Control Panel Help

[Raffracing]

I have a 2005 Swift Kontiki 615 but I'm unable to turn the control panel on. I am able to change the time on the clock and scroll between batteries etc but I have no heating, water pump or lights. Any assistance as to what the issue may be would be much appreciated.

[Derek Uzzell]

Welcome to the Out&AboutLive forums, Christine.

 

I can’t find a 2005 Swift handbook, but the 2002 version here

 

https://tinyurl.com/yykr73kq

 

suggests that your motorhome’s electrics might be based around a Sargent EC200 system and that the cotrol-panel will look similar to the 1st image I have attached below.

 

If that’s correct, Page 34 of the handbook has the control-panel trouble-shooting advice shown in the 2nd image below.

 

EDIT - I have now found a 2005 Swift motorhome handbook (Issued September 2004)

 

https://www.bessacarr-owners-club.org/info-centre/manuals/motorhome/1058514-MH-Owners-Hbook-2005.pdf

 

but the electrical system’s information seems unchanged from the 2002 handbook, with the same control-panel trouble-shooting advice now on Page 40.

 

This 2013 ASOF forum entry was about problems with the EC200 panel and discussed ‘rebooting’ the panel by removing it and disconnecting it as mentioned in the Swift handbook.

 

https://www.autosleeper-ownersforum.com/t8159-fault-on-sargent-ec200-control-panel

 

There is other on-line stuff about the EC200 panel

 

https://tinyurl.com/y4nbwtjz

 

but ‘rebooting’ the panel is probably the first step you should take.

 

If the panel has developed an actual fault, Sargent offers a repair service

 

https://sargentltd.co.uk/shop/product/digital-control-panel-repair/243

[Raffracing]

Thank you for the reply. I have tried removing the front of the control panel but I'm unable to unplug it due to the wires being very short, and not being able to see what I'm doing.. Would another option be to disconnect one or both batteries, to enable a reset? I will see what I can achieve in daylight this weekend.

[Derek Uzzell]

You could try disconnecting the leisure-battery, waiting awhile and then reconnecting it to see if that does any good. - Before you do this, make sure your motorhome is NOT connected to a 230V mains power-supply and that the main Sargent Power Suplly Unit (PSU) ‘box’ is turned off.

 

The 2013 ASOF frum link I provided above includes the advice

 

You can reset the system by removing both the main leisure battery AND vehicle battery fuses from the PSU although on newer units that have a solar panel connected in to the Sargent PSU that won't work. The easiest way is to do as your handbook says and disconnect/ reconnect the multiway connector at the back of the control unit. Its easy but be careful not to damage any pins on the connector.

 

Removing the battery fuses from the PSU (assuming that the PSU is accessible!) should be simpler than disconnecting batteries and - one might think - do the same rebooting job as disconnecting/reconnecting the control-panel. However, as I've no practical experience of Sargent equipment, I don’t know what the ‘official’ rebooting procedure is supposed to achieve technically. There are on-line comments about disconnecting/reconnecting the panel being a lot less than “easy” due to the connector Sargent uses, and motorhome converters installing inadequately long cables is far from rare and a real pain.

 

Suggest you contact Sargent for advice on this mentioning that disconnecting/reconnecting the control panel itself is difficult due to the short wires.

 

https://sargentltd.co.uk/contact

 

You might also try contacting Apuljack Engineering

 

http://shop.apuljackengineering.co.uk/index.php?route=product/category&path=134

 

I think the company does not offer repair of an EC200 control-panel, but they may be able to advise on possible alternatives to rebooting the panel by disconnecting it.