Re: Mystery red light switch

Gary L. Smith · Post by **Gary L. Smith** » Sat Nov 16, 2002 6:38 am

' The boost switch is on your instrument panel to the left of the steering column, and probably has a symbol of a battery on it. It is spring loaded and has to be held down to make the connection between house and chassis batteries. Idea is that you could be sitting for a while and the engine batteries go down (in charge) but your house batteries have been plugged into 110V and have a good charge. By connecting the two sets of batteries you are able to start the engine. As stated in another answer (better than I originally did), the dime sized red light is telling you that you have 110 V power available, either to all outlets via the generator or shore power, or to selected outlets via the inverter. Gary

----- Original Message ----- From: al@... To: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com Sent: Saturday, November 16, 2002 3:50 PM Subject: [Safarifriends] Re: Mystery red light switch
Not sure I made myself clear on where the red light/switch is located. The
inverter panel red light functioning is clear to me, but I'm talking about an
entirely different switch whose only outward functions seems to be to turn on
a dime-sized red light. It doesn't make sense to have an on/off switch and a
red light, just to tell you that the AC power is on, when the inverter panel
does the same thing. This one is located on a typical wall mounted outlet
plate...above the inverter panel in the kitchen corner, with no marking at
all...just an on/off switch with a red light.

Which now also brings up another question. Safari's owner's manual says
that one can use the house batteries to start the engine in the event of dead
chassis batteries. To do that, one needs to switch on the "boost" switch -
(not sure if this is the right terminology, since I don't have access to the
manual right now). Could this "red light switch" be what they're referring to,
since I can't find anything else that makes any sense.

Sure appreciate the help you guys are giving me...and I like the carpet redo
idea!

Cheers, Al

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Gary L. Smith · Post by **Gary L. Smith** » Sat Nov 16, 2002 6:40 am

' Joann, I guess it would be possible to remote wire that light to the corner of the galley, but most do it at the water heater switch, above the entry door. Gary

----- Original Message ----- From: j.figueras@... To: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com Sent: Saturday, November 16, 2002 3:59 PM Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Re: Mystery red light switch
Some people have installed a red light to indicate when the water heater
is turned on. That switch is in the same area.

Joann

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James smith · Post by **James smith** » Sat Nov 16, 2002 6:41 am

'On my 1992 the "boost" switch is located on the dash
above the radio. It's a back lit rocker switch. Check
your manual or call Safari for the exact switch. Just
hold it down while in use. It will also work if the
coach battery's are dead to start the generator. Got
me out of a difficult sitution, Not sure, but I think
it will power the inverter to get the bed up.

Smitty

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jtwii@aol.com · Post by **jtwii@aol.com** » Sat Nov 16, 2002 6:57 am

'Al
This is just a wag (wild ___ guess). It could be that the previous owner
modified his water heater to use electrical heating unit, and the switch and
light are for activation of the heating element. Whatever its use, I wouldn't
leave it on very long until I identified its purpose.
Jim'

Joann Figueras · Post by **Joann Figueras** » Sat Nov 16, 2002 7:57 am

' On our '94, the water heater switch is in that galley corner, above the other switches.

Gary L. Smith wrote:

Joann, I guess it would be possible to remote wire that light to the corner of the galley, but most do it at the water heater switch, above the entry door. Gary ----- Original Message ----- From: j.figueras@... To: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com Sent: Saturday, November 16, 2002 3:59 PM Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Re: Mystery red light switch
Some people have installed a red light to indicate when the water heater
is turned on. That switch is in the same area.

Joann

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Gary L. Smith · Post by **Gary L. Smith** » Sat Nov 16, 2002 8:13 am

' In that case, you have a definite point. Guess they moved it over the door when they switched to the GM chassis?

----- Original Message ----- From: j.figueras@... To: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com Sent: Saturday, November 16, 2002 5:57 PM Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Re: Mystery red light switch
On our '94, the water heater switch is in that galley corner, above the other switches.

Gary L. Smith wrote:
Joann, I guess it would be possible to remote wire that light to the corner of the galley, but most do it at the water heater switch, above the entry door. Gary ----- Original Message ----- From: j.figueras@... To: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com Sent: Saturday, November 16, 2002 3:59 PM Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Re: Mystery red light switch
Some people have installed a red light to indicate when the water heater
is turned on. That switch is in the same area.

