Electrical problem ? ?

[Magic]

After having the motorhome (06 Newmar Mtn Aire Workhorse W24) sit for over a month strange things have happened. First, no warnings buzzer for jacks or ant., then no rear camera, and then the steps stayed out. After more checking ..... no overhead fans, no power mirrors, and no power shades. I'm guessing it's ignition related .......... After looking under the dash panel, I found the Ignition Relay .... Questions, could this be my problem ? ? Can you check this to find out if it's blown ? ? And is this a normal part I can find at a auto parts store or am I going to have to find it at a dealership ? ? ?

["007"]

Sounds like dead batteries, can you read any voltage on battery cut off led, in your display area, when you put batteries back on?
Will the engine start?

[Magic]

Sorry 007, I should have said as we were moving from spot to spot. Engine, battery and such are fine

[Bob and Inga]

Magic,

Don't make the assumption that the 'bat's are fine'. With an '06 rig you should pull the battery connections and clean them (House bat's are more likely to be the problem).

We replaced our house bat's last summer, I was simply dumbfounded by how bad the inside of the cable connections to the bat's were. Bad voltage causes all kinds of weird stuff to happen.

Bob

[Magic]

Bob and Inga,
I too changed batteries late last summer or early fall along with a chassis battery 2 weeks later ........................

[Bob and Inga]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magic Bob and Inga, I too changed batteries late last summer or early fall along with a chassis battery 2 weeks later ........................

Magic,

I would take a 'hard look' at the charging system', Our '06 Bounder had a WFCO converter/charger in it. The WFCO's are not the best of chargers, I read a lot about them failing. We put a PD9280 in our Bounder last Nov, all has been well since.

Bob

[wa8yxm]

Engine battery fine does not mean the house batteries are fine, Most everything you listed is a house system (Steps could be either) and the condition of the chassis elctrical has little to do with house systems.. A shorted house battery would do it.

HOWEVER your rig should have some kind of battery control system.. On MY workhorse (YOURS MAY WELL BE DIFFERENT) it's in a box labeled, strangley enough, INTELLETEC BATTERY CONTROL CENTER or some such (Clearly says battery control) under the hood, next to the brakes. There is also another box, in the tradition of RV stuff it has no label at all, roughly dead center under the hookd (next to the BCC), this is a fuse box. Has nothing to do with this thread but you need to know about it.

Now. in the BCC (Battery control center) there are some comtactors (Really big relays) look like starter soleniods and well burried.. They are NOT starter solenoids (Well one might be) but something quite different,, Should be 3 of 'em.

These control engine charging of the house batteires.

[njs42]

Had weird stuff happening just like described. Battery read 12volts---but I took it in anyway------they checked it----no amps----a new one fixed me right up.

[Magic]

Wa8yxm .... My chassis battery and my 4 house batteries were replaced last fall ........
while on the road, I'm still at 13.7 volts according to the Intellitec.

I think this problem is in the ignition side of things ... example my steps normally go up when I turn on the ignition with the doors close .... I also have a switch to change that to everytime the door is opened or shut ... Ican change the switch and the steps work, but not when the switch is for closing when the ignition is turned on
Now, have I confused everyone, because I got confused writing it ... DAVE

["007"]

Check the magnetic switch on your entry door casing may have a loose wire nut.

[hamguy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by njs42 Had weird stuff happening just like described. Battery read 12volts---but I took it in anyway------they checked it----no amps----a new one fixed me right up.

If your battery reads 12 volts, do you mean 12.0, 12.7? And "no amps" makes no sense. I won't go into why just now.

And since a new battery fixed you up, it is a moot point!

[njs42]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hamguy If your battery reads 12 volts, do you mean 12.0, 12.7? And "no amps" makes no sense. I won't go into why just now. And since a new battery fixed you up, it is a moot point!

Does/did not make sense to me either---just fixed the problem. I do not know the reason you can get voltage w/o amps readings (I watched the test) but it seemed sufficient reason to get a new battery so I did--------I was trying to say do not trust your voltage alone-----one thing I can guarantee is that I know as little about this as----well I don't know much but I fix things by stumbling through-------sometime when you have the time I would like to know more about the volt/amp quandary

Since the symptoms were the same I thought it worth the mention.

[HeapBigEngin]

Electricity and I have a love/hate relationship. I love it when it works....and hate it when it doesn't. Been my experience with collector cars, street rods and motorcycles over many years that bad GROUNDS can cause all kinds of stuff to go haywire. And that is especially true with vehicles that sit all too frequently. I have learned that lesson many, many times! Can't tell you how many hours and new parts I have wasted over the years trying to solve an electrical issue...only to find a bad connection or a bad ground somewhere. If you are sure the batteries are up to snuff, I would (like others have suggested) start with ALL battery connections and ensure good grounds at the batteries AND at the coach. It is not hard to do, and it usually doesn't cost much. PLEASE let us know what you find out. Thanks!

[pa0gri]

Oh, there are many reasons a battery reads 12 volts but does not deliver any "amps".

There is almost no water in a cell (but just enough to keep things wet)

One plate broke in a cell (the remaining surgace is capable of just delivering a tiny current)

Plates coroded (some juce just gets trough).

Anyway, all couses result in a high internal resistance.

Measure your 12 volts with a load (I always have a broken headlight with wires on it with me, the low beam goes bad, the full beam is then still fine).

Gerard.