Community Forums

georgetown350 · 10-23-2008, 07:42 AM

Coach wont start unless im plugged into hydro. If I unplug from hydro there is not enough juice from the battery to start. Unplugged from hydro the brake booster is very quiet and sluggish ( engine wont turn over) as would be in the case of a weak battery but I plug back into hydro and its perfect again.

Is this a bad ground?

georgetown350 · 10-23-2008, 07:42 AM

Coach wont start unless im plugged into hydro. If I unplug from hydro there is not enough juice from the battery to start. Unplugged from hydro the brake booster is very quiet and sluggish ( engine wont turn over) as would be in the case of a weak battery but I plug back into hydro and its perfect again.

Is this a bad ground?

AFChap · 10-23-2008, 02:16 PM

eh??? "plugged into hydro" ??? what is that?

Acker1 · 10-23-2008, 02:51 PM

"Hydro" is Canadian for electric.

Have your batteries checked. Sounds like you are starting from the inverter.

georgetown350 · 10-23-2008, 03:40 PM

how about shore power?

I dont have an inverter...maybe the converter? I do have an appointment at Ford to have the battery tested but I was a little confused that the engine battery could get a boost from shore power..... it led me to believe that my battery was ok and that maybe I wasnt getting a good ground or something. Im all googled out on this one.

Marty too · 10-23-2008, 04:19 PM

Steve, from your post I'm a bit confused also. In all I've read and from experience through three M/Hs, external power (Hydro, shore or what ever one calls it) is in no way tied to the chassis battery system unless 1: the system has been modified or 2: there is some type of a battery charger tied from the A/C "Hydro" input to the battery.

I'm not familiar with the Georgeboy system but do you have a switch on the dash board marked as emergency start or in some related fashion? The idea of that switch, should the chassis battery go dead for some reason, it'll tie the coach batteries in to give a boast to start the engine. Only the house batteries should have electrical input from a external A/C source.

If you have a converter, what make and model is it?

Marty

LVJ58 · 10-23-2008, 09:49 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Steve, from your post I'm a bit confused also. In all I've read and from experience through three M/Hs, external power (Hydro, shore or what ever one calls it) is in no way tied to the chassis battery system unless 1: the system has been modified or 2: there is some type of a battery charger tied from the A/C "Hydro" input to the battery </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Marty too, I must respectfully disagree with you as our 2000 v10 gas powered coach has both coach and chassis battery charged from the converter as well as the engine alternator.

Granted, there may be some gas powered coaches where the converter doesn't charge the chassis batteries however it's more common on diesel powered coaches.

Our coach came with a "Battery Control Center" which has an isolaror solenoid that isolates the coach and chassis batteries when the voltage is below 13.3v. When a charge voltage either from the converter or alternator reaches 13.3v or higher the solenoid closes and charges both batteries from the charging source.

Best regards, Jim

J Walker · 10-24-2008, 04:00 AM

Yep, some motor homes allow the converter (12V nominal) to charge both the house and chassis batteries. Mine does, and works both ways. When the voltage of the battery being charged reaches a certain value the relay closes and then house and chassis batteries are both charged. This works both when the alternator is charging the chassis battery or the converter is charging the house battery.
So, it appears that the chassis battery or its connections are marginal and the converter supplies just enough current to start the MH. Check all battery connections first. Check battery voltage as well. Of course check water level in the battery.

Gary RVRoamer · 10-25-2008, 04:50 AM

Could be a bad ground but more likely just a dead chassis battery.

georgetown350 · 10-25-2008, 02:58 PM

Motorhome started fine first thing this morning. Warmed it up for ten minutes, drove down the road and the engine stalled. Turned key to start it and it just clicked, so I boosted it off the coach battery and away we went. Would a bad ground or bad battery cause the engine to stall?

Sixpack98 · 10-25-2008, 03:28 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Stevegeorgetown:
Motorhome started fine first thing this morning. Warmed it up for ten minutes, drove down the road and the engine stalled. Turned key to start it and it just clicked, so I boosted it off the coach battery and away we went. Would a bad ground or bad battery cause the engine to stall? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Both could cause the engine to stall. It sounds like a bad battery to me and it can't take a charge. Take the battery to a auto parts store that has a battery tester. Also, you might check the ground connection with an ohm meter. Some of the digital ones can display sub 1 ohm. I would also check the positive cables for a loose connection. If checking the + and - connections and testing the battery test ok I would then look at the possibility of a bad alternator.

mark

Gary RVRoamer · 10-25-2008, 03:42 PM

Sixpack98 gave good advice.

georgetown350 · 10-25-2008, 03:45 PM

Ya I think must have killed the battery by parking seasonal this year. I would operate slides every weekend before plugging into electric. I think this was wearing the battery down.... didnt start the engine much thinking that shorepower was charging chassis battery. Maybe it was maybe it wasnt I dont know.

shall see what Ford finds out on Monday

thanks for the replies guys

Marty too · 10-26-2008, 03:11 PM

Quote:

"Marty too, I must respectfully disagree with you as our 2000 v10 gas powered coach has both coach and chassis battery charged from the converter as well as the engine alternator."

LV158 (Jim) Hi guy: thanks for the update. I was aware that the DPs had the system to charge both sets of batteries but didn't know it had been incorperated into the Gasser fleets. It's a good idea and neat function------when it works. From past experience though, I think I'd rather have the old system in reference to how I posted above. IMO, much easier to trouble shoot and maintain.

Have a Good-un

Marty