Nuevo Control Panel Re-Booting

Haven't been out to our Nuevo since last Thursday I believe, but had a strange thing happen when I went into it earlier on... usually as I enter the vehicle I gently tap the control panel and it straight away illuminates, except today it didn't Anyway after trying to work out why it wouldn't light up or give me access to any of the functions I flicked the switch on the PDU / charger then tapped it & on it came, but for some strange reason it kept rebooting and showing the Auto-Sleepers logo followed by the model number of the unit.. I've never known it to behave this way before... Have read reports of these control units playing up and this was one of my concerns before buying the vehicle, it seems to be working OK again now but still worrying Any ideas?

CC

Mine's never done that, but mine ain't right anyway - at least I don't think it's right.
I'll be very interested in the outcome of this.
Good luck,

Norrie

Hi CC
Just a stab in the dark here, but could your hab battery be low? my 59 Symbol used to play tricks like that, when the battery was down. Don't have that problem with the Nuevo, as I have a solar panel on the roof and tops up the batteries.

happy new year Boaby

Hi Norrie.. did you ever get your strip lighting working?

Just been out and checked a short while ago when I got home and the control panel is working as normal, must have just been a blip maybe (hopefully) did wonder if the leisure battery had somehow discharged but it showed a good charge once I got access to the panel after I had switched the PDU on. I sent an email to Sargent a short while ago to see if they produced these units for Auto-Sleepers? as I can find nothing on their site that resembles anything like ours with the blue touch screen It's a nifty panel but a bit gimmicky I think.. can't see the point in the built in leveling aid for example, maybe in the future I will think differently will be happier once I know Sargent made them (if they did) then at least if it goes wrong they have a mail order repair service which is reassuring as I understand these are around £250 each through Auto-Sleeper parts. Will let you know if I get a response... but for now I'm just happy it's working normally again CC

burlingtonboaby wrote:Hi CC
Just a stab in the dark here, but could your hab battery be low? my 59 Symbol used to play tricks like that, when the battery was down. Don't have that problem with the Nuevo, as I have a solar panel on the roof and tops up the batteries.

happy new year Boaby

Hi Boaby.. sorry missed your reply while I was replying to Norrie, as above I did wonder about the hab battery myself but it's always shown a good charge since getting the vehicle. I leave it on hook up, but just manually switch the charger on for a few hours every week or so just to top it up, but it always shows "Good" on the control panel whenever I check it, will keep an eye on things all the same CC

CC if its the Sergents panel give them a ring. If I get a decent signal here tommow will pm you

roli wrote:CC if its the Sergents panel give them a ring. If I get a decent signal here tommow will pm you

Think they are closed down until the new year Roger, have emailed them and will wait and see what they say

Control panel has been fine since, wondering if like Boaby suggested perhaps the hab battery was pulled down a bit that was my first thought because as soon as I switched on the PDU I was able to access it, but the panel did read battery level as "Good" so don't really know? first time it's been left almost a week since checking (due to xmas hols) and I can't imagine what would pull the battery down in that time as we have no add on's or anything in the van to draw any power, it would make sense I suppose... but the battery does seems fine (as does the control panel since the hab battery has been charged)

CC

Remove the display panel unplug the ribbon cable, wait a couple of minutes and put the plug back on. You can also try removing the PSU from the wall and at the bottom you will see the plug connections, Make sure these are firmly in place. These were the 1st lot of instructions Sergent gave me. Having an issue with ours and when we get home will sort. It was too close to Christmas for me to mess about as we were going away on the 28th and dont go home till the 2nd. I have taken readings from the habitation, memory and vehicle batteries and also in put from solar panel and convinced its the display panel thats faulty. Before it goes back to Sergent for echange a very knowledgable guy from our radio club is going to test the panel pcb out for me

CruizingComet wrote:Hi Norrie.. did you ever get your strip lighting working?

CC

Sorry for the delay in responding.....busy busy.
No I still can't get my striplights working, dammit, and AS have been as much use as t!ts on a bull. (The fridge I have fitted bears no resemblance to the one in the AS supplied documentation either. Not happy.)
I'll try speaking to Sergents when things calm down a bit and thanks for the pointer.
I can't help but thinking that if I built motorhomes for a living I'd make time to answer questions from those who bought them.
Norrie

Hi Mr Cruz.
Not sure if you still have the original hab battery fitted?, I let my 59 symbol batteries go flat last winter and once they were recharged , they never held the charge for very long after that.
I'm sure we have a battery expert on the forum, who can give their advice on the matter. Good luck with the control panel.

