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Old 07-21-2012, 12:54 PM   #21
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Originally Posted by cbeierl

This is incorrect. The house batteries should be charged by the alternator whenever the engine is running in our Winnebago/Itasca DPs.
Yes, we know the alternator should recharge the house batteries while the engine is running. We are now looking at the Winnebago wiring diagrams for our 2006 Meridian 36G to find where to troubleshoot. Anyone out there reading who can guide us to the right page, where we can find the fuses and connections to check?
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Old 07-21-2012, 01:33 PM   #22
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Almost certainly the problem is the Aux Start solenoid that is supposed to couple the 'house' and 'chassis' batteries when the 'Boost' switch is pressed and whenever the engine is running. If you read the 'Yet another solenoid...' thread I posted a link to earlier you'll learn all about the issue and how folks have dealt with it.

I added some resisters (others have used diodes) in series when I replaced mine (3rd solenoid in three years) in 2008 and it's still working fine today. The details and pictures are in the above mentioned thread.

The Aux Start solenoid is shown on the top center of page 3 of the Automotive Wiring Diagram for your coach. Page 2 of the Front End Wiring Installation for your coach shows the location/installation of the solenoid along with the Trik-L-Start which keeps the 'chassis' batteries charged whenever the 'house' batteries are being charged.
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Old 07-21-2012, 01:48 PM   #23
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How do you know it's not the relay?

How can I verify that the problem isn't the AUX START RELAY and not the solenoid?
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Old 07-21-2012, 01:53 PM   #24
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question on location of AUX START RELASY

page 3 of the diagram referenced shows the AUX START Relay on the upper left, with no arrow pointing to any specific relay, then on the right hand side it shows the bottom square with the arrow to the AUX START RELAY. Does that mean there is only one, if there are two where is the second one?
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Old 07-21-2012, 02:03 PM   #25
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ok that particular last question is solved. We did find the relay. without replacing both, is there a fairly easy way to test which might be the problem?
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Old 07-21-2012, 02:11 PM   #26
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We have only had the problem when we are running the inverter while driving. The inverter drains the house battery, but the battery isn't being re-charged by the alternator. Otherwise, the house battery stays charged when we are driving. It also recharges by running the generator while driving. Does that help make possible problems more specific?
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Old 07-21-2012, 04:57 PM   #27
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(Looks like I got my page numbers reversed in my posting referencing the wiring diagrams.)

Clearly your alternator isn't charging the coach/house batteries. With the inverter off you have very little load on the coach batteries and thus they maintain their charge. However, with the inverter on the coach batteries are drawn down significantly--you'd see the same thing if you had other 12V loads instead of the inverter.
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Old 07-21-2012, 10:30 PM   #28
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cbeierl
(Looks like I got my page numbers reversed in my posting referencing the wiring diagrams.)

Clearly your alternator isn't charging the coach/house batteries. With the inverter off you have very little load on the coach batteries and thus they maintain their charge. However, with the inverter on the coach batteries are drawn down significantly--you'd see the same thing if you had other 12V loads instead of the inverter.
So how do we determine what is causing the alternator not to charge the coach batteries. What is the diagnosis for the solenoid vs, the relay, or should we just replace both?
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Old 07-21-2012, 11:34 PM   #29
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I'm virtually certain that it's the solenoid (Winnebago part no. 008188-02-000). The easiest way to rule out the relay would be to physically swap it with another one--it looks like the compartment door relays are identical, for instance.

When I did my second replacement I went with the silver contact version, which I bought from MurCal, Inc.: Bear Family: 12 Volt DC Contactor
I added a couple of 1-Ohm / 10W Wirewound Resistors from Radio Shack in series with the coil.

