I read through this older thread as best I could:
https://www.irv2.com/forums/f103/bir...im-236021.html
My issue is this: I have a 2005 Mountain Aire 43' DP. Using testing procedures that others on the forum have so generously offered up, I am reasonably sure that the solenoid on the BIRD system has gone bad. In researching these BIRD systems, the failure of this solenoid seems to be common enough that the failure of the solenoid is almost a when rather than if situation.
I ordered a replacement from Newmar, and what showed up is not the mechanical type solenoid that's in there now. It's a newer style solid state looking unit called a BIM. In reading through what I could find on the net, it seems to be more advanced in the way it operates, and it's got fewer if any moving parts. Whereas the older style "clunk - clunk" mechanical solenoid in the BIRD system seems to be a common point of failure, apparently these BIM type units are relatively trouble free.
I'm not a wiring guru at all. I can pull and replace the older style solenoid easily. What I can't do is start re-engineering the system. What I have in the coach now is an mechanical solenoid controlled by the Intellitec Bi-Directional Isolator Relay, essentially a small black box hooked up to the solenoid that's the brains of the operation. The box decides what the solenoid should do and sends the appropriate signal to the solenoid to clunk into the appropriate positon to charge, start, etc.
Looking at the schematic of this older setup on the Intellitec paperwork, it seems the the solenoid has a terminal for each of the two battery banks (chassis and house), a ground terminal, and a terminal for the wire from the switch in the cab that allows for the house batteries to be used to start the engine when the chassis batteries are low.
The BIM225 manufactured by Precision Circuits, Inc that Newmar sent to me has 5 terminals. They are marked Batt A, Batt B, Ign, Gnd and Sig. It would seem to my relatively uneducated perspective that this BIM is not a simple bolt in direct replacement. On the BIM, the Batt A, Batt B and gnd terminals are easy and self explanatory. I have no idea what wires got to the IGN and SIG terminals, as neither wire is accounted for on the current solenoid.
While I really am attracted to the enhanced reliability of the BIM, I'm not sure about how to get it hooked up and running. Another key question is will it even work with the little black box brain that's in the coach now. Is the BIM even compatible with that?
If there's a real quick easy explanation of how to hook it up with the wires that are currently on the old solenoid, and IF it's compatible with the black box part of the system that's there, I'll use it. If not I'll just bolt in the old style system. What would you guys do? What do you think? Is it even worth trying to switch over to the BIM or should I just stick wth the BIRD?