Auxillary Start 2005 Sightseer

[coffeeman]

My 2004 F53 chassis battery wouldn't crank, so I held the aux start switch down and turned the ignition and nothing. My level panel shows full charge and the generator started okay. Did I miss a step in using this feature? My old class C had a push button on the dash so I'm not sure what is the issue. Anyway I replaced the Chassis Battery at Advance Auto with a 850 Amp, I purchased online and got 25% off, if anyone needs a battery you may want to look at their Website.

[John Hilley]

It may be that your battery isolation solenoid is bad. What you did should work, but if the the solenoid was bad, wouldn't. Did you hear the solenoid click?

[coffeeman]

Yes the solenoid clicked.

[bluepill]

Quote:

Originally Posted by coffeeman Yes the solenoid clicked.

Clicking is not a definitive test. It DOES prove that the dash switch and the associated wiring to the isolation solinoid are OK, but the internal contacts on the solinoid and/or connecting wiring between the batteries could still be bad. Cycling the relay a dozen or so times may clean the contacts if they just have some minor corrosion.

An easy test for continuity through the solinoid is to use a voltmeter or test light as follows:

1. Disconnect the Engine battery negative cable. (This has the effect of a dead battery)

2. Connect the meter or light to the "House" battery side of the solinoid and a known good ground- You should have a bright light or good voltage (12 - 13 volts)

3. If OK, then connect to the other (Engine Battery) side of the solinoid. When someone else pushes the aux start switch, you should see the same voltage/brightness. If NO, then bad solinoid. If yes, goto step four.

4. (This tests the solinoid under actual load conditions) Repeat step 3, but while holding the aux battery switch in, turn the ignition switch to the "Start" position. If the engine starter does not engage and you get a voltage drop of over 2 volts, or the test light dims, you have a bad solinoid.

[coffeeman]

I'll test the solenoid prior to next trip. After reading a few other posts I did go out and hold the Aux Switch for about a minute prior to cranking and it fired up if that means anything. Can I also test the solenoid by disconnecting both terminals from the chassis battery and then trying to start via the Aux Switch? Txs again

[coffeeman]

I ran across this Battery 101 and I've been turning the battery switch on when using thinking I'm charging. I don't have an onboard inverter.

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UNDERSTANDING YOUR R.V. BATTERIES

BATTERIES ARE THE HEART OF THE MOTOR HOME. IF THEY ARE NOT IN GOOD WORKING
ORDER, PROVIDING THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF VOLTAGE, THEY CAN CAUSE MANY PROBLEMS
IN THE RV. MOST ITEMS IN THE RV OPERATE ON 12v, INCLUDING THE CONTROL BOARDS ON
SOME 110v ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES (Such as; the Refrigerator, Air Conditioner(s), Furnace,
Inverter/Converters, Energy Management, and the Water Heater).

CHASSIS BATTERY: This battery is used to start the engine on the RV. Gas motor homes usually have
(1) battery & the larger Diesel coaches usually have (2) large commercial type batteries. This battery is a
“Cranking Battery” with a high number of cranking amps. On a typical motor home, the chassis battery is
only charged by the alternator, while the engine is running. Some RVs are equipped with a 5w-10w solar
panel, known as a Keep it up”. This small panel is designed to maintain the charge on a chassis battery,
not to recharge the battery if it is low or dead. Note: solar panels are useless if the coach is stored under cover.

HOUSE/COACH BATTERY: This Battery, or bank of Batteries (2-8), is used to power the “house” items
on the RV (such as; interior lights, thermostats, water pump, furnace, control boards on most appliances,
and many other 12v items). The house batteries are typically charged three ways;

1. From the Motor Home’s engine/alternator, while driving or at idle, through the battery isolator/Relay
2. From the Generator, through the converter/charger (which may needed to be plugged-into Gen. outlet)
3. From plugging into AC/110v (aka “Shore Power”), through the converter/charger.

The House Batteries are Deep Cycle Batteries, and are designed to be recharged and depleted many
times. Deep Cycle batteries have a lower amount of cold cranking amps (CCA), but have a higher number
of Amp Hours, allowing your 12v items to run longer. Some RVs are equipped with one or more 12v Deep
Cycle Batteries, or some are equipped with pairs of 6v Deep Cycle Batteries (wired in series to create 12v).
Many people feel that 6v Batteries hold a charge longer and are better for Dry Camping (camping with no
hookups).