Here's a picture of how I installed the resistors with my new solenoid/contactor:


The metal bracket was just a piece of scrap I had around--it provides a rigid mounting and strain relief for the resistors and serves as a heat sink as well. It's held by one of the same mounting bolts used for the solenoid. I used some small copper wire to secure the resistors mechanically to the bracket.
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Old 07-22-2012, 11:07 AM   #30
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Quote:
So how do we determine what is causing the alternator not to charge the coach batteries. What is the diagnosis for the solenoid vs, the relay, or should we just replace both?
Use a voltmeter. Connect negative (black) voltmeter lead to ground. Connect positive (red) voltmeter lead to the circuit LR lead on the AUX solinoid. Referring to pdf page 3 of http://www.winnebagoind.com/diagram/...ire_152098.pdf the AUX start solinooid is the one to the left of the breaker panel. The LR lead is the one at the top left of the relay. If there is 12VDC voltage there when the ignition key is ON, then the energize order from the ignition switch is there (ergo AUX start solinoid is toast). If it is not there, then either:
A) The small 40 amp AUX Start relay (you can get these at places like autozone) is bad; or
B) The AUX Start switch in the dash is bad (passes ignition signal to small relay); or
C) The fused ignition switch signal from the chassis is bad (fuse blown; no clue which one though [chassis wiring diagram required]); or
D) Wiring problem somewhere along that path

Note: The resistors Chris Beierl installed are only used to reduce the voltage to the AUX Start Solinoid coil so that it does not get overheated. Some manufactures design dual voltage control circuitry that applies full voltage to energize the coil then reduce the voltage a few milleseconds later to keep the coil latched. The solinoid contacts themselves can still get oxidized and start getting burned and pitted. However, by using the silver contact version solinoid the burned and pitted contact problem is greatly reduced. The diodes that have also been referred to have a different purpose than the resistors. When the solinoid is de-energized, diodes are used to bleed off the electromagnetic energy (developed across the solinoid coil when it was energized) so that enegy does not become a voltage spike felt back across other sensitive electronics connected to the 12VDC system. It's an electroinc protection thing.

Dave
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Old 07-22-2012, 02:06 PM   #31
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Thank you all for responding. Will order the new solenoid. Will report back after. Really appreciate the help and suggestions!
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Old 07-22-2012, 02:18 PM   #32
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you could jump across the solenoid and see if that corrects the problem. Thats what I did on mine and then the batteries started charging. The solenoid should have 12v to the aviation terminal (one of the small terminals) when your engine is running. That activates the solenoid to allow the engine altenator to charge both the chassis batteries and the house batteries.
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Old 07-23-2012, 10:34 AM   #33
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Have you tested the house battery line without invertoer on? either by load tested with the engine running or starting a drive with slightly discharged batteries and then tested after driving for an hour or more?
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Old 08-09-2012, 12:27 PM   #34
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New solenoid installed. After testing, new one works fine. When I run the engine the new solenoid clicks on. Thanks for all the help and a relatively inexpensive fix! I also added the resistors as recommended.
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Old 09-03-2016, 01:30 PM   #35
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Another solution to this problem

This is an older thread but as I just fixed mine I'll share what I learned.
My coach battery did not charge from the engine, but did fine from the converter.
I changed the solenoid that bridges them and it can be heard clicking when Batt boost switch is thrown for joined battery start. I have voltmeters on both battery banks on the dash so I can monitor them. The voltages match when the switch is operated, but once the engine starts, the voltmeters show only the engine battery is getting charged (14+ volts is the indicator here. ) The wire diagrams from the Winnebago site don't really show the whole story. I even talked to the engineer at the factory during Jamboree this year, no help.
What was it really?

Simple. Its not shown anywhere, but the solenoid is supposed to receive power once the engine starts and it wasn't. I found that the same 5 Amp fuse in the engine panel below the steering wheel on my Itasca Suncruiser 39T marked "jacks alarm" actually feeds FOUR separate circuits. The electric step, that is supposed to auto retract if you start the engine with it our no matter what position the door switch is in. It also feeds the coach engine aux heater that shares engine heat for the coach. The jacks down alarm, and the solenoid. All from one mismarked fuse. I replaced it, and it kept blowing. By trial and error, I found the step to be the culprit, though it worked OK in isolation. Now I have jacks alarm that never worked before. The floor heater fan. and the batteries now both charge.

