Dead Coach- 08 Cayman PDQ

[Mike Canter]

Jim, just a thought here. If the starter motor itself is bad then you should have heard the starter solenoid clicking when you tried to start it. If the solenoid is bad then no clicking and the starter motor is good. You should ask them what the problem is and see if maybe see if they can do a little more troubleshooting because it is a lot cheaper just to replace the solenoid than the solenoid and the starter. Most of the time that I have had burned and pitted contacts in a solenoid it will just click and click and click and then finally start maybe. Just changed the solenoid and was back on the road again.

[jim.smithjr]

My motorhome is running again. Two very dead chassis batteries and a new starter (warranty) and away it went.

We've just had this coach in service for about 13 months, but the batteries were manufactured in September of 2007, and they were just 750 CCA each, not really enough for this engine in our cold area. The new batteries are 925 CCA, and I can easily tell the difference.

My coach supposedly has the BIRD system which is intended to allow the AC charger to charge up the engine batteries when the house batteries are full? If it's actually there, it doesn't appear to be working. This discovery was also just made today, and contributed to the problem because I thought all along that the engine batteries were being maintained by the inverter/charger system, and they were not.

In any case, we're running. Oil change on Thursday, and back to my favourite RV shop Friday to replace the end cap on one of my slide toppers.

Assuming my wife gets a clean bill of health on Jan 19, we'll be heading for Victoria, BC about Jan 26 in this coach.

[JohnRR]

Thank you for the update, I hope you and your wife enjoy your up coming trip together.

[bullydogs1]

2008 models -- chassis batteries are not charged from shorepower...you need to get a TrikLStart....problem solved..easy install and you won't have the problem again. 2009 models have a megatech board which was just updated.

[jim.smithjr]

What is a Triklstart? Is that a brand name?

Monaco tells me that my coach has shorepower charging ability for my chassis batteries. I can check this out as soon as I get back to my coach again, now that they have taught me what to look for.

I installed a Xantrex Echo Charger into my boat battery charging system and it works very well. I'll do the same for our motor home if I find this promised relay isn't there.

[Mike Canter]

Jim, most likely your MH has the B.I.R.D system. You should be able to verify this by looking in the Rear Run Box and look for what appears to be a monster relay called a Big Boy. If you have the B.I.R.D system then you maybe figure out why it is not working rather add some other charging system. The BIRD system is pretty simple and very reliable. The idea of the BIRD system is that it isolates the two battery sets and allows the house batteries to first get up to a charge level of 13.1 volts or greater before it turns on the Big Boy relay to allow the charge to go to the chassis batteries. Once this happens it continues to charge the chassis batteries until the house battery voltage drops back down to 12.8 volts then the Big Boy relay turns off and isolates the two battery sets from each other. Most of the problems with the BIRD system is NOT the system itself but something outside the system that is not allowing the house batteries to get up to 13.1+ volts. The two main causes of this can be that you have one or two bad house batteries that are pulling down the house battery voltage and preventing it from getting above 13.1 volts or the Inverter/charger is not set up correctly so it will not charge the batteries to a high enough voltage or the battery cable connections on one or both sets of batteries are dirty. You might want to read this whole post http://www.irv2.com/forums/f115/dead...ain-81267.html

The first thing I would do is to get an accurate digital voltmeter and read the voltage across the house batteries and see if it is above or below 13.1 volts. If it is above 13.1 volts then we need to check out the BIRD system itself. If it is below 13.1 v then I would remove all the house batteries check the water levels and have them tested underload and if good then clean all the battery posts and cables with a wire brush until they shine and try it again. If the batteries still stay below 13.1 volts after a 24 hour period then it is time to dowble check that the inverter/charger is set up correctly and we can go from there.

This might help you understand the BIRD

[DP01]

Jim:

If you do have the BIRD system installed, the original contactor is a Trombetta 114-1211-010. This contactor has copper contacts and is subject to corrosion (Verdigris) see attached photograph.

A better replacement is the Trombetta 114-1211-020 contactor that has silve alloy contacts available at a very reasonable cost at: Trombetta 114-1211-020 DC Contactor

The photograph shows the contactor out of our Neptune at six months old.

Dennis

[Mike Canter]

Jim, it is either going to look like the one in Dennis's picture which is the Trombetta or it will look like the Big Boy at this site.
EcoVantage Catalog: Intellitec Big Boy Isolator Relay

Here is another view of the Trombetta.
Trombetta 114-1211-020 DC Contactor

At least the Trombetta is way cheaper but that is maybe why is fails sooner. But before you change the relay read the voltages and get back to us for the next step if required.

[jim.smithjr]

Thanks for all this information; this is really great. My motor home is still at the service shop, waiting for an oil change, which should be happening this evening . I'm going to leave it where it is over the weekend. It's extremely cold here today (-21C right now), but it will be safely in a locked compund and plugged in for the weekend. Early next week it's going to one more shop to have a new end cap installed on one of the slide-out toppers; and to check this BIRD system?

Monaco Owner Advantage tell me that there is a relay in the forward left compartment fuse panel with a clip and the little fuse puller attached to this relay. That is the relay that controls the charge to the chassis batteries according to this fellow? He suggested I measure the voltage at either side of this relay, and that should tell me if it's working properly.

In the meantime, I'll download and study the information you've sent. One way or the other I'll have enough information to be pretty dangerous when we get the coach back indoors.

Thanks again for all this information; I really appreciate it! I'll let you know what I discover.

[bullydogs1]

Monaco Owner Advantage tell me that there is a relay in the forward left compartment fuse panel with a clip and the little fuse puller attached to this relay. That is the relay that controls the charge to the chassis batteries according to this fellow? He suggested I measure the voltage at either side of this relay, and that should tell me if it's working properly.

--That's the Megatech Board...described above...if you look at the board, it will say MegaTech....that board was updated as of 12/10...It is $58 from Megatech (I have one waiting to be installed and will do so once it gets warmer---meanwhile I have the TrikLStart(do a google and you will find it)..your Xantrex on your boat is the same thing..)...the old megatech board would only work when your batteries are above 13.8 volts during absorb charge..Once it gets to float charge 13.6...the thing cuts out.then you stay plugged in and the chassis batteries discharge...thus the newly programmed board. Call Patti at Megatech of Oregon (they have a website) and they can explain it to you..Great people...

[DP01]

Here's a copy of the power wiring diagram showing the Trombetta that may help.

Dennis