Master Ctrl panel Coachman VIP
Anybody had the master control panel screen blanking out or turning White, not showing if its on, if lights are on , if pump is on, or showing battery is charging. Rang the dealers Tech experts who says you need to unplug the connections to the screen and re insert, problem l have l don't know how to get the cowl off to do this test, not sure l should as l have only had it two days. The problem seems to be intermittent as it happened when l was checking everything worked correctly it went out then came back 10 minutes later, so possibly a loose connection, so now its off back to the dealer some 15 miles away.
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Went back to the dealer yesterday, he couldn't get the facia off, he's taken a photo of it to send to the supplier, if we require a new one. They have found out what caused the LCD to crash, seemingly its the solar panel. One of their tech solved with the help of the control panel supplier. If it's an hot day the solar panel is super efficient which intern goes over voltage, the solar panel doesn't go through the split charger l am told, if it did the split charger would protect it.
So how to solve the problem without taking the facia off, all you do is remove the fuse and then replace it, its the same has removing the connections to the screen, l just wish he had this info before l took the van to them, would have saved me a 30 mile round trip. Hope this helps, the problem should only effect vans with the solar panel
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are you saying the SP isnt connected via a regulator?
you say 'split charger' but this is something youd have to direct charge to two sets of batteries as in a MH (leisure and cab battery).
some Sargent systems have a rider where you should not fit a panel larger than 100w as there is a regulator/split facility built into the PSU and there is a maximum that it can support.
however you can fit what you like if this system is bypassed and properly regulated.
however your 'workaround' is conducted (pull fuse) it cannot be right to blame a 'super efficient' SP on crashing a control panel.
if it does, it is not set up correctly....we want our panels to be 'super efficient' dont we? yet, to be fited and regulated correctly and not to crash the electronics.
yes you have a workaround but this does not resolve the underlying issue...3 -
l didn't say remove the fuse you merely pull it and then replace it, this has the same effect of pulling out the contacts to the screen and replacing the contact to reset the LCD panel. Like l said in my early post l couldn't remove the facia of the master control panel to remove the contacts at the back of the LCD screen. To say the dealer has fob me off is untrue, as l told you he took photograph of the master control panel to send to the supplier to identify if it needs replacing, the dealer has been very helpful. at the moment the master panel seems to behaving. time will tell if a replacement is needed
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Heethers, I don't think MM is having a pop at you, he is just saying what I and I suspect others are thinking. You have had the caravan a few days and shouldn't have to be fixing things after paying £0000's for it.
You are also lucky being only a few miles from your dealer. I will have to do a 120 mile round trip tomorrow to collect mine (which I have owned for just over 3 weeks) as I took it back after our first trip out in it last weekend to get them to remove the chirping birds that seem to have nested in the brakes on it.
Hope you get it all sorted to your satisfaction soon
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i think there are two issues here....
one is the easy one, how to reset a locked/misbehaving control panel..
remove the panel and disconnect (tricky) or pull and replace the indicated fuse (easy).....sorted.
the other issue is 'why' the panel freezes in the fisrt place.. it may well be a faulty panel and a test on it will confirm/deny this...
however, to be told its to do with a 'too efficient' panel and/or that it isnt wired via a proper regulator is, frankly, 'salesspeak' (im being kind).
as i said earlier, AFAIK some sargent systems 'regulate' solar within the PSU and dont need a separate regulator, if this sytem is like that and the panel is larger than Sargent's maximum limit, this installation is wrong.
small (20w or so) panels can be wired up without regulators, however, if its not a Sargent system and the panel is of a decent size (80-120 w) and is wired without a regulator, the installation is wrong.
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Boleroboy according to the Manuel its an 80 watt SP fitted by Coachman, l assume its fitted with a regulator but can't be sure, l am not electrical biased l was mechanical in my job before l retired, So you would understand how they are installed, all l was shown was a control box under the off side bed with 2 green lights and 3 red, l was informed l didn't need to touch anything has you could not switch the SP off. Up to now no one on the forum has said they have had similar problem. If the master control panel miss behaves l will be contacting the dealer, l can't blame them, as when l had the PDI with them everything worked fine. This is the first seconded van l have had the reason being all the new one's had numerous faults which used to take months to clear. At the moment l am monitoring this hopefully it was only glitch we will find out, up to now l am pleased, everything else is working fine. Thank you all for your input it was appreciated l will let you know how l get on.
Regards Heethers
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MM Never thought you were, thought you had miss understood my original post, loosing the LCD display is a minor problem. Getting the facia off is the difficult bit but now by removing the fuse to kill the power is an advantage in as much that l don't need to get to the back of the control panel. As l have said the dealers was very helpful, just wished they had found out what to do before l took it in to them. l am monitoring it and if it does give me a problem the dealer will have place an order for a replacement. Any way off to Meathrop fell 2 weeks today, tried every fix bed under the sun back to our original layout.
Once again thanks for your positive input
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Once again thanks for your positive input
You're welcome
IMHO the display itself isn't the problem. The problem is something to do with the solar panel &/or its wiring. Like you (did) I twirl spanners for a living, so tend to leave modern electrickery for others to sort out.
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