dickandlois

Gerald, Your question leads to the need of some clarification. Sounds like you have a RV style refrigerator; not a home style. That being the case you need to have 12 volts DC present for the control board to work. No DC No Cooling. Empty the refrigerator and open it up while gone? Should you have a 20 amp.AC outlet and adapters to keep things charged, that should keep the refrigerator running. It is programmable to monitor the AC load, if I'm reading the information correctly. From your post it sounds like your not real comfortable with some of the equipment your coach is equipped with, so that might not be your best option. Might just want to place the Coach and Chassis disconnect switches in the off / disconnected state, empty the refrigerator and the coach of any perishables and close it up while your out of town. You should also drain the holding tanks and the fresh water tank. Top off the fuel tank and add just a touch of bio-side to the fuel, run the generator and engine for 10 min. or so to get the mixture of Bio-side and fuel into the engines and filters. A short term storage state. If the unit is parked outside the solar cells will help keep the batteries charged while you are away. Rich.

Ray, The cruise control having issues when the alternator is under a higher load is one of the indicators of a failing regulator circuit in the alternator. The change in RPM's is a good indication of noise being generated in the alternator regulator circuit. Read the battery voltage with the engine off, read the battery voltage with the engine running, then turn on the head lights, AC and anything you can think of and then read the batter voltage. If it has dropped from 13.5 to 13.8 volt range down to 12 to 12.5 volts. then there is a good possibility the alternator is on the way out. Good to have a garage or alternator shop test it to make sure. Been through the town of Appleton. Got a brother in law in the general area! Rich.

leadpipe58, Could you post the model of your generator ? The information is for a Model BGE Onan built around 1984-86 time period. So ignition information should be close. The FMCA web page is going through some updating starting tomorrow, for about 10 days.This may cause some problems accessing the forum. Hope the fallowing information helps you get it running. Note, the relays used in these units where sealed and filled with Nitrogen to extend life of the relays Rich. Wiring Ignition system wiring includes: (1) One positive (B+) wire which carries the low voltage current from the battery to the primary winding of the coil. (2) One negative (-) wire which carries low voltage to the points and condenser. (3) Two high tension wires that carry the high voltage current from the secondary winding of the coil to the spark plugs. The spark plugs and coil secondary are all.grounded to the engine making a complete circuit for the voltage back to the battery. The ignition coil primary (low voltage side) is grounded when the breaker points close. Check all low voltage wiring for loose connections and cuts or breaks in the insulation. Clean all terminals and connections and test for continuity with an ohmmeter. Use a megger to check for breaks in the spark plug wire insulation. Printed Circuit Board Assembly The printed circuit board assembly is the center of the generator set control system. The PC board circuitry controls the start, starter disconnection, stop, and battery charging functions. The primary components of the PC board include three relays, one power rectifier, two diodes, one capacitor, five resistors, and a 5-ampere fuse. The only serviceable component is the fuse which is removable from the front of the control panel. connections to the PC board are made through an eight pin connector (Pl). mounted on the board and through the six lead wiring harness. The PC board assembly mounts on the back of the control panel. Starting . Placing the Start/Run/Stop switch in the Start position connects battery ground (B-) to the K4 start relay. This energizes the K4 relay which closes two sets of contacts (K4-2,8 and K4-9,15) that connect battery positive (B+) to the generator field windings through (CR4 +), T1 Ignition coil, E3 fuel pump, and K1 start solenoid. Connecting B+ as deschbed produces the following control responses: Flashes the field to ensure there is adequate residual magnetism to induce voltage buildup. 0 Energizes the ignition coil (Tl) so it can begin producing an ignition spark when the breaker points begin to open and close. 0 Energizes the fuel pump (E3) which begins pumping fuel to the carburetor. 0 Energizes the K1 start solenoid to close the K1 contacts. Closing the K1 start solenoid contacts connects B+ to the starter motor. This energizes the starter motor which begins to crank the engine to initiate starting. Starter Lockout-Run When the engine starts, the low oil pressure switch (S2) closes to connect battery ground (B-) to the K3 run relay. As the engine comes up to speed, AC output voltage from the generator is supplied to the choke heater element (HI) and to the K2generator relay.This activates the heating element (which opens the choke) and also energizes the K2 relay. Energizing the K2 relay closes one set of contacts (K2-25) that connect B+ to the K2 run relay. This energizes the K3 relay which opens two sets of contacts to produce the following control responses: Closing the K3-9,15 contacts (which parallel the K4-2,8 contacts) provides an alternate pathway for supplying B+ to the T1 ignition coil and E3 fuel Pump. Opening the K3-1,8 contacts disconnects B+ (CR4 positive terminal) from the generator field windings. Closing the K3-2,8 contacts connects B+ to the run light, time meter, and battery condition meter. Opening the K3-9,16 contacts disconnects B+from the K4 start relay causing it to DE-energize. De-energizing the K4 relay opens the K4-2,8 and K4- 9,15 relay contacts. Opening the K4-2,8 contacts has no effect since they are in parallel with the closed K3-9,15 contacts which connect B+ to the ignition coil and the fuel pump. Opening the K4-9,15 contacts disconnects 6+ from the K1 start solenoid. De energizing the K1 start solenoid disconnects B+ from the starter motor which stops cranking. When the S1 switch is placed in the RUN position, the engine continues to run. Relays K2 (generator relay) and K3 (run relay) are energized while relays K1 (start solenoid) and K4 (start relay) are De-energized. Generator voltage is rectified to DC by the CR-l power rectifiers and supplied to the battery through the charge resistor (R6). This charges the battery at a constant rate (1 ampere maximum) during set operation.

