Chassis Battery

Artc · 01-21-2006, 12:48 PM

In December we bought a 2004 Winnebago 30V Class C motorhome. Yesterday I went out to start it and had to use the coach batteries because the chassis battery did not have enough power. I have recently started it without any problem before this time. The Minnie Winnie was plugged in to shorepower but the coach batteries were turned off. I have gone out and turned on a light or two for a very short time recently with the coach batteries off. My question is do the lights in the coach draw power from the chassis battery if the coach batteries are turned off and the shoreline is plugged in? If so, this is probably the reason the chassis battery was so low in power.
Thanks,
Arthur

Artc · 01-21-2006, 12:48 PM

In December we bought a 2004 Winnebago 30V Class C motorhome. Yesterday I went out to start it and had to use the coach batteries because the chassis battery did not have enough power. I have recently started it without any problem before this time. The Minnie Winnie was plugged in to shorepower but the coach batteries were turned off. I have gone out and turned on a light or two for a very short time recently with the coach batteries off. My question is do the lights in the coach draw power from the chassis battery if the coach batteries are turned off and the shoreline is plugged in? If so, this is probably the reason the chassis battery was so low in power.
Thanks,
Arthur

Scooter · 01-21-2006, 01:25 PM

Funny you should bring this up. Two days ago I tried to start up our rig. Nothing. No cranking noise, nothing. So I used the coach battery emergency assist and it started up.

The coach had been sitting for three weeks, not unusual for us. It has been idle for a month and started right up. Voltage was 9.3V Thursday a.m.

Shore power was coming in for the three weeks and coach batteries were being charged. The only thing I noticed was that the propane alarm goes off when charging, sometimes, and it had been beeping overnight for about 10 hours, +/-.

Not likely that the propane alarm is wired to the chassis battery but I do not have a wiring diagram to check it out. Not likely.

More likely the battery had a dead cell. There was a new battery installed yesterday and I think I will check the voltage each day to see if the drop is "normal" or excessive.

I might switch the house batteries OFF and check the chassis battery, also.

The old AC Delco battery did not have caps to check the fluid, I don't think. I was in a hurry to go to the dealer for another two items and did not check.

BigRedLancer · 01-21-2006, 06:54 PM

Turns out I am having the same problem with my coach. The chassis battery has a continuous drain from various devics in the coach and the battery went dead after a few weeks. I had to recharge the chassis battery with an external charger. Since then I disconnect the chassis battery and keep it charged. I also keep the AC power on the coach to keep the house batteries charged as well. I wish the dealer would have warned me about the battery drain before I found it dead. It is not good to drain the chassis battery. Also Wini could have designed a better charging system to keep the batteries charged.

N8XV · 01-21-2006, 07:13 PM

As long as your plugged to shore power this little item here: Trik-L-Start will keep the chassis battery charged along with the house battery. I have found it to work very good.

Dougmyers · 01-21-2006, 07:13 PM

Maybe the same problems he had!

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The coach has an Audiovox clock radio/stereo/CD sound system that has keep alive power for the clock provided by the engine battery. The keep alive power is minute but when the 12 volt coach power is alive the sound system is activated by it and takes its power from the engine battery. Even when the sound system is OFF it takes 230 ma and when it is operating it can take up to 4 amps. All from the engine battery. This appears to be an issue with this model Audiovox sound system since it was wired into the coach per Audiovox instructions. I solved the problem with a SPDT 12 volt relay from Radio Shack. The relay NC contacts carry the engine battery to the audio system when the coach 12 volts is not ON. The coach 12 volts is carried through the NO contacts and also powers the coil. Thus when there is 12 volts on the coach DC power system the sound system is powered by coach power but when the coach power is OFF the sound system keep alive is provided by the engine battery.

http://irv2.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/748607345...1068561/r/5541099561

Dougmyers · 01-21-2006, 07:34 PM

Something else to try:
Get a 12 volt test light then dissconnect the plus battery connector, hook up the test light between the disconnect cable and the battery if it lights up you have a drain.
with it hooked up start pulling fuses one at a time and watch the tester until you get the fuse that makes it go out, that will be the culprit to go to and fix.
If its more then one draw the light will never go out until you get them all but the light will have a intensity change when you find one that takes power off the system, you can eliminate them that way also.

Hope thats not too confusing?