Community Forums

Downsizer · 02-09-2018, 12:11 PM

Hi everyone,
2000 Monaco, Windsor, 8.1, 38' - no slides
About a month ago we noticed a clicking sound. After listening for it, we found it was the Battery Maintainer Module in the very back side compartment door - where all the Battery controls things are. We turned both big battery switches off - it stopped. Turned on the coach one only - no clicking. We turned the Chassis Battery Switch on and it resumed the clicking - about every 10 seconds?
We have since left the Chassis Switch off - fine while parking (unfortunately, allows the Chassis battery to not be maintained).
Question of the day?? Anyone have any thoughts what is causing this - since there are a gazillion wires and relays - LOL!!!! I know I have to try tracing things down - 1 relay at a time - just curious if anyone else has experienced this and what was a possible cause?
Thanks!

Podivin · 02-09-2018, 12:16 PM

You might try using a mechanic's stethoscope and listen to each relay separately to determine which one it is that's making the clicking noise.
If you can find that, then hopefully there will be a part number on it so you can hunt down a replacement.
If you do this, just keep in mind that you're using a metal device around electricity. It should all be 12 volt in there, but you still don't want to touch both positive and ground at the same time.

RockyMtnRide · 02-09-2018, 03:59 PM

The battery maintainer is solid state and not make noise. A clicking sound would be a relay actuating. You can feel a relay energize by touching the case. But be careful not to touch open terminals or connectors.

Daytonaman · 02-09-2018, 11:36 PM

Those maintainers click till' the chassis battery is full. Manual descibes this.
The clcking i is a ctout at 15 a, then the green led wll be on. Takes awhile..

Downsizer · 02-10-2018, 11:03 AM

Thanks guys - excellent idea on the stethoscope - I'll get one - should have one anyway!
It definitely does click!!
Daytonaman - makes sense - just weird - we are parked and it has been "maintaining" batteries all along. Suddenly, it started clicking but green light is on.... so we turned off the Chassis
Just now turned the Chassis Battery Switch back on - green light still on - about 60 seconds into it - clicked...
Any possibility on letting me know where I can look at that manual? I'll see what I can find online...
Again, thanks guys!
Bernie

RockyMtnRide · 02-10-2018, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Downsizer

Thanks guys - excellent idea on the stethoscope - I'll get one - should have one anyway!

It definitely does click!!

Daytonaman - makes sense - just weird - we are parked and it has been "maintaining" batteries all along. Suddenly, it started clicking but green light is on.... so we turned off the Chassis

Just now turned the Chassis Battery Switch back on - green light still on - about 60 seconds into it - clicked...

Any possibility on letting me know where I can look at that manual? I'll see what I can find online...

Again, thanks guys!

Bernie

Sorry for the bad information. My Lambert unit was installed in late 2015. It was not procured from the original company, rather i bought it from new company started by a couple of the Monaco guys in Coburg. They were building them in their garage and I thought they based the design on the original. Their company only lasted a few months before closing. Mine is definitely solid state and doesn’t have any clicking relay. Again sorry for the bad info

Downsizer · 02-10-2018, 11:37 AM

No worries - at least you were trying to help!! Makes sense now, guess the older ones click......
Again, thanks for responding as you have too - very nice in this day and age!!!

Downsizer · 04-25-2018, 01:34 PM

Hi everyone,

Wanted to post what the fix is for the clicking in my Battery Maintainer...

New Batteries - go figure!!! Apparently there was a very small short in a cell somewhere, within one of the batteries? I had 4 AGM Golf Cart ones and a large 1400 CCA Lead Acid one for the engine start.

Should've slowed down and thought it through. Several years ago we would get a little flickering in one or 2 of the LED 12 volt lamps inside.... just figured it was a bad bulb so never thought it through....

Well, upon hindsight clarity - it was just enough of a short in a battery - no idea which one - to cause this.... as the short got worse, it then forced the entire system to be effected, hence the controller was now clicking - trying to maintain itself.

Can't complain about them though - we bought them new in Dec of 2009 - Yeah!!!

So, the moral of the story - if you get a slight flickering in your lights -start saving for Batteries!!!

wa8yxm · 04-26-2018, 08:54 AM

Elsewhere we have these lovely STATE OF CHARGE charts

Well you can not tell the standing voltage of a battery if it is being charged. So it "Clicks off" to measure, then Clicks back on to keep charging.

Downsizer · 04-26-2018, 11:28 AM

That wouldn't have helped?
The Battery Maintainer was fine until my first post when it started clicking every 10-15 seconds and causing all my monitors to go crazy. My main battery monitor inside was bouncing lights all over the scale as was my solar controller jumping voltage all over. Prior to this, we never heard such an audible clicking sound and certainly not so rapidly either.....
The only way I could get it to not be so dramatic in clicking and cycling the monitors was to shut off both chassis and coach batteries ( I was plugged in)
The "problem" was way beyond just the actual cycling of the system.... I am well aware of that part of the system and how it works...
In my thoughts, it was a relay sticking or wire chewed out by a mouse that was shorting and getting worse, and needed to be found to not start frying other things....
All good - it is back to normal and working fine....