|
11-22-2011, 04:56 PM
|
#1
|
Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 7,469
|
Lights Flickering When Idling
Both the coach lights (ceiling etc...) and the head light Flicker from bright to dim as the coach idles, disconnected from shore power and generator.
Where should I start? Could this be the alternator.
2009 Safari Cheetah.
Thanks
__________________
US Navy Vet, Liberty Tree Member of Oath Keepers, NRA & VFW Life Member, Alaska EMT.
2009 Safari Cheetah 40 SKQ
2009 Winnebago Chalet 231CR
|
|
|
|
Join the #1 RV Forum Today - It's Totally Free!
iRV2.com RV Community - Are you about to start a new improvement on your RV or need some help with some maintenance? Do you need advice on what products to buy? Or maybe you can give others some advice? No matter where you fit in you'll find that iRV2 is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more!
|
11-22-2011, 05:10 PM
|
#2
|
Senior Member
Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: South Jersey
Posts: 1,083
|
I would check the cable connections to and from the batteries, especially the ground to frame. then have battery tested.
__________________
Kathy & George Zimm
Mickleton, NJ
2006 Coachman Epic & 2013 Chevy Equinox Toad
|
|
|
11-22-2011, 05:27 PM
|
#3
|
Moderator in Memoriam
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Mesa, AZ, USA
Posts: 2,361
|
I don't know if your coach is doing the same thing my Truck is( Dodge Diesel 2500), but on cold mornings my lights also goes dim and brighter as the truck sends voltage to warm the glow plugs for the diesel. Once the truck is warm it stops and everything is fine.
__________________
Jim (SSG US Army Ret.) and Cheri (TSG Phx ANG Ret.) Mesa, AZ
2006 Dodge Ram 2500 HD Mega Cab Diesel | 2005 Honda Goldwing | 2006 35' Dune Chaser 5th Wheel
|
|
|
11-22-2011, 05:35 PM
|
#4
|
Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 7,469
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kablewizard
I don't know if your coach is doing the same thing my Truck is( Dodge Diesel 2500), but on cold mornings my lights also goes dim and brighter as the truck sends voltage to warm the glow plugs for the diesel. Once the truck is warm it stops and everything is fine.
|
I will let it idle longer tomorrow and check.
Right after I check all the battery connections.
__________________
US Navy Vet, Liberty Tree Member of Oath Keepers, NRA & VFW Life Member, Alaska EMT.
2009 Safari Cheetah 40 SKQ
2009 Winnebago Chalet 231CR
|
|
|
11-22-2011, 08:12 PM
|
#5
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 107
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kablewizard
I don't know if your coach is doing the same thing my Truck is( Dodge Diesel 2500), but on cold mornings my lights also goes dim and brighter as the truck sends voltage to warm the glow plugs for the diesel. Once the truck is warm it stops and everything is fine.
|
The bright/dim on Dodge diesel trucks is normal. Dodge Cummins engines do not have glow plugs. They are true diesels. The time you wait to start the engine is to heat up the intake air heater at the intake manifold.
I agree about checking the battery(s), connections, and charging system.
__________________
2012 RAM 3500 CTD 4x4 DRW
2016 Attitude 28SAG DS
|
|
|
11-22-2011, 09:32 PM
|
#6
|
Senior Member
Fleetwood Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: San Jose, Ca, USA
Posts: 2,698
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by ntrsandman
...Cummins engines do not have glow plugs. They are true diesels.
|
The presence, or absence, of glow plugs does not indicate anything about a diesel other than the way the designers chose to implement a cold start system. Some - such as Navistar's Powerstroke (built for Ford) - chose to put a glow plug into each cylinder to help heat the incoming air; others - such as Cummins - chose to put a heat grid in the intake snorkel. If I recall the venerable Detroit diesels also use glow plugs - it's hard to believe that THEY'RE not "true" diesels...
