Reset button problem on Factory Fitted Kitchen (Cube)

[mikeinsomerset]

Hi - I have recently bought a Bongo with a Factory Fitted / Cube Kitchen and have a problem - can anyone help please?......

The reset button cannot be made to stay in. When its in the out (lit) position none of the gadgets (fan, fridge, pump, lights, etc) work. When it is held in - the red light goes out and a small click is heard - and all of the gadgets work via the switches. The Leisure Battery (LB) seems to charge ok via the vehicles engine - but the button won't stay in.

I'm told by the previous owner (who asked questions on here in 2009 'Gerry') that the relays were 'ok'.

I'm assuming that the idea of the reset button is that it pops out when the LB's charge gets low (low voltage?) thus cutting off supply to any of the gadgets.

A few questions:
- could it simply be a faulty reset button (or is the problem more likely to be elsewhere)?
- what if I simple 'made it' stay in (or connected the appropriate wires behind it) - any adverse inpact?
- replace the reset button with an on / off switch (if I can work out which wires go where) - and have this off when not using the gadgets and on when I want to?

Other thoughts appreciated.
Thanks Mike

[g8dhe]

First off, I don't have a kitchen cube and secondly the Wiring Diagrams miss out some of the electronics, so I maybe making one or two assumptions to many!

But the Reset switch won't cause the relay to hold in unless the 6th switch on the bank of switches is operated and its fuse is OK, now which exactly is the 6th switch I'm not sure but the diagram below shows it at the right-hand end, but that doesn't always mean that is how it is viewed! The diagram below shows the switch I mean at the right-hand end;

If your able to read the circuit diagram you will see that the connector "129" feeds back to the reset switch (T3-02) and relay T3-03 (via a diode) and holds the relay operated when the reset switch is released in the diagram below;

and yes the circuit acts as a low voltage cut-out so that the battery is disconnected once the voltage from the battery falls to low OR that last switch is released!

I think the easiest way to test which switch it is, is first check all the 7.5 Amp fuses and make sure there OK, then operate all 6 of the switches and then operate the Reset switch, if the relay holds in then you can one by one switch OFF each of the 6 switches until the relay drops out again and the Reset LED comes on again! If the re-set doesn't operate when all the switches are operated then there is another fault somewhere !

[briwy]

I had the same problem recently and yes, the red button will pop out if the leisure battery is flat.

Turned out the leisure battery wasn't holding a charge for more than a few hours. I suspect the recent cold weather finished it off.
New battery and all OK.

Does the red button stay in when the engine is running, ie charging the LB?

You could try disconnecting the LB and running a couple of wires across to the main battery and see if everything is OK then. If it is I reckon the LB has had it.

[briwy]

Geoff.

Just noticed your post and the mention of fuses.
From what I can see these are more of a fusible link in the switch panel rather than conventional fuses and don't look to be easily replaceable to me.
Confirm that switch numbers run left to right assuming the switch panel is on the right way up.

You are right about the electronics, pretty complex. I bought my Cube separately from the van and it took a bit of figuring out how to wire it in despite having the wiring diagram. I had hoped that the Bongo looms would all be the same and have the Cube wiring in but mine didn't. Could be perhaps because mine is a 95 and I'm not sure but I don't think Cubes were fitted until later on.
Also my LB is under the bonnet so I had to run some extra cabling to take care of that. Frees up a big space for storage in the Cube though.

Brian

[mikeinsomerset]

Thanks for the replies so far.

I will have a fidde with the fuses & switches to see if that sorts it - I fear it won't!!

Also the leisure battery holds its charge fine.

The rest button won't stay in with the engine running or not.

What about
- if I simpley 'made it' stay in (or connected the appropriate wires behind it) - any adverse impact?

- replace the reset button with an on / off switch (if I can work out which wires go where) - and have this off when not using the gadgets and on when I want to?

[g8dhe]

What about
- if I simpley 'made it' stay in (or connected the appropriate wires behind it) - any adverse impact?

