2021 Momentum 397TH Awning Wiring Issue

[Dirtbiker70x]

Hi All,
I have been diagnosing a wiring issue that my trailer has had since day 1. The dealer could not figure it out and they had the trailer for over 2 weeks after my PDI. I finally told them to forget it and I'd figure it out.

A little on my background; I spent over 20 years in the automotive industry, 10 of which were as an ASE certified Master Technician in a shop and later on getting into shop management at a famous High-Performance Driving school. During my time as a mechanic, I specialized in electrical and early computerized fuel injection systems, among many other things, so I figured I had a lot better chance of figuring out the problem than the tech at my dealer (they couldn't even install a Surge Gaurd correctly, they bolted it to the floor exactly as the instructions tell you NOT too!)

The electrical issues discovered during my PDI;

1- The LED accent lights in the living room/kitchen glow a dim red even when turned off. When turned on, they worked and I could change the colors but I could hear a relay constantly clicking on/off under the stairs.

2- NONE of the manual switches for the awnings or main slides worked. All had to be controlled through the phone app or painfully slow One Control touch screen on the wall.

3- Rear Patio awning (over the ramp door) does not work via app, touch screen or manual switch

What I have figured out so far;

• I started at the wall switch in the garage - I noticed one of the switched wires (White with Green stripe) had power to it at all times in addition to the center terminal on the switch. Then I also noticed when pushing the switch to "EXT" the lights in the living room stopped glowing! This is when the light bulb went off in my head!
• I looked at the app on my phone and pulled up the awnings under devices. I noticed the Patio awning said "Awning is retracting" at all times.
• I found the Unity Board under the stairs and with the help of a friend that was pushing the switches determined that the switches feed power into the Configurable Inputs side of the Unity board.
• I found the White/Green wire at the connection to the inputs, sure enough voltage was present even when the wire was not connected to the switch in the garage.
• I cut the Wht/Grn wire at the connection to the Unity board. Low and behold, all the manual switches now work and the LED lights do not glow!
  • Apparantly, the Unity board has a lock out that prevents you from operating more than one movable component at a time so since that wire always had power, on the retract signal side for the awning, it was preventing any of the other switches from engaging the relays in the Unity board for those items.
• I ran a shunt wire from the wall switch to the Unity board to bypass the wht/grn wire that is shorted to power. Upon testing, the switch in the garage now is functioning and provides the input voltage based on which way the switch is pressed (RET/EXT).
• The signal to the control module in the awning (according to the documentation I can find it is in the lead rail of the awning) comes out the Low Current Reversing side of the board. This should be what is telling the control module which way to run the awning motor.
• I've traced the Wht/Grn wire as far forward as I can in the ceiling and it is not shorted to power anywhere up there. I suspect it is in the drop to the basement via the wall between the kitchen and mstr bathroom

So, I have a bad wire but I do have the appropriate signal voltage going back to the awning when I bypass it. I'm wondering if I have a bad awning module which may be highly likely since it has had power applied to the Ret side continuously for 6 months! Or, if there is a blown fuse somewhere. (None I could find anywhere in the basement or behind the main fuse/ power distribution panel.)

What I cannot find is;

• Battery power and ground to the awning control module along with any fuse related to it. It is not in the ceiling where I can access the signal wires coming from the Unity board.
• Motor wires to manually extend the awning - According to the Carefree docs I found they should be under the left side cover but they are not. They may be accessible if I pull the inner cover/motor out but I need to wait for another hand to hold the awning shut if I do that.
• Any suggestions on how to fish a new wire from the basement, up the wall, through the ceiling, back down the wall and around the corner to the garage wall switch to replace my wire that is shorted to power?

Rear_Awning_Wiring.pdfI made a diagram as I did the troubleshooting so there is a visual!

I'd appreciate any input to help get this awning working!

Thanks!

PS - GRAND DESIGN this is no way to wire anything, much less a vehicle that should be safe to inhabit, you and the people that do this terrible work should be ashamed. Make a proper wiring harness like the automotive industry has been doing for over 100 years!!
I wish I could unsee what I've seen, the basement wire/plumbing disaster gives me anxiety!

[howson]

Dirtbiker70x ,
You have a Unity x4 board, right? Looks like this?

[howson]

Dirtbiker70x
You wrote, Apparantly, the Unity board has a lock out that prevents you from operating more than one movable component at a time so since that wire always had power, on the retract signal side for the awning, it was preventing any of the other switches from engaging the relays in the Unity board for those items.

That's correct. The Unity board "shares" fuses (built into the board) between components so each circuit does not require it's own discrete protection. This is true of all versions of Unity boards to the best of my knowledge. You accurately diagnosed why nothing else worked if the awning was always being commanded to move.

[Dirtbiker70x]

howson yes, it is the X4

Any ideas on how to get the awning out to verify I have power and ground going to the awning control module? (Besides removing the motor)

[howson]

Dirtbiker70x ,
"awning control module"? Power flows from the Unity directly to the awning. What do you mean by "awning control module"?

Instead of verifying at the awning what about at the output of the Unity board? Is there 12+ on the corresponding GRN / or GRN/WHT wire when EXT or RET is commanded either by the manual switch or the OCTP (One Touch Control Panel)?

Bear with me -- trying to limit questions in each post.

[howson]

Under the lid of the X4 is this pin-out diagram. Is yours the same as the one I'm looking at?

[howson]

There are four REV/EXT pairs on the REV OUT LC ("Reversing Latch Relay OUT Low Current") connector.