FAQs: (Frequently Asked Questions)


How often do I need to maintain my batteries? You should check the water level in your batteries at least
every 90 days if the coach is used occasionally and stored without power. If you keep your coach plugged-in to
AC/Shore power most of the time, you will need to check the water level in your House batteries at least once per
month. NOTE: ALWAYS USE DISTILLED WATER TO REFILL BATTERIES and use protective eye wear when
maintaining your batteries. Battery acid can damage skin, clothing, and most anything it touches.

How long should my Batteries last? The life expectancy of a Chassis/engine battery is 3-4 years. If you have
to jump this battery more than 7-10 times the life expectancy is much lower. A “Cranking battery” is not designed to
discharge down to below 6-8v many times before it will need to be replaced.

The life expectancy of your House “Deep Cycle” Batteries is directly related to how well they are maintained. If well
maintained, they should also last 3-4 years before they need to be replaced. Please Note: in most cases, if one
battery goes bad in a battery bank, then it has most likely damaged the others that are tied to it. So, if you just
replace 1 of 2 or 2 of 4, the others are not far behind from failing.


What are the signs that my batteries are failing? A physical look at the batteries may show a swollen look to
the sides or tops near the posts, this is caused by poor maintenance/low water. The main sign is that they battery
will not hold a charge, or discharges quickly.

Continued on other side > > > > >

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Why do my Batteries corrode? Corrosion is caused by acid vapors emitting from the cells of the
batteries. Batteries will corrode more as they heat-up or “Boil-over”. This is caused by an over charging
situation. Over charging boils out the water, which emits the vapor that corrodes, and causes eventual
damage to the batteries.

Are Sealed (AGM) Batteries better? Deep Cycle “Sealed” batteries or AGM (Absorbent Glass Mat) batteries
are mostly maintenance free, don’t require a 30-90 day check, and rarely have corrosion build up on the terminals.
These batteries are typically 2-3 times the cost of a regular deep cycle lead acid battery. Sealed batteries usually
have the same amount of Amp Hours compared to standard deep cycle batteries and have close to the same life
expectancy.



BATTERY DISCONNECT USAGE:

MOST RV BRANDS (CONVERTER/CHARGER): (Newmar, Travel Supreme, Fleetwood, Monaco, etc.)
On most gas engine motor homes (and diesels RVs w/o Inverter/Converter combo) the House Battery Disconnect
should be in the Off/Store position while the coach is being stored or plugged in. When plugged into AC/Shore
power, the switch should be put in the On/USE position only when you wish the batteries to be charged. The Battery
Disconnect switch should be in the On/USE position when you are not plugged into AC/Shore power and want to use
the 12v systems of the RV.

PHP Code:

*WINNEBAGO/ITASCA:  The battery disconnect solenoid is wired some what differently on Winnebago & Itasca  
brand RVs.  When the coach is plugged into AC/Shore power (for use or storage) the battery disconnect switch,  
usually located next to the entrance door, should be in the OFF position.  If not, the solenoid will draw power from the  
engine battery, causing it to slowly discharge over a 10-20 period.  The Only time the battery disconnect should be  
ON is when you are using the RV and are not plugged into AC/Shore Power.  NOTE: If your Winnebago/Itasca RV  
has a 1500w Inverter/Converter (or larger), disregard this paragraph and see below. 


RVs w/INVERTER/CONVERTER/CHARGERS: Most large diesel RVs, and some higher end gas coaches, are
factory equipped with Inverter/Converter/Chargers (1000w +). In this case, the Coach Battery disconnect must
remain ON when you are plugged into AC/Shore Power, otherwise no 12v items will work in the RV. *Because this
system sends a continuous Floating charge to the batteries, it requires more maintenance of the batteries. Keep a
sharp eye on the battery water levels every 3-4 weeks, while the RV is plugged into AC power.

