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Old 10-12-2021, 05:11 AM   #1
Mikendebbie
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Living room lights flutter & blink then turn on

My living room lights are controlled by the InCommand panel. When I turn on the living room LED lights they flutter and blink for maybe 15 to 30 seconds before they finally come on…and so far they do eventually all come on. This has been happening intermittently for the past year. This is our first trip out since COVID (almost 2 years) so I notice it daily now.

Is there a cure or a vaccine for fluttery light syndrome?
 
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Old 10-12-2021, 05:28 AM   #2
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Nothing that has been approved. Even though not mandated you might try wearing a mask when you turn them on. Outside of that I don't have a clue.
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Old 10-12-2021, 06:48 AM   #3
Daryles
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Maybe take the cover off your circuit breaker panel and verify all the screws holding the wires in place are tight. Pull the panel out and check the ground wires behind it that go into the ground bus bar too.
Do not over tighten the screws. You can strip them out.
I have a little work to do on mine.
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Old 10-12-2021, 01:02 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Daryles View Post
Maybe take the cover off your circuit breaker panel and verify all the screws holding the wires in place are tight. Pull the panel out and check the ground wires behind it that go into the ground bus bar too.
Do not over tighten the screws. You can strip them out.
I have a little work to do on mine.
This were i would start. it sounds like a loose wire some where.
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Old 10-12-2021, 05:57 PM   #5
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Two dumb questions…
1. Is the “breaker box” in the basement or is it the same as the fuse box at the bedroom steps?
2. Can you check tightness of connections with the power on? Or do you need to be disconnected from shore power and battery power?
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Old 10-12-2021, 06:44 PM   #6
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Yes it's behind the fuses and breaker and is accessed usually by removing the basement wall. For me I wouldn't ever work on it without turning off the power to the rig and disconnecting the negative on the battery. I had an electrician slip with his screwdriver when working on the breaker box at a Burger King we were building. Welded the screwdriver to the contacts and the whole box had to be replaced. Damage to yourself or the rig aren't worth the few minutes it takes to make sure your safe, in my opinion.
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Old 10-12-2021, 08:05 PM   #7
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Dick is correct.
Remove all power first.
Disconnect the Shore power
Disconnect the negative battery terminal cable.

I have a 2019 3130re. The fuses and circuit breakers are in the same panel along with the converter. It's an integrated unit.
5 screws (4 corners, one in the middle) and the cover comes off. Under that you will find a bunch of wires to tighten up.
You have to remove the entire panel (4 screws) and the whole thing slides out.
Behind here is where you will find the negative DC bus bar with all the White wires.
You can probably find a YouTube video on it.
Be careful, take your time. Take lots of pictures.

Another place to check is behind your control panel. Be careful, it's a mess of wires back there. Not a lot of room to work.
If you have In Command... can't help you. I don't have that. But you can still look for loose connections.
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Old 10-13-2021, 04:29 AM   #8
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Thanks for the info! I think I will wait until we are home to tackle this issue.
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Old 10-13-2021, 05:02 AM   #9
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Somewhat of a repeat of others posts, but.....


We had that problem as well and it required a new converter/charger. But before you spend the big bucks (2 to 300 of them) look at the input and output connection to that converter plus the battery connections, both ends but especially the battery ends as those are normally just a wing nut or 5/16" or 3/8" nut and seldom any lock washer , Check yje master breaker wires as well, Oh, and a lock washer - I really like star washers best for those battery connections.



Also, if yours has a stand alone converter, a change to set screws gives you a better way to snug down the connections
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Old 10-20-2021, 03:15 PM   #10
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Replace the fuse for that lighting circuit. Have seen this happen before and replacing the 20 amp fuse resolved the problem. Fuses are cheap so you won’t be out much.
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Old 10-20-2021, 05:04 PM   #11
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When I pulled our breaker box I checked all the connections and got a little sick to my stomach. About a half dozen of the ground wire had never been tightened. The Maxxair fans don't mess with the hall lights anymore!
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Old 10-20-2021, 08:08 PM   #12
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Since you first posted we returned to our rig that spent the summer in the desert. The high heat has apparently affected the controls the LEDs in certain rooms. They do just what you mentioned except for the blinking. We flip on the lights and some of them, on the same switch will wait a few seconds before they come on. We've been in the rig for a couple of weeks now and it seems to be going away.
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Old 10-21-2021, 09:34 AM   #13
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Hello,

If only one section of incommand controlled lights have the problem it is most likely the control relay in the incommand bcu in the basement. Jensen had some crappy relays that the coils start to fail. Jensen never admitted the problem until I told them I trouble shot the input to the coil with slow switching of relay contacts.

You can use standard auto 12v relays. You'll have to determine which h relay by trial and error removal of one and check operation or read the diagram on the bcu cover.
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Old 10-21-2021, 12:40 PM   #14
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Are the things I colored yellow what you are calling "relays"?
Did you simply unplug one relay at a time (more or less)?
And you said "standard auto 12V relays" will work...as in "automotive" relays?
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Old 10-21-2021, 01:29 PM   #15
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Yes, yellow are relays. Yes, they just pull out. You can swap em as well to verify fault. Yes, standard automotive 12 volt relays.

Your all over it. Let us know what you find. I'm sure it will be this.
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Old 10-21-2021, 02:38 PM   #16
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We got back from a 2 week vacation trip last Sunday. The yard was a jungle. Had a few days with no new work assignment so I got caught up on yard work and was hoping to work on the Monte...but the good times came to a close this morning and I have stuff to work on now. I will get to the Monte asap. Thanks for all of the help!!!
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Old 10-23-2021, 06:10 PM   #17
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Just curious - before i start swapping out relays...do i need to be disconnected from shore power and battery power? Or can you plug and play with the relays while plugged in and powered up?
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Old 10-23-2021, 07:10 PM   #18
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Someone will take issue but yes, you can hot swap the relays with power on. The relays are not electrostatic sensitive and the circuit board doesn’t care.
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Old 10-24-2021, 05:11 PM   #19
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another update

Went out to the RV and took the cover off of the BCM to play with the relays.
The blinky lights plagued us for the whole trip a few weeks ago.
First I went inside and tried the InCommand interior light "buttons".
The lights had a small momentary blink once and then they snapped on.
I tried it with my iphone app and the lights came on flawlessly using the app.
I tried it over and over...they snapped on like new every time.

I decided to swap a relay anyway to see what would happen. In the pic below my finger points to the "#3 relay" which is the one that operates with any or all of the living room/kitchen/hallway lights...you can hear it and feel it click when the light switch is engaged. The lights worked flawlessly with the relays swapped.

Beats me why the lights have been doing the blinky-blinky-ON thing. They would not do it for me today. I will continue to monitor the gremlin.
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