Generator Power Source ???

[Moxxi]

My Onan 5500 Marquis Gold generator just clicks rapidly when I try to start it.

Sounds like the way a car sounds, when you try to start it with a bad battery.

Tomorrow, I will check for loose/bad battery connections.

But, I've noticed another oddity, as well. And, I'm wondering if the 2 issues are related.

When hooked up to shore power. & I check the voltage gauges for my house & engine batteries, I see that the "house" battery voltage is at a steady 13.4. But, my "engine" battery voltage is at 12.6.

Does my generator get its power to start from my engine battery?

If so, then the 2 issues just might be related. (Replace the engine battery, gen problem solved?)

[winniman]

Most generators start from the house batteries. Your engine battery is at 12.6 because most rvs dont charge the engine battery on shore power. 12.6 is about normal for a good battery at rest, and is fairly well charged. Check you cables for clean connections, as well as the ground. Sometimes a bad ground will do the same. There is a ground on the side of the generator that usually isnt hooked up. If you have a jumper cable, clip it on the side of the genny on the ground, and run it to the frame. My one genny, we added a permanent ground on it. Just a thought, it happened to me. Make sure the generator will roll over by hand as well.

[Moxxi]

Originally Posted by winniman

... There is a ground on the side of the generator that usually isnt hooked up...

Why would there be a ground that isn't hooked up?

[Hikerdogs]

As mentioned if the wiring is factory original the generator is powered by the house batteries. However since about 2003 or 2004 both the house and chassis batteries are charged by shore power.

I'm not sure which of the charging systems is used on the 2008 models. Over the years Winnebago has used several. You can go to the electrical diagrams on the Winnebago website to see which system is used and how it is wired.

https://winnebagoind.com/diagram/Wiring.htm

If the house batteries are charging from shore power the most common reason for not charging the chassis battery is that the solenoid has failed.

[Moxxi]

Originally Posted by Hikerdogs

... the most common reason for not charging the chassis battery is that the solenoid has failed.

So, is a voltage reading of 12.6 good, or should the engine battery have a higher reading, while on shore power?

[Hikerdogs]

Originally Posted by Moxxi

So, is a voltage reading of 12.6 good, or should the engine battery have a higher reading, while on shore power?

It all depends on the battery charging system in your coach. Our 2013 Adventurer uses a Precision Circuits battery isolation manager part number 00-10021-000. This system will not activate the charger to charge the chassis battery unless the voltage falls below 12.6 volts.

Here's a link to the Precision Circuits website page that describes how the isolation manager works and how to troubleshoot it.
http://precisioncircuitsinc.com/prod...mp-continuous/

I wasn't sure the system was operating correctly because we were always seeing 12.6 to 12.8 volts on the monitor. The system in our 2001 Adventurer would show 13.2 to 13.4 volts a majority of the time. I went through the trouble shooting guide on the website to find it was working correctly.

As a side note our 2013 Adventurer came with a "Supplemental" owners manual in addition to the generic owners manual. The isolation manager and several other systems were described in far more detail than the generic manual.

[twinboat]

Originally Posted by Moxxi

So, is a voltage reading of 12.6 good, or should the engine battery have a higher reading, while on shore power?

While on shore power, turn on the headlights. That will draw down the volts, if your system is the advanced type.

If the volts get down to 12.4 and no change, push the boost switch. If while holding that, the volts don't come up, the solenoid is no good.

[AKIQPilot]

So unless it was added by a previous owner the 2008 Adventurer did not charge the chassis batteries while plugged in to shore power. Only the coach batteries are charged while plugged in to shore power.

12.6V for the chassis battery is a perfectly normal voltage for a battery that is fully charged and not being charged from an outside source or the alternator.

As mentioned the generator starts using the coach batteries.

It seems to me like you only have one issue, your generator won't start. Like mentioned, look for a loose connection at the generator or at the battery box under the steps. The positive cable headed back to the generator connects to the positive post on the middle battery under the steps. That cable is red and should have yellow tape wrapped around the end right at the post. The generator cable is easy to identify because of the yellow tape on the end. Make sure there is no corrosion at the cable end.