- replace the reset button with an on / off switch (if I can work out which wires go where) - and have this off when not using the gadgets and on when I want to?

Both have the downside of allowing the battery to go flat, I can't believe that the fault can be to complex as other than the module (no circuit n diagram) that feeds the power from the S/B it is only relays involved.

[crazy uncle gray g]

This may be what your after, I fitted one to my dash, excellent idea I thought.
http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... SET+button

[g8dhe]

Just noticed your post and the mention of fuses.
From what I can see these are more of a fusible link in the switch panel rather than conventional fuses and don't look to be easily replaceable to me.
Confirm that switch numbers run left to right assuming the switch panel is on the right way up.

That's handy to know Brian thanks, I guess the labelling on the switches don't give the functions of each switch do they? Its something we are missing on the Wiring Manual as they don't actually state what the function of each switch is and yet it would be nice to state on the diagram!

[briwy]

Geoff.

Switch functions on mine as follows--reading left to right.

1. 12v socket for the cool box--situated inside the Cube unit.
2. Water pump
3. Ventilator fan situated in the window above the Cube unit when is Cube installed from scratch.
4. LIght on the rear pillar above the Cube.
5. Seems to a spare on mine
6. 12v Socket on the front of the Cube.

[g8dhe]

Thanks I'll get them added.
Edit: Done many thanks!

[mikeinsomerset]

Ok - I have had a little fiddle.

- The LB has stood for a week and the voltage across it was 12.29v (I conclude that the batter is ok). The reset button won't stay in on its own.
- Then I ran the engine - and watched the voltage increase to 13.5v (again this all seems fine).
- I let the vehicle run for 10 mins and the reset button still wouldn't stay in.
- If I hold in the reset button all the gadgets work fine (and a can hear a little 'click' from inside the kitchen - a good sign?).

I have taken the reset button off - and its an IDEC AL2-M units (see http://www.liveelectronics.co.uk/pdf/LE700a.pdf - have spoken to 'Liveelectronics' today and they investigating.

IS THIS THE RESET BUTTON OTHER HAVE?????

In the short term I'll try to get a replacement reset button.

Long term perhaps convert to 240V and etc etc.

Any help appreciated.

Regards

Mike

[g8dhe]

If the click when you push in the reset switch is the relay T3-03 operating, then the switch itself is fine, no need to worry about that.

Once the relay has pulled in then the relay contacts replace the switch and it should hold itself in, obviously it doesn't appear to be doing that so if you have a meter available try measuring the voltage between earth and the Red (R) wire which goes from Diode T3-07 to T3-15 which is the Power Off switch contact, you should see this go from roughly Zero to the full 12 volts when the Reset switch is operated, if it does then the most likely fault is the Diode T3-07, it can be replaced with any general purpose diode such as an 1N4001 watch the polarity of the diode it needs to be connected the right way around. If the voltage on the Red wire does NOT go to 12 volts on Reset then the Power Off switch / fuse is faulty, I saw a Manual for the Kitchen unit somewhere recently that seemed to show that the fuses with the 6 switches were contained in a little unit above the switches, I can't locate the diagram at the moment, but might be worth investigating them.

[mikeinsomerset]

Geoff - thanks for that - what you have said looks very interesting.

I have a meter - and will have a hunt for the location of the diode and power off switch. I've only taken the battery out so far.

Thanks so much.

Mike

[mikeinsomerset]

Hi - I'm rather ashamed to say - that having tested as much as I can - I flicked the 6th switch and hey presto the reset button stayed in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had thought that the 6th button with its 7.5a fuse was a 'spare'. But it seems this needs to be in the on position for the reset button to be 'reset' - then when the 6th switch is turned off out pops the reset button.

I'm sooooooooo happy - I have learn a lot more than I needed too from all this - but never mind.

[ I daren't tell the kitchen that I would like to convert the lot to 240V - that would be just too much ]

Mike )

[g8dhe]

Yup, that's right, it switches on both the additional socket and causes the battery to be isolated when switched OFF. So avoiding the battery being drained by any forgotten loads.