What little documentation I've been able to accumulate (which could be wrong) has the front awning commanded to extend on the orange wire, retract orange/white. For the rear awning extend is yellow, retract yellow/white. Does the front awning's wiring match what I have or is that different?

[Dirtbiker70x]

Howard, thanks for your help!!

The LC output to the rear awning is on the Grn wire to EXt and the Grn/Wht wire to retract. I verified I have 12v on these outputs at the unity board, and on the corresponding wires at the back of the coach per my wiring diagram. I did not test the other LC outputs because those 3 awnings are operating fine via the app, One Control snail touch screen, and now the manual switches. I am at the point where I know I have the correct Ext/Ret signals coming out of the Unity but do not know if I have battery power to the awning control module. If I could get the awning out, I could test that. What I really am searching for is where are the main power and ground supplies to that awning? They are not in the ceiling with the switched ext/ret wires.

According to the Carefree Awnings documentation I dug up. There is a control module in the lead rail of the awning. It may not be the correct document but its all I can find. I'll attach

Here is what I found, it may not be correct but is all I could dig up;

[howson]

Howard, The LC output to the rear awning is on the Grn wire to EXt and the Grn/Wht wire to retract. I verified I have 12v on these outputs at the unity board, and on the corresponding wires at the back of the coach per my wiring diagram. I did not test the other LC outputs because those 3 awnings are operating fine via the app, One Control snail touch screen, and now the manual switches. I am at the point where I know I have the correct Ext/Ret signals coming out of the Unity but do not know if I have battery power to the awning control module. If I could get the awning out, I could test that. What I really am searching for is where are the main power and ground supplies to that awning? They are not in the ceiling with the switched ext/ret wires

No idea. GD does not have anything that specific when it comes to wiring. Even what the moderators have often does not match what an owner finds on their rig--very frustrating, to be blunt.

"Other 3 awnings"? Aren't there only three on your Momentum? I'm getting tired and confused (sorry).



It's the 12' on the rear that's not working, right? The 10' and 14' work just fine.

I assume you know the 12' is a Carefree by the label on the unit? Is there a model #?

I'm still stuck on the terminology "awning control module"--that to me means a specific CANBUS-enabled controller for the awning (which there isn't). To my knowledge power flows from the output of the Unity directly to the awning's motor. I could be wrong...won't be the first time.

[Dirtbiker70x]

LOL, no kidding! This is like playing a game of "Operation" without the game board!

No, mine has the 3 awnings down the side which are fine, this one is over the rear ramp door/patio. It is branded Carefree of Colorado as the rest of my awnings are. Som much for "CareFree"... LOL!

[howson]

Update: Somehow I missed post #8 when I wrote this initially...edited significantly...

Wow--I've never seen this setup. According to the Parts Lookup that's a Freedom Freestyle(?) OTD awning over the deck.



Skimming the Service Manual I now understand what you mean by a "control module". There's a Direct Response Module (DRM) built into the awning itself. That's new to me, too.

Unfortunately there is no documentation I'm aware of that shows this awning tied into the Unity board--if it is at all.

I scanned a few YouTube videos but can't find how that awning is extended. Can you take a picture of the switch assy that is supposed to control the Freedom?

I found the manuals here: https://www.e-carefree.com/ecarefree30/product-library and then under Patio Awnings > Freedom Freestyle

[Dirtbiker70x]

Hi Howard,

Yep, that's it! I found the manuals as well on the Carefree site. I have confirmed that it is indeed connected to the Unity board as far back as I can trace the wiring (to the left rear corner of the garage which is the same side as the awning motor). I think I just need to get the awning open to access the Control Module wiring (if there is in fact a control module even in there!) to see if it has power/ground and is outputting voltage to the motor.

At this point I think it's one of 4 things;

1. Bad connection at awning harness to trailer wiring
2. Bad fuse on the main power supply to the awning motor
3. Bad control module
4. Bad motor

Here is the wall switch as well as the awning control in the App which is the same as the wall-mounted One Control screen.

[Country Campers]

That awning is not manually extended and retracted is it? I was looking at adding one of those one time and seen that they have manual and electric ones.

Brian

[Dirtbiker70x]

Hi Brian!
No, it is not manual, there is a plug in the left end cap where the manual crank would be sticking out. I wish there were an option to add it!!

My buddy bought a 397TH right after I did and I'm going over to his place this weekend. His awning works so maybe I can open his up and see where the wiring lives inside of the awning!

[howson]

The LC output to the rear awning is on the Grn wire to EXt and the Grn/Wht wire to retract. I verified I have 12v on these outputs at the unity board, and on the corresponding wires at the back of the coach per my wiring diagram. I did not test the other LC outputs because those 3 awnings are operating fine via the app, One Control snail touch screen, and now the manual switches. I am at the point where I know I have the correct Ext/Ret signals coming out of the Unity but do not know if I have battery power to the awning control module. If I could get the awning out, I could test that. What I really am searching for is where are the main power and ground supplies to that awning? They are not in the ceiling with the switched ext/ret wires.

Your post, as I interpret it, is clear but permit me to ask again just to make sure I'm reading this correctly.

On the output of the Unity board for the rear awning:
1) No command to move (extend or retract) results in no voltage on either the GRN or GRN/WHT wires.

2) With either the manual switch or the OCTP, if the rear awning is commanded to extend the GRN wire has 12v but the GRN/WHT does not.

3) If RETRACT is commanded by the manual switch or OCTP the GRN/WHT has 12v but not the GRN wire.

Is this all accurate?