Bounder: Engine Battery Not Charging

[Socaltoolguy]

ChuckBear, I also posted your question from Escapees. Sorry folks. It may get confusing that there are 3 posts that are essentially the same. Chuck, glad you found your way over here. These folks will not let you down.


Ray

[chuckbear]

GrampaDennis, If you read my reply you will see that the previous owner, who was the original owner up until a little over a month ago, was the one that told me all batteries were charged when plugged into 120 or the generator. I can't think of any reason for him to tell me that if it were not true. It would not have made any difference in whether or not we bought the coach and he has owned it since 1999. It has 50,000 miles on it so he did use it. I realize that not all RV's have this feature but I also realize that some do. I just need to know if the one I own does or doesn't. It looks like the only way I'm going to find out, well maybe, is to contact Fleetwood on Monday, get their input and maybe a wiring diagram. Chuck

[KIX]

Chuckbear.........as a temporary measure while the coach is just sitting you can run a 10ga or larger wire from positive on house bank to positive on chassis battery. Make the connection secure.

[Redapple]

Originally Posted by Redapple

A charged battery should not read less than 12.4 volts. Your battery read 12.08, it is sulfated.

When connected to shore power, genset or alternator, your battery should read no less than the charging output of the device it is connected to.

Twinboat,

This is exactly what I said. I then pointed out that when connected to a charging source it should read the voltage of the charging source.

In the subsequent post, I pointed out that if a battery has less than a certain voltage, the isolator will keep the banks separated based on how some bird system work.

Bottom line, IF you have a bad battery, the bird will never join banks for charging.

After the op subsequent post that says he charged it and it then went down tells he has bad battery

Have a wonderful day...

[chuckbear]

Originally Posted by KIX

Chuckbear.........as a temporary measure while the coach is just sitting you can run a 10ga or larger wire from positive on house bank to positive on chassis battery. Make the connection secure.

I thought about doing something like that. Right now, it's holding a charge from running the engine the other day. I hope to have a definitive answer by Monday and if need be, will add an echo-charger from the coach batteries. Chuck

[GrampaDennis]

Chuck -

I just read the pamphlet on my small solar charger (mounted on the front AC). It says it provides 5W to maintain the charge of the "vehicle battery". For my rig, that seems to provide the needed function. Does your rig also have a solar charger?

Sorry, I must have missed (or forgotten) your earlier response that the one who told you about the charging function was the former owner. However, if your rig does have the solar charger (and it works), the prior owner could have been simply mistaken about how the chassis battery was being charged.

Good luck in solving this mystery.

[LETMGROW]

Originally Posted by chuckbear

I'm reposting this here, I posted it originally in the Class A Discussions, in hopes that another Bounder owner might have an answer. It appears that my engine start battery is not charging when plugged into 120 power or on the generator. The coach batteries are charging OK. Voltage at the battery today was 12.08 when plugged in or running off the generator. The engine started fine and the alternator is charging just fine. The battery is full of water and tests OK after a charge. The RV has been sitting for about 2 weeks without running the engine, but it has been plugged in or on the generator the entire time. The generator has been run for a couple of hours almost every other day. It was told to me by the previous owner that the converter/charger charges both the coach batteries and the engine battery when plugged in or on the generator. Any suggestions on where to start troubleshooting? 1999 Bounder 34J on a Ford chassis with V10 engine. Chuck

I'm not sure what you are asking here.
1) Is the engine battery going dead?
2) If the battery voltage is already at full charge (and at 12.8 V. it is) the output from the charger has tapered off to maintain but not overcharge the battery.
3) what is the voltage on the house batteries when the MH is plugged into a shore line?
4) what is the voltage at the engine battery when NOT plugged in to a shore line?
5)The engine alternator may show a charge of 14.4 V. or slightly more after starting the engine but should settle in a little less when it recovers from the start engine drain. The alt. is also compensating for drain from all the additional drain required to run the engine and accessories.
Are you having a problem or chasing something which doesn't exist?
Lynn

[chuckbear]

Originally Posted by GrampaDennis

Chuck -

I just read the pamphlet on my small solar charger (mounted on the front AC). It says it provides 5W to maintain the charge of the "vehicle battery". For my rig, that seems to provide the needed function. Does your rig also have a solar charger?

