jlandis Report post Posted May 13, 2012 Went out to start the motorhome today and........nothing. Wouldn't crank over. Tried auxillary start. Nothing again. Also found no DC power in coach when on batteries. Jump started the generator and had 110 but no 12 volt DC power to coach. Shore power has both 12 volt and 110. Coach has been plugged into shore power the entire time since last use a couple of weeks ago. Jump started the motorhome and it would run but about every 10 seconds I can hear a solenoid switch and the lights dim on my instrument panel and the coach engine starts to drag. Engine battery only showing about 7 volts as do the coach batteries. With the generator running the engine battery shows 13 volts but coach batteries still only show 7. Anybody have any ideas what kind of gremlin I'm dealing with? I am baffled. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted May 13, 2012 Many of those Gremlins will go away with batteries up to 12+ VDC. So first priority is to determine why the batteries (house for certain) is not being charged from shore power. Sadly, there enough accepted ways to wire coaches, that we can't say for sure. It may be that the battery disconnect switch needs to be ON. It may be that only the house battery bank is charged off shore power/generator or it may be that both it and the chassis battery are charged. What converter, charger or inverter/charger do you have? Have you checked the breaker to it on the main 120 VAC panel? Brett Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jlandis Report post Posted May 13, 2012 I have a Progressive Dynamics Intelli Power 9200. I did check the breaker and it was good. I have identified the solenoid that is cycling about every 10 seconds and dragging the engine electrics down (dash lights dim, engine drags down). There are 2 solenoids paired together (parallel) in one mount. The top one has a sticker on it that says "ignition proof" there are other marking that indicate "coach" and "chassis" terminals. It is the bottom of these two solenoids that has no markings on it that is cycling and dragging the engine down. Could these solenoids be my problem? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted May 13, 2012 While that is possible, it is more likely that the low voltage is not enough to keep the solenoid "locked in". Again, I would start by getting the batteries up to full charge and just see if there are other Gremlins then-- even if you have to use a separate charger. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jlandis Report post Posted May 14, 2012 I have removed the coach batteries and have them on a charger. I then started the motorhome and the earlier cycling problem I had with the solonoids has disappeared and the engine is now running just fine. Now to just figure out how to get 12 volt power back on in the coach. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dickandlois Report post Posted May 15, 2012 Do you have the manual for the unit? This is a link to a manual, think it has to be close if not the exact one for your charger/inverter. http://www.progressi...9200_Manual.pdf Rich. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jlandis Report post Posted May 20, 2012 Since I purchased the coach batteries from Interstate last summer and they are only about a mile from me I took the coach to them to check the batteries. Batteries now fully charged. Some symptoms have been eliminated. Here is what is left. 1. No 12 volt power when on batteries. 2. 12 volt power available when on shore power and when on generator. 3. Charging current of around 13 volts present at converter output terminal when on shore power and when on genertor power, but not showing up at the batteries. 4. Charging current of over 12 volts present at coach batteries when engine is running. Could it be the battery disconnect solenoid? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted May 20, 2012 Best bet is to send exactly that description to your coach maker, as there are a number of ways the converter, batteries and switches could have been wired. With your description, it should make their job very easy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jlandis Report post Posted May 21, 2012 Thanks Wolfe. Will do. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dickandlois Report post Posted May 21, 2012 Good write up! From your notes, it sounds like the problem is in the coach battery circuit. Check and make sure that a 12 volt or ground cable is not loose or hiding behind the batteries or fallen back behind things and is hiding along the frame rail. There should be a fuse, it is generally flat and mounted to the chassis in a mounted block, that supplies power to and from the coach batteries. If you have 2 / 6 volt deep cycle batteries it will be in the neighborhood of 150 / 200 amps. With 4 batteries it will be around 200 / 250 amps. I mention this because you have 12 volts from everything but the coach batteries and no 12 volts to the batteries from any other 12 volt source. Could be a transfer relay,but I'm leaning towards a fuse. Did the link I sent for the Charger/Inverter match yours? Rich. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jlandis Report post Posted May 21, 2012 Thanks Rich. It was an identical match. I found it very helpful. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dickandlois Report post Posted May 21, 2012 The manual does mention that the ATC circuit protection fuse will blow if the batteries are connected wrong,that is the fuse I was referring to in my last post. Most shops are not real familiar with circuits using Inverters. It is real easy to reverse a connection or two. You might share the information in the manual with the Shop that did the work, so they can learn from this issue. Rich. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jlandis Report post Posted May 30, 2012 Got a response back from Damon tech. From my description of the symptoms they believe it is the battery disconnect solonoid. Will try replacing that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