__________________
Alan Hepburn - San Jose, Ca
2007 Bounder 35E being pushed by a 2020 Jeep Gladiator Sport S or a 2022 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (JLU) Sport S
|
|
|
11-22-2011, 09:34 PM
|
#7
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Posts: 2,296
|
I also vote for checking battery connections and ground to chassis frame.
Good luck
__________________
Jim & SherrySeward
2000 Residency 3790 v10 w/tags 5 Star tune & Banks system Suzuki XL7 toad
|
|
|
11-23-2011, 07:14 AM
|
#8
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 107
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan_Hepburn
The presence, or absence, of glow plugs does not indicate anything about a diesel other than the way the designers chose to implement a cold start system. Some - such as Navistar's Powerstroke (built for Ford) - chose to put a glow plug into each cylinder to help heat the incoming air; others - such as Cummins - chose to put a heat grid in the intake snorkel. If I recall the venerable Detroit diesels also use glow plugs - it's hard to believe that THEY'RE not "true" diesels...
|
Thanks for the lesson! I did not think before I wrote. I appreciate not being chastised for the remark.
__________________
2012 RAM 3500 CTD 4x4 DRW
2016 Attitude 28SAG DS
|
|
|
11-23-2011, 04:51 PM
|
#9
|
Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 7,469
|
Went out today and tightened every nut and bolt I could find:
All 6 batteries
Every lug in the B.I.R.D system
Every lug in the breaker box
Every nut in both fuse panels
And the chassis ground points, who ever decided on their location was off his rocker.
Ran out of time to check the main box and the inverter connections, too much stuff to move will get them tomorrow.
Didn't really find anything to be loose but the lights quit flickering.
Thanks for the suggestions and taking the time to reply.
__________________
US Navy Vet, Liberty Tree Member of Oath Keepers, NRA & VFW Life Member, Alaska EMT.
2009 Safari Cheetah 40 SKQ
2009 Winnebago Chalet 231CR
|
|
|
11-23-2011, 09:19 PM
|
#10
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 107
|
"Tightening" may have provided a temporary fix. Best bet is to clean all connections. May seem like a pain, but any corrosion, dirt, etc. increases the resistance for electricity to complete its path. Even connections that look good can cause problems. JMHO.
__________________
2012 RAM 3500 CTD 4x4 DRW
2016 Attitude 28SAG DS
|
|
|
11-23-2011, 10:16 PM
|
#11
|
Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 7,469
|
Other than the ground to chassis they looked clean. The battery connections all had fresh oxide inhibitor, now so does my 9/16" socket. I will need to take it to someone to get the ground points off and cleaned. It was all I could do to get a wrench on them.
I have some down time in Texas next week, I will pull the others off and clean.
__________________
US Navy Vet, Liberty Tree Member of Oath Keepers, NRA & VFW Life Member, Alaska EMT.
2009 Safari Cheetah 40 SKQ
2009 Winnebago Chalet 231CR
|
|
|
11-24-2011, 09:42 AM
|
#12
|
Senior Member
Damon Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 24,024
|
If your idle speed is low enough the alternator can "Drop out" (The output voltage drops below 13.6) when you go to idle.. This is normal on many vehicles.
Is it normal on yours... Alas, I do not know.
This I do know.. The alternator eats horsepower, and thus Gas, using a slightly larger pully on the alternator makes it turn slower, thus lowering the load it places on the motor.. NORMALLY this is done in "Performance" cars, (IE: Race cars) not motor homes. but hey, someone could have grabbed the wrong pulley.
It could also be an "Issue" if it is something new.
__________________
Home is where I park it!
|
|
|
11-24-2011, 10:42 AM
|
#13
|
Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 7,469
|
wa8yxm, I will check the alternator output at idle, I assume I can do this with my multimeter???
It is a new issue. I had just picked it up from having some service done, nothing that would have likely caused this problem. I had hoped it was just the batteries were low and would go away after being plugged in for a few days.
__________________
US Navy Vet, Liberty Tree Member of Oath Keepers, NRA & VFW Life Member, Alaska EMT.
2009 Safari Cheetah 40 SKQ
2009 Winnebago Chalet 231CR
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|