Pipetools, Welcome to the FMCA forum! Have you checked the fuses in the Coach DC fuse panel? Everything you mentioned is low voltage, 12 volts DC. Rich.

Emorley, How close does this look to your coach. The information is out of print and getting hard to find the information anywhere. http://jexler.s3.amazonaws.com/safari/elect/SMC%20Sahara%20120InputDist.pdf Rich.

Don, Good question!! The key for your coach is that second, small breaker panel that appears to be in the inverter circuits in general. I would advise being certain the 2-120 volt circuits the inverter supplies have circuit breakers to protect you and your investment. Should you decide to jump them into the shore / generator circuit while servicing the 458' Install a junction box for the connection point!!! Rich.

Bardani, Welcome! The Big item that one needs to understand is the Compressed Air system. How to bleed of the primary and secondary air tanks to remove water from the Primary and Secondary air tanks. What the air gauges are monitoring. What to do if the warning buzzer goes off. How to run a pre trip test of the system. If the air pressure drops below 45lbs. the E breaks will come on and the coach will stop real quick. I often tell new owners to find a school bus driver who would go over the air system with them and offer some driving tips. school bus drivers run a pre trip inspection before every run. Then you can start learning the service requirements of the air system. You should notice a real difference in the way it stops, the ride and the way they handle on the road in general. Everything else is the same as a gas coach, with a few more amenities. Enjoy your new ride !!! Rich.

Denny, Sounds like the sensor for the R Front Jack is acting up, out of adjustment or there is a connection issue with that particular jack. If you have the Owners manual it should mention the location and might explain how to set / adjust them. The other item you can check is to look around the base(top of that pad) of the jack pad or the bottom of the cylinder, to see if there is a build up of dirt or something else preventing that jack from completing its full motion. Would not take much of anything. Working under the coach, even when the ride system is aired up is a tight area. So you should, air up, lower the leveling jacks and use jack stands; for your own safety!! Rich.

Don, The smaller box, the one with the 30 Amp main is the breaker for the power input for the 458. The other breakers are for the microwave, Appliances and lights when on shore power. Three breakers in total in the small box? Thinking there is a transfer switch somewhere that connects the 2-120 volt output circuits from the inverter(when it is on) to the Microwave, Appliance / lighting circuit. They all work, so that system seams to check out. That leaves the 458 charging circuit to get some information on that portion of the wiring. Not done yet, but the list is getting shorter ! The box with the 14 12 volt Automotive style fuses feeds 12 volts to the coach system, appliance control boards and 12 volt lighting. You might be able to get some wiring information / drawings from customer service for the coach. They are handy to have on file. Enjoy trying to help others and pass along some information learned from owning Coaches since 1973. They have added allot of features. Nice to have, but also creates a greater learning curve for everyone ! Rich.

Beeps, Check out this link. Posted some suppliers for window repair and also listed some links to window and door suppliers. The Glass shops remove the glass retaining ring and seals to change out the Glass. Think if you check into the window construction closely, you might want to try to replace the seals. http://community.fmca.com/topic/289-fogged-double-pane-windows/ Post #14 on the thread. lists the information. Rich.

