MK5/Zenith Wiring

[dab]

Picked up my 2nd hand Zenith in Tassie last week and took it on a short two day test/trial along the west coast before scuttling back to Melbourne and into lockdown. One of the last things I tried was the inbuilt Projecta 300W Inverter. Plugged my laptop in and turned switch on and it went pop and the power circuit went off, lights fans etc not working. Am now home and in the process of fixing the problem(s). Have found the main fuse (50amp) inside the plate cover below the heater fan outlet. Fuse good though fitment to plate cover a bit loose, now rectified. Peeled back carpet and removed Battery 1 coverplate. Tried to remove 105AH Fullriver but desisted when obvious I needed help. In this process noticed another inline fuse at back wall of battery box, I touched it and bingo the circuit problem reversed, ie the lights, fans etc now working. I then tried again to remove battery so could properly inspect fuse/wiring etc in the battery box but only managed to partly dislodge lifting strap and jam the battery into a more problematic position. My questions are these.
1. Is it best to remove battery neg/pos cables before again attempting to remove battery.
2. I think the inline fuse I touched and power went on is the Inverter fuse-any ideas on what original problem was?
pic attached[/img] Inline fuse is horizontal at top left of battery

[Phil G]

Given the way the battery is mounted, for safety I'd remove the negative before trying to remove the battery - if you touch the body with your spanner, nothing happens.  If you touch the body with a spanner on pos, might be a different story.
Sorry I don't know anything about how the Zenith might be fused, but given its second hand, it could be anything.

[dab]

Thanks for the reply Phil, though its 2nd hand only been used for 1 month since new 16 months ago so unlikely wiring has been mucked around with, more likely something came loose or wasn't double checked when installed. Its possibly a problem with the Inverter install. Anyway have to get a bloody heavy battery out of a small hole to check it out.

[robstevens]

Track Trailer are masters at creating battery spaces just a bit too small for the required battery... There's always only a few mm between the positive terminal and the negatively grounded battery box wall...

I use a rubber door stop between the two to ensure there is never any contact made. The straps that get the battery out are almost harder than just getting the battery out with your fingers... But just persevere and it will come - it was put in that way, after all...

This is another reason I replaced the batteries with Lithium Iron Phosphate ones - much easier to extract an 11kg battery than a 31kg lead acid one!

[luke]

Track Trailer are masters at creating battery spaces just a bit too small for the required battery... There's always only a few mm between the positive terminal and the negatively grounded battery box wall...

I use a rubber door stop between the two to ensure there is never any contact made. The straps that get the battery out are almost harder than just getting the battery out with your fingers... But just persevere and it will come - it was put in that way, after all...

This is another reason I replaced the batteries with Lithium Iron Phosphate ones - much easier to extract an 11kg battery than a 31kg lead acid one!

Not an answer to your question, but I also used those thin cutting boards to protect the battery from shorting on the box.

I also installed isolators so I can isolate the batteries before going anywhere near the 'ICC'.

As for the tvans electrical credentials, the whole thing is questionable, including the wiring, circuit layout, and auto freezer fuses.

Regarding (2) , if the first was loose, then current draw would be limited and enough to drop power, but that wouldn't explain the other circuits.

I've got limited reception at the moment but PM me and I can email electrical schematics for the Mk4 which may help