Red LED on 12v fuse panel

[Papa]

I have one red LED that intermittently comes on on the 12 volt panel. The fuse isn't blown and everything seems to be working in our 2011 Montana Mountaineer. I would appreciate any wisdom about the LED coming on and then later going off.

[jimcol]

It could be a multitude of things. I would suspect a high open in either the fuse, not very likely, or the fuse holder and associated wiring. Guess I would start by tightening the screws in the fuse panel. I check mine on both the AC and DC side once a year. Most always seem to find one a little loose. Could also replace the fuse just out of suspicion.

[BB_TX]

The blown fuse LEDs are wired in parallel to the associated fuses. So, in theory, the LED cannot illuminate as long as the fuse is good since the fuse acts like a wire bypassing the LED. Try pulling the fuse and reinserting it several times. Possibly have a poor connection in that fuse holder. It should be fairly tight when inserting. Is that fuse labeled as to what it serves?

And I agree with checking all wire connections, with power disconnected of course. I checked all my AC hot, neutral, 12 vdc positive, and ground connections and found several screws that were not properly tightened.

[Papa]

Thanks for the replies, the fuse looks good physically but I will replace it this morning to see if that cures the issue. Unfortunately none of my 12 volt system is labelled which means I have a project for this winter checking and labelling the panel. I will also check the connections and tighten them.

[Ram Montana High Country]

Are some of the fuses self resetting?

[Daryles]

Originally Posted by Ram Montana High Country

Are some of the fuses self resetting?

Yes, the black furnace fuse is a self resetting fuse.
They are problematic at best.

[RickyRobert]

Would it be possible for you to post a picture of the panel, indicating where the Red-flashing LED is placed? On my unit, that "fault" indicated that the converter had gone bad, which was replaced under warranty.

[jjwhite368]

Originally Posted by Daryles

Yes, the black furnace fuse is a self resetting fuse.
They are problematic at best.

My dealer told me to replace the 15 amp auto-reset breaker for the furnace with a 20 amp fuse.

[BB_TX]

I don’t think a self resetting fuse would be a good idea. Think about a short. Fuse trips, cools, resets, trips, cools, resets, trips, etc etc until something finally gives, likely the short burns itself in two. A manual reset fuse would be far safer.

[LERD]

Originally Posted by jimcol

It could be a multitude of things. I would suspect a high open in either the fuse, not very likely, or the fuse holder and associated wiring. Guess I would start by tightening the screws in the fuse panel. I check mine on both the AC and DC side once a year. Most always seem to find one a little loose. Could also replace the fuse just out of suspicion.

Had electrical problems earlier this summer. The wonderful repair shop (seriously, I'm not being sarcastic) told me to check all of my connections every year. Especially all of my neutrals and grounds. He told me that the passing electricity will back off your connection screws ever so slightly. Multiply that by several years and, well you can guess the problem.

[Mikendebbie]

jjwhite368 - did you replace the 15 amp fuse with a 20 amp?
That fuse controls my furnace AND the on demand water heater.
I have not had any issues with the fuse - but what BB_TX said about the reality of the resetting fuse makes sense.

Is there a down side to replacing the 15 amp with a 20 amp?
I dont recall reading much about troubles related to the 15 amp fuse.

[Papa]

Sorry I haven't replied to some of these messages, my son's family relocated home from being stationed in England for three years and we have been spending most of our time helping get them settled.

I traced the circuit to my refrigerator after removing my fuse panel from the wall and tightening loose connections (both 110v and 12v). I was surprised at how many connections required at least 1/2 to 3/4 turn and one of the 110v connections just over a full turn. I wonder if this is due to vibration when the trailer is moving or just faulty workmanship at the factory.

The cause of the red flashing LED ended up being a fuse. The fuse checks good with an ohm meter but still would cause the LED to flash intermittently. I replaced the fuse and the problem is cured.

Thanks to everyone who replied to the post. This is our first RV in more than 30 years and we are having to relearn quite a bit. We had a 29' Streamline bumper pull trailer in the 1980s and everything has changed a lot!