Trombette solenoid hums all the time

[pasdad1]

Originally Posted by Redapple

The relay always has batt voltage for both banks going to it (large posts) it also has switching voltage (small posts) the switching posts and voltage are what cause the relay to isolate or join.

Right. But the OP said with shore power disconnected, engine off, and battery disconnect off, the solenoid was still humming. Humming implies the switching coil is energized.....I believe it should not be in this condition.

[Agaveguy]

So if the relay is energized all of the time, why does there need to be a relay there?

Not saying you're incorrect (redapple), just think something needs to turn the relay on and off. I have not done any circuit testing, I am not sure if the coil is energized or not. It certainly does hum all of the time though.

[pasdad1]

Originally Posted by Agaveguy

So if the relay is energized all of the time, why does there need to be a relay there?



Not saying you're incorrect, just think something needs to turn the relay on and off. I have not done any circuit testing, I am not sure if the coil is energized or not. It certainly does hum all of the time though.

I agree with you. I think whatever is supposed to turn the relay off, is malfunctioning.....leaving the solenoid (relay) on when it should be off.

Could be the prior owner bypassed a malfunctioning control circuit, and wired the solenoid to be on all the time.....allowing the house batteries to get charged from the alternator while driving. You should investigate this possibility.

[Redapple]

Purchased my MH new, never bypassed. It did the humming clicking thing. Replaced relay all good. If I remember correctly, the two small posts are what move the relay one way or the other. I will look for the troubleshooting in my papers. Easiest is to replace.

[Agaveguy]

Ok I poked around a bit in the compartment where the solenoid is, and it gets it's coil power from the Intellitec Battery Control Center right next to it. The coil has 3.5v applied to it continuously through connector J22 on the left side.
If I unplug J22 the solenoid stops humming. I have read through the BCC manual from cover to cover and it doesn't mention any troubleshooting for the circuit board. Looks like I need to contact Intellitec in the morning, something is definitely not right.

I can also push the Aux Start test button inside the BCC and nothing clicks like it says it should. Maybe the circuit board has a failure.

I'll update some more as I find things out.

[Redapple]

Originally Posted by Agaveguy

So if the relay is energized all of the time, why does there need to be a relay there?

Not saying you're incorrect (redapple), just think something needs to turn the relay on and off. I have not done any circuit testing, I am not sure if the coil is energized or not. It certainly does hum all of the time though.

The voltage holds the relay in position. Opposite posts will energize to move plunger. Oversimpkication, but essentially how it works.

[triplewide]

When I first took delivery of my coach the relay was cycling on and off. It would get quite warm at times. I contacted Intellitec and received the following info:

The Intellitec rep called this afternoon, a very knowledgeable and pleasant individual. He gave me the following info:

If you shut down after a long trip, or extended time on shore power or generator, your isolator relay may stay engaged for several hours if all your batteries are strong.

Your isolator relay will get hot, it is rated for continuous duty and is not a problem.

The BIRD module will keep the isolator engaged as long as the coach batteries are at 13+ volts or the ignition voltage to the BIRD is at 13+ volts. It assumes based on the voltage that charging is taking place.

The BIRD will keep the relay engaged until the voltage drops below 12.5 volts on the coach batteries. (if ignition is off)

The reason my unit is cycling back and forth is that the batteries have discharged right up to the 12.5 volt point and the BIRD is trying to decide what to do as the battery voltage fluctuates slightly.

The short version, nothing is wrong and everything is working as it should.

This may not apply to your situation but you may find the above info helpful in determining the problem. Everything is original and still working on my coach. (about 20 months)

[Agaveguy]

I spoke with the technical person at Intellitec today, he said the pc board in my Battery Control Center was bad. He said that even though the coach is a '13 it is an obsolete part and no replacement exists. A complete BCC is not available anymore either. If I remove the complete BCC from the coach and send it to him he can repair the board, in 4 or 5 weeks, we didn't discuss cost. He also said if it weren't for him being able to repair it, I and anyone else who has a bad one would be out of luck. He did not seem to care much about my situation.

I am in shock at the situation. Did that conversation really happen?

I guess I could install a manual switch to connect and disconnect the main and aux batteries?

[pasdad1]

Originally Posted by Agaveguy

I spoke with the technical person at Intellitec today, he said the pc board in my Battery Control Center was bad. He said that even though the coach is a '13 it is an obsolete part and no replacement exists. A complete BCC is not available anymore either. If I remove the complete BCC from the coach and send it to him he can repair the board, in 4 or 5 weeks, we didn't discuss cost. He also said if it weren't for him being able to repair it, I and anyone else who has a bad one would be out of luck. He did not seem to care much about my situation.

I am in shock at the situation. Did that conversation really happen?

I guess I could install a manual switch to connect and disconnect the main and aux batteries?

Or replace it and the solenoid with something like this
This device is covered by a lifetime warranty!

[Redapple]

Don't walk away from that guy, run, run as fast as you can.

There are all kinds of refurbished boards on the Internet. I had to purchase a board a couple of years ago, search. You will find it. I paid about 110 bucks for my board.

Good Luck!

[Redapple]

Originally Posted by Agaveguy

I spoke with the technical person at Intellitec today, he said the pc board in my Battery Control Center was bad. He said that even though the coach is a '13 it is an obsolete part and no replacement exists. A complete BCC is not available anymore either. If I remove the complete BCC from the coach and send it to him he can repair the board, in 4 or 5 weeks, we didn't discuss cost. He also said if it weren't for him being able to repair it, I and anyone else who has a bad one would be out of luck. He did not seem to care much about my situation.

I am in shock at the situation. Did that conversation really happen?

I guess I could install a manual switch to connect and disconnect the main and aux batteries?

Can you give us the BBC number or the board number. I will look for you to see if I can find one.

[Agaveguy]

The BCC # is 00-00606-320 for a diesel.

I have googled the # I called and it is an RV electronics repair shop. It was kind of interesting that Intellitec sent me right to this shop. What is the deal with Intellitec? Why do they not support the products they make with parts?

I think they should provide some answers. There seems to be a lot of trouble with their battery switching products.

[palehorse89]

Originally Posted by Agaveguy

The BCC # is 00-00606-320 for a diesel.

I have googled the # I called and it is an RV electronics repair shop. It was kind of interesting that Intellitec sent me right to this shop. What is the deal with Intellitec? Why do they not support the products they make with parts?

I think they should provide some answers. There seems to be a lot of trouble with their battery switching products.

Quick search on Ebay (Entered the part number) came up with one....$150.00

[triplewide]

Might be a good idea to check your battery voltage before replacing anything. If your battery voltage is above the "drop out" voltage setting on the BCC the relay will stay engaged. If battery voltage is above 13 volts you can turn on lights or appliances until it drops below 12.5 volts. If the BCC keeps the relay engaged at 12 volts or less, it may be defective. If it drops the relay out when the battery drops to 12 volts it is probably working OK.

I don't know the specific "on/off" voltages for your particular circuit board.
They may be different as your coach is diesel.