1997 GM Pace Arrow

[select55]

Can get the house batterys to charge though the alternater when engine running if I hold the boost switch down but not otherwise as it should
there must be a keyed ignition relay somewhere that feeds power to the charge solenoid ? but where is it???

anyone know ?
Thanks

[Unplanned Tourist]

It should have either a relay or diode style house battery charge system to charge your house batteries while you drive or whenever your engine is running. Maybe whatever you have is defective. Follow the cables from the batteries back to whichever you have. It is probably close to the relay you are activating with your dash switch. Get someone to flip the switch while you listen for it clicking. Good luck.

[select55]

still looking for the power source from ignition that activates the charge solenoid?? any one have a hint as to where it may be

[Unplanned Tourist]

Originally Posted by select55

still looking for the power source from ignition that activates the charge solenoid?? any one have a hint as to where it may be

You probably have one of the Diode Battery Isolators instead of a relay. It is most likely blue, with cooling fins and 3 heavy wires attached to it.
Look for something like one of these-- Diode Battery Isolators Series - Battery Isolators from Battery Management - Littelfuse
Might be located on the firewall.

[twinboat]

Try to follow the B+ wire from the alternator. If you have a diode isolator, it will go directly to it.

[select55]

Originally Posted by twinboat

Try to follow the B+ wire from the alternator. If you have a diode isolator, it will go directly to it.

Iam tending to think its not a isolator system? on the schematics it says
"house charge battery and booster"" solenoid (all one unit) and this solenoid works so was thinking there is a keyed power relay that activates the solenoid when driving but ? maybe it has the isolator also
will take a look

[Unplanned Tourist]

Maybe the batteries are toast? How are they after a full charge? Always check them independently 5 or 6 hours after charging. As a matter of fact, they should be separated from each other if you have 2 or more. I have seen a bad battery pull the others down to nothing in a very short time. We always used 4 12 volt 31's, and would change them out every Fall in anticipation of the cold starts during the Winter months. But these were on units doing 150-200,000 miles a year on lots of rough roads.

[select55]

Originally Posted by Unplanned

Maybe the batteries are toast? How are they after a full charge? Always check them independently 5 or 6 hours after charging. As a matter of fact, they should be separated from each other if you have 2 or more. I have seen a bad battery pull the others down to nothing in a very short time. We always used 4 12 volt 31's, and would change them out every Fall in anticipation of the cold starts during the Winter months. But these were on units doing 150-200,000 miles a year on lots of rough roads.

not sure but you may have either misunderstood my post or your reply is in the wrong thread(I have don't that myself)

Iam looking for the 12V supply source that activates the charge solenoid while engine is running

[Unplanned Tourist]

Originally Posted by select55

not sure but you may have either misunderstood my post or your reply is in the wrong thread(I have don't that myself)

Iam looking for the 12V supply source that activates the charge solenoid while engine is running

Just wondering if the batteries are dead or ?

[Old Bounder]

My '97 is on a Ford chassis, so I can't help you much in tracing voltages from your ignition to the BCC.

However, I can tell you that the 12V ignition signal (needed to trigger the charge relay in the BCC) enters the BCC box on Plug 4, pin-11. On the board, the 12V closes the ignition relay. Power from the chassis battery is routed to the sensing circuit for the activation of the charge relay through the ignition relay contacts.

With all that being said, there are several other things that utilize that 12V signal source (i.e. levelers, dash fan, etc.), including the engine ignition itself. If those things work, then I suspect the problem is in the BCC circuit board.

There is a diode in the signal path (on the board) that may be open. I can provide diagrams if you need them.

[select55]

Originally Posted by Old Bounder

My '97 is on a Ford chassis, so I can't help you much in tracing voltages from your ignition to the BCC.

However, I can tell you that the 12V ignition signal (needed to trigger the charge relay in the BCC) enters the BCC box on Plug 4, pin-11. On the board, the 12V closes the ignition relay. Power from the chassis battery is routed to the sensing circuit for the activation of the charge relay through the ignition relay contacts.

With all that being said, there are several other things that utilize that 12V signal source (i.e. levelers, dash fan, etc.), including the engine ignition itself. If those things work, then I suspect the problem is in the BCC circuit board.

There is a diode in the signal path (on the board) that may be open. I can provide diagrams if you need them.

sure a diagram would be good. \I assume Pacearrow used the same green fuse and circuit board no matter GM or ford power
glad u responded because I never related the green circuit and fuse board as being in play to activate the charge solenoid
also theres defiantly no isolator involved in this set up as some had suggested

[select55]

Originally Posted by Unplanned

It should have either a relay or diode style house battery charge system to charge your house batteries while you drive or whenever your engine is running. Maybe whatever you have is defective. Follow the cables from the batteries back to whichever you have. It is probably close to the relay you are activating with your dash switch. Get someone to flip the switch while you listen for it clicking. Good luck.

from what I see and what I read on the BCC schematics the boost solenoid and the charge relay are one and the same all I am trying to do is find out why this solenoid wont activate when the key is turned on?
or if Iam incorrect on my theory then how does the house battery charge when running engine

[Old Bounder]

Originally Posted by select55

from what I see and what I read on the BCC schematics the boost solenoid and the charge relay are one and the same all I am trying to do is find out why this solenoid wont activate when the key is turned on?
or if Iam incorrect on my theory then how does the house battery charge when running engine

Just for clarity, the alternator must be charging above 13.2 volts for the charge solenoid to activate when the key is ON and the engine is RUNNING.

....and, yes the charge solenoid, the isolator solenoid and the aux start solenoid are ALL one and the same.

Here is the whole package for the BCC you have in your coach. If you have any questions after looking at the diagram and troubleshooting procedures, pm me or re-post here.

By the way, if you can determine, through the test procedures, that the CHASSIS batteries are (or are NOT) being charged from the converter on shore power, you can further isolate the source of the problem. The sensing circuits are the same for charging in either direction (i.e. House to chassis or alternator to house). If one direction works, and the other does not, it is usually a bad diode on the board.

[select55]

Originally Posted by Old Bounder

Just for clarity, the alternator must be charging above 13.2 volts for the charge solenoid to activate when the key is ON and the engine is RUNNING.

....and, yes the charge solenoid, the isolator solenoid and the aux start solenoid are ALL one and the same.

Here is the whole package for the BCC you have in your coach. If you have any questions after looking at the diagram and troubleshooting procedures, pm me or re-post here.

By the way, if you can determine, through the test procedures, that the CHASSIS batteries are (or are NOT) being charged from the converter on shore power, you can further isolate the source of the problem. The sensing circuits are the same for charging in either direction (i.e. House to chassis or alternator to house). If one direction works, and the other does not, it is usually a bad diode on the board.

thanks very much for the link. perhaps the green fuse/circuit board is bad as converter works fine and the batterys show full alternater voltage when running engine and engaging the booster switch but nothing without doing so