Hymer B210 -2001 - a fuse blows intermittently

[bkv22]

Hello. New here so please be kind.

Bought a Hymer Starline B510 -2001 this spring and there are two electrical faults on it.

The first error is that the 230V lamp does not light up on the control panel, even though there is power. Heard that others have the same error. This is not so critical - but why?

The second is a bit more serious: the 10A fuse called Kreis 2 blows now and then. It primarily powers the lights on the left side of the living area. It usually happens when you are driving, but it has also happened once when the motor home is stationary. Sometimes you can drive several days before it happens, but sometimes only an hour or so. Have inspected all fixtures and there are no loose wires or anything. All bulbs have already been changed to LED. Have shaken and tugged on visible cables - even under the driver's seat - without being able to replicate the fault. I myself suspect that a cable rubs or is pinched somewhere and that certain movements cause it to ground. But where? How to be able to find this? Isn't this a nightmare error? So far I have put in a resettable fuse but that is hardly the solution and I can neither hear nor see when it trips.

Advices are appreciated.

 

[RandallC]

One fault finding method is to use a lamp of suitable wattage across the fuse /breaker. So it lights when a trip occurs, (assuming the circuit is drawing power or has a short circuit) keeps the circuit powered without significant risk to wiring and power supply.

 

[Figaro]

Kreis means circle which I assume means lighting loop

Not much help, but

 

[bkv22]

One fault finding method is to use a lamp of suitable wattage across the fuse /breaker. So it lights when a trip occurs, (assuming the circuit is drawing power or has a short circuit) keeps the circuit powered without significant risk to wiring and power supply.

I assume so but it still gives no clue where the short circuit is. Especially not if you are driving when it happens.
I was hoping anyone else have had the same problem and figured out why it happened.

 

[Figaro]

I think I'd start by trying to establish exactly what is on that ring, Truma boiler, TV socket etc. has anything after market been added - start there.
A pinched or trapped cable is possible, but Hymers are pretty well put together to avoid such occurrences in my experience.
Make a list of everything connected then work your way around them.
In the boiler cupboard / wardrobe under the cover there is usually a 12v distribution block, have a look at that too.
Good luck

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[bkv22]

OK but absolutely nothing is on when it happens; no lights, no boiler - nothing! Just the fridge, but that's another circuit. But I'll check that block.

 

[autorouter]

Does the Hymer have an Electroblock (EBL), and if so what model number is it? Maybe you could post a photo of the front panel.

Hymer uses the label 'Kreis' to mean 'Circuit', so Kreis 1 and Kreis 2 are general circuits, often with several small items on the same fuse. I'd second Figaro's advice to find exactly what is powered by that fuse, and investigate the 12V distribution block he mentions. The positive and negative wires are in close proximity there, so if one has come loose it could touch another wire and blow the fuse.

 

[bkv22]

Yes, it's a EBL 99 (no extension).
Have even found a support site with manuals:

Power on Board User Manuals -- Formerly Schaudt by Lippert User Manuals | Lippert Europe

Lippert is the leading supplier of highly engineered products for the European leisure and caravanning industries.

www.lippertcomponents.eu

Still can't figure out exactly what is powered through that fuse.

 

[autorouter]

The wire from that fuse, Kreis2, exits from pins 3 (pos) and 10 (neg) of the 15-way connector on the front panel. I can't see the colour of the wire from Pin3, but the wire from Pin10 is brown (the standard colour for negative in German MHs). If you could see the colour that might be a clue when you look for the distribution block for all the items powered from Kreis2. To find pin3, there is a small '1' next to the socket, showing where Pin1 is. Pin2 is to the right, Pin3 is to the right again, Pin4 is above Pin1, and so on.

If no distinctive colour, I've found that sometimes it's printed on the wire sheath. If not you'll have to do trial-and error with a multimeter, removing fuses to see when the power disappears. Are you OK using a multimeter?

 

[bkv22]

Thanks! Yes, I'm very familliar using a multimeter but in my case I know that removing the Kreis 2 fuse will cause the power to disappear so the short circuit is somewhere in that quite long circuit that begins there and since I'm no able to replicate when it trips it's quite hard to measure: where and what?
The only devices that doesn't work when the fuse as blown is a number of lights.

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[autorouter]

The distribution block will be a set of spade terminals. If you can trace to the distribution block, you could wire a fuse to each of the items fed from that wire. An inline fuse with a male/female spade connector would probably do it. With a 20A fuse in the EBL end, and some 15A fuses at the distribution block, you will be able to see which of the items blows a fuse. If none of them, but the 20A fuse at the EBL blows, then it's the feed wire.

As well as the lights, these Kreis circuits can feed obscure things like the igniter for the hob, that you might not have tested when the fuse blows.