Don, The J box used for the shore power cable connection at the coach is generally a 4in.X4in. electrical box. Right behind the shore cable - coach end. There is also one used to interface the generator wiring to the coach wiring, mounted on the front firewall on most Diesel coaches. It is a good idea to make sure the screws in that box are tight every now and then, seen some of those connections fried !!! Regarding the extra electrical box, Hum !!! It sure would be nice if all the coaches where wired the same, but then that would eliminate have the fum ! If one is into that kind of thing ! OK, are there circuit breakers in the second smaller box? and what is the breaker current rating and how many ? The bigger of the boxes should have 2-50 amp breakers and each one of them supply power to half the load in the camper. Like one AC on L1 and the other on L2 and so on. The microwave is supplied from one of the inverter breaks, plus one circuit for the front TV and a few outlets in the kitchen and dining area as a general rule. Might have one hot outlet in the bathroom area also ??? Rich.

OK, you been off roading some where? Putting a hole in a tire with as many ply's that a new RV tire has is not easy ! By chance do you have a long Honey Do List ! Maybe the DW is trying to keep you closer to home ! LOL Rich.

Don, Good to know that you are a Ham operator. Helps me have a better understanding of your skill sets. The fact that the 4-6 volt batteries are connected in a series / parallel configuration, one bad cell in one battery will drain the batteries. There is a bypass relay in the unit, this allows you to have AC power to the 2 circuits running from the inverter when it is turned off. Allot of things going on, so I created a list to work from so all know what and where tests have been made. I know you have run some of them and a yes, no, a voltage or other response to the item list will sure help get everyone on the same page: 1- You replaced all 4-Good starting base line. 2- The AC and refrigerator worked until the voltage dropped to 10 volts. This is a voltage level that is below the needed voltage for them to work. Normal! 3- The batteries are charging when the engine is running. That is a good start! 4- Your coach is wired with a 50 Amp service, this means you have 2-120 volt feeds. Often referred to as L1 and L2. The Charger / Inverter in your coach requires 120 volts at 30 amps.and is connected to ether the L1 or L2. Coach builders choice!! 5- So check the shore power cable for any issues with the Neutral and Ground circuits in the cable ends, running a continuity test; between the ends of the cable for all 4 circuits. 6- Check the circuits from the J box at the coach for the shore power connection to the AC breaker panel. 7- Check and see that all the connections are tight at the J box and the breaker panel. 8- Locate the breaker that feeds the 458. look for good tight connections . 9- with power going to the inverter, there are 2- 120 volt 20amp breakers that power 2 circuits inside the coach. These supply power to the Microwave and one other circuit for the front TV and a couple of other outlets. These outlets should have 120 volts when the inverter is running, with no shore power or the generator is not running. 10- turn off the inverter portion of the charger. With AC coming from shore power or the generator, read the Dc voltage across the 4-6 volt battery pairs. You should should read close 14.5 volts DC. and the Red LED on the controller should be light; but only for a short time. Then the Yellow LED should come on. Then after a period of time can be an Hr. or more. the green LED will light. NOTE. any interruption in the charging cycle will cause the 458 to go through the complete cycle again. 11- If you do not read the 14 plus voltage at the batteries when the charger is running. Disconnect one set of the 6-volt batteries from ground. This leaves you with just 2-6 volt cells in series, rerun the test again. Run the same test with the other 2-6 volt batteries grounded and the ground from the first set disconnected. What readings do you get ? the same or different? 12- Get the same reading on all the tests, then disconnect the common ground for all 4-6 volt batteries and read the charger voltage. What is that reading. 13- What is the condition of the wire and connections for the thermocouple connecting the 458 to the batteries? 14- Post the results and we will go over the battery wiring configurations for the 4 -6 volt batteries and the 2 chassis batteries. Questions, are you using a copy of the owners manual that I supplied the Link for ? Do you have a Power Driven power cord reel in the coach ? Rich.

MissLucy, There is also a fuse for the steps in the ignition circuit. In the forward Electrical bay. 5 amp. lower right corner, third from the bottom. 5 amp fuse in most cases. This fuse / circuit retracts the steps anytime the engine is running and the door is closed. There are 2 small fuses in the control circuit for the steps. One in the passenger seat armrest (Not in your case from your post). Should the ignition step fuse be blown, check to make sure the step mechanical assembly and pivot points are free moving and not bound up. With the steps being extended, one can wiggle them to see if there is some movement / Play in the system. One should oil them from time to time. Dirt and rust can build up on the pivot pins and with a 2 step system there are 5 pivot points or ten pins. Rich.

Merilou, take a look at this link. These are industrial grade slides and come with a price to match, but they can handle weight in the hundreds of Lbs. So maybe a slide tray in one of the bays would be an option to consider as mentioned by Allegiance40x. Remember, that heavy duty slides require a frame or support system to handle the added weight and one must stay within the load capacity of the Coach! http://www.mooreindhardware.com/drawer-slides.html Rich.

