Newbie w 2004 ITASCA SUNOVA 8.1L

[Liketoobike]

P32 Workhorse, where do i find specs for maintenance and repairs? a few issues oil change, generator wont start, status panel doesnt light up when not connected to shoreline. Appreciate any assistance. i replaced start and deep cycle batteries.

[Morich]

I might point to where one might go for info. first thought is that the info you need will NOT be found in one single spot as an RV isa "house" built on a truck!
For the truck functions, you will need to go to a combo of places for info. One is the owners manual.
Then for the coach/RV issues Winnebago info is a very good place to start with the owners manual as a beginning but then looking for manuals to help with all the different parts that are made by others and simply installed by Winnebago.
I might do a quick rundown on a very large field of info?
Some sites and what you might find are these

First thought is if you have the large bag of info which should travel with each RV sale. Do you hae that on hand as being specific to the RV you have as it was built?
A manual for the chassis, perhaps?
Booklets for lots of parts like frig, furnace, jacks, etc? Those can be a great place to start without having to search for them, but if not on hand an alternate can work.

The Winnebago home site is the opening to lots of info.
https://www.winnebago.com/
The right to owners and that takes you further into things with a list at left of numerous places to find things - like the owners manual!

Time spent reading/ study of the info online can save a lot of grief!
Best of luck and do keep this site in mind as a backup when things don't seem to make sense!

[Liketoobike]

Thanks Richard, and yes i have reviewed the big bag of chassis, appliances, etc. Most information is about to installation and operation but have not looked at the winnebago site thank you. And you have been helpful that i now understand how much more involved it will be to research the details of every little thing. Items like the cracked bathroom skylight don't show up anywhere i have yet found!

Thanks! Geoff

[Morich]

Parts are one which can be great on the "after 2010" group and only somewhat usefull before that.
It "may" help to check the parts catalog here:
https://catalog3d.winnebagoind.com/menu/Parts.htm

I might also note that they seem to be going through an "update? " of some type right now as various sections of the online info show up as "server error" for a few hours now and then. That is what I currently get on the parts catalog.
It tends to be line drawings and lists and not as ideal as the later interactive stuff where we can turn the chosen sections, like drains, all around to look from any angle we want to see where and how they are put together.

But before going too sad on the after/before 2010 info, I might mention how much better the early info on electrical is!
Before 2010, we get actual wire by wire schematic drawings and can often trace out a whole circuit if needed. Later we get a wire ID stamped on each wire and list to "decode that ID for the from and to info!
That gets to be a real brain tester!

Can I pick on you as part of the big "learning curve"? I'll try to be nice!
Winnebago lists much of the info online, first by year, then model like Sunovo and floor plan that shows normally as the size being two figures and a few letters. You have included much of that info on your post but we would still need to get down to which floor plan. It sounds even more picky when I say some info changes mid year and we have to look at the 7th digit of the motorhome serial number for a 1 or 2 as that sets early build or later!
You can see where it makes us sound like a real jerk if somebody wants to know how to unscrew a light bulb and we ask them about their serial number!!!
But it works better if we know what kind of light bulb!


But that is the way the info is filed, so it is often really handy to put that info in your signature that shows at the bottom of each post. That way it is added without having to manually do it each times as well as having it there cuts out lots of delay in getting the right info passed.


I don't have any info on my RV as I am currently without one!


But enough harrasssment about info!!
That generator start and panel dark sound like my favorite end of things as I do electrical. Just as top of the head, it sounds like a basic 12vDC coach battery issue, so we can start when you are ready with some questions.

For getting down to details of specs, the operators manual may be a good place to find info on a label attached near the driver's seat! It has lots of info critical to knowing for sure what you have and can save lots of grief on looking for parts. One big thing about RV is that the the RV parts are often built on "stripped chassis" which are bought from builders like Ford, Chevy, etc. So you may have a 2004 RV that rides on a chassis built in 2003. So when you want to relpace something that is usually found on a truck, you may want to know if it is a 03 or 04! That info label will tell you!
Referr to page 0-4 for complete info on how to decode that label.

Specs for tanks size etc is another item to find in the manual as it can various from one to the next and sometimes even options wil change what you have versus the guy in the next lot at the campground!
RV vary almost as much as poeple, so knowing exactly which can be critical!