As mentioned, attempt to start the generator by pushing and holding the Battery Boost button at the same time as the Gen start button.

If you can't find a loose or corroded cable them move back to the generator itself. Remove the side cover. Using a multi meter check the voltage at the positive terminal near the start stop switch on the generator. You should see the same voltage as your chassis batteries. About 13.6v if connected to shore power and about 12.6v if not. Attempt to start the generator using this start button and watch what the voltage does. If the voltage drop significantly then there is an issue with the positive cable coming from the battery. If the voltage doesn't drop significantly then you have an issue with the ground or with the generator starter itself.

[Hikerdogs]

My error on my original post. I stated that since about 2003 or 2004 both sets of batteries were charged by shore power. In the 2003/2004 time period Winnebago changed the 12 volt power ports from the chassis battery to the house batteries. This was to avoid draining the chassis battery by using 12 volt accessories for prolonged periods of time.

However in the 2008 Adventurer and Suncruiser manuals they state that they both have a "Dual Battery Charge Automatic". I was unable to access the 2008 wiring diagrams to determine whether dual charging was with both shore and engine power, or only with engine power.

[AKIQPilot]

Originally Posted by Hikerdogs

My error on my original post. I stated that since about 2003 or 2004 both sets of batteries were charged by shore power. In the 2003/2004 time period Winnebago changed the 12 volt power ports from the chassis battery to the house batteries. This was to avoid draining the chassis battery by using 12 volt accessories for prolonged periods of time.



However in the 2008 Adventurer and Suncruiser manuals they state that they both have a "Dual Battery Charge Automatic". I was unable to access the 2008 wiring diagrams to determine whether dual charging was with both shore and engine power, or only with engine power.

Isn’t the Dual Battery Charge Automatic for the two house batteries? I looked through the 2008 wiring diagrams and the battery tray diagrams and I did not find anything that indicates the chassis batteries are being charged when the coach is plugged in to shore power. I could have missed it though.

PS. My 2002 Itasca uses the coach batteries to start the generator.

[Ray,IN]

Originally Posted by Hikerdogs

My error on my original post. I stated that since about 2003 or 2004 both sets of batteries were charged by shore power. In the 2003/2004 time period Winnebago changed the 12 volt power ports from the chassis battery to the house batteries. This was to avoid draining the chassis battery by using 12 volt accessories for prolonged periods of time.

However in the 2008 Adventurer and Suncruiser manuals they state that they both have a "Dual Battery Charge Automatic". I was unable to access the 2008 wiring diagrams to determine whether dual charging was with both shore and engine power, or only with engine power.

That is a BIRD= Bi-directional Isolator Relay Delay; some models have one, some do not.

[J2battle]

Mine does that too! But the sound may just be the fuel pump priming the fuel system in preparation for starting. Press and hold the start switch, the clicking will stop and the starter will engage, continue holding until generator engine starts and runs, release the switch. Once generator reaches operating speed and completes its system self-test, it will begin providing power to the coach electrical bus and power up the systems.

[SuperGewl]

Originally Posted by J2battle

Mine does that too! But the sound may just be the fuel pump priming the fuel system in preparation for starting. Press and hold the start switch, the clicking will stop and the starter will engage, continue holding until generator engine starts and runs, release the switch. Once generator reaches operating speed and completes its system self-test, it will begin providing power to the coach electrical bus and power up the systems.

This is not correct.
Press and hold the Start/Stop switch in the Stop position for a few seconds, you may want to repeat this 2 or 3 times. This Primes the carburetor. Then Press the Start switch and hold until it starts. If it does not then you should attempt to recover the fault codes that the light will blink to you and go from there.

[Ray,IN]

Originally Posted by SuperGewl

This is not correct.
Press and hold the Start/Stop switch in the Stop position for a few seconds, you may want to repeat this 2 or 3 times. This Primes the carburetor. Then Press the Start switch and hold until it starts. If it does not then you should attempt to recover the fault codes that the light will blink to you and go from there.

You are both correct, but for different functions.