Need help with a weird problem!

[kissfan79]

Hey guys....
I am an RV rookie and am hoping someone can point me in the right direction on a problem that just popped up. Here are a few details:
I just recently purchased a 1989 Gulf Stream Regatta RV. It has the Ford 460 on a John Deere Chassis. We knew the RV needed some love and work when we bought it but it is turning out to be more than we bargained for. Here is the latest problem to come up today. I went out to start the RV and let it run for a few minutes and then fire up the generator just to keep them running (until we purchased it....it had not been run with any consistency for about 6 years.....basically it just sat). It started once and I let it run for about 30 seconds. I shut it off and then went to re start it and nothing. No sounds....no nothing. I had neved had an issue with it starting up at all until now (it has started reliably for almost 2 weeks now). I went to fire up the generator using the switch in the cabin and nothing.....not even a sound. Once again....I had never had an issue with the generator firing up. The battery is good....it is brand new as of two months ago. I tested several other things in the RV. The headlights work....the dash cigarette lighter works....the horn works. The CB doesn't work...the dome lights throughout the RV don't work....the radio does not work. It's like some things have power and some don't. It's like half (or more) of the RV soemhow got disconnected from power. My question is this: is there a breaker or a fuse on this model that would snap and cause this kind of problem? I checked the breaker panel in the rear cabin where the bed is but they were all for the appliances and such. I did see a panel with a clear cover under the hood area. I am going to take it off tomorrow to see if I find anything. I did check all the battery connections and, as I said, the headlights come on with no problems....not even dim so I don't think it is a low battery problem. The only thing that was unusual was the fact that I reved the engine just before I turned it off....but I don't think that would cause an issue other than somehow causing a power surge that blew a fuse or breaker. Anyhow....thanks for reading and if anyone has any information that might help....no matter how insignificant it may seem......I would appreciate it greatly. Thanks again in advance.

Jim

[RJay]

You mentioned that you checked the battery connections but did you clean them.

[kissfan79]

Hello...
Thanks for the reply. The starting battery is barely 2 months old and has no corrosion on it whatsoever. The other 2 batteries are older and the terminals do have a litte discoloration but no corrosion. I do have some terminal cleaner that I will try just to be sure. If there was a bad connection from the battery/ies whether from a loose connection or corrosion.....wouldn't that prevent the headlights from working? Just asking....as I stated I am an rv rookie and am still getting used to the whole multiple battery and multiple relay electrical setup. It's really strange.....the engine was running fine and after I shut it off.....I went to re start it and it's like there is no power to most of the systems even though 15 seconds earlier everything was fine. The only things I see that are working are the headlights and the in dash cigarette lighter. I have checked mulitple fuses but still need to access the clear panel in the hood area to check them. Thanks again for the reply.

Jim

[Automobilist]

It's probably a blown fuse, a bad ground, or one or more broken wires. Best thing to do is start testing with a meter and trace back to the fault. On old coaches, there are often fuses strewn around in very odd places, either from the factory or some other work done.

[Conquest102]

Mine has a fuse box in the engine bay right next to the battery for starting. It has the giant size blade fuses its way down under some stuff kind of hard to see and total pain to get the cover off/on. I would start there and then check the ones under dash.

[ga traveler]

I always start at the battery. Follow each lead to the next connection. Take each connection loose and clean and retighten. You may find a large fuse or circuit breaker. Test these. work your way all he way to the Generator.Also check the ground to the frame.

[garym114]

FYI - All the things you listed that don't have power operate from the coach, or house batteries.

Be clear in what won't start. In one place you said it was the generator and in another it was the engine. The generator uses the coach batteries for starting. Are the coach batteries charged? They will drain down within a week or two without being charged.

[kissfan79]

Thanks to everyone for the replies. As soon as my wife gets home....I'm going to check the fuses in the hood area. I apologize if I wasn't clear about what won't start. Basically...after the last time I shut it off...when you turn the key the engine won't crank....not even a sound as though it's turning. I was in the habit of starting the generator every day and letting it run for a few minutes. I started it using the start button in the cabin. I press/hold the red battery button and hit the generator start button. It had always started until this issue. Now it doesn't even crank (as though there is no power connected to crank it). The dome lights throughout the rv don't work. The radio doesn't work. The CB doesn't work. The head lights do however work just fine. Thanks again guys. If anyone has any more ideas...I'd love to hear them. I'll update after I check the fuses under the hood.