Norrie
I didn't see your thread on your strip lights, have you the same van as me? do you have the second remote key fob.I carn't see any other way of putting the lights on, other than using the second fob.
Happy new year Boaby.

roli wrote:Remove the display panel unplug the ribbon cable, wait a couple of minutes and put the plug back on.

Hi roger, was aware of the disconnecting the control panel to re-boot, mentioned it before to Norrie (I think) sometime ago, but thanks for the detailed info anyway

burlingtonboaby wrote:Hi Mr Cruz.
Not sure if you still have the original hab battery fitted?, I let my 59 symbol batteries go flat last winter and once they were recharged , they never held the charge for very long after that.
I'm sure we have a battery expert on the forum, who can give their advice on the matter. Good luck with the control panel.

Hi Boaby

It might be the original (all though it actually does look new) never had any reason to doubt it as it's held it's charge exceptionally well since getting the vehicle, as already said the status is always good whenever I've checked showing anywhere between 80-100% power, never known it to drop below this even with lighting on, TV, etc so don't think it's the battery but could be wrong of course, didn't even leave anything switched on accidentally and it was only left unchecked for 5-6 days Control panel is still working fine for 2nd day in a row so think it was just a blip....

CC

CruizingComet wrote:

roli wrote:Remove the display panel unplug the ribbon cable, wait a couple of minutes and put the plug back on.

Hi roger, was aware of the disconnecting the control panel to re-boot, mentioned it before to Norrie (I think) sometime ago, but thanks for the detailed info anyway

burlingtonboaby wrote:Hi Mr Cruz.
Not sure if you still have the original hab battery fitted?, I let my 59 symbol batteries go flat last winter and once they were recharged , they never held the charge for very long after that.
I'm sure we have a battery expert on the forum, who can give their advice on the matter. Good luck with the control panel.

Hi Boaby

It might be the original (all though it actually does look new) never had any reason to doubt it as it's held it's charge exceptionally well since getting the vehicle, as already said the status is always good whenever I've checked showing anywhere between 80-100% power, never known it to drop below this even with lighting on, TV, etc so don't think it's the battery but could be wrong of course, didn't even leave anything switched on accidentally and it was only left unchecked for 5-6 days Control panel is still working fine for 2nd day in a row so think it was just a blip....

CC

Hi Mr Cruz, thanks for your reply, hope it all goes well for you and Mrs Cruz, all the best for 2012 and safe driving.
Boaby

burlingtonboaby wrote:Norrie
I didn't see your thread on your strip lights, have you the same van as me? do you have the second remote key fob.I carn't see any other way of putting the lights on, other than using the second fob.
Happy new year Boaby.

Hi Boaby and a happy new year to you (and everyone else!).
Yes, I think we're on the same or very similar vans. Mine's a 2009 ES and if the only way to switch the striplights on is via the second fob then I may have struck gold as it doesn't appear to do anything. I've tried pairing it as per the manual but can't get it to do anything. Somebody else said their striplights switched on by tapping the screen so I've been trying various ways of doing that - without using my size 10.
I may just have to bite the bullet and book it into Scotland's only AS agent. I'm reluctant because when I took it to them once before they said they'd never seen a touch screen in an Autosleeper. I left.
This forum is really very good indeed. I wonder if AS ever visit it?

Hi Norrie
How was the new year for you ? Have you checked the wee 12volt battery in the fob, I changed ours last month, abit fiddly if you have big mutton hands like me.
Do you use St Andrews motorhomes or Perthshire caravans, when we lived in Dumfermline back in the 80's, they were the only ones. weren't much good back then either.
good luck with the fob.

Boaby

p.s Do you have the 120bhp or 130bhp in your van.

Norrie wrote:if the only way to switch the striplights on is via the second fob then I may have struck gold as it doesn't appear to do anything. I've tried pairing it as per the manual but can't get it to do anything. Somebody else said their striplights switched on by tapping the screen so I've been trying various ways of doing that - without using my size 10.
I may just have to bite the bullet and book it into Scotland's only AS agent. I'm reluctant because when I took it to them once before they said they'd never seen a touch screen in an Autosleeper. I left.
This forum is really very good indeed. I wonder if AS ever visit it?

