Aux Battery Switch

[Pelledan]

Hi,
Once again I have the need to tap into the consortium of experience of this forum. My 2006 Journey has an on/off Aux battery switch that according to the manual, connects or disconnects the coach batteries from the rest of the system. I have found the switch to be more of a spring loaded 'rocker' rather than an on/off. When I pushed the switch to the off position, I hear a beep, and the switch then returns to the on position. Is this the way it's suppose to work? Are the coach batteries off line now? Also, one more question. In the upper left corner of my dash panel layout, there is some type of gaget there that looks like a small lamp. It's about 1/4" in diameter and protrudes from the panel about the same. I THINK this is a light sensor that automatically turns on the headlamps for night driving, but I'm not sure.
Thanks (again), Dan

[thelastplace]

Look at the battery disconnect switch as close as you can. There should be a light on the left side of the rocker. When the batteries are engaged, the light is green. When disengaged, the light is dark (not green). It's not turning on, it's just moving to the neutral position. Don't know about the dash light. Doesn't sound 'stock'.


But the true travelers are they who leave for leaving’s sake
Saying continuously, without knowing why: ‘Let us go on’.
Paraphrased from Baudelaire’s ‘The Journey’

[emiddleb]

Ummm.... are you sure you are looking at the right description for the right switch? I took a look at your Owner's Manual online.

The spring-loaded "Aux Start" battery switch is a jumper switch that allows you to use the power of your House batteries to be tied to the Engine batteries to help start the coach engine. Used when your engine batteries have run down. It's spring-loaded because you only use it for a few seconds. It's on the top left of your dash and described on page 3-13 of your manual.

The switch description you gave is more like the "Chassis Battery Cutoff" switch, which connects/disconnect your 12V Engine batteries to prevent parasitic draining from radio, engine computer etc usually done during storage. It's not the same thing as the Aux switch. In your manual (page 3-19) it looks like a dial.

I didn't see one in your manual, but some RVs also have a switch that disconnects the House batteries from the 12V 'living' system (lights, furnace etc.) That one is usually a two-position rocker switch near the door, but you don't seem to have one of those.

[wa8yxm]

My coach has an Intelletec Battery Control system.. The use/store switch (As they call it is a 3 position rocker. Push STORE I hear a clunk and may hear a beep and the 12 volt systems (If I'm not plugged in) for the house go dead.. Press the "USE" side and I hear a clunk and optionally a beep and the 12 volt systems come live.

Alas, back in 2006, it almost worked that way. I puled into the propane fill area, hit "STORE" and clunk/beep the system wend dead as advertised,

Gassed up, puled away and hit USE and..... NOTHIGN

Fixed it for nothing too I did.. but that is in another thread already.

[Pelledan]

Thanks for the replies:

Thelastplace, I'll check for that light but as I recall, there was no light visible but that could have been due to a bright sun at the time. However, the 'beep' was very audible.

Emiddleb, The chassis battery cut-off switch is a rotational Guest knob that's mounted in the engine compartment area. The Aux Battery switch is a rocker located on the right side of the instrument panel. On the left side of that panel is the Aux Start rocker.

Our 2006 Journey is the Special Edition (whatever that means) and the on-line manual references for my questions can be seen on pages 3-14 for the chassis battery switch and again on 6-7 for the Aux battery switch.

That little clear 'button' on the upper left corner of the instrument panel is not identified in either picture or text in any of the instruction manuals.

Thanks again, Dan

[AFChap]

My battery disconnect switch works exactly as the OP describes. When you hear the beep, the batteries are disconnected. Easy to check as thermostat will be dead, 12v "house" lights woun't work, etc. The switch is not lighted in any way, never was. The battery boost switch does not beep when pressed, either direction.

The dash thing I don't recognize.