Joann

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zeketheelder · Post by **zeketheelder** » Mon Nov 18, 2002 7:42 am

'Let me add something to the 'RED Light' chat.

I was working on a small rock grinder on the kitchen table using
power from the inverter (Red Light On) when I spilled some liquid
into the power plug. Don't ask what the liquid was or just how
stupid I was to spill it into the plug but the end result was that
the Red Light went Out and I could not get the inverter back on.
Running the generator worked fine so I didn't worry about dropping
the 110 VAC powered bed down but what cause the inverter to blow out??

After searching around I found that the Ground Fault Indicator (GFI)
outlet next to the inverter had been tripped when I dumped the liquid
into the outlet and (I guess) that was not allowing the inverter to
come on. Resetting the GFI allowed the inverter to come back to
life. I assume that the inverter was plugged into the GFI only to
sense for unsafe conditions before turning on.

Anyone else have this experience?'

Richard Buddrus · Post by **Richard Buddrus** » Mon Nov 18, 2002 11:33 am

'Jim,

I do remember the GFI (Ground Fault Interrupt) going on my invertor
once but never did trace the cause (suspect that it was an overheat
condition in the inverter). In your case, it appears as though the
GFI worked exactly as advertised and may very well have saved you
from an nasty electrical shock and also significant damage to your
inverter. Their job is to "interrupt" a circuit that has a ground
fault and your water in the socket was definetly a ground fault.

Rick

--- In Safarifriends@y..., "zeketheelder" wrote:
> Let me add something to the 'RED Light' chat.
>
> I was working on a small rock grinder on the kitchen table using
> power from the inverter (Red Light On) when I spilled some liquid
> into the power plug. Don't ask what the liquid was or just how
> stupid I was to spill it into the plug but the end result was that
> the Red Light went Out and I could not get the inverter back on.
> Running the generator worked fine so I didn't worry about dropping
> the 110 VAC powered bed down but what cause the inverter to blow
out??
>
> After searching around I found that the Ground Fault Indicator
(GFI)
> outlet next to the inverter had been tripped when I dumped the
liquid
> into the outlet and (I guess) that was not allowing the inverter to
> come on. Resetting the GFI allowed the inverter to come back to
> life. I assume that the inverter was plugged into the GFI only to
> sense for unsafe conditions before turning on.
>
> Anyone else have this experience?

'

trekje@aol.com · Post by **trekje@aol.com** » Tue Nov 19, 2002 10:57 am

'We also had a very mysterious red light switch above the inverter light switch in the kitchen corner of our our '95 Trek.
Here is what it is for!!!! There was an arctic package available from Safari. The tanks are insulated from the outside. There is thick stuff sprayed on on the outside and there is a HEATING tape wrapped on certain parts down there....(waterpipes?)
The mystery switch in OUR coach turns on the heating tape....
Maybe this solves the mystery!!!! ELLEN
'

Journeydog · Post by **Journeydog** » Wed Nov 20, 2002 2:32 am

'HOORAY! I think you've solved the mystery red light switch puzzle. My Trek
also has the Artic Package (albeit falling/fallen tank insulation) and I was
wondering where to turn on the tank heaters. A lack of documentation
fortified with a lack of brains has made Al a wondering guy. As soon as I get
my Trek out of the shop for a leaky water hose (no hose available within 100
miles and this is in the heart of southern California - 'nuther story), I'm going
to turn this 'mystery' switch on and crawl under and feel the heat pour forth!

Thanks Ellen!

-Al

--- In Safarifriends@y..., trekje@a... wrote:
> We also had a very mysterious red light switch above the inverter light
> switch in the kitchen corner of our our '95 Trek.
> Here is what it is for!!!! There was an arctic package available from Safari.
> The tanks are insulated from the outside. There is thick stuff sprayed on on
> the outside and there is a HEATING tape wrapped on certain parts down
> there....(waterpipes?)
> The mystery switch in OUR coach turns on the heating tape....
> Maybe this solves the mystery!!!! ELLEN

'