MES Control panel.

Does anyone know contact details for MES. I have a problem with the control panel and I need to contact them to see if it's possible to repair or replace.

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MES (motorcycle electrical services) located Warwick. Unfortunately no website but I understand they are very good at customer service.
Contact details in link above.

Hi Paul.

Many thanks for the info, I have emailed them hopefully something can be sorted.

Update. The email is now different which I have, if anyone requires it.

Try emailing Juie at [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.].

Very helpful, to a point, possibly will suggest sending unit in for a diagnostic check @ £95, repairs then on top of that depending on what they find.

My MES unit screen stopped lighting up, tried new 3v battery but no improvement. Luckily touch screen still works so I`ve persisted without repair - good luck.

I think you'd be better off phoning. Wanadoo emails no longer exist and meslimited.net is also unused and Domain for sale. If you phone it would be useful for our records if you could get a current email address.

Hi all.

Thanks for your help. I did ring MES and was given the correct email address. I have emailed and had a favorable responce that they can repair it and I have been given a price. So good news. Again thanks to all

Could you let us know the email address so it can be added to the 'useful contacts' sheet in the Factsheet section.

Control Panel Update

My Neuvo (which we had bought 2 months ago) had the MES digital touch screen control panel (mounted above the entrance door). It went totally dead, the screen would not show anything. I bought another (Reconditioned panel) from MES but that instantly showed up a blown fuse, the fuse was fine and the system it was feeding was working fine. I was checking things further and I found that 2 cables that feed the control panel had been cut and crimped togeather which I knew was wrong.

Anyway a long story short. I have now removed that control panel out of the system, and fitted a fully manual switched (8 switches) control panel on the side of the wardrobe with battery level indicator as well. Routed new cables as required from the PDU4m power distribution unit in the bed base. I must add that doing this operation is not a DIY fix (should you wish to do it). Unless you have a very good knowledge of 12v electrics, relays and cable ratings etc. which I luckly have as I used to work at A/S in the R&D dept designing the 12v and 240v wiring looms. I was involved with the introduction and wiring requirements of this Digital MES control panel. Even then whilst it was being developed I felt it was to complicated, delicate and would be prone to problems if in the future wiring loom alterations (for what ever reason) were done as it relied on the original loom to be complete (untouched) and fully operational. Anyway the powers that be had decided to use it and the rest is history as it's said.

My Neuvo is now working perfectly and I can isolate a system if it should go wrong and then trace the problem and fix it leaving the rest of the systems operational.

Happy days now.

I must add that I can not fault the help given my Julie at MES in the early stages of this saga. Email address if anyone needs it [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.].

Gollum

Many thanks for an interesting post.  I wish I could do the same.

I wonder how you dealt with the display side, ie for external temperature and fresh water level, as these are the two bits that have gone wrong on ours.  The external temp constantly changes through widely varying figures, and the fresh water is stuck on low warning (with associated red screen and beeping).

We bought our 2007 Nuevo from a dealer in July. When we went to collect it the control panel failed. The dealer sent it back for repair.  On our first trip out it failed again leaving us with no water pump. Returned again for repair. to cut a long story short it is now end of September and booked in again as leisure battery not charging on ehu.

Knick-Knack, The external and internal temperature I didn't bother with as it is electronically linked to the touch screen display. To me if your warm sat inside thats fine if not put the heater on, if your cold when you go outside put a coat or jumper on! With the fresh water and waste water displays I fitted CBE units to each tank (one for fresh and the other for waste) which meant having to drop the tanks to fit them. In essence I made the system much more straighforward to operate and maintain. Now had 2 weeks in Scotland with it without any glitch at all.

Hazel and Mick
I would seriously think about getting it removed and a manual system as I have fitted put in. It's finding someone who can do it with the electrical knowledge is the problem. Once done though you can enjoy your Nuevo without the worry of the control panel crashing. You mention EHU did you mean a PDU unit (Power Distrubition Unit).

Hazel and Mick wrote:We bought our 2007 Nuevo from a dealer in July. When we went to collect it the control panel failed. The dealer sent it back for repair.  On our first trip out it failed again leaving us with no water pump. Returned again for repair. to cut a long story short it is now end of September and booked in again as leisure battery not charging on ehu.

