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Old 11-05-2019, 08:57 PM   #1
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Chassis battery draw

Cablemandan here
Been awhile
Been getting used to our new 19 cornerstone
Love it except for some of the minor issues we are having
Anyone know why the chassis batteries would be drawing down to about 11.8 bolts on approx 3/4 weeks?
I have had the accent lights on a few times advertise😎
But seems they should not be discharging even with tuning the dash radio as well off and on
As best as I’ve researched, nothing charges them when stationary and camping
Have started gen to recharge as well as coach devised
Both systems do recharge
Thoughts??
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Old 11-06-2019, 03:07 AM   #2
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Dan, congrats on the new coach.

You don’t mention if you’re plugged in, or not.

I’ll assume you are not. If so, lights radio and time can easily discharge the batteries.

Another thing to consider, depending upon whom you bought from, is whether or not there was a chance they let the batteries discharge while on their lot. If so, it’s entirely possible one or both batteries aren’t in top form.

Our selling dealer let everything die as dead as a door nail and I didn’t discover the chassis batteries were smoked until a long while after.

Excepting this possibility, I would suggest you only use lights and the radio when plugged in, or are running the generator.

-Matt
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Old 11-06-2019, 05:41 AM   #3
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Check the engine compartment and basements for any lights that maybe on. Also your radio is not completely off if you can still see the time. (That killed my old chassis battery within a month or two.) Your gas water heater and gas refrig have 12 volt circuit boards also on but should be driven by your coach batteries. The automatic steps and propane detector on mine are chassis driven. Both sitting there waiting to respond.
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Old 11-06-2019, 06:18 AM   #4
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Dan

There are a ton of what we call "static loads" on the chassis batteries..... Loads that never go away unless you actually disconnect the battery terminals.

I dont know whether you mean 3/4 of a week (75% of a week) in your statement or if you mean that they draw down to below in 3 to 4 weeks. If you mean the latter, then that does not surprise me at all. My chassis batteries come down from charge levels much more quickly than I would expect.

I dont have a complete list of "static loads" on the chassis batteries, but I would guess that Entegra should be able to give you a complete list. If you get it, it would be illustrative for all the rest of us to know exactly what is pulling power all the time, but if you are talking about weeks of time, I would think that you are going to need to remove battery terminals to get the drain stopped.

Gary
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Old 11-06-2019, 08:00 AM   #5
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Most here store their coaches with at least a small electrical cord plugged in. Trying to isolate every load and shut ti off on either the chassis or the house seems impractical.

I've never stored mine with everything shut down and not plugged in, so cannot answer directly. I will say that I have parked mine for months at a time with the house turned on, refrigerator running, and a few loads (parasitic and a few lights every once in a while) and a 15 amp 110 volt connection will keep everything in tip-top shape as long as you turn your amperage down accordingly on the Vegatouch so the coach won't pop the breaker. To do this, the batteries need to be fully charged when you park it.
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Old 11-07-2019, 11:37 AM   #6
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Thanks Gary and others
The coach is plugged into a 50 amp service and it isfunctioning correctly
The drain is over approx a 3 week period if we have completed a trip and chassis batteries are fully charged from alternator
As I said, the generator will chg them if ran
I’m aware of some static loads as you mention and will reach out to entegra as well
It is my understanding that their is no charging mechanism/device charging the chassis batteries while plugged in however, correct?
Seems there ought to be??
Thanks again
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Old 11-07-2019, 12:00 PM   #7
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Cablemandan here again
Actually just was reading up on chassis and house batteries and according to the manual, theirs a bi directional relay that’s supposed to direct chg to chassis after house are fully chged? Maybe issue there?
Also something about solar possibly should chg them , as I figured they should but again, read somewhere it was just to chg the house batteries??
Huh
Also reading about a battery isolation manager system?
In any event, calling entegra now to educate myself
Any side info appreciated as may take me awhile to get some answers
Thanks again to youall
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Old 11-07-2019, 12:19 PM   #8
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I think that what you are referring to is called a BIM relay. 747Driver (Don) is the resident expert on the operation of that relay. My level of understanding about that (imperfect to be sure) is that it is involved with switching back and forth from house to chassis when you are running down the road and being charged by the alternator... I started explaining my understanding of this issue and then erased it all as I was not sure if I was explaining it backwards or correctly, so I shall shut up and let someone who really understands this give us the "word".