What a ton of work and a simple fix. Disconnect the step sensing wire under the step and cap it off. See the diagram from the website. Replace the 5A fuse.

https://www.lci1.com/assets/content/...888-Rev-OI.pdf

Cap the yellow wire.

Martin
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Old 11-12-2016, 12:00 PM   #36
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Fixed my house battery charging issue

I know this is an old thread, but I referenced this as well as many others in my search for an answer to my problems so I figured I would post what worked for me.

I have a 2003 Winnebago Adventurer 38g and the alternator was not charging the coach batteries this year. The batteries would charge if plugged into shore power or if the generator was run, but nothing from the alternator.

The alternator was replaced in the spring and it definitely is charging the new chassis battery.

I also noticed that after a night of running the furnace without the generator that I could not start my generator even if the aux battery connect switch was used on the dash. The batteries were totally dead after a few hours and it seemed as thought the solenoid was not connecting the battery banks.

I replaced the solenoid with one I purchased at a local NAPA and the switch now worked, but the alternator would not charge the battery.

I confirmed no voltage getting to the center post of the solenoid which indicated that a fuse was blown between the ignition and the solenoid or the wire was damaged.

Upon searching through all of the fuses under the dash (F53) I found a 15A fuse marked something like AUX Rear Heater blown. I replaced the fuse and immediately the alternator started to charge the house batteries.

I am not sure when the fuse went bad, possibly when the alternator failed this spring, but that seems to be where the power from the ignition travels through on its way to the solenoid.

We have had several unique electrical issues and this is the second time I found a seemingly unrelated fuse being the culprit of another problem.

Hopefully it works from this point on and good luck to anyone else trying to track down an electrical issue.
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Old 11-15-2016, 02:38 AM   #37
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I had a similar, but opposite problem. The Trik-L-Charge unit was not keeping the chassis batteries topped off when plugged into shore power. They had been getting slowly worse over the last two years, I knew at over 6 years old, they were due to be replaced, but even so, i thought they should have been topped off more than they were, while plugged in to shore power.

The chassis batteries had no problem spinning the engine and getting it started, but those big slide motors needed more volts, and when breaking camp after a couple of weeks, it took longer, and longer for the alternator to bring them up to an acceptable voltage level to bring the slides in. (never a problem putting them out, after driving for a few hours)

So, finally needed to get the slides in a little faster than letting the engine run for 15 minutes, I had my wife hold the Aux Battery Start Button in for a bit while I monitored the voltage readouts. Could hear the solenoid click, but no jump in chassis battery voltage. After I had my wife hit the switch several times, and hold for a bit, finally I noticed the voltage jump on the chassis batteries. I hadn't hit that switch in years, and now think it was oxidized to the point of no current getting through. But after that session of hitting the switch several times, all seems to be working, chassis batteries continued to stay topped off during our two week stays in parks. Not sure how that solenoid is connected to the Trik-L-Start, but the problem seemed to be solved.

Several weeks later, I did replace both chassis batteries, with new, commercial truck style batteries, $69 each at a Kenworth Shop. They matched the ones that Freightliner had originally installed. What a deal, and of course, no more low voltage when breaking camp.
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Old 11-16-2016, 03:42 PM   #38
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Dear troubleshooters... On your MH, does the Coach battery switch has to be ON to allow the alternator to charge both battery banks?

I just found out that it is the case with my Vista 2013. Something wrong?
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Old 11-16-2016, 04:30 PM   #39
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Dear troubleshooters... On your MH, does the Coach battery switch has to be ON to allow the alternator to charge both battery banks?

I just found out that it is the case with my Vista 2013. Something wrong?
Yes the switch needs to be on. The battery switch is there to disconnect the battery from the system, including the charging system.
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Old 11-16-2016, 04:40 PM   #40
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Yes the switch needs to be on. The battery switch is there to disconnect the battery from the system, including the charging system.
Thanks for the quick response. I will not investigate for a non-existing problem then.

Oh but wait, one more question: how would a Battery Isolation Manager (BIM)contribute to my existing charging system?
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