wolfe10

There are (sadly) quite a number of coaches with NO provision for charging the chassis battery from anything but the alternator. So, it is really not that uncommon to need to fix this "oversight" by the manufacturer.

This a generality about solenoids-- I have no specific information on that particular one: If only one small terminal, it will be the signal terminal and be triggered by 12 VDC positive. If two small terminals, one is like that above, the other is GROUND. On the single small terminal models, the solenoid ground is through its physical connection to metal/ground. If that is the case with the one you are working with, and it has a ground terminal, just run ground wire from the negative terminal to any ground location, such as the mounting bolt for the motor.

Jumping positive of house battery to positive of chassis battery WILL work. But, one has to be VERY careful, as either end of that wire is hot and if you happen to touch any metal part of the chassis/coach, you will be arc welding!

Carl, Let me put that differently: If you are on shore power, you should (almost MUST) have some means of keeping the chassis battery charged. Even a 2 amp smart charger (and there are some very good ones designed specifically for doing this) will keep the chassis batteries charged.

What part of Canada. A BIG country!

Carl, et al, You really need to remedy that or expect very short battery life from discharging that deeply-- either by finding a way to charge the chassis battery (better) or disconnecting it when parked. Charging really depends whether you are on shore power while parked. If so, either a small (like 2 amp) smart charger is one option. The other option is a smart relay such as Xantrex Echo Charger that steals a few amps from the house battery (which is charged by your inverter/charger).

Carl, What brand is it? Is it loose where it mounts to the coach, coach to mirror mount, mount to arm, arm to mirror head or mirror glass to mirror head?

Jim, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Please tell us what chassis you have.

Your Caterpillar owners manual should have the mil-specs for grease, but most quality chassis greases should be fine. I would not grease with the engine going-- nothing to be gained, and have never seen that recommended by Caterpillar or any tech. And, it is much too close to the serpentine belt! The problem with trying to pump too much grease in is that it will blow the seals. So, were it me, I would grease it a little right now and then again in a thousand miles or so. And, as with any bearing, grab the fan (yes, with the engine OFF!) and make sure there is no play in the bearings. If they have never been greased, they may be suspect.

Yup, and the prices are higher than through the FMCA Michelin Fleet program. Wonder how they can get tires and large Michelin tire dealers can not?

If the wire in your shore power cord that was disconnected was the NEUTRAL wire, lots of bad things can happen, as voltage has no "reference" and can very from extremely low to extremely high. If there was a clean break in one of the hots (L1 or L2, all appliances on the broken leg would just not work until you repaired it. BUT, if the break was not complete and you ran appliances on that leg, there could be a substantial voltage drop across the "almost break". And, that likely would have shown as an overheated area in the shore power cord. If you are safe working around 240 VAC, you might check for proper voltage at the ATS and again at the 120 VAC main breaker panel. You could also try these things on generator power. That would rule out wiring past the ATS as a problem since shore power and generator power share the same lines. Let us know what you find on generator power.

Received a PM from Gwallegro09: "Found the issue. Ground wire between starter and battery not connected. Thanks for the chat."

Ian, If you will be in Madison for the FMCA Convention, come to the Caterpillar Engine Seminar. I have some good slides of this and will go over the "how too's". Friday, July 31 1:30 p.m. Caterpillar Seminar: Seminar 7

Ian, As you found out, there is no guarantee that the coach maker even considered access to that area. On many, it IS a dirty job.

"the volt meter dives to 12.8 from 14.0 only when the dash lights are set to bright..." Very likely just a bad/inadequate ground wire for dash lights. Tighten the existing ground wire or run an additional ground wire to chassis metal.

Flow on a side radiator is ALWAYS outside to inside. The fan sucks the air through: Dash A/C condenser on some models Charge Air Cooler Radiator On some hydraulic fluid cooler On some fuel return line cooler On some separate transmission cooler (most have it incorporated in the radiator)

Bill, Working for me.

Yes, most plug into the diagnostic plug. And most coaches have a diagnostic plug in the dash area. I was not concerned with the "gear you are in", a week on the mountains pretty well got me used to knowing. You could also do a speed vs gear spread sheet and tell from speed and RPM what gear you are in. I installed a ScanGauge D in our coach-- plug and play. Some very good choices for what you can monitor for under $170: http://www.scangauge.com/products/scangauged/ Silverleaf offers more, but is also a lot more $$.

1700- 1900 is a good choice for your ISL, particularly if at less than WOT. Peak torque is at 1300 and peak HP is at 2100. I would compare cost of replacing the single window shift pad with the two window shift pad with aftermarket monitor systems that will provide you with that and a LOT of other information.

Likely normal. At what RPM were you during the climb/205 degrees F?

Scotty, For wet cell batteries, in the summer (warm temperatures), you want the float (not bulk or absorption) rate to be in the 13.2-13.5 VDC range. Colder temperatures, a bit higher. 14.3- 14.8 is OK for bulk mode, but would boil wet cell batteries if used 24/7. I assume the 12.0-12.2 VDC range in the morning was after dry camping/ not being on shore power overnight. Might scroll down this Trojan document to the charging section: http://www.trojanbattery.com/tech-support/battery-maintenance/

marte6, Welcome to the FMCA Forum. Please tell us what generator you have. Was the sound coming from the generator area or from the area with the ATS?

Jameson13, Yes, if you have air leveling, most systems have a 12 VDC compressor. If it runs for more than a couple of minutes every hour, you have a problem. Could be the compressor, could be the small auxiliary air dryer on it or an air line. Could also be a stuck relay or pressure switch controlling the compressor. I would start by locating the compressor (since it is loud, should be easy). Use soapy water and a toothbrush (never your own) to check for leaks.

Certainly agree that voltage in the proper size, good and charged chassis batteries will decrease while cranking. But a drop from fully charged (over 14 VDC) to 12.0 VDC after trying to start could indicate a battery issue. If they only "rebounded" to 12.0, they could have been in the 10-11 VDC while cranking and that WOULD give slow cranking. Here, a digital voltmeter IS YOUR FRIEND. Check voltage at the chassis batteries before trying to start, voltage while cranking and voltage after the batteries have had time to "rest".

Here is a link to an Air Admittance Valve: http://www.lowes.com/pd_24372-143-85539K___?productId=1069119&pl=1&Ntt=air+admittance+valves