House Batteries Not Charging while driving? UPDATED 3/15/06

[Old Snipe]

2003 Winnie Adventurer 35U, W-22 (2002).

My house batteries are not being charged off the engine while driving. Engine alternator is charging the chassis battery fine. Had to jump the house batteries from the engine battery to start generator. When generator is running, batteries charge. Checked all circuit breakers, ok, checked convertor, replaced 2 30 amp fuses, looked ok, but just to be sure. House batteries were replace as a pair 3 months ago with Group 27s (old one had a crack).

Any ideas, am on the road returning home from Quartzsite, AZ?

Thanks!

[Old Snipe]

2003 Winnie Adventurer 35U, W-22 (2002).

My house batteries are not being charged off the engine while driving. Engine alternator is charging the chassis battery fine. Had to jump the house batteries from the engine battery to start generator. When generator is running, batteries charge. Checked all circuit breakers, ok, checked convertor, replaced 2 30 amp fuses, looked ok, but just to be sure. House batteries were replace as a pair 3 months ago with Group 27s (old one had a crack).

Any ideas, am on the road returning home from Quartzsite, AZ?

Thanks!

[Petro]

Paul;
My prev 97 Adventure had that problem. I believe Winnebago uses a solenoid to charge the house batteries from the engine alternaror. My 03 Chieftain uses the same system. My solenoid failed. If you can locate it you can check if the solenoid is working by checking voltage on the input and output of the solenoid. Mine is located behind a pannel under the entry steps.

Don

[Thudman]

Bad house battery charging soleniod. Mine quit & had a new one installed at Lazydays two weeks ago. Don't know the cost since I only paid $50 deductible on extended warranty. My guess is about 150.

I took one look at that mess of BIG wires & figured it was way above my pay grade. But if you are electrically inclined.......

Thudman

[Dougmyers]

I would like to say this about charging house batts of engine alternator.
If your alternator is one of the lower amp out put models and you your house batts are very low on power you could fry your alternator or over work it trying to charge the house batts.
If you know the batts are low best to do what you did and start the gen and charge the house batts over frying the engine alternator.
If the house batts are are just a little low it probley would be ok to charge off the alternator but remeber you are making a double load on the alternators working ability.
Alternators may need to upgraded to handle the load, and always refer to the owners manual on this matter it should address it.

Doug

[Thudman]

Doug:
Appreciate your good thoughts on this issue. My house batts are fully charged before I go on the road, because I'm full-timing and always hooked to shore pwr.

However, other tech's have said that the alternator continuously puts a bulk charge to the house batts. Is that correct? If so, seems like the house batts could be boiled and/or overcharged. Particularly when I drive 8-9 hours. I use the 300W inverter to run my laptop for GPS navigation. Your (and anyone else) thoughts?

Thudman

[JB Texas]

My '02 Winnie UA has the Intellitec Bi Directional Relay charge controller. The particulars can be found HERE. It will sense the house battery level and switch out the alternator when the charge reaches a certain level.

[Dougmyers]

My older Winne has a rocker switch that is a single or mono and a dual setting that I must switch to bring house batts to the alternator side or switch back to mono to have only the start batt on the alternator, but yes your generator should be able to charge your house batts. I dont think you have this old style system on your newer RV but I am not sure.
However it most likely is a cylonoid that would bring your house batts in line with your engine batt. As for over charging your alternator most likely has a built in regulator to check the over charge of the house batts.
I am not so sure that the switch you used to get your generator to start may be the way you charge your house batts, when select the engine batt over to the house batts can you leave that switch in that position? That maybe to key to chargeing your house batts from the alternator, that is how it works on my old Winne.
Hope this helps!

Doug
====================================
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Thudman:
Doug:
Appreciate your good thoughts on this issue. My house batts are fully charged before I go on the road, because I'm full-timing and always hooked to shore pwr.

However, other tech's have said that the alternator continuously puts a bulk charge to the house batts. Is that correct? If so, seems like the house batts could be boiled and/or overcharged. Particularly when I drive 8-9 hours. I use the 300W inverter to run my laptop for GPS navigation. Your (and anyone else) thoughts?

Thudman </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

[Old Snipe]

Thanks Guys for the info!

I just arrived home from Q-site and took a quick look, I see the panel on the steps where the solenoid is located behind. Will check it out in the next couple of days and post how I make out.

Again, thanks!

[Old Snipe]

UPDATE:

I ordered the new charging solenoid from Winnebago Parts, received it in two days via a FedEx package. Cost $25.

Behind the circuit breaker panel just above the top step are two solenids, the one to the front is black in color, next to it (rear) is a silver solenoid. That was the defective unit.

Disconnected all batteries and it was just a few minutes to remove the old solenoid and install the new one. Reconnected the batteries, started engine and checked voltage at both sides and had correct charging voltage.

As additional information, the front (black) solenoid has a 5 amp fuse attached to it, not sure what that is for but will research it to find out. For my peace of mind, I stuck a new fuse in it while I had the panel open, I tested the fuse with an Ohm meter, it was good.

Thanks again to all for your help!

Best Regards!

[Tenn.Vol.]

Doug, I do you one better, I put a charger on the engine battery, and bring it up to
full charge before I bring it out of storage the first time ever yr. No need of abusing
the alternator, I hear they are expensive! TENN.VOL.

[drywall.toma]

Hi -I'm so happy to have found this group. I own a 1997 Four Winds Hurricane by Thor. After reading everyone's comments, I see my coach has the same issue with the non charging if aux batteries. How foi find where my solenoid is? I have looked around the batteries and the front engine area, I don't see it. Any ideas in how I should go about finding this?

Thank you!

[twinboat]

Switch the boost or AUX switch on and off and listen for it.

[Rogh]

I just replaced my Trombetta charge solenoid with the new silver contact solenoid offered by Trombetta as a replacement. Note that on mine you could here and feel the solenoid engage but it was not transferring the charge voltage. Pitted contacts I assume. The replacement was fairly easy and straight forward. Both your coach and chassis batteries are connected to this solenoid so make sure you disconnect your battery grounds before you remove and replace you solenoid. Then make sure you get ALL of your grounds reconnected. It was a good fix for the same issue of this post. You can check the coil (the small wires) for voltage when the engine is running to make sure it is the solenoid.
Also when working correctly the two large posts will have very close to the same voltage (Alternator output voltage ~14VDC) on them.

[DAN L]

Drywall.toma,

:welcome:

Where are your batteries located?
My batteries are located under the stairs, the solenoids just above them.

[John Hilley]

Originally Posted by Old Snipe

UPDATE:

I ordered the new charging solenoid from Winnebago Parts, received it in two days via a FedEx package. Cost $25.

Behind the circuit breaker panel just above the top step are two solenids, the one to the front is black in color, next to it (rear) is a silver solenoid. That was the defective unit.

Disconnected all batteries and it was just a few minutes to remove the old solenoid and install the new one. Reconnected the batteries, started engine and checked voltage at both sides and had correct charging voltage.

As additional information, the front (black) solenoid has a 5 amp fuse attached to it, not sure what that is for but will research it to find out. For my peace of mind, I stuck a new fuse in it while I had the panel open, I tested the fuse with an Ohm meter, it was good.

Thanks again to all for your help!

Best Regards!

The other solenoid is the Battery Disconnect Solenoid controlled by a switch near the steps and possibly also a switch on the dash.