Community Forums

Diesel Diva · 04-08-2016, 06:37 PM

Quick background. I had my transfer switch go out, replaced, that one lasted two hours and got a new one. Since then the generator will not run for more than 5 seconds before shutting down with a error 13 and basically not providing enough AC to power the coach. Five day minimum lead time to get it to Cummins, but we are working on that. We also got a check engine light and the error was the DEF heater was not working, which was true. Spartan, Charlie, jumped through hoops and over nighted a new switch to Industrial Power in Fort Worth. We should get it installed Monday due to their back log, poor Charlie jumped through hoops and it is just sitting on their desk waiting to be installed Monday

,

We went ahead and picked the coach up and moved to the Fort Worth Stock Yards RV park (very near by), which is not much to talk about, but at least we can use our home. When we picked the coach up the house batteries were dead, there was not ground power, our generator does not work and we had asked them to run the coach for us which they said they did. Once we got in the coach it started right up and started charging the batteries, when we parked with A/C on, with ground power and watching TV, the electricity goes off and I get an over heating alarm on the panel for the batteries. It lasted 15-20 seconds and everything came back on and alarm is gone. It did it again about 30 minutes later and I turned off the TV's and will see if it does it again.

Any suggestions of what is up? Should I be looking for a good deal on some new house batteries?

Mike

BFlinn181 · 04-08-2016, 08:30 PM

I wouldn't just go replacing batteries. If they were very low, perhaps they were just charging so fast heat built up and triggered the alarm. Did you go out and feel the batteries to see if they were truly hot? I'd check water levels and charge them. Let them sit a few hours and do a specific gravity test to see if all cells are up to normal.

By 'ground power' do you mean plugged in to a 120 v RV outlet? That's normally called 'shore power.'

johnnyreno · 04-08-2016, 10:45 PM

Mine gave code 13 on the 1st trip the plug connecting it hanging on the left of the genny where it meets the coach plug about 5 or 6 feet hanging was not all the way plugged in; make sure that plug is in tact and contacting every pin. Also give it mor slack by cutting a zip strip or 2 then replacing them after you get plenty slack on that main plug.

brobox · 04-09-2016, 04:50 AM

Johnny brought up a good point I forgot about. On some of the classics, they were not careful where the cab A/C drain hose was placed. A few were draining on top of the generator power plug causing "no power" problems. I had one the was located that way...moved and wire tired the hose then wrapped the generator plug with rescue tape.

Some also had no drain hoses install at all and the generator power plug was under the drain causing the same problem.

The clear hose in the center is the A/C drain hose. The A/C box is right in the center of the firewall.

Gary.Jones · 04-09-2016, 07:29 AM

Mike

Not to get off to the side, but Industrial Power does not have any capability to plug in coaches which are not in the shop and they simply sit them in the yard with the "salesman" switch turned off. I will not go back to them unless I have to. I had to stay on them like flies on XXX when my coach was there for 3 weeks. Hope other's suggestions are doing the trick.

Gary

757driver · 04-09-2016, 09:29 AM

Mike,

If the Overheat is on the Magnum inverter panel then this is telling you that the FET's or transformer in the inverter is getting too hot (temperatures can be monitored by pressing the Tech button on the inverter remote panel). The overheat is probably due to charging the depleted batteries. Once the temps cool off the inverter will continue charging automatically. To reduce the temperatures reduce the charge rate (under SET 5) to a lower value. If the charge rate is at 80% try reducing down to 50-60% until the batteries get charged up.

The overheat on the inverter panel has nothing to do with battery temperatures.

Diesel Diva · 04-09-2016, 11:36 AM

All good insight, will put them to use. And Gary I have learned my lesson with Industrial Power, never again will I leave it unattended. I used them in McKinney and they did good work, quickly. Hind sight says I should have asked when Spartan jumped through hoops to get the DEF heater to them, would they install same day. Just assumed they would match the hustle, shame on me. I will say they do a better job of communicating than Cummins, but from my experiences I had a tree in the front yard that communicated better than Cummins

It is starting to rain, so will check out the other leads for generator problem when it dries.

Gary.Jones · 04-10-2016, 07:36 AM

Mike

Industrial Power (Ft Worth) was listed as a Cummins CoachCare facility on the Spartan web site. Such a operation is supposed to have the capability to have the coach ALWAYS connected to 50A power source, whether in shop or out of shop. As you and I know, Industrial power does not have that capability and in fact, they are not a Cummins' CoachCare facility. They are Cummins and Spartan certified, but they are not even close to a CoachCare facility. I have complained bitterly to Spartan that their listing on their web site needs to be changed to correctly reflect their status, but last time I checked, they had not made the change.

Related.... I have been told that Cummins is buying up all independent CoachCare facilites and making them "corporate" so that they have maximum control over the operation. I was VERY impressed with Houston CoachCare (but its a long way away).

Gary

Diesel Diva · 04-10-2016, 05:28 PM

Spartan referred me to this site for support and felt they had great coach care capabilities, but as we have discussed not the case. I am hoping tomorrow they will get to us early and get us back on the road so we can finally prep to leave Texas and head to New Mexico. Been in one place way too long. We will most likely try to set up an appointment with Cummins in El Paso or Albuquerque to have the generator fixed. Have been to the Albuquerque facility before not impressed, the El Paso one was smaller, but more impressive with service and had six set ups for coaches and allowed us to stay in the coach over night, not so with Albuquerque, first come first serve for three sites, but the RV's that are there have been there for a very extended period of time and if they get them running will need some other tire and body work to get back on the road.

Looks like we are in for more rain today though. Feast or famine when it comes to rain for Texas.

Mike

DSL417 · 04-10-2016, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diesel Diva

All good insight, will put them to use. And Gary I have learned my lesson with Industrial Power, never again will I leave it unattended. I used them in McKinney and they did good work, quickly. Hind sight says I should have asked when Spartan jumped through hoops to get the DEF heater to them, would they install same day. Just assumed they would match the hustle, shame on me. I will say they do a better job of communicating than Cummins, but from my experiences I had a tree in the front yard that communicated better than Cummins

It is starting to rain, so will check out the other leads for generator problem when it dries.

FWIW, Spartan may try sending you to Holt Caterpillar in Fort Worth...they don't know how to plug it in either....and if you batteries were run down completely, you may have to have new chassis batteries. If your coach starts throwing strange check transmission, ABS fault, or check engine faults...well, bad batteries may be a likely source (as i found out over four months of troubleshooting with Ted Cook and Spartan back in 2013). And what t isn't is the transmission, ABS or the engine. The chassis does strange things when those batteries don't get full charged. All sorts of wacky messages get transmitted by the engine control module that don't make sense. Those chassis batteries will "sulfate" out if they get run down several times. JMHO

rex-racer · 04-14-2016, 08:39 AM

Batteries that "sulfate" out need to be put on a recondition cycle instead of just a charge cycle. They won't hold a charge for long if they sulfate. If not too old, they can be brought back to good life via a recondition cycle...in theory anyways.

RubiconTrail · 04-14-2016, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rex-racer

Batteries that "sulfate" out need to be put on a recondition cycle instead of just a charge cycle. They won't hold a charge for long if they sulfate. If not too old, they can be brought back to good life via a recondition cycle...in theory anyways.

This may work with an Aspire (can't hurt to try), but won't work with Anthem or CS because they use AGM batteries unlike the Aspire's flooded batteries. We are talking about an Aspire here, so definitely would try it. Note about CS and Anthem just for reference.