitor tells you about it.
    John and Henrietta, Late 2016 T@B S Max in Western New York
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    jkjennjkjenn Member Posts: 6,391
    The Victron BMV 712 does have a high voltage alarm.

    2021 T@b 320 Boondock "Mattie Ross" | 2021 T@b Nights: 239 | Total nights in a T@b 455 | 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Overland | T@b owner since 2014

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    Sharon_is_SAMSharon_is_SAM Administrator Posts: 9,489
    @Emy, how did your repair go?  
    Sharon / 2017 T@B CSS / 2015 Toyota Sienna Minivan / Westlake, Ohio
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    EmyEmy Member Posts: 24
    Back in business. New Aide circuit board and new Progressive converter installed by repair shop. The thermal fuse on the board was good on only one side, and I upgraded the converter.

    I had never tested the output of the converter itself, they said it may have been putting out 17.6 volts the whole time.  It may have been part of the bad batch of 2015 converters, too, who knows?

    I was a major rookie back then, Alde switches, frying my first battery, listening to other people on how to back up, etc. Thanks all!
    emily . northern ohio . 2015 320s . jeep wrangler
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    Sharon_is_SAMSharon_is_SAM Administrator Posts: 9,489
    Thanks for reporting back!  Good to know how to watch out for the converter.  
    Sharon / 2017 T@B CSS / 2015 Toyota Sienna Minivan / Westlake, Ohio
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    ORtravlerORtravler Member Posts: 3
    How do you do a “full reset” on the Alde? We have the analog control panel. 
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    ScottGScottG Administrator Posts: 5,421
    @ORtravler, with everything turned off, you could try pulling the Alde's 12V blade fuse in the converter panel. Wait several seconds, replace the fuse, and try again. Note that I'm not sure this will actually do anything, but it can't hurt to try.
    More importantly, why do you ask? If your Alde is not working, a few more details could help with diagnosis.
    2015 T@B S

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    WildRumpusWildRumpus Member Posts: 42
    My 2016 CSS is at the shop right now. Been there for three weeks. The 3.14 amp fuse on the Alde (the one in the green fuse holder going to the ground wire) keeps blowing. I tried the suggested trick of wiring the ground directly to the negative terminal on the battery to no avail. So I brought it to a local RV mechanic. He’s not very familiar w Alde but after talking to one of their techs determined that the circuit board needs to be replaced ($320 part). Ordering the part has been a nightmare because Alde rarely answers their phone. A week has gone by sense diagnosis and still no part ordered. Sigh. But even if this fixes the problem I’m concerned by how it blew. Reading this thread makes me wonder if the converter could be the culprit. Around the time it blew I went from shore power to TV power while the Alde was on. I had just replaced the wiring going to the brakes because rodents had chewed them. I was so proud of my successful repair job (also replaced the gas lined that they chewed)!  After plugging back into shore I noticed the Alde control panel was dark. That’s when I discovered the blown fuse and replaced it five times, blowing each one immediately. If the new circuit board fixes the problem is there anything my mechanic should check on the converter? 
    Gainesville, FL
    _____________________________
    2016 CSS 320 
    2022 Tab 400 Boondock
    2016 Toyota 4Runner w Anderson WDH
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    Sharon_is_SAMSharon_is_SAM Administrator Posts: 9,489
    Turn the Alde off before disconnecting power.  It prevents a power surge to the Alde the next time you reconnect.
    Sharon / 2017 T@B CSS / 2015 Toyota Sienna Minivan / Westlake, Ohio
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