Sorry, I must have missed (or forgotten) your earlier response that the one who told you about the charging function was the former owner. However, if your rig does have the solar charger (and it works), the prior owner could have been simply mistaken about how the chassis battery was being charged.

Good luck in solving this mystery.

No problem. I took the solar panel off the top of the air conditioner because it was disintegrating. I will replace it later. At this point I can only hope Fleetwood can provide an answer since no on else seems to be able to say for sure. The solar panel appears to be for when the RV is sitting and not being provided power from any source. Chuck

[nothermark]

FWIW I would not believe it should charge until I heard from a second source that it does. There are simply too many units that do not charge the engine battery when on AC power.

FWIW2 if the boost button works to connect the batteries together I really would want verification. The way to check that is to check both battery set voltages. If they are different monitor the low one and push the button. If the voltage jumps to close to the higher voltage the relay is working. That leaves you with a control board problem. A battery maintainer/float charger might be a cheaper fix.

[chuckbear]

Lynn, You said, "2) If the battery voltage is already at full charge (and at 12.8 V. it is) the output from the charger has tapered off to maintain but not overcharge the battery."

This is not correct. Any battery charger will settle in to a float state at 13.2 to 13.5 volts once the battery is fully charged. That isn't the case with the engine battery so that is how I know it is not connected to any charging source when plugged into 120 volt power. The coach batteries, on the other hand, are sitting nicely at 13.5 volts, so I know they are connected to the charger. It isn't the voltage that overcharges the batteries, it's the amps the charger puts out. That drops to around 2 amps at float to maintain the charge until there is a load put to the battery. Chuck

[GrampaDennis]

Originally Posted by chuckbear

No problem. I took the solar panel off the top of the air conditioner because it was disintegrating. I will replace it later. At this point I can only hope Fleetwood can provide an answer since no on else seems to be able to say for sure. The solar panel appears to be for when the RV is sitting and not being provided power from any source. Chuck

Chuck -

I think you may be slightly mistaken about the intended function of the solar panel. I believe that the chassis battery and the house batteries are isolated from each other (unless you are holding he AUX Start button down), and that the solar panel charges ONLY the chassis battery. I believe I have confirmed this with how my setup is working right now. My MH is plugged in to shore power (has been for the last two weeks) and the pilot light for the solar charger is on. There is a decal next to this pilot light that says that the light is on only when the battery is accepting charge. I believe that the house batteries would not be accepting charge from the solar panel while they are being charged from the AC converter/charger. I do know that the AC converter/charger works to charge the house batteries.

Anyway, please let us know what you find out from Fleetwood.

[Triker56]

Does the Bounder have a Inverter/Charger?
If you do then the B.I.R.D relay should be in that compartment.

My 99 Discovery has what they call a B.I.R.D system to charge both battery banks from 120V and Generator

[LETMGROW]

Originally Posted by chuckbear

Lynn, You said, "2) If the battery voltage is already at full charge (and at 12.8 V. it is) the output from the charger has tapered off to maintain but not overcharge the battery."

This is not correct. Any battery charger will settle in to a float state at 13.2 to 13.5 volts once the battery is fully charged. That isn't the case with the engine battery so that is how I know it is not connected to any charging source when plugged into 120 volt power. The coach batteries, on the other hand, are sitting nicely at 13.5 volts, so I know they are connected to the charger. It isn't the voltage that overcharges the batteries, it's the amps the charger puts out. That drops to around 2 amps at float to maintain the charge until there is a load put to the battery. Chuck

I understand what you are saying but isn't 13.5 V. at the house batteries a little high? I have a pretty solid background in automotive charging systems.
What is your problem anyway? Is the engine battery going dead?
What I said was if the battery has reached full charge it may not show higher voltage. 13.5 V. sounds a little excessive for a 12.V. system. Maybe you have an overcharge problem within the house battery charge system.
Have you tested the charge with an ammeter to the batteries?
Lynn

[chuckbear]

Correct. The solar panel only charges the engine battery. That was what I meant. But if the RV sits for some period of time, without the solar panel, it needs an alternate charging source. I will let everyone know what I find out from Fleetwood. Chuck