I have also been concerned that my Cummins will sometimes "slow roll" after it has been sitting plugged into full hook-ups for a week or more, and I have assumed that some charger, somewhere in the system should be trickle charging the chassis batteries, but frankly, dont know if that happens or not. I would really appreciate someone completly explaining this issue to all of us, who will then be forever grateful --

Gary
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Old 11-07-2019, 12:31 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cablemandan View Post
Thanks Gary and others
The coach is plugged into a 50 amp service and it isfunctioning correctly
The drain is over approx a 3 week period if we have completed a trip and chassis batteries are fully charged from alternator
As I said, the generator will chg them if ran
I’m aware of some static loads as you mention and will reach out to entegra as well
It is my understanding that their is no charging mechanism/device charging the chassis batteries while plugged in however, correct?
Seems there ought to be??
Thanks again
If you are plugged into 50A shore power then through your BIM your chassis batteries should receive a 1 hour charge when the chassis batteries drop to 12.6v. This cycle will continue as long as you are plugged in. When driving your alternator will charge your house batteries through the BIM for a 1 hour period anytime your house batteries drop to 12.6v.

If your chassis batteries are not holding a charge then they are either defective or your BIM is not working properly or Vegatouch is not functioning properly to allow a charge through.
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Old 11-07-2019, 12:42 PM   #10
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Thank you Don......... You da MAN when it comes to BIMs ..

I appreciate the clarification..... now I need to try to memorize that information, or stick it someplace obvious in my iPhone (also known as "my alternate 'memory'" ).

And by the way, I did have my Cummins "Slow roll" a couple of times when plugged into FHU, and discovered that one of the two chassis batteries (which were only about 15 months old) had a crack in the top of the battery and battery acid was slowly escaping from the battery and corroding up the top of the battery, and had it replaced. Further, I was told "You NEVER replace just one battery in a two battery bank.... you should always replace both batteries" Soooooo both batteries were replaced with new. No further problems but not a lot of starts on the new battery bank....

PS: decided on the iPhone.... its more reliable
Gary
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Old 11-08-2019, 08:22 AM   #11
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Update
Diagnostic test I performed with entegra yesterday do did confirm Dons information
I can add the following FYI
The BMI relay is on back side of the hinges panel where battery merge breaker is with few others
It is the relay that activates as you push the bat share button in the cab ( seems the chassis batteries actually get charged in conjunction sort of speak with the coach batteries system by the activation of this temporary relay)
You can Ck the function of this relay by having your significant other push the bat boost button while you listen for the clicking of the relay in that bay. At least you’ll know that much of the system is functioning,
My button does activate system correctly however the BMI isn’t acting correct possibly due to a update we found out about
(Seems there is a bulletin on an upgrade to what they call the economizer and the relay)
In any event , we are working on the upgrade which may require a firefly upgrade as well
Sooo
I’ll let y’all know how all comes out but seems as I thought, there is actually a charging system for the coach batteries as you are plugged into SP so if you are discharging over a few days or so, I would have this system cked out
Till later
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Old 11-08-2019, 10:38 AM   #12
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I personally have never heard of a TSB or upgrade on the operation of the BIM to the best of my knowledge.

And I am going to start watching this more closely. As I said, I got a slow roll several times on starting, but then also found a battery that had split on top and was leaking battery acid.... so that may well explain what I was hearing/feeling. Thanks for the information, and please tell us more about this upgrade as you learn more about it..... that is news to me....

Gary
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Old 11-08-2019, 03:11 PM   #13
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battery tender works too

I got tired of the occasional low chassis batteries when plugged in. Despite checking everything and every where it still randomly happened.

Now I just plug a little Yuassa battery tender into the block heater outlet in the engine bay and stick the cable into the chassis battery compartment and hook it up. It stays there 24/7 wherever we are plugged in and I have not had a no or slow crank since then. Just part of my normal hookup routine anymore.

I know I should not have to do this but there are a LOT of more serious problems that I shouldn't have to deal with either so this one is off the list anymore.
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Old 12-03-2019, 07:21 PM   #14
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Chassis battery charging

Cablemandan back finally
Been awhile but been busy retiring😎
In any event, all good on the chassis battery charging now when plugged into shore power, assume your on 50a but not sure you have to be
Anyways, if your 2019 cornerstone is not charging the chassis batteries when plugged in, get up with firefly integration as you prob need a software upgrade
They helped me do
Up grade with internet connection and all is good now.
There may be a upgrade required on the BMI system as well do I suggest contacting entegra warrenty as well. They were all very helpful and should be able to help you with out performing other alternate charging systems
Till next time
Safe travels
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