Jim

[garym114]

The red battery button probably connects the coach and chassis batteries together. The generator starts from the coach batteries which are probably dead. That is why you have to use the battery button to start the generator. Radio, dome lights and probably the CB run from the chassis battery.
Charge the chassis batteries and clean the terminals on the coach battery. It is not a breaker or fuse problem.

[Senior Chief]

What do you mean by a "red battery button"? Is this a momentary switch on the dash? If that's the case this is a booster switch, that temporarily connects chassis battery and house batteries together in case the chassis battery is dead, so you can start the engine. Your gennie should start from the HOUSE batteries.

To me, it sounds like you have no power (and maybe have had none previously) from the house batteries, and just now, you get no power from the chassis battery. You need to check the battery connections, including where the ground cable connects to the chassis, instead of just assuming they are ok.

Aside from the suggestions to check fuses, etc from previous posters, you might also want to look for a switch in the coach somewhere (ours is in a cabinet over the door) that would be labeled Battery Disconnect. These switches allow you to switch off the house and chassis batteries to avoid running them down. If this switch has gone bad, you'll get nothing even from otherwise fine battery systems.

[Tom-NC]

HI,

I agree with the post that the generartor starts off the house batteries and not the engine battery.
First off does the motor start when you try to start it with the ignition switch? Do the gauges on the dash wotk OK? What I'm trying to find out is that the 460 and associated equipment is working fine.
Now for the coach section and you said The ceiling lights don't work. There is usually a battery disconnect switch by the entrance door and if it is turned off then the house battery is not connected. I would first get DC power into the coach and then try the generator again. You could also open up the generator compartment and see if the positive wire(red) has DC power. You also may have and popped circuit breaker.
Lastly I would like to mention that all generators have to be exercised once a month with 3/4 load for at least thirty minutes and then take the load off and allow generator to cool before shutting off.
I hope this info helps and if it doesn't then try to contact the manufacturer and see if their technicians can help, Good Luck!

[kissfan79]

I guess what confuses me is that if I have no power why was the engine and generator starting with no issue and then all of a sudden nothing....not even a sound or click like that. Also....the other part that confuses me is that the headlights work fine yet the dome lights do not. I am trying attach a picture of the red battery button I was referring to. If it doesn't attach....basically it is a red button on the dash that has a battery on it. Right next to it is the generator start button. To start the generator, I was told to hold down the red button witht he battery on it and press the generator start button. Doing this.....the generator would always fire with no issue. Now.....not even a crank, click, or sound at all. Can I attach some jumper cables from my car battery to one of the house batteries to charge it? Just to clarify....the "chassis" battery is the battery that cranks and starts the engine and the "house" batteries are the batteries that run the outlets and appliances....correct?

Thanks again,

Jim

[ArmyEOD]

Kissfan, the trouble you indicated could be caused by the starter selinoid/relay, Follow the posative battery cable (Starter Bat) until it connects to the seilinord. It will be a black 2 x 2 x 2 black box with 2 large studs and a couple of small studs. If you want try turning the key to run and jump the large studs, by that I mean use a couple of screw drivers with one on each stud and the put them together, yes it will be a spark but it will not shock you. If its bad it should start. They cost about 15.00 at any parts house. Just tell them you need a ford starter silinoid. Hope this helps

This would also prevent your bat boost from working.

[Senior Chief]

The lights in the house (what I assume you mean by "dome lights") are part of your 12 volt house system; they have nothing to do with your chassis battery system. Headlights means you have some charge on the chassis (auto starting) battery; not necessarily much. How about your horn?

The red switch is a boost switch. I would guess you either have something mis-wired or otherwise messed up to require a boost across batteries just to start the generator.

The generator charges your house batteries- have you ever let it run long enough to actually put a charge on them? (FYI- very bad to start up your generator and run it only briefly with no load. Start it up, wait 5 minutes, run the A/C or furnace for half an hour to an hour, turn off the A/C for 5 minutes and then shut down)

Your generator also has a safety shut-off for low oil. I'd check the oil level if you haven't recently.

Have you tried putting a battery charger on your chassis battery? Have you checked electrolyte levels on all your batteries?

Did your lights or fresh water pump ever work when there was only battery power, no gennie and not plugged in?