Community Forums

Desdinova · 01-26-2022, 06:54 PM

I'm just putting this as a reminder, especially if you are having any sort of "odd" issues with any electronics such as thermostats, or really anything electronic.

I don't need to go into the details, but after a few months of trouble-shooting a Furnace issue, I checked the battery and lo and behold, the ground side was not even finger tight. The positive side was ok, but not really snug enough for a reliable connection.

Just for a bit of context, on more modern RV's the 12 volt appliances and devices are running on 12 volts. If 120 AC is present, it's charging the battery, if the battery isn't present, it's putting out the 12 volt needed, but not necessarily a "clean" 12 volts. That was my issue. There was a little "ripple" as it's called coming through because of that loose ground and it was messing with the signal on the furnace motherboard.

I should have known better. Coming from the world of Motorcycles and Boats... pretty much any time anything hiccups... CHECK THE GROUND ON THE BATTERY 1st.. and a good 80% of the time, that's the issue.

Even modern cars suffer this. Engine mis-fires, one doesn't normally think "check the battery first" but after replacing two perfectly good plugs, the kind with the built in coils... I checked the battery and tada... loose ground.

Enjoy... I return you to your normally scheduled browsing.

Bigd9 · 01-26-2022, 07:20 PM

Good post.

When someone is having troubles, I always ask if the battery connections are clean and tight. Usually I get a weak "yes" but I always wonder if they actually do check them. They are so important.

Just call me Old Sparky

Tombsy · 01-26-2022, 07:27 PM

When I went to remove my batteries the crimped on lug for the positive cable came off in my hand. [emoji3]

deckape · 01-26-2022, 07:52 PM

" It's away's the ground . " Look's good , is not going to do it with electric, taking them off and cleaning the connections will solve most problems.

2Curtass · 01-27-2022, 09:23 AM

Good point! I had a similar issue during the summer this year. Could not figure out why my batteries could not make it through the night. Then I went to pull the batteries at my shop to do a CAP check on them and found one ground wire on one of the batteries not even finger tight. Torqued it down, charged them, have been doing great the rest of the year. I know better then to start looking at other things before checking the connections.

MSHappyCampers · 01-27-2022, 11:42 AM

Thanks for the heads-up!

Bigd9 · 01-27-2022, 12:32 PM

Talking about batteries, how often do you clean yours? I hose down both the 2 starting batteries and the 4 coach batteries everytime when we get back home.

Keeps the corrosion at bay.

Desdinova · 01-28-2022, 01:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigd9

Talking about batteries, how often do you clean yours? I hose down both the 2 starting batteries and the 4 coach batteries everytime when we get back home.

Keeps the corrosion at bay.

Ummm. I'm gonna suggest maybe blow them with air. Water and electricity is never a good combo. And fwiw.. corrosion is caused by moisture, not dirt.

PandS · 01-29-2022, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Desdinova

Ummm. I'm gonna suggest maybe blow them with air. Water and electricity is never a good combo. And fwiw.. corrosion is caused by moisture, not dirt.

I sacrifice a couple moist microfiber towels and wipe them clean every 3 months and check the tightness of the connections at that time. Water levels get checked once a month.- Paul

Bigd9 · 01-29-2022, 06:22 PM

This is the procedure I have been using since the 1960's and my first or many motorcycles and cars.
https://www.usbattery.com/deep-cycle...he%20terminals.

Quote:

Keeping your battery and the terminals clean is a key maintenance procedure to getting the most performance from your deep cycle batteries. Corrosion occurs when acid from inside of the battery makes its way to the terminals and connectors on top of the battery. The acid attacks the battery terminals and connectors, which if left untreated can reduce or disconnect power to the vehicle. In addition, untreated corrosion can lead to arcing, where the electrical current jumps an air gap resulting in a spark. This arcing can melt terminals, damage connectors, or cause ignition of hydrogen gas emitted during charging.

Fortunately, battery terminal corrosion can be easily cleaned with a special solution that neutralizes battery acid. The solution can be made by mixing one tablespoon (15ml) of baking soda to every 1-cup (250ml) of hot water. Apply the solution to the corroded areas of the battery terminals and use a wire brush or toothbrush to gently clean off any additional residue on the terminals. Once the terminals and wiring are clean, rinse the area with water to rinse any remaining solution off the batteries. Use some paper towels to dry the area.

To slow down the corrosion process apply some corrosion prevention spray to the terminals to coat them. Make sure to check the terminals approximately every six months and clean as necessary. Be sure to use protective gloves and safety glasses to prevent injury and ensure all connections are safely removed from the batteries prior to cleaning.

HopsBrewster · 01-29-2022, 08:06 PM

Agreed, check the battery ground. Then, if still having trouble check all the other battery and power connections. I found a loose battery negative clamp on my rig last fall. Earlier last spring I found a loose negative connection at the main power breaker terminal, which on my TT is located under the trailer, front corner. I had to crawl under my trailer in a snowstorm to fix that one. Now checking all those connections is a new item on my spring prep checklist.