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12-22-2024, 08:18 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 104
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1998 Chevrolet P30 Alternator Issues on Fleetwood Storm
I am trying to determine if my alternator is bad on my 1998 Fleetwood Storm. My battery died. I replaced the battery, but while driving the voltage slowly dropped on the battery. Prior to that, I had some strange engine behavior. Engine revving. Stalling when I turned on the lights or pressed on the brakes.
I have been looking for diagrams to show me if the alternator has a fuse. I don't see one labeled in the box. I don't see information on other fuse locations. I don't see any information on changing the alternator either.
Does anyone have any experience with this?
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12-22-2024, 08:31 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Fulda, MN
Posts: 1,879
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Take your alternator to most any auto parts store and they can test it for you. It sounds like it is bad.
__________________
2000 Winnebago Adventurer 32v, P32 Workhorse
2005 Winnebago Adventurer 38J W24 Workhorse 8.1l, 5 Speed Allison MH2000
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12-22-2024, 08:35 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2024
Location: Bohemia NY
Posts: 2,020
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Unless someone added, alternators are not fused or otherwise over current protected.
You check for battery voltage at the battery terminal on the back, start the engine and see if the voltage increases. Also, if there is a battery-alternator warning light make sure it works. Warning lights should always be checked each engine start. The alternator warning light is part of the excitation circuit, so it is needed for the alternator to "turn on".
If no voltage rise after starting, revving the engine it is not producing power.
You have a lot of choices for replacing it including increasing capacity.
__________________
Dennis
Bohemia NY
2008 Nimbus 342 SE Carlyle
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12-22-2024, 08:42 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2024
Location: Bohemia NY
Posts: 2,020
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Quote:
Originally Posted by David 70
Take your alternator to most any auto parts store and they can test it for you. It sounds like it is bad.
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Have you tried that lately? I think those days are long gone. No I will be a bit Snarky here!
If you own an RV and you are planning to be the do it yourself service person, which is really mandatory especially for an older vehicle, you should have the skills, and test equipment to figure this out. Muti-meters including clamp on amp meters are inexpensive and readily available. Learn Ohm's and Kirchoff's laws and there won't be a DC circuit you can't figure out.
__________________
Dennis
Bohemia NY
2008 Nimbus 342 SE Carlyle
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12-22-2024, 08:45 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2024
Location: WI Driftlesser
Posts: 2,583
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There may be an ignition fuse, but that would probably affect other ignition functions. There is a fusible link in the alternator wiring, so measure the voltage at the big B+ terminal on the alternator with the engine off, and then with the engine on. It should match battery voltage off and be the same or .1-.2V higher than battery voltage with the engine running.
If that voltage is present, then you want to confirm that the excite voltage is present, and there are all sorts of possibilities, as 98 was around the time alternators were switching from internally regulated back to externally regulated, in this case by the body control module, or some other computer outside the alternator. So I'd need to see a pic of the alternator or look up the model number to know what to do next. That's the good thing about taking it to a parts place, their machine will test it. The bad thing about taking it to a parts place, is taking it off and bringing it in, but also, they can fail when hot and work again when cooled off, so not definitive.
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12-22-2024, 08:46 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 37,095
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You may have a battery isolator on that age RV. They take the output wire from the alternator and run it to the isolator. From that, wires run to chassis and house batteries, splitting the charge.
Look over those heavy wires and connections. Test the Battery Isolator ( Google instructions ) , and confirm that you have a key on, 12 volt sense wire to the alternator.
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12-23-2024, 04:08 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 104
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Thanks!
Thanks for all the advice. I'll check for output voltage on the alternator. I do not see a rise in voltage on the instrument panel when revving the engine.
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12-23-2024, 09:46 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2024
Location: WI Driftlesser
Posts: 2,583
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Good point, we talk about Leece Neville, DUVAC and diode isolators all the time, on diesel pushers, it didn't occur to me there could be one on a gas, even though I'm always saying Delcos can work in that system.