Norrie, for a start when you press either the triangle or circle buttons on the fob does the little light on the fob illuminate? If not then you need to replace the battery, they are fitted with the small stumpy A23 battery's (Duracell LRV08) if you're battery is fine then you're remote needs pairing via the control panel, tap "Key Fob" as the control panel beeps press either button on the remote and it should store.

The blue touch screens are quite rare and were only fitted to the Nuevo's for a couple of years from what I understand, Autosleeper had alot of problems with them and an extremely high failure rate on the seriesII Nuevo's were replaced under warranty so one would hope that ours were replaced so can understand the dealer not really being familiar with these.

The strip lights can be turned on via the control panel, but only it seems after you have switched the lights on with the fob first (have just been out and checked ours) if you then power down the control panel, then when you power it up again the lights will come on without using the fob

In response to Auto-Sleeper visiting the forum this has been mentioned previously elsewhere (a few times now) roli knows more about this than I do to be honest as he has closer links and has communicated with them regarding the forum, they do observe the forum but from what I understand (I think) there may be some apprehension that the Auto-Sleeper name could possibly be tarnished or incorrect information could be given out to forum members, especially as I understand most of the info given out by ASOC for example has to be run past AS first, having said this at least they haven't "officially announced" and rudely shunned / distanced themselves from us like the Auto-Sleeper Owners Club (ASOC) did but that's another story so don't even get me started on that one......

CC

Getting back to my problem regarding the control panel not operating I had this issue again yesterday, when I did get the control unit to power up it showed the hab battery as only having 7.3v so put the charger on yesterday afternoon and left until bedtime and today it's showing 12.3v again

Does anyone know if the three stage charger (Bonus PDU 4M) is an "Intelligent Charger" meaning when full charge has been reached it ceases charging? I have been leaving our Nuevo plugged into the mains but with the charger switched off, unless I want to charge the battery's by flicking the switch on top of the PDU and selecting Hab or Veh battery charging on the control panel, clicking on Drain shows no drain and everything is switched off so maybe a new battery could be on the horizon I presume being on hook up with the PDU powered off would have no adverse effects? (once again very little info regarding any of this in the AS handbook)

With regards battery's our current one is a 110ah, would it be worthwhile upping it to a 120ah or 130ah unit and also I understand Numax / Lucas (same battery with different stickers I believe) are the better battery's to go for? What does the number of deep charge cycles actually mean as I notice this varies and Lucas state "Unlike standard leisure batteries which may do between 100-150 recharge cycles the new Lucas range will do 500!"

CC

We have caravanned and motorhomed for over 25 years and the shortest life I have ever had out of a leisure battery was the the one supplied in the Windsor and Numax which failed in 3 years, have always got 4/6 years out of other makes before they needed changing (as against failure) I went for an Exide 115a/hr to replace the pathetic 85a/hr one supplied by AS.
I would have gone bigger had the Windsors load allowance been more realistic.

I am told the best Leisure Batteries you can get are Banner, but I have no experience with them other than what I have read or what people have said.

burlingtonboaby wrote:Hi Norrie
How was the new year for you ? Have you checked the wee 12volt battery in the fob, I changed ours last month, abit fiddly if you have big mutton hands like me.
Do you use St Andrews motorhomes or Perthshire caravans, when we lived in Dumfermline back in the 80's, they were the only ones. weren't much good back then either.
good luck with the fob.

Boaby

p.s Do you have the 120bhp or 130bhp in your van.

Boaby,
New Year was really good for me/us, thanks.
The battery seems to be making the fob flash brightly ok so I haven't changed it - but I will now that I'm on the right track, thanks.
St Andrews motorhomes will never have their door darkened by me again (don't get me started!) and Perthshire are the dealer who'd never seen a touch screen before so.....

Norrie wrote:

burlingtonboaby wrote:Hi Norrie
How was the new year for you ? Have you checked the wee 12volt battery in the fob, I changed ours last month, abit fiddly if you have big mutton hands like me.
Do you use St Andrews motorhomes or Perthshire caravans, when we lived in Dumfermline back in the 80's, they were the only ones. weren't much good back then either.
good luck with the fob.

Boaby

p.s Do you have the 120bhp or 130bhp in your van.

Boaby,
New Year was really good for me/us, thanks.
The battery seems to be making the fob flash brightly ok so I haven't changed it - but I will now that I'm on the right track, thanks.
St Andrews motorhomes will never have their door darkened by me again (don't get me started!) and Perthshire are the dealer who'd never seen a touch screen before so.....

