Battery Solenoids

[rosspam]

2007 Damon, Ford F53

Recently tried to use aux battery start switch. Engine battery was too dead, no luck. (6 yr old) Removed battery, pushed aux and engine cranked. Replaced battery, everything worked. Engine battery charging from altenator.

Curiosity had me look for solenoids. Found them see pix. Coach batteries on one side, engine on other, lower metal solenoid. Jumps to 14 with engine running.

Metal solenoid runs hot while parked, no engine, ac/DC charger on house batteries is on. House batteries 13.5, engine at around 12.7. Any comments on what these guys do and heat issue?

[Old Scout]

Not familiar with your rig but depending on how battery solenoids are controlled--eg, charging protocol for voltage levels between chassis and house bats, the result can be frequent cycling of solenoids, and premature failure. If you can't change the protocol, a more substantial solenoid like those from Blue Sea, might help with both heat and longevity.

[Soppy]

The top one is for your coach DC power. Its a latching on/off switch. The bottom one connects the chassis and coach batteries together for charging when on shore power or when the engine is running , also could be the emergency start solenoid. It should be a continuous duty solenoid and will get pretty warm. It may or may not do the functions I listed . All coaches seem to be a little different.

[rosspam]

The metal one has starting battery on one side, house on other. House batteries are ob charge with shore power and my wizard charger. 13.4. Starting battery is around 12.6, not being charged, so guessing solenoid coil is energized, opening contacts, and the the energized coil is source of heat.

I need to check the coil connections to verify it is energized, opening contacts.

Thanks for input

[twinboat]

I'll bet that the silver solenoid is bad.

It is both the isolation solenoid and the boost solenoid.

It is actavated to charge your engine battery by your isolation system, but not passing power thru. Pull the shore plug and see if it cools off.

When the fail, sometimes they work intermittently. That explains the boost switch not working and then working the next time.

You could flip the boost switch on and off a few times and then plug the shore cord back in. It may start passing voltage to the chassis battery. That would confirm it's bad.

[rosspam]

Originally Posted by Soppy

The top one is for your coach DC power. Its a latching on/off switch. The bottom one connects the chassis and coach batteries together for charging when on shore power or when the engine is running , also could be the emergency start solenoid. It should be a continuous duty solenoid and will get pretty warm. It may or may not do the functions I listed . All coaches seem to be a little different.

Did more tests today at camp.
Top solenoid is coach disconnect. Works as designed once off shore power.

Bottom silver solenoid.
With shore power and batteries on charger, both large terminals read about 13.5, so both coach and house batteries are being charged. Coil terminals around 12.7 volts. Aux switch has no effect since coil is energized.

No shore power, both large terminals read same but around 13.0, not being charged, coil still has around 12.7, so coil is energized. Aux switch has no effect since coil is energized.

No shore power, start engine, now coach battery getting charge from alternator, around 13.8 volts, and other house terminal same, so alternator charging all batteries. Still 12.7 on coil terminals.

There must be a circuit that senses coach battery voltage and keeps coil energized. Until that circuit gets low voltage, only then will the coil deenergize and the Aux switch can be used to energize? Most articles I've read say coach batteries are never charged by shore power ac/dc. (Winnebago)

Thanks in advance for comments.

[Redapple]

The entire bird system fails to operate when either side is below 12.6, at least for mine (2006 Damon Daybreak).

I agree with twinboat. Get the new solenoid.

[rosspam]

Update: no shore power, no ignition, purple coil wire shows 12.7, appears to be coach battery. Push aux sw, voltage goes to house batteries. Start engine, voltage goes to coach batteries being charge by alternator. My understanding is with no shoe power, no ignition, no aux sw push, coil should be DE energized, no voltage on purple wire.

[rosspam]

Originally Posted by Redapple

The entire bird system fails to operate when either side is below 12.6, at least for mine (2006 Damon Daybreak).

I agree with twinboat. Get the new solenoid.

With or without shore power and switch in normal position, I get voltage to coil from coach battery, thus energized and both sets of batteries charging from ac/DC charger. (Wizard). Does yours work same way?

[Charlie 5320]

That appears to be a BCC built by Intellitec. My 98 Daybreak had the same system and it worked pretty good. I believe it has already been mentioned that the logic on the board keeps that solenoid energized until one battery or the other gets below 12.6 volts. It will then energize again when there is a charging source when the source battery reaches 13.2 volts. I had trouble with my isolation solenoid, lower one and replaced it with a continuous duty solenoid used on some golf cars. Bought it off of Ebay for less than $20.00 delivered to my door. If you go this route make sure it is a 12 volt solenoid, they also have 24 volt listed. I did end up installing a switch on the hot wire for this solenoid so I could turn it off during winter storage, I left my coach plugged in all the time.

[Redapple]

Originally Posted by rosspam

With or without shore power and switch in normal position, I get voltage to coil from coach battery, thus energized and both sets of batteries charging from ac/DC charger. (Wizard). Does yours work same way?

This is true, you will get the voltage for the battery each pole is connected to, when charging, you should read the voltage from the charging source (if your batteries are connected together).
If not, you will get a charging source voltage on one side and a battery reading on the other.

[rosspam]

So there is a control board somewhere that will remove the coil voltage/current when coach battery drops to less than 12.6? Otherwise, if the coil still has voltage it would drain the coach battery.

My understanding is that when the aux switch is not being pushed, it is supposed to connect the coil to ignition source which is zero. No ignition on with mine, I have 12.76 to coil, coach battery voltage. That doesn't seem correct.

[rosspam]

Originally Posted by rosspam

So there is a control board somewhere that will remove the coil voltage/current when coach battery drops to less than 12.6? Otherwise, if the coil still has voltage it would drain the coach battery.

My understanding is that when the aux switch is not being pushed, it is supposed to connect the coil to ignition source which is zero. No ignition on with mine, I have 12.76 to coil, coach battery voltage. That doesn't seem correct.

Nevermind, the light came on when I looked up BCC manual. I wondered what the fuse bank was about. Guess controller is behind the solenoids? Or is it some where else.

[Redapple]

Yes, BIRD controller is behind the two soleniods