Energy Management System

[bikerstew]

Hi All

I have an Autocruise Starburst and i have accidentally pulled the 3 wires out of the square 4 pin plug that plugs into module A and goes to module B while hoovering. Does anyone know which wire goes to which pin any help greatly appreciated

[Labby]

If you go to the www.apuljackelectronics.co.uk web site , and look at their catalogue  , in the Autocruise section is photos of the A and B modules with some connections information shown which may help .

[Derek Uzzell]

bikerstew

There are some photos of the modules in my posting of September 20, 2020 in this forum thread

https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/topic/50205-autocruise-starspirit-problem/

The 2nd and 3rd photos are (respectively) a side and end view of Module A. However, although the first of those photos shows that the 4-pin socket is a "Module B Connection" and the second shows the socket itself, that's no help regarding the way in which the wires fit into the plug that goes into that socket. (My 2020 posting also has a wiring diagram, but that's no help either.)

Suggest you do as Labby suggests and contact Apuljack Electronics.

If they can't help and you can't find anyone who can give a certain answer, you may have to resort to educated guesswork.

Assuming that there is a similar 4-pin socket on Module B (and you can access Module B) it's (sort of) logical that the wiring of the plug that goes into the Module B socket will match that of the plug that goes into the Module A socket on a pin-to-pin basis.

The plugs should only fit into the sockets 'one way up' - so, if the position in the Module A plug of the wire that was not pulled out matches the position of the same colour wire in the Module B plug, there's a reasonable chance that the position of the other 3 wires in the Module B plug will be the same for the Module A plug on a wire colour-for-colour basis.

[bikerstew]

Hi and thanks for the replies I have emailed Apuljack electronics a few days ago and as yet havent had a response the cable that plugs in to module A  is hard wired into into module B 

 

[onecal]

Hi

A photo/photos of the two units showing where the wires are disconnected would be helpful

Regards  

[Derek Uzzell]

Unfortunately, photos won't help.

This 2020 forum thread includes several photos relating to the "Energy Management System" product that Autocruise used to install.

https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/topic/50205-autocruise-starspirit-problem/

The photo below shows the 4-pin socket (arrowed in red) in Module A into which the plug on the end of the cable that leads to Module B fits.

As bikerstew said in his last posting, the other end of that cable is hard-wired into Module B, so - even if Module B were opened up (VERY inadvisable) - it would still not be practicable to know how the three wires that were accidentally detached from the Module A plug should be reinserted using wire colour-to-colour 'educated guesswork'.

[onecal]

Hi

They just may if he shows the damage done , I am a little puzzled as to why no photo as it may not be actually the same modules Derek as you have posted 

We wait and see 

Regards 

[Derek Uzzell]

Based on bikerstew's postings above, it's clear that his "Starburst" motorhome has the "Energy Management System" (EMS) that Autocruise used to fit.

This system was manufactured by a company called "Kigass" (that ceased trading long ago) and was fitted to Autocruise and Bentley motorhomes for a while (and, I believe, to some Murvi models).

Problems usually relate to the control-panel and Apuljack Electronics and this company (EMP)

http://www.nrgmp.com/repair

have advertised a control-panel repair service. I think EMP will be a non-starter nowadays, but in any case bikerstew's problem is not related to the control-panel.

There is a cable that goes between the EMS system's Module B and Module A. What is needed is for an owner of an Autocruise motorhome that has the EMS system to check how the 4 wires at the Module A end of the cable connect into the square 4-pin port arrowed in my photo above. 

Ignoring this recent thread (that MIGHT relate to an EMS system)

https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/topic/61537-autocruise-control-panel-problem/#comment-707848

there do not seem to be any other current O&AL forum-members who own Autocruise motorhomes that have (or are likely to have) the EMS system.

If bikerstew cannot get a simple answer from Apuljack, I suggest a photo be taken of the end of the cable showing the plug and its detached wires, and the question of which wires go where in the plug be asked on the larger motorhome forums. (Hopefully  all EMS systems have the same wire colour-coding for the Module A to Module B cable!)

MotorHomeFun and MotorhomeFacts forums are likely to be the best places to enquire

https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/

https://www.motorhomefacts.com/

[onecal]

On 4/17/2023 at 10:11 PM, onecal said:

Hi

A photo/photos of the two units showing where the wires are disconnected would be helpful

Regards  

Hi Derek 

I agree ,  these gave a lot of issues to some owners in the past 

Regards

[Derek Uzzell]

On 4/13/2023 at 6:23 PM, bikerstew said:

... the cable that plugs in to module A  is hard wired into into module B 

 

Are you 100% certain about the Module B 'hard-wiring'?