Hi Norrie
Carn't think of what else to suggest, other than finding another A/S nuevo, I see Knowepark have a couple of vans on the site, don't know if the 06 has this type of light. haven't seen any at Capital G/rothes. I'll sleep on it.
Boaby

[quote="CruizingComet"]Getting back to my problem regarding the control panel not operating I had this issue again yesterday, when I did get the control unit to power up it showed the hab battery as only having 7.3v so put the charger on yesterday afternoon and left until bedtime and today it's showing 12.3v again

Does anyone know if the three stage charger (Bonus PDU 4M) is an "Intelligent Charger" meaning when full charge has been reached it ceases charging? I have been leaving our Nuevo plugged into the mains but with the charger switched off, unless I want to charge the battery's by flicking the switch on top of the PDU and selecting Hab or Veh battery charging on the control panel, clicking on Drain shows no drain and everything is switched off so maybe a new battery could be on the horizon I presume being on hook up with the PDU powered off would have no adverse effects? (once again very little info regarding any of this in the AS handbook)

With regards battery's our current one is a 110ah, would it be worthwhile upping it to a 120ah or 130ah unit and also I understand Numax / Lucas (same battery with different stickers I believe) are the better battery's to go for? What does the number of deep charge cycles actually mean as I notice this varies and Lucas state "Unlike standard leisure batteries which may do between 100-150 recharge cycles the new Lucas range will do 500!"

CC

Hi Mr Cruz
If your thinking of new batteries and keeping hold of your current van, have you looked at Gel batteries on the web, they cost more but appear to be maintenance free.
Boaby

roli wrote:I am told the best Leisure Batteries you can get are Banner, but I have no experience with them other than what I have read or what people have said.

Hi Roger.. I've read good reports of Banner also, our current one is made by Voyager which I understand is the same as the Banner? GSF car parts list batteries with Banner/Voyager in their titles anyway.


As stated in earlier post using the on board control panel the reading I got yesterday for the habitation battery was 7.3v which I'm rather concerned by, as I understand anything under 11.8v would indicate a fully discharged battery? This would answer why I've been having the issue with the control panel not working and the rebooting issue, it was reading 12.3v this evening after charging yesterday evening so will keep an eye on it over the next few days but am I right to suspect as it dropped to 7.3v the battery is most likely on it's last legs anyway? I understand once they have been severely discharged they never regain or hold a charge efficiently again? I don't have a volt meter so am only going by the reading on the control panel so not really sure how accurate this really is? Up until yesterday the control panel was reading battery level was Good and as posted previously never had any issues until after Xmas

burlingtonboaby wrote:

Hi Mr Cruz
If your thinking of new batteries and keeping hold of your current van, have you looked at Gel batteries on the web, they cost more but appear to be maintenance free.
Boaby

Hi Boaby... Yes have read about the gel batteries but they are a lot of money, from what I can gather I can buy 2 or 3 standard leisure batteries for the cost a gel battery so don't think I will go for that option to be honest but thanks for the feedback.

Just trying to work out if I definitely need to replace the current battery or not, for all I know it could just be the control panel playing up as all the 12v stuff is working fine, whats the best way of testing and determining if the battery is indeed past it?

CruizingComet wrote:

burlingtonboaby wrote:

Hi Mr Cruz
If your thinking of new batteries and keeping hold of your current van, have you looked at Gel batteries on the web, they cost more but appear to be maintenance free.
Boaby

Hi Boaby... Yes have read about the gel batteries but they are a lot of money, from what I can gather I can buy 2 or 3 standard leisure batteries for the cost a gel battery so don't think I will go for that option to be honest but thanks for the feedback.

Just trying to work out if I definitely need to replace the current battery or not, for all I know it could just be the control panel playing up as all the 12v stuff is working fine, whats the best way of testing and determining if the battery is indeed past it?

Hi Mr Cruz Good morning, I think most garages (maybe Kwik-fit national tyres,ATS) should have a battery tester and you decide what to do next.
Boaby

Good morning Mr Cruz. Re battery testing, I found Halfords very helpful. It was a Halfords battery under warranty but the chap was very keen on getting it right. (Turned out to be bad connection)

Thanks Boaby & Bertb... will get the battery checked.. I managed to get more info elsewhere, so at least I now know that the charger is an intelligent model and what the "3 stage" part actually does, was actually hoping for more feedback on my questions but not too worry will get it sorted somehow....

CC