Dashboard battery switch

[eandy]

Doing this as a separate post as I've seldom had ans to 2 questions on one post. The coach mgf service dept confirmed that a failed dash battery switch (the one to engage to start engine) can definitely be the cause of all batteries going dead. The switch is backlit tho not necessary as the battery symbol is bright w/o light. Didn't ask if the wiring for light wound be the ground path but I'm guessing it is. The question is this, " will a non lighted switch be ok? " Probably a dumb question but rather that than go to trouble of ordering twice.

[TAN]

Interesting post. My switch dosen't work and my motor battery dies after about a month. I now use a jumper cable and hook all the batteries together when I am at a park. When storing it I disconnect the motor battery. I can't find the switch?

[eandy]

Finally someone. Tan I would have thought the switch was common to all Workhorse w series chassis. On my dash there are 3 switches vertical in a row. One starts generator, another operates overhead map lights, and the last is the battery switch. I know there are keep live things that drain battery but mine like yours was dead in a week, far too fast. Until switch failed my engine battery never died. Always kept plugged into power source tho.

[DriVer]

Other than the ignition switch, I do not have a separate battery switch. I expect that the majority of RV owners here also do not have an automotive battery disconnect switch as well.

A lit battery switch should not in or itself be a load that will kill a battery within a week. There is a parasitic drain on the battery that occurs in all our vehicles and this load is would be significantly more. If the battery can not maintain a good charge for a week, I would be looking to determine if my automotive battery were still viable.

"Currently" my automotive battery is constantly connected to a Battery Minder while on shore power. I have gotten good results using the BM with my current battery. I believe I'm on battery number 3 over the life of my vehicle. 78K miles. Battery #2 was defective and was only in service for less than a year.

[Dmiles]

On the dash of my rig I have an auxiliary start switch, which connects the coach batteries to the engine battery for emergency starting power in the event the engine battery does not have enough charge to start the engine. I really don't see how just this switch being defective could drain your batteries. There are several ways to check the switch, or I suppose you could temporarily disconnect it altogether for a while. There must be something else going on, but with the limited information presented in this thread, it's hard to say.

By the way my rig also had an auxiliary battery disconnect switch which disconnects the auxiliary batteries entirely from the 12v system. I assume this is to prevent a parasitic load from draining your batteries when storing the rig long term away from shore power. On mine, this switch is located to the left side of the entry, just behind the door.

[wa8yxm]

"Will a non lighted switch be OK"

Yes, you will have one extra wire, most likely BLACK, but it could be any color

This is the ground wire, tape it off and you are good

[TandW]

For some fun with a digital volt-ohmeter try this. Place one probe on any battery post. Place the other probe in various locations around top of battery, other than the remaining battery post. If voltage of any amount is observed the battery is dirty and is discharging itself. It only takes dirt and minimal amounts of moisture for this to occur. Observe that sometimes one will have to buy a new battery ( clean ) that has a born date of several months old. Though as much as 3,4, or 5 months old it has not discharged, and remains ready to perform. Good luck!!

[eandy]

Good stuff, thanks. Dmiles,your rig would be as mine. Clever of Winnebago to put a house battery disconnect switch by entry. wa8yxm, the switch has 5 terminals on the back. Two side by side at the top each receiving a pair of wires, obviously the battery wires. The other posts take 1 wire each for the light. One must be a positive to power light and the other a ground. This can only be the reason serv dept said the failed switch can definitely drain all batteries. So I can install a non lit replacement and save the unused 20 amp hot wire for potential future need. Thanks again guys
TandW, I didn't know that about battery testing great to know!
DriVer, the switch we're discussing isn't a disconnect switch but is as Dmiles states an auxiliary start switch. It is a 20 amp single pole momentary switch (so the mfg calls it).
In the future I plan to install the proper type of disconnect switches to both engine and coach batteries. I always plug into shore power to keep refrigerator on and to keep interior from freezing in winter using a dual element oil filled heater. Neither uses much juice and is well worth doing.
Also referring to my first post looking for an 'engine wiring schematic' (take a look and see the whole problem) and involving this dashboard switch; before I disconnect batteries I'll search for a possible further ground fault that could drain down all batteries too fast.

[Full-Timers]

eandy,
I am surprised you don’t have an Intellitec Battery Control Center in your Rexhall. I have one in my 2003 Aerbus and it takes care of all the battery connect/disconnect and connecting the batteries together for auxiliary starting. The switch on the dash is merely a switch connected to the Battery Control Center. Mine has had a burned out light for years but still functions properly.

[eandy]

Full-timer, didn't realize you also have a Rexhall. I'm getting this up in response and will probably need to talk with you again before this is over. There is another elec fault being a bad circuit breaker. Outlets for tv.dvd and another duplex outlet are dead. I'll see which one soon. When I called Rex serv dept about dash battery switch, I also asked where the battery charger is located. Was told either at the bottom of frig area accessed form outside or in compartment where shore power is connected. No to both. I'm going to send nephew under rig to follow battery cables and find out where they go. I have the Paralax inverter and an Intetetec something. There is a pair of switches on a panel above entry door marked coach and chassis use and store, normally kept in store position. Is this the "battery control center" you mentioned? I've asked my questions in the way I have in an effort to determine if there is likely to be some other ground fault that is draining batteries fast.
I can handle residential elec ok but this thing is way over my simple mind.

[wa8yxm]

Quote:

Originally Posted by eandy Finally someone. Tan I would have thought the switch was common to all Workhorse w series chassis.

No, I suspect the switch is not even a Workhorse part

It is a house part (Coach manufacturer) I suspect

Now, Workhorse MAY provide spare switches which can be used by the house maker for assorted things. (And I suspect they do in many cases) but on many coaches the battery controls are "house" parts.

[eandy]

DriVer, as I ponder this, I'm thinking that a "sticky" might be appropriate and appreciated on the subject of coach elec systems. Perhaps one that details the most complex. What each component does, how it's all connected and a diagram. Naturally it would not all apply to all coaches and a diagram would not be exact either but if a coach did have a particular situation the wiring probably would apply. After all there are "stickies" on the chassis and other common subjects.
It's unfortunate that Rexhall doesn't provide better owners manuals including a wiring diagram. I've no idea if other builders are any better. I have always had more and better solutions from this forum than I've ever had from Rexhall.

[scoutmstr]

The rexhall mounted battery connect switch on the dash lights up when the two batteries are connected. They are connected when you push the switch and they are connected when there is a charge to the batteries, controlled by the Intellitec module and for up to five minutes after the charge ceases. They are charged on shore power and when engine is running. If you have ever gone to the Rexhall "garage sale" they used to hold at homecoming in Oct, you would see the large number of failed Intellitec units on sale for parts. . I have a coach battery disconnect from the factory and installed a manual cutoff switch for both the chassis and coach battery for storage. Mine would remain lit even after the five minute window meaning the two batteries were somehow still connected. When I am dry camping I dont think this is good. But the complex wiring of the Intellitec lead me not to change it out. Instead I put it a SPST switch to disconnect the factory dash switch and now I actually here the solenoids disonnect when I throw the switch. You must close the circuit when the vehicle is running or you run the risk of not charging both chassis and coach battery

[eandy]

Scoutmstr, so the Intellitec unit is a weak point. At the time the dash switch went we were living in rig. I was sitting in drvrs seat watching tv when I heard a clinking, I thought was coming from switch. We were pluged into shore power. Seems like the Intellitec could be the whole battery problem? How do I test it?Never went to a Rex meet tho we lived in California City when I bought this. I'll see if there is an internet site for Intellitec to see what they say.