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Old 10-13-2014, 07:28 PM   #1
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Voltage drop on the dashboard gauge, Now what?

2002 Winnebago Journey DL
Cat 330


RV has been great all year; new house batteries, coach batteries about 3 years old. Yesterday jumped in and started it up, ready to go and the volt gauge drops to about 12. Figured since the RV hadn't ran in a few weeks batteries may be low even though it was on a shore line power to keep them charged (notice the 110 cord was unplugged, probably kids). So we drive off and the volt meter and idiot light stayed on. Tried to load it a bit more, volts dropped a bit while driving, lights dimmed. Arrived destination (about 1 hour drive) and parked, volts went up to 14?????

Sat all day, ran the generator with no issues. House batteries showed charge, coach batteries charged. Started it up to head home, dropped again to around 12. Arrived home, took out the volt tester, batteries (all 5) at 11.7, house and coach. Started to dig into getting at alternator, moved basically the back room to get at access panels, got late and dark. Planning on trying some volt testing tomorrow.

Idea's, suggestions, options?

I'm thinking alternator. I plan to test the direct wire from the alternator, load testing the batteries, and testing the distribution block for the battery bank.

Any help would be appreciated.
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Old 10-14-2014, 07:09 AM   #2
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I'm thinking alternator. I plan to test the direct wire from the alternator, load testing the batteries, and testing the distribution block for the battery bank.
Any help would be appreciated.
wtresq
I also suspect you have an alternator problem.
Here is a video of an easy to do alternator test:

Good luck
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Old 10-14-2014, 07:14 AM   #3
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Yeah, completely agree that they alternator isn't doing what it's supposed to.

One time I was flying a Cessna solo as a newbie - and I noticed the voltage gauge was just a tad (a smidgeon) to the discharge side... Didn't think much about it until an hour later when all the electronics died....

Was forced to find an airport by map and sight, and just force a landing as I couldn't radio anyone

Alternator stripped...
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Old 10-14-2014, 04:51 PM   #4
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Alright had the batteries load tested and they're bad. So is it possible the batteries could have just mimicked the low voltage? The batteries are only about a year and a half old fortunately fully warrantied. So since I've got everything torn apart I'll put the new batteries in it still test the alternator with a volt meter. I'm guessing one of the batteries blew a cell and took the other one out. Walmart 2 year warranty batteries thank goodness.
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Old 10-14-2014, 05:09 PM   #5
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one bad battery will draw down the others
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Old 10-14-2014, 09:41 PM   #6
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Yeah, completely agree that they alternator isn't doing what it's supposed to.

One time I was flying a Cessna solo as a newbie - and I noticed the voltage gauge was just a tad (a smidgeon) to the discharge side... Didn't think much about it until an hour later when all the electronics died....

Was forced to find an airport by map and sight, and just force a landing as I couldn't radio anyone

Alternator stripped...
As a pilot myself, WOW nice job.
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Old 10-14-2014, 09:51 PM   #7
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A defective alternator can quickly destroy battery's. If a diode goes bad and feeds any, any! Ac or pulsing dc into a lead acid battery the battery will go bad (plate erosion) very quickly. The only way to properly test a possibly defective alternator is with a loaded voltmeter and an oscilloscope. A defective battery can also cause a good alternator to show defective on an oscilloscope. Suggest removing alternator and find a good truck electrical rebuilder with the right test equipment. Just look up truck electrical overhaul in the yellow pages or on line.
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Old 10-15-2014, 06:07 AM   #8
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A defective alternator can quickly destroy battery's.
Agreed
AND, in my coach, a bad house battery destroyed my alternator.
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Old 10-15-2014, 08:00 AM   #9
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Yeah I would certainly have the alternator at least checked, while you're working on the system, might as well make sure all components are doing what they should right? Just good troubleshooting, and super easy to test....

@wtresq THANKS. Wanna know what made it worse - before the battery died, it simply got very low! Well that made my VOR needle go wonky - I was perfectly on VOR, then the needle moved to the right, so I kept turning the plane to find the VOR it would straighten, then go right again placing me miles and miles off course. TO make matters worse, the ground had nothing! No features, no roads, no power lines just flat southern wilderness.. well I knew there was a 10 mile long lake east of me( i was originally head almost due west) that ran north south, had passed over it 30 minutes ago, visibility was about 10 miles - so I dumped down to 1500 feet and just flew east by compass, knowing if I came within 10 miles north or south of the lake, I would see the lake... I knew there was an airport just east of the lake. I was so scared when I landed, I hit the ground hard enough to rupture a tire whoops. When I landed, I called the local control center that I had just moved onto when the radio died - it had been an hour and he said they were just putting a plane in the air to come look for me. Once the transponder went out, I just disappeared from their screen!

X2 for checking the alternator, and if your gauge ever ticks to the trickle side, it's probably right
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Old 11-01-2014, 07:24 PM   #10
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Follow up, bad alternator! Ended up with new batteries (they were dead) under warranty. Had the alternator rebuilt for $295. I took it out and put it back in, tested the first time with hi voltage 15.5 called the alternator rebuild guy, took it out brought it back to him, bad regulator. New regulator all good now. 14.2 volts.

Thanks for all the help, learned a few things with this venture. Also did some checking and the Delco alternators that people are talking about didn't cross reference??? Figured a rebuild on the OEM would do just fine. Save a bunch of cash doing this myself too.
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