Jim, Have you tried the soapy water trick around the valve stem area. If you use the balancing compound it can get into the valve and cause a slow leak. BTDT once or twice.. Rich.

Chris, One does not need to be a member of FMCA to use the forum. You need to remind the person that the special offers from FMCA only come with membership though and some of them offset the cost of membership! Rich.

Don, Welcome to the forum! Always good to have another member posting and asking questions ! Think you may be a Ham from your moniker and asking questions is kind of a way of life for a Ham. Do you have the owners manual for the unit ? If not this is a link to a PDF copy that should cover you model. http://www.xantrex.com/documents/Inverter-Chargers/Freedom-458/Freedom458%28445-0193-01-01_rev-2%29.pdf Rich.

Do you have the Owners Manual for you Coach ? You posted the model as a Daybreak 34DB. Need some more information about the coach to get a starting point on how it is equipped. So if you could post the Model Year of the coach that would help. Rich.

BillAdams Posted Yesterday, 08:53 PM I have nearly the exact same issue with an older Detroit 8V92 and no one has ever been able to figure out why I am not producing the boost that I used to. Even when it gets "wound up" I still see less boost than I used to. The fuel pressure is correct where you would measure fuel pressure, the turbo is good and the filters are all good. Could you tell me a bit more about what exactly you found to be a problem? How did someone diagnosis this problem? Where is the located that found the problem? I will go anywhere to get my power back Bill, looks like Chuck covered everything except the repair shop. A pin hole in the fuel line running between the lift pump and the injector pump is a new one for me. Wonder if there was fuel leaking out the pin hole or if the injector pump demand minimized the fuel loose under idle speed. That problem would be a difficult one to find. Think the only way would be a vacuum or pressure test of that section of the fuel line to be sure of its integrity! Know now to keep in mind the condition of the fuel supply line running between pumps and age of the coach. Rich.

Bill, Welcome to the FMCA forum! One would think that the Starter Ground would go there, But grounds are grounds and the coach and chassis grounds both connect to the chassis frame. So if you connect the Engine / chassis batteries to the starter, that point in turn connects the engine that has a large ground Strap; in most cases that connects the starter to the chassis. There is often a separate(Smaller Gage)ground cable running between the alternators and the chassis / battery ground. This ensures a good ground for the charging circuit. Alternators bolted directly to the engines should provide a ground point, but many engines have a large ground strap connected between the starter and the chassis frame to provide a good high current path when starting the engine. One then has some extra ground connections between 2 points and a bad connection at any of them can limit current flow, the roundabout way uses less heavy gauge wire and saves some money. Bottom line-- Save a buck where and when you can! The result is the phrase, Check the Grounds / Check the Grounds. when something is not working the way it should first ! Uncle Sam says ground is ground the world around. So if you had an issue with the transmission pad until you connected the engine battery ground to the Coach battery ground. Is there a bad ground connection or grounding strap somewhere? You may never know, unless you try to find the ground point the shift pad did not see when wired the way you had it the first time. Rich.

Thanks for the heads up! Those old Keystone State boy's are for the most part, very friendly and helpful. Think that Chad knows where you live, by his willingness to lend you the tools needed. Rich.

Herman, Do not think in the long run there is a big difference between Interstate and Exide. Do know that Exide makes the OEM batteries for a number of the auto makers assembling units in the US. I also suspect the Interstate contracts to make some OEM batteries. Rich.

When to change out the Chassis and or the Coach batteries for me depends on the Hydrometer reading. A reading of 1250 and below in one cell is a signal to replace them. I change both chassis batteries (pair of Group 31- HD in our case) rated at (925-CCA). One bad cell can discharge both batteries because they are connected in parallel. The Coach batteries are replaced using the same Hydrometer reading, because I change them out in sets of 4. Just last year one of my 6 volt batteries had a cell shot out and it discharged all four. The temporary fix was to get a voltage reading across each battery, to find the bad battery. I removed that pair by disconnecting the ground wire connecting the pair from the remaining good set. This did reduce the total AH by 50 % until a replacement was located for the offending battery. Currently out of sync regarding the replacement cycle. Running one new battery with the best of the set of 4 that was replaced the last time and replaced 2 - 6 volt batteries. One pair of 6 volt batteries, just would not charge above my self imposed change out reading of 1250 on the hydrometer. One battery that was from the previous 4 battery cycle is still reading 1275+ after 1 year and is paired with the on road replacement. Just could not replace one that was still on top of it game, so to speak. Rich.

Jack, you might want to contact the coach maker and see if they can supply you with the wiring diagrams for the circuit referencing while repairing and trouble shooting. One should take a number of pictures and some good notes when there is a number of loose wires. Rich.