Field
Failure: The entire Power
Touch System stopped working, all controls and lights are dead.
Unit: New truck in service for only 4 months.
Cause: The passenger side
PDC was partially filled with water, and the electronics inside the enclosure
had shorted out.
Diagnosis: The PDC-12 was mounted inside the truck's toolbox with the
cable glands at the top of the enclosure, upside down. Cables entering the box acted as a funnel
directing condensation or other moisture directly into the equipment's
enclosure. The Enclosures watertight lid
prevented the water from draining out of the box. Water continued to collect inside the box
until the electronics were submerged and the electronics were irreparably
damaged.
Field
Service: The entire PDC had to be replaced,
remounted and the associated truck harness wiring rerouted.
Recommended
Corrective Action: Installation of PowerUp Products electronic
equipment shall only be into locations that are protected from the weather, and
so orientated that the cable glands are pointed down. Any cable
approaching the equipment will be installed with a formed Drip Loop immediately
before entering the enclosure. After installation
the cover and the cable glands need to be closed tight to provide protection
against dirt and moisture.
For
more information on Drip Loops read PowerUp Product's Technical Bulletin # 2 on
drip loops or any standard trade book on electrical wiring.