Good luck and come back with questions as that is what keeps a forum running!

[Liketoobike]

Originally Posted by Morich

Parts are one which can be great on the "after 2010" group and only somewhat usefull before that.
It "may" help to check the parts catalog here:
https://catalog3d.winnebagoind.com/menu/Parts.htm

I might also note that they seem to be going through an "update? " of some type right now as various sections of the online info show up as "server error" for a few hours now and then. That is what I currently get on the parts catalog.
It tends to be line drawings and lists and not as ideal as the later interactive stuff where we can turn the chosen sections, like drains, all around to look from any angle we want to see where and how they are put together.

But before going too sad on the after/before 2010 info, I might mention how much better the early info on electrical is!
Before 2010, we get actual wire by wire schematic drawings and can often trace out a whole circuit if needed. Later we get a wire ID stamped on each wire and list to "decode that ID for the from and to info!
That gets to be a real brain tester!

Can I pick on you as part of the big "learning curve"? I'll try to be nice!
Winnebago lists much of the info online, first by year, then model like Sunovo and floor plan that shows normally as the size being two figures and a few letters. You have included much of that info on your post but we would still need to get down to which floor plan. It sounds even more picky when I say some info changes mid year and we have to look at the 7th digit of the motorhome serial number for a 1 or 2 as that sets early build or later!
You can see where it makes us sound like a real jerk if somebody wants to know how to unscrew a light bulb and we ask them about their serial number!!!
But it works better if we know what kind of light bulb!


But that is the way the info is filed, so it is often really handy to put that info in your signature that shows at the bottom of each post. That way it is added without having to manually do it each times as well as having it there cuts out lots of delay in getting the right info passed.
Attachment 186216

I don't have any info on my RV as I am currently without one!


But enough harrasssment about info!!
That generator start and panel dark sound like my favorite end of things as I do electrical. Just as top of the head, it sounds like a basic 12vDC coach battery issue, so we can start when you are ready with some questions.

For getting down to details of specs, the operators manual may be a good place to find info on a label attached near the driver's seat! It has lots of info critical to knowing for sure what you have and can save lots of grief on looking for parts. One big thing about RV is that the the RV parts are often built on "stripped chassis" which are bought from builders like Ford, Chevy, etc. So you may have a 2004 RV that rides on a chassis built in 2003. So when you want to relpace something that is usually found on a truck, you may want to know if it is a 03 or 04! That info label will tell you!
Referr to page 0-4 for complete info on how to decode that label.

Specs for tanks size etc is another item to find in the manual as it can various from one to the next and sometimes even options wil change what you have versus the guy in the next lot at the campground!
RV vary almost as much as poeple, so knowing exactly which can be critical!

Good luck and come back with questions as that is what keeps a forum running!

THANKS Richard, we recently purchased this unit, and there were two deep cell marine batteries, and the start battery, which have been replaced as they were at end of life. when connected to shoreline power everything works (tho gen just clicks no start), with engine running nothing. From other threads /I see to first charge the batteries take volt readings, im stuck here til i can report on that, i watch my grandaughter in "the bus" most days like today...saw also mention of an inverter and fuse possible reason. Expect this is found between the battery case and main fuse box.

[Morich]

Good start! Now we can get down to the real idea of some things like how the generator gets power to start.
Have you had experience with hearing older cars just click, perhaps repeatedly as we tried to start them? That may be what you have going on with the generator!
You may be hearing a solenoid on the generator click but only once instead of the click, click, click, I mention.

So we can go to drawings and look at where that power comes from and what may be keeping it from getting there.
This should be the right drawing for a big part of what work the power on your RV.
https://www.winnebago.com/Files/File...ire_145752.pdf

Sheet 2 has a picture of the panel cover and label where they hide the parts. Got something like that, maybe on outside behind driver? No need to dig too deep to get to it yet, but good to know where this group is as it tends to be a big, busy part of our RV.
I did a snip from sheet 3 to mark some points to know about, if not now, for future understanding what often happens!

Click this drawing snip or go direct to the whole thing for better view?


This mode solenoid is what does two different things at different times when we