CHASSIS DISCONNECT: Many Motor Homes are equipped with a Chassis Battery disconnect. Some are
located in or near the engine compartment and some are electronic solenoids and have a switch located next to the
House/Coach battery disconnect switch (common on Coachmen & Fleetwood RVs). If you store your coach, without
starting it for more than 10-15 days at a time, it is a good idea to have one of these installed and good practice to
shut this OFF.

CHASSIS BATTERY BOOST SWITCH: Most Motor Homes (Class A type and some Class C) will have a
Chassis Battery Boost Switch on the dash. This momentary/spring loaded switch will combine the power of your
House Batteries with your Chassis battery to boost power if your chassis battery is too weak to start the engine.
However, if your chassis battery is DEAD, the house “Deep Cycle” type batteries will most likely not have enough
cranking amps to jump start the engine. If the boost switch does not help, you may need to plug-in a battery
charger/booster for 30 min to 1 hr (at 40amp+) to jump, or 2-8 hours on a slow charge (5amp-10amp), which is
recommended. A 40amp+ Plug-in Booster/Charger is highly recommended piece of equipment to keep on board
your RV. This item makes a great back-up device in the event of several problems that can occur.

This information was prepared by: Howard RV Center, Wilmington-NC, (910) 791-5371

6-2009

[JayGee]

I had the same type of problem a few days back. House batteries were fine and engine would not start. My Aux switch would not help start the engine either. Come to find out I could not boost it with cables or anything. The "start" battery was not just dead, it was "DEAD!!!" and obviously had a short in it or something. I just bought a new battery and all seems to be well.

[bluepill]

Coffeeman - You found a nice description of RV electrical systems there. The only thing I could take issue with is the ststement about deep cycle house batteries being too weak. If you had only a single house battery, I would agree. If you have 2 or more - which is common - and they are in good shape, they should be sufficient for starting needs. In the case of multiple house batteries, the converter/charger will output 60 amps or more, and you can use cables to jump the house and starting batteries which will allow you to charge the start battery without an extra charger. This assumes that both house and start batteries are close to each other.

IMPORTANT NOTE: It is always necessary to be very careful when using jumper cables because reversed connections will cause a short circuit that draws thousands of watts - and can cause an explosion. This is even worse when you have multiple batteries connected together, as in most larger RV and Marine applications.

[RTegarini]

Quote:

Originally Posted by coffeeman Did I miss a step in using this feature? My old class C had a push button on the dash so I'm not sure what is the issue.

I had to learn the hard way on how that switch actually works if the battery is quite dead. Simply pushing the switch doesn't do it; you have to hold it in, sometimes for quite a period of time, if the battery is dead, dead, dead, to 'charge' the battery

I didn't know that, so for quite some time, I thought my MOM switch was broken. Could it be something as simple as that?

[ernieh]

Not to hijack this thread, but some of you may not know that you can use the AUX switch to keep going if your alternator fails. Just hold the switch in the MOM position with a match stick, etc. and run your generator to charge both sets of batteries.

[pkmesser]

Many motorhomes, inc. mine do have the capability to charge the chassis battery from the convertor, as well as to charge coach battery(s) from the alternator. My system uses the battery isolator solinoid or relay to do this, as well as the emergency start function. I am in the process of changing that isolator solinoid as it is clicking but not making up(contacts bad). I removed the solinoid and checked the coil with a DTVM and it was good, so that pretty well confirmed bad contacts. Mine is a White Rogers relay. On a distributer website for these relays, a strong suggestion was made to not use the relays with 12 volt coils as they could fail under higher voltage charging conditions. So I ordered one with a 14 volt coil. It came, but the mounting base is not as the specifications called for, the distributer is trying now to figure out how I got a relay with a different mounting base than the model series calls for. I have seen many comments from others that probably had coil failures, so the issue of the 12 volt vs the 14 volt coil may be valid. So if you need to change out this solinoid, you might want to look for one that has a 14 volt rated coil.
Ernieh, above, mentions engaging the emergency start switch and running the generator if you have an alternator failure. If you have the system like mine, once you start the generator, and after a 2 1/2 minute relay delay, the systems will automatically be tied together, so you don't have to keep the emergency switch engaged.

[ksg5000]

If your battery isolator solenoid checks out then I would check out the Ford starter relay - they can create problems if they go bad or if the connections get corroded - probably should clean tighten all of the battery and solenoid connections while your at it.