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12-23-2024, 02:11 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 4,000
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My 1995 Diesel Safari Trek, and the 1999 Gas version were P-30 chassis and had diode battery isolaters & Delco alternators. Haven't checked the 2005 Monaco built Trek on Workhorse gas chassis.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SafariBen
Good point, we talk about Leece Neville, DUVAC and diode isolators all the time, on diesel pushers, it didn't occur to me there could be one on a gas, even though I'm always saying Delcos can work in that system.
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__________________
George Schweikle Lexington, KY
2005 Safari (Monaco)Trek 28RB2, Workhorse W20, 8.1, Allison 1000 5 spd, UltraPower engine & tranny, Track bars & sway bars, KONI FSD, FMCA 190830, Safari Int'l. chapter. 1999 Safari Trek 2830, 1995 Safari Trek 2430, 1983 Winnebago Chieftain, 1976 Midas Mini
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12-23-2024, 05:18 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: SW Louisiana
Posts: 9,198
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George I think Monaco switched to the relay style battery isolator with the 2004 model, maybe the 2003, though my 2002 Trek which was built by Monaco, but was mostly a carry over of the 2002 Safari design has the diode style isolator.
__________________
2002 Safari Trek 2830 on P32 Chassis with 8.1L w/ 400 watts solar 420Ah LiFePo4
2017 Jeep Cherokee Overland & 2007 Toyota Yaris TOADs with Even Brake,
Demco Commander tow bar and Blue Ox / Roadmaster base plates
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12-31-2024, 07:06 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2024
Location: '25 travel: CO, UT, NV, CA, AZ, UT -> BC -> ON
Posts: 371
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grab a multimeter and measure between the battery poles. polarity doesnt matter, worst case your multimeter indicates a negativ number. make sure your hooked to volt measuring and not to amp measuring, that would smoke the fuse inside the multimeter.
start engine and check if you see at least 13.3v at all batteries.
12v batteries need 14.4-14.8v charging, for the first minutes, then 13.8 is fine too. most alternators deliver somewhere around 14 to 14.4v if no lights and blowe motors are on, and the battery is reasonably full.
if you dont see these volts at the battery poles,
at the back of the alternator is a 13mm srew that holds on the battery + cable. measure between that cable and the alternator housing with engine running.
still no 13.8v? then you need some help or start learing to diagnose an alternator circuit because either the alternator does not get control voltage or its dead in the water.
__________________
Cheers, Manny 
97 National Dolphin on Chevy P30 with Vortec 7400
88 Lincoln Town Car as tow behind.
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01-02-2025, 04:39 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 104
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Voltage 11.2 at alternator
The voltage is 11.2 at the alternator. No change in voltage at the battery when the engine is running.
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01-02-2025, 05:38 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2024
Location: WI Driftlesser
Posts: 2,583
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Need to know if the other alternator terminals have the same 11V to know if the alternator is bad. You could also look up how to "full field" or bypass the voltage regulator, might, or might not be possible with that alternator.
Also, charge that battery before it's permanently damaged.
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01-02-2025, 08:51 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: The Great NorthWest
Posts: 1,314
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Quote:
Originally Posted by d23haynes57
Have you tried that lately? I think those days are long gone. No I will be a bit Snarky here!
If you own an RV and you are planning to be the do it yourself service person, which is really mandatory especially for an older vehicle, you should have the skills, and test equipment to figure this out. Muti-meters including clamp on amp meters are inexpensive and readily available. Learn Ohm's and Kirchoff's laws and there won't be a DC circuit you can't figure out.
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The O'Reilly's Auto Parts near us can test alternators . They can put a load on it which is a better way of testing .
There are also Auto Electric Shops still around . They can test and usually it is a diode that's failed . The Shop can replace diodes for considerably less than a new alternator.
If you replace the alternator, I suggest buying a factory replacement . The less expensive alternators have a history of failing right out of the box . Sure , they are warranted, but you're responsible for removal and installation of replacement .
JMO , FWIW
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