12 v issue

[dwall]

During our weekend trip I had trouble with my 12 volt lights. Battery was dead but with shore line plugged in, I had to flip the converter breaker on and of to get working. Later discovered if I left at least one light on, it continued to work fine. We left the stove light on the rest of the weekend and had no more problems. After coming home and checking it, if I turn all lights off then sometimes I have to flip breaker to get back working. Bad converter??? Any help will be greatly appreciated. By the way, I have 2006 Springdale 256rll with a 8935 wf converter.

[PerryB]

Was the battery dead because of the converter not charging, or is it an old worn out battery(s)? Theoretically the converter is supposed to work in an unballasted condition but I've never actually tried it. Based on your description I suspect the converter, but I would ascertain the battery health first.

[dwall]

Sorry, I failed to mention battery was bad but I had the same problem with the battery disconnected. Converter is showing 13.6 volts when it's working. It's just getting it going that is the issue.

[SADLY]

My WF converter did some weird stuff like that... Not putting anything out, and then it would start putting out volts and a strange high pitched noise (almost one that only a dog would hear)... And then the noise would go away and it would continue to work for a while...

Early in the morning - when it's been a while since any 12v usage has occurred, the process would repeat...

I said, "fuhghettaboutit" and simply bought a Progressive Dynamics converter and solved the problem with a way better product.

[jje1960]

We had to replace our converter at the end of last summer. Similar, however not the same symptoms. Have you attempted to put a known, healthy fully charged battery in, then see how it acts? I'm suspecting bad converter, however a badly damaged battery can make them act real squirrel y as well.

[hankpage]

Since you already know that you need a new battery, why not replace that first and then see what happens from there? :confused: If the bad battery is the cause of the converter failure, you may ruin a new converter. If you have been removing and then reconnecting the battery check the fuses on the converter that protect polarity and see if they are blown.

[sourdough]

A bad battery will cause the converter to do weird stuff and will definitely cause the output to fluctuate. I had a bad battery (unknown) and I kept ruining 12v only LEDs. Found the bad battery, removed it (had a good one put in place) and voila!, no more weird converter "stuff" and LEDs quit flickering and dying.

[SADLY]

The "bad battery" conversation can go both ways....

Is the bad battery causing the converter to do weird things?
OR
Is the (bad) converter doing weird things causing the battery to go bad?

Replacing the battery, you may end up with TWO bad batteries and the same behavior in the converter.

[sourdough]

Obviously I think you should check your converter output. In my case, with one battery case bulged and two cells dead while the other one was just fine it was pretty clear what my problem was. I didn't know the battery was bad and it definitely affected the converter/DC output to the rest of the trailer.

[tommy_z]

You cannot run your converter without a battery connected, or it will die. I suppose you could assume the same if the battery was bad.

[JRTJH]

You cannot run your converter without a battery connected, or it will die. I suppose you could assume the same if the battery was bad.

The WFCO website has a lot of very good information about operation and maintenance/troubleshooting their products. One of the FAQ's is this:

"Does the converter need a battery to operate?

No. The battery works in conjunction with the converter to supply DC power to the RV. A battery is typically only necessary if you do a lot of dry camping or have slide-outs and/or a leveling system."

The only time you need a battery connected is if you'll have a "large load" on the system. That's usually operating a slide or a self leveling system. Otherwise, the converter will provide up to 55 amps of 12 volt power without a battery in the system.

The website FAQ's are here: http://wfcoelectronics.com/faq/#tab-56f1e770d86eb