These three attached images relate to a Module B manufactured in 2007

Image 1: Shows the purpose of the cables that connect to Module B and the sockets into which those cables plug.

Image 2: Shows the sockets themselves, with Socket 10 relating to the RJ45 cable that connects to Module A.

Image 3: Shows Module B's printed-circuit board with no sign of cable hard-wiring.

As I suggested above, if the cable that comes from Module A and plugs into Module B's Socket 10 can be unplugged and the colours of its wiring identified, as one of the 4 wires is still in place in the plug that goes into Module A, there's a good chance that  matching the 'colour position' of the Module B Socket 10 plug's wires will produce a successful result.

 

 

 

 

 

[onecal]

Derek

Maybe bikerstew has different modules that what we are looking at ? The hardwiring of module B is strange  ?

A photo of both and damage to same would would really help 

Regards

 

[Derek Uzzell]

There are several on-line photos of the Module A and Module B units and all of them show exactly the same design. Besides which, using the photos above and on the links I provided, it should be straightforward for bikerstew to confirm whether or not his Modules are different in any respect.

Regarding the communications cable going into Module B being hard-wired, I'm very doubtful that this is the case. All relevant on-line images of Module B have the four RJ45-type sockets shown in the photo on my last posting and hard-wiring any of the cables that connect to Module B (or to Module A) would seriously complicate installation.

On motorhome forums, discussions about problems with the Autocruise Energy Management System have occasionally included complaints about the inaccessibility of the parts that make up the system. Consequently, it may prove difficult for bikerstew to take meaningful photos of Module A and B while those parts remain in situ.

A photo of the damaged plug of the communications cable that connects to the Module A 4-pin socket MIGHT be useful, but I've begun to think that - even if the plug at the other end of that cable can easily be removed from its Module B RJ45-type socket - a close inspection made of that plug's wiring may still not allow a reliable decision to be arrived at regarding how the three detached wires of the damaged Module A plug should be reconnected.

[onecal]

Let's await the photos and then advise 

Regards 

[Derek Uzzell]

As bikerstew's most recent forum visit was on Monday 17 April, I admire your optimism that any photos will be forthcoming. 🙁

[onecal]

Strange!

[Derek Uzzell]

Not really . It seems to happen quite often on forums nowadays - an initial question and then a deathly hush from the enquiry's originator.

I put it down to alien abduction.

[onecal]

Lol ,,,lol 😄

[wayneA]

If any one knows where I can gey a module b repaired or replaced would be greatful thanks

[Labby]

wayneA  , It may be worth trying www.nationalcaravanbreakers.co.uk  , as they also do used  Motorhome parts.

[wayneA]

3 minutes ago, Labby said:

It may be worth trying www.nationalcaravanbreakers.co.uk  , they also do used Motorhome parts.

I have sent them a email enquiry tonight thanks

[Derek Uzzell]

You may well be aware of this, but this company used to offer diagnosis/repair services for Module A and Module B units.

http://www.nrgmp.com/repair

A Companies House check 

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/06767298

suggests that the company is still active, but whether they are still dealing with the Autocruise system remains to be seen. Even if they are not, they might be able to assist.

The advice from Apuljack Electronics Ltd regarding the Module A/B units is here

https://www.apuljackelectronics.co.uk/Autocruise-Energy-Management-System-__p-378.aspx

[onecal]

What is wrong with (ModuleB) that you think it needs to be repaired 

It it hard wired or plugged into B 

Regards

[Keithl]

8 minutes ago, onecal said:

What is wrong with (ModuleB) that you think it needs to be repaired 

Regards

On 4/12/2023 at 7:43 PM, bikerstew said:

Hi All

I have an Autocruise Starburst and i have accidentally pulled the 3 wires out of the square 4 pin plug that plugs into module A and goes to module B while hoovering. Does anyone know which wire goes to which pin any help greatly appreciated

From the OP... and it seems the wires come directly out of module B.

[onecal]

Hi

I think at this stage ,it may be prudent to replace the whole unit 

I think his question was the four wires he pulled out of the four pins out of A

Any I have worked on has a plug also on B  ? Clearly marked 1 2 3 4 5 6   It may be a very old model?

Regards 

[Derek Uzzell]

This is a '2-part' thread, with the initial poster (bikerstew) asking about the wiring of a Module A plug (and stating that Module B was hard-wired - that I'm near certain is not correct). That part of the thread ground to a halt on April 23.

The thread was resurrected on May 5 (by wayneA) asking about repair or replacement of Module B. The chances or repairing a faulty Module B, or obtaining a new Module B are very very slim, so Wayne is exploring finding a secondhand Module B unit.