MH has no chassis electrical power

[Barlow46]

Mike, are you saying that the 8 gauge wire goes directly to the starter from the battery with nothing fused? Is that unique to that year Executive or true for other models like my dynasty. I though for sure that my chassis battery switch would keep me from starting although I have never tried it.

[Mike Canter]

No, sorry if I confused anyone. That 8 gauge wire is what supplies power to the dash and engine/chassis of the motorhome. It does not go to to the starter. On my Sig which has the same wiring I can start the motor with the battery disconnect switch off. I get weird gauge and idiot light indications but it will still start. I have forgotten to turn it on several times and have started the motor. I was hoping that it would stop me from starting it just as a another anti-theft device but no such luck. Not sure I understand Monaco's logic.

[Downsizer]

Do you have 2 toggle switches in engine compartment? Make sure they haven't vibrated to neutral position.

[lonestarace]

Originally Posted by caymann

Stuck here in a rest stop
There is no chassis 12v power on my dash and the engine wont crank
It is dead.
The chassis battery has full power
The house battery has full power
The generator doesnt have 12v power so i cant start that either
My guess is somewhere a solenoid or relay is preventing power to the chassis 12v panel by the front wheels
Any suggestions?
Thanks
Jim

Sorry about your problem

You have 5 solenoids like what's pictured in the following link White Rodgers DC Power Solenoid 70 111224 New | eBay two of which are in your frt left electrical compartment (simular compartment pictured below). They are silver metal, in the upper left area, above and behind the black round object in the following picture. If my memory serves me correctly? these solenoids provide power to the chassis battery and ignition busses.



In your streetside rear electrical compartment in the engine compartment is another of these solenoids label starter solenoid. I don't have a picture of that compartment.

Then in the engine area, on the curbside, is the electrical compartment that houses the 2 house cutoff/saleman switch 12v solenoids(lower right) and the 1 extra large battery boost solenoid.


Try tapping sharply on each of the solenoids with the key ON and the salesman switch in the ON position. Try turning the saleman switch and the keyed ignition switch ON and OFF many times rapidly and see if things come to life. If this works, head to the nearest auto parts store and start replacing solenoids. I'd start in the front left elec compartment, then back left, and last the back right solenoids because it sounds like your house cutoff/salesman solenoids are ok.

Double check all major connections in these compartments at these solenoids.

Cycle your chassis battery master switch ON and OFF in the battery compartment, and check the connections on the backside too.

Nothing last forever.

We hope this helps?

PS: Sometime after 2002, Monaco Executives, Signatures, & Dynastys are wired differently than 2002 and earlier coaches. example: My engine WON"T start with the chassis master switch off. I've owned 4 of these coaches, 1998-2002.

[caymann]

I had a tow guy come in and while he was hooking up in the front of the coach, he may have bumped into some hanging wires. He found a couple of wire nuts that seemed to be put on by previous owner. He tightened those nuts and the coach had power again.
These were a red and black wire ie 12V and Gnd. I traced these wires to an extra 12V outlet inside the coach that he may have installed.
I started the coach and test drove it. It ran and drove fine.

After i parked, i decided to turn on the generator and i lost the 12V power to chassis again.

Seems like trying to start the generator triggers this loss of power to chassis.
I tightened those wirenuts just in case.

I am back to the same situation

[Barlow46]

The bump by the tow guy may have triggered a stuck solenoid or a loose ground. Check the under and near the back on the generator for the ground and find out where those loose wire nut wires came from.

[Mike Canter]

That is indicative of a loose connection that can't take the high amps of trying to start the generator starter motor. Double check the tightness of all the wires/cables on your batteries including the ground cables and where they attach to the chassis.

[Twomed]

Gen starts off the chassis batts on ours (2006) so if the chassis batts are low the gen will not start without the Batt assist switch. Try starting the the gen with both banks connected. IF that works let the gen run awhile, then try an engine start with both banks switched. Have you tried checking cable tightness on all batts?? Any batts changed lately?? How old are the chasss batts??

Three answers at once Check the chassis batts at the batt, if they are up 12.6 or better, then Mike is right on, start checking grounds.

[caymann]

I will check the loose ground connection
Is there a breaker or thermal breaker that has been tripped due to the loose ground?

[Twomed]

On the IGN board on the later coaches they used those little metal can breakers that look like a big fuse. I didn't see those in LS's pictures above. BUT they are thermal AND they do go bad. You can try a fuse in place of them and see if that kicks it over.

[Mike Canter]

That fact that you had power monetarily eliminates the fuses bad fuses do not come and go. My generator starts off the chassis batteries so if you run down the house batteries you can still start it and I believe that is the way most Monaco's are.

[caymann]

Ok, i banged in those aluminum cylindrical solenoids and i have power and generator is running. I disconnected that hack job power outlet (both ground and 12V) for now. I will deal with it later with a better connection.

My generator compartment is on a hydraulic slide. Is there a way yo manually retract.
The generator IN/OUT switch only works for OUT. When trying IN, it stays there.
It's dark now so i thought i may be able to manually push it back in somehow?

[EngineerMike]

If you have lead post chassis batteries, could be a build up of lead oxide in the connection between lead posts & lead clamps. Its easy to disconnect these type of cables, & use a wire brush tool made for the purpose to clean both outside the lead posts & inside the lead clamp. This is a common problem when temps drop; everything worked one day then it didn't. Sometimes its an intermittent for a while. Especially common if the batteries are older. The lead oxide simply won't pass current. You can even get a good static voltage reading in some cases but as soon as you try to pass a load- dead end.
Good luck doping it out.

[Twomed]

You can push it in manually BUT it is a day job. Let her run all night, and get a good nights rest. Maybe it will work in the morning when batts are charged up. That hyd pump is one of the highest amp draw items on the coach so it may just be that batts are too low.

If you have to put it in manually...trace the line to the solenoid on the pump then there is a small hex head (1/4) that you can back off. That will relieve pressure so you can push it in. If that is too grubby to start the morning...and they usually are :( just crack the line on the slide cylinder, push in and tighten line. If you do either of these secure the slide tray in with a tie daown strap because when you do it manulally you have lost the locking pressure the pump operation provides. Hopefully it will work with full batts...and as Mike says clening the chassis cable ends correctly and reinstalling may be all you need. They can look clean, but oxidize clearly so badly that they won't work right.

Hope tomorrow goes better and you guys can keep on heading South.

From Long Key SP