Electrical Issues - Chassis Power

Winnie30T · 05-14-2018, 06:45 PM

I have a 2015 Vista 30T that has been nothing but issues. The main issue now is we lose/lost all power to the chassis. The last time was the weirdest as we lost all power when we hit the retract button on the LCI levelers. The engine stalled and it seemed like we lost all chassis power. A similar incident happened a few days earlier when we went to start RV initially and it was dead....we cleaned battery cables and it seemed to work until this current episode. We turned on and off the chassis battery switch near stepwell, nothing, no green light on battery switch either. Steps will not even retract. HELP

l1v3fr33ord1 · 05-15-2018, 02:16 AM

Winnie30T-

It sounds as if the chassis battery is dead. If so, you can put a battery charger on it, jump start it, or attempt to start the engine using the BATT BOOST switch. Your owner's manual gives the BATT BOOST procedure starting on page 3-8.

Winnie30T · 05-15-2018, 07:22 AM

Chassis battery replaced Jan 2017 and tests fine. It really seems like a bad ground somewhere. We cleaned the chassis battery ground but still nothing. What other grounds would cause a complete outage like this? I am studying the wiring diagram to see if I can find other grounds to check. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

powercat_ras · 05-15-2018, 07:23 PM

There is a Ford Chassis Battery Insulated Post on the passenger side chassis rail that runs front to back, near the front wheel well. All the chassis wiring forward of this post is Ford provided chassis wiring and would be serviced by Ford and would be covered under the Ford chassis warranty. Winnebago extends from this post, and past this post going rearward is covered under Winnebago warranty, that I realize is expired unless you purchased less than 1 year ago, and generally would be covered by any extended warranty you have that covers the Coach part of the RV.

Winnebago connects from that post to the chassis battery isolation relay and the bridge relay, that can join coach and chassis battery systems together, which is all located behind the circuit breaker panel along with the battery isolation manager module. There is a cable from the other side of the battery isolation relay to a 150 Amp fuse located near the chassis battery under the step. Other side of the fuse connects to the positive chassis battery post.

Hope this helps. Do easy stuff first. 1. Be sure that you have operated the Chassis Batt switch just inside the door above the first step platform to ON and that the green LED in the switch came on. 2. Check for 12 volts on both sides of the 150 Amp Fuse to make sure it did not blow. 3. Check for 12 volts on the frame rail battery post.

If you do see 12V on step #3, then suggest you hit a Ford dealer.
If you don't see 12V on step #3, then it's a coach problem and chances are you are going to need a capable service tech to isolate and repair the problem.

Good luck.

Winnie30T · 05-16-2018, 12:02 PM

Thanks for the reply Randy!

The green LED does not even come on at the chassis battery switch. The steps will not retract either. If I recall correctly, the first time this issue occurred, just the ignition seemed dead.

Is the chassis battery post on the frame seen in View "AA" on the wire diagram linked below?
https://www.winnebagoind.com/diagram...ire_189350.pdf

Also, this problem seemed to start when levelers would not retract and we were messing around with leveler solenoids...which is near the fuse box area??

Thanks again,
Bill

powercat_ras · 05-17-2018, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Winnie30T

Thanks for the rely Randy!

The green LED light on chassis battery switch will not even come on during the most recent episode, but if I remember correctly, the last time it happened (few days prior) the led light was on but no ignition, no levelers, etc.

Is the chassis post you referenced shown in View "AA" in the wiring diagram linked below...

https://www.winnebagoind.com/diagram...ire_189350.pdf

Thanks again,
Bill

Yes.

powercat_ras · 05-17-2018, 10:20 PM

Winnebago stopped posting the coach wiring diagrams for each model to save money a few years ago, starting with the last recession. This bothers me I don't know how service techs are supposed to troubleshoot coaches without correct wiring diagrams!

The newest wiring diagram available for Vista that customers can view can be found by looking under 2013 Vista. Most of it is still accurate other than for a few changes Winnebago made in later model years. From that:

There is a Chassis Disconnect Lockout Relay and Fuse shown on the wiring diagram but I don't know where they are, you can't tell from the drawing. If the Chassis Disconnect Fuse blew it would cause your problem. If the relay failed in a certain way it would cause your problem.

Those items are likely are in the space behind the cover with circuit breakers on it in the Chassis Electrical Box. You should check and confirm no breakers have tripped if so the button on the breaker will have popped out and to reset you just push back in.