Hi, Hazel and Mick,
Just found this thread about the MES control panel and think maybe I have the same issue as you. It seems my battery is not charging when on hook up. Everything else seems to be working properly, therefore just wondered if you had the problem resolved and if so what was the issue and how was it fixed.
Many thanks,
Jerry

ArtNuevo.

This should only be attempted if you have 12v electric knowledge and are confident.

You should have in your bed base a Bonus Plug in Systems PDU 4M. This is the charger and 12v distribution unit. From the touchscreen unit when you change which battery to charge, inside the PDU 4M it triggers a 12v relay to direct the 12v charger feed to whichever battery you have selected. So if it's not doing it. First check that the charger is working and putting out a charge, this is not the easiest to do. One method is to note the voltage of both batteries with the charger turned off and then then check the voltage of both batteries with it turned on. one of them should rise. If so the charger is working. Next is to check if the relay is working, again not easy. Really the only way to check this is to unmount the PDU4M, (leave all the cable connectors connected) and look at the connectors underneath. Find the 4 way connector coming out of the unit. With a 12v multi meter check the voltage of the Brown/blue (output to the leisure battery) cable also the voltage of the brown/red cable (vehicle battery feed). With the charger turned on operate the touch screen to change which battery is charged and the corresponding cable colour voltage should rise, at the same time get someone to place a hand on the PDU 4M outside casing. They should hear/feel a small click if the relay is operating. If none of this happens the relay is either not getting a trigger to operate it or it is dead. To check the next stage you must be very confident and understand electrics. Disconnect the mains at source. Disconnect all the plugs going into the PDU4M and take the white outer casing off. Take the plastic rivets off holding the fuse bar and move it to one side (you may have to bend some of the casing). You will see a row relays along the bottom of the unit the split charger relay should be the second from the left. Remove the plug going to it and then remove the relay. With some cable put a negative feed to pin 85 and then have a positive cable and touch it to pin 86 the relay should click. Next with the multi meter set to continuity put one lead to pin 30 and the other to pin 87A you should have continuity. how switch the relay as just mentioned continuity should be missing at pin 87A and now be at pin 87. This means the relay is working fine. It then shows that the trigger is not happening from the touch screen. You may well have to send your screen back to MES to have it checked/repaired. Odviously reassemble everything when you have sorted it. This is why I removed it out of the system and replaced it with a manual system, everything is traceable and easily and cheaply repaired.  Like I said only attempt this is you have 12v knowledge and feel confident.

Hi Gollum
Thank you for taking the time to write such a detailed response. I’m ok to test the battery when charging etc but maybe dismantling the pdu4m maybe a bit beyond me. I have often thought of changing the MES for a far simpler system. But from what I understand the simpler functioning control panels will not work. I like the sound of what you have done. Did it take you long, I understand that you were involved with the 12v electrics on the Nuevo at concept. Do you know if a simpler control panel could be utilised with less work than you undertook.
Many thanks
Jerry

Hi All
Just found this thread after coming in from trying to bring the  touchscreen on my 2009 Nuevo ES back to life and failing big time. We were away at the weekend but had no use of the panel so no running water, flushing loo and only fob controlled lights etc etc.
We had heard an occasional bleep  on previous outings and noticed a blue flashing light behind the panel overnight but didn't worry! 
Removing the panel I found a crusty 3V battery which is now replaced but made no difference. After further investigation and fiddling to get a reset message(?) the lower (fob?) pcb snapped off, oops.
Should i contact MES for a replacement?

You should e-mail [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

I got a prompt and helpful reply from her recently.

They will take the unit back for inspection and repair (or possibly replacement if it's too far gone).  

Give it a try.

Nick

The panels are repaired by Apuljack Engineering, they have a form to fill out on their website worth contacting?
This is the same company that MES use...

ArtNuevo wrote:Hi Gollum
Thank you for taking the time to write such a detailed response. I’m ok to test the battery when charging etc but maybe dismantling the pdu4m maybe a bit beyond me. I have often thought of changing the MES for a far simpler system. But from what I understand the simpler functioning control panels will not work. I like the sound of what you have done. Did it take you long, I understand that you were involved with the 12v electrics on the Nuevo at concept. Do you know if a simpler control panel could be utilised with less work than you undertook.
Many thanks
Jerry

Hi Jerry.

To do the change over from the MES to a manual switched system took about 2 1/2 days in total, 1 day was checking systems and drawing up what I needed to do and ordering the bits and the other 1 1/2 days fitting it. With regards to a simpler system, not really. I like things simple that work and can be traceable to fix which is what I did ......why make it over complicated. It really comes down to how the PDU4m works or what it requires to work. Then cut the control cables which come from the MES control panel alongside the PDU4M and reroute them to a manual switch bank to operate the PDU4m as the MES digital panel did. You do loose the inside and outside temperature (small price to pay!) and I did have to fit a fresh and waste tank level indicators, I used the CBE ones. The best bit is that if a specific system fails it can be isolated (leaving the rest of the system operating, great if you are away somewhere), find the fault, repair it and bring it back online. With the MES panel if it fails the whole system fails and nothing works (this has happened to a number of forum members) and you have a major problem whilst on holiday which you may even have to cut short and return home. So for me it's a win win situation by changing to a manual switched system.

I was in the caravan and motorhome industry for some 35 years with the last 8 at AS. I have now retired otherwise I would be offering the MES/Manual swap as a priced job.

All the best Keith

Hi Piggy123. The system used in the symbol was kind of simplified compared to the Neuvo. The mass of cables, relays and fuse bar (as you know) are all individual items. In the Neuvo more or less the same was produced inside a casing the PDU4M which made it a sort of plug and play system as the PDU4M had multi output sockets on it's base with the corosponding plugs on the end of the loom.

I will try and help if I can but advising remotely is not easy. Can you get your hands on a mulitmeter as you will need it!

With regard to your relay switching. I'm don't know how much you know about how relays work so just in case you don't here is what they do. When you look at the underside of a unplugged relay where the electrical tabs are you will see alongside each tab small numbers. 85, 86, 30, 87a and 87. The ones that make the relay click are 85 and 86 which you will see are opposite each other. Usually the cables to these tabs are, one goes to earth and the other becomes live from a switch (via a control panel) as required. So switching it at the control panel make it click. The 3 remaining tabs which run along the middle are for transfering power from one circuit to another. The feed in goes to pin 30. With the reply at rest (not switched) the power at pin 30 is fed directly to pin 87a when the relay is switched the power is cut from pin 87a and directed to pin 87. When the relay is turned off the power goes back to pin 87a. Some times there is no cable at pin 87a only at pin 30 (the feed) and pin 87 (circuit feed). If that is the case then that relay is being used purely as a circuit switch to turn on or off say a light circuit. Now keep this info in mind. Normally there are 2 relays for the charging system, one relay for charging the leisure battery from the vehicle alternator (Split charge relay) and the other for directing the mains powered charger to the leisure or vehicle battery. The split charger relay should have a 4 cables going to it, an earth cable to pin 85 and an ignition controlled positive to pin 86. This means that this relay will only operate when the engine is turned on directing the feed from pin 30 to pins 87 when the engine is turned on. With the relay which is directing the mains battery charger output to either the leisure or vehicle battery there should be 5 cables, earth at pin 85 a control panel switched positive at pin 86. At pin 30 there should be the feed from the mains battery charger, pin 87a is the leisure battery and pin 87 the vehicle battery. With the relay removed and probing the cables at the relay plug unit. First check that the there is voltage (it should be somewhere between 12 and 14 volts) at what was pin 30 meaning that the mains charger is issuing a charge. Now check the voltage at what is pin 87a (leisure battery feed) it should be the same voltage as at the leisure battery now check the voltage at what is pin 87 (vehicle battery feed) it should be the same voltage as the vehicle battery. Now put the relay back in but don't switch it, probing the back of the relay wire connectors, the voltage at the leisure battery (pin 87a) should go up, now switch the relay the voltage at the leisure battery (pin 87a) should go down and the voltage at the vehicle battery (pin 87) should go up. This proves the relay is not only clicking but it's transfering the mains battery charger feed (I have had relays click but not transfer power between the pins!). Now do the same at the battery terminals, you should get the same readings (roughly) as at the relay cable output points. If all is the same the relay is working as it should and feeding the batteries as required. If one of the batteries is not getting the charge there is a problem with the cabling, connections or fuse between the relay (which has proved to be working correctly) and the battery which is the problem.

The problem of control panel saying that the vehicle battery is low even though it's fully charged is not easy to diagnose remotely. The voltage of the cable feeding the control panel from the vehicle battery needs to be traced from source to the panel (it will have a specific colour code) and the voltage checked at each end if they are not the same there is a problem somewhere along the line which needs to be traced and rectified. If they are the same it points to the control panel having a problem which means getting it repaired or buy a new one. 

This may seem long winded but with electrics it's a process of checking and illimination until you find the problem.

With regard to the relay that operates the fridge on 12v when traveling. It should be ignition controlled (only switch when the engine is running) and the feed to the fridge should come from the vehicle battery via the relay to the fridge.

Hope it helps Keith

Many thanks Keith for the information.

Another question if I may. Where would the wire terminate that is charging the engine battery as I can see no wire attached to the battery. 

Kind regards

Steve

Hi Keith,

I have tested the relays as you advised. The split charge is operating fine and charging both engine and leisure batteries. The charger relay has a wire going from pin 87 to pin 87a on the split charge relay. On removing this wire from the split charge relay it shows power going to pin 87 and 87a respectively when switched as you said and measuring correctly from the charger. According to your description there should only be 4 wires going to the spilt charge relay. Mine has 5? The control panel is reading low battery and drain even with the wire removed from pin 87a on the split charge relay. Confused to say the least.

Many thanks

Steve

piggy123 wrote:Hi Keith,

I have tested the relays as you advised. The split charge is operating fine and charging both engine and leisure batteries. The charger relay has a wire going from pin 87 to pin 87a on the split charge relay. On removing this wire from the split charge relay it shows power going to pin 87 and 87a respectively when switched as you said and measuring correctly from the charger. According to your description there should only be 4 wires going to the spilt charge relay. Mine has 5? The control panel is reading low battery and drain even with the wire removed from pin 87a on the split charge relay. Confused to say the least.

Many thanks

Steve

Hi Steve. I am a little confused, second sentence you say "The Split charger is operating fine and charging both the engine and leisure batteries". The next sentence "The charger relay has a wire going from pin 87 to pin 87a on the split charge relay" you have now mentioned two relays OR are you saying that a cable goes from pin 87 on the one relay to pin 87A on the other? I hope that you are not confusing the relay terminology with what they do. A split charger relay should solely be for sending/splitting a charge from the vehicle battery to the leisure battery only when the engine is running as it's switched to work from the vehicle ignition. The charger relay is for switching the charge from the mains powered charger to either the leisure or vehicle batteries via the control panel attached is a quick drawing of what I mean.
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Its come a bit big though! Hope it helps

Keith,

Many thanks for replying.

I am saying that the onboard mains charger relay has a cable that goes from pin 87 to the split charge relay pin 87a. Hence 5 cables attached to the split charge relay not 4 as you described.

I have worked out from your first message that the cables on the split charge relay were the wrong way round, so when at rest now, pin 30 and pin 87a are connected, which enables a direct link to the battery. When switching the mains charger to the engine  battery, it is now charging, where as it wasn't before. The split charge relay is working as it should with the engine running and charging both the leisure battery and engine battery. Sorry for the confusion.

The control panel is a different issue as it is still reading low battery. I think this is faulty and needs to be replaced. However I may just leave it.

Many thanks your help has been invaluable in enabling me to address the problem. (even though it took me quite a while)

Many thanks

Steve

Hi Steve.

Glad you have it sorted and please I was of some help.

I see what you mean and why it's like this, its another way of getting the mains charger feed to the vehicle battery. Have a look at the diagram I posted up, follow the feed from pin 87 on the charger relay to the vehicle battery. Now think of it going to pin 87a on the splitcharger relay instead, now think of that relay at rest without the engine running. Pin 30 and pin 87a are connected so the mains charger feed can get to the vehicle battery. If you were accidentally to start the engine whilst the the mains charger was turned on and switched to feed the vehicle battery the split charger relay would cut that feed as the relay switches from 30 and 87a at rest to 30 and 87 when switched.

All the best, Stay Safe  Keith