UnPossible
Well Known Member
Hey ? at the airport working on getting my RV-7A airworthy and ran across something a bit strange this evening. Earlier I pulled my plane out of the hanger away from the buildings to do some magnetometer calibration of the G3X system.
Once I finished with the calibration, I decided to try the starter motor for the first time, as I recently hooked up the wiring for the starter motor. One of the things that Aerosport power recommends before first engine run is to remove the lower plugs and hit the starter for several seconds to blow out any remaining preservative oil?. Well with the starter hooked up, and the lower plugs removed, I decided to try the starter motor?. All looked good, prop turned, no electrical smoke, etc. Not sure if this is anyway related to the problem below, but wanted to include it just in case.
Once I ran the starter motor a couple of times, for a few seconds each time, I shut off all the electronics and killed the master switch to tow the plane back to the hanger?. However, when I killed the master switch, nothing happened. My position lights and G3X screens (which are wired to the master) stayed on. No matter what I did, I could not get the master to switch the main power off.
I ran to the hanger for a 10mm socket and wrench and disconnected the battery, which did the trick. Once back in the hanger, I reconnected the ground and the lights and G3X screens came back up?. weird. I grabbed my multimeter and went to work playing Jr. Electronics detective.
My first step was to check the master switch? with the battery disconnected, the resistance to ground across the switch went from infinite, to a fraction of an ohm depending on the position- which is what I would expect to see.
Now with the battery reconnected, and my Nav lights on to see if I was getting system power, I removed the lead wire from the small terminal on the front of the master solenoid that goes to the master switch?nothing happened. The master stayed engaged. Please correct me if I am wrong, but unless this post is grounded, the master solenoid should be off. I am assuming that for whatever reason my master solenoid died an early death.
Please let me know if I am missing anything or if there are any other reasons for the system to not want to shut off. (BTW ? I have been using the master switch for a few months now and it has worked fine up until now? I haven?t made any recent changes to the electrical system that I can think of that might possibly be related to the master solenoid/switch).
Thanks,
Jason
Once I finished with the calibration, I decided to try the starter motor for the first time, as I recently hooked up the wiring for the starter motor. One of the things that Aerosport power recommends before first engine run is to remove the lower plugs and hit the starter for several seconds to blow out any remaining preservative oil?. Well with the starter hooked up, and the lower plugs removed, I decided to try the starter motor?. All looked good, prop turned, no electrical smoke, etc. Not sure if this is anyway related to the problem below, but wanted to include it just in case.
Once I ran the starter motor a couple of times, for a few seconds each time, I shut off all the electronics and killed the master switch to tow the plane back to the hanger?. However, when I killed the master switch, nothing happened. My position lights and G3X screens (which are wired to the master) stayed on. No matter what I did, I could not get the master to switch the main power off.
I ran to the hanger for a 10mm socket and wrench and disconnected the battery, which did the trick. Once back in the hanger, I reconnected the ground and the lights and G3X screens came back up?. weird. I grabbed my multimeter and went to work playing Jr. Electronics detective.
My first step was to check the master switch? with the battery disconnected, the resistance to ground across the switch went from infinite, to a fraction of an ohm depending on the position- which is what I would expect to see.
Now with the battery reconnected, and my Nav lights on to see if I was getting system power, I removed the lead wire from the small terminal on the front of the master solenoid that goes to the master switch?nothing happened. The master stayed engaged. Please correct me if I am wrong, but unless this post is grounded, the master solenoid should be off. I am assuming that for whatever reason my master solenoid died an early death.
Please let me know if I am missing anything or if there are any other reasons for the system to not want to shut off. (BTW ? I have been using the master switch for a few months now and it has worked fine up until now? I haven?t made any recent changes to the electrical system that I can think of that might possibly be related to the master solenoid/switch).
Thanks,
Jason