HELP! Battery(Chassis/Start) not charging/RV Boast inop.

[c5man99]

Hello,
I am having troubles charging my start batteries. The house batteries charge fine. Finally, the start batteries are so low, 11.8v, the DP will not start. The boost sw will not engage the house batteries----no start!
It was suggested to me that a solenoid was bad. Anyone agree or have another idea?
If it is a solenoid, which one?
I have a 2007 Fleetwood Discovery
Thanks,
Marc....c5man99

[Old Bounder]

Originally Posted by c5man99

Hello,
I am having troubles charging my start batteries. The house batteries charge fine. Finally, the start batteries are so low, 11.8v, the DP will not start. The boost sw will not engage the house batteries----no start!
It was suggested to me that a solenoid was bad. Anyone agree or have another idea?
If it is a solenoid, which one?
I have a 2007 Fleetwood Discovery
Thanks,
Marc....c5man99

Mark, can you tell me if your coach has the Battery Control Center made by RV-Custom Products or the one built by Intellitec? I can provide trouble shooting and test procedures for either.

To start the engine, you can always locate the isolator solenoid and jumper the two large terminals together with a jumper cable. You can remove the jumper once the engine is started.

The Isolator solenoid will be the one located very near the batteries and have a large battery cable from each of the chassis and house battery banks.

[c5man99]

Originally Posted by Old Bounder

Mark, can you tell me if your coach has the Battery Control Center made by RV-Custom Products or the one built by Intellitec? I can provide trouble shooting and test procedures for either.

To start the engine, you can always locate the isolator solenoid and jumper the two large terminals together with a jumper cable. You can remove the jumper once the engine is started.

The Isolator solenoid will be the one located very near the batteries and have a large battery cable from each of the chassis and house battery banks.

Old Bounder,
Thanks for the info..
I have an Intellitec.
Any trouble shooting and test info. will be greatly appreciated!
Marc

[c5man99]

Originally Posted by c5man99

Old Bounder,
Thanks for the info..
I have an Intellitec.
Any trouble shooting and test info. will be greatly appreciated!
Marc

Old Bounder,
After thinking about it, I think I damaged the Isolator solenoid after applying incorrect voltage to the coach. I noticed, when replacing a fuse in the inverter/charger, that the solenoid was opening and closing back and forth. Do you agree this could be the problem?
Marc

[Old Bounder]

Originally Posted by c5man99

Old Bounder,
After thinking about it, I think I damaged the Isolator solenoid after applying incorrect voltage to the coach. I noticed, when replacing a fuse in the inverter/charger, that the solenoid was opening and closing back and forth. Do you agree this could be the problem?
Marc

I doubt that you could damage that solenoid by plugging into the wrong ac source. The solenoid only receives low voltage from a 12v source. It's pretty much isolated from the 120vac inputs. Depending on the charged state of your batteries, that clicking could be normal. (unless it refused to stop)

With that said, the solenoid could still be defective. The internal contacts could be failing to make good contact.

Here is the document needed to troubleshoot your BCC problems. It also contains info on the battery disconnects.

Let me know if this is not the correct info for your BCC.

[c5man99]

Originally Posted by Old Bounder

I doubt that you could damage that solenoid by plugging into the wrong ac source. The solenoid only receives low voltage from a 12v source. It's pretty much isolated from the 120vac inputs. Depending on the charged state of your batteries, that clicking could be normal. (unless it refused to stop)

With that said, the solenoid could still be defective. The internal contacts could be failing to make good contact.

Here is the document needed to troubleshoot your BCC problems. It also contains info on the battery disconnects.

Let me know if this is not the correct info for your BCC.

Old Bounder,
Thank you...these are the correct doc's for my system!
I tried as you suggested, jumping the two battery posts on the isolator solenoid. The jumper was to light (light duty) it overheated quickly and not enough amps flowing to start. When my wife hit the aux. start and cranked.....I heard the solenoid chatter. It made a slight difference but not enough. I still thing the solenoid is bad. I think I will swap it out and see. What do you think?
I will try to start the engine with my jumper box as soon as it is fully charged.
Marc

[R2V2 Beep]

I would like to chime in on this topic. I have a 1993 Fleetwood Pace arrow DP.
My chassi batteries are not charging when i am on shore power, only the coach batteries. I read a section in the manual and from what i read and understand is that the chassi batteries do NOT charge on shore power thru the converter. Would you agree to that or not?
Thanks for any help.

[Old Bounder]

Originally Posted by c5man99

Old Bounder,
Thank you...these are the correct doc's for my system!
I tried as you suggested, jumping the two battery posts on the isolator solenoid. The jumper was to light (light duty) it overheated quickly and not enough amps flowing to start. When my wife hit the aux. start and cranked.....I heard the solenoid chatter. It made a slight difference but not enough. I still thing the solenoid is bad. I think I will swap it out and see. What do you think?
I will try to start the engine with my jumper box as soon as it is fully charged.
Marc

Please note that I said Jumper cable. I think you have about proven that your solenoid is bad.

If there are other problems, the documentation should lead you to the source.

Make sure you use a continuous duty rated solenoid. Anything rated about 200amps should be good. When you have to use the aux start/boost function, the diesel starter can pull a load of amperage.

[Old Bounder]

Originally Posted by R2V2 Beep

I would like to chime in on this topic. I have a 1993 Fleetwood Pace arrow DP.
My chassi batteries are not charging when i am on shore power, only the coach batteries. I read a section in the manual and from what i read and understand is that the chassi batteries do NOT charge on shore power thru the converter. Would you agree to that or not?
Thanks for any help.

On your '93 that is the case. Fleetwood started using BCCs with the chassis battery charge capability about '95.

[R2V2 Beep]

OK thanks. I have a Battery Tender charger but is is only 750 milli amps output.
and i have another one that is 12 watts continuous. E/P 12/12=1 amp if i used that to charge would it be to hot for the batteries and boil them to much? I am thinking not. How about you.

[Old Bounder]

Originally Posted by R2V2 Beep

OK thanks. I have a Battery Tender charger but is is only 750 milli amps output.
and i have another one that is 12 watts continuous. E/P 12/12=1 amp if i used that to charge would it be to hot for the batteries and boil them to much? I am thinking not. How about you.

That should work. Some folks simply jumper the two battery systems together with a small jumper wire while plugged into power.

[c5man99]

Originally Posted by Old Bounder

Please note that I said Jumper cable. I think you have about proven that your solenoid is bad.

If there are other problems, the documentation should lead you to the source.

Make sure you use a continuous duty rated solenoid. Anything rated about 200amps should be good. When you have to use the aux start/boost function, the diesel starter can pull a load of amperage.

To be clear.....It was a jumper cable.....just a LIGHT duty one. AKA junk!
I am ordering from Fleetwood because I can not find one that has vertical posts.
I don't have the room to relocate the battery cables.
Thanks again, Marc