Whelen Cencom Sapphire trouble shooting A dead unit

[Txgunslinger]

Hello everyone. I bought a used patrol car recently and it has all Whelen lights and a Whelen cencom sapphire controller.
when the key is turned on, there is no power to the controller.
I looked at a schematic and started at the beginning. I unplugged the 40 amp vertical plug with 2 red+ and 2 black -. I have power going to the control box. No lights on on the control box at all.
I checked all the fuses on top and all are good.

should I suspect the main control box is toast?

I was looking for the ignition & backlight wires but could not determine which they are.

it’s mounted under the passenger seat on 2017 Ford Explorer police interceptor

I am planning to contact Whelen tomorrow and ask for some trouble shooting assistance

any input in the meantime would certainly be greatly appreciated

Tex

 

[NoLimitSquads]

Ignition is red/black. Backlight is white/black.

https://www.whelen.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/14570.pdf

 

[Txgunslinger]

Thanks!! I’m going to check those wires for power. However it doesn’t explain the lack of power lights on the control box

 

[NoLimitSquads]

I don’t really pay much attention to the sapphires, because Ive never had a problem with one. But if you don’t have power to the ignition sense, I don’t think that there would be any lights. You could plug in the usb cable to extract or transfer a file, and that would turn on some lights on the control box. If you do get lights with a usb plugged in, then check your data cable to the control head. Check all the connections on the data cable. It could be a bad cable as well. Pull the control head, and plug it into the box with a cable that you know is good. If you can’t find any issues after all of that, then it could be a bad unit. Also, I know you checked the power coming in, did you make sure that the grounds are also good?

 

[Txgunslinger]

Yes I checked the hot by using a chassis ground then checked the negative

 

[Txgunslinger]

Well it’s fixed. Issue one, when the previous owner decommissioned the unit , they removed the video system . They cut out the ignition circuit so there was no back light or ignition signal . Reconnected and checked, the majority of the lights worked but not the rear wing and inside bar lights. Power to them but no ground.
Replace the ground wire and all is well.

 

[Nolines]

Now will you go back to the previous owner and give them a good wack upside the back of the head for it!?

 

[Txgunslinger]

Im not sure the previous owner (Texas AM PD) had anything to do with it directly. Probably their fleet Dept . When I spoke to them in person when I picked up the unit, I was not impressed

 

[Nolines]

That reminds me of the county I bought my current car from.... Ugh!

 

[Gram1427]

CenCom Sapphires levers are not working, he’s checked and there’s power everywhere needed and ground is good to go. He’s now replaced the 3 times. What else can he try? IO error for the separate units. Help he needs this problem solved and finally get the K9 kit installed so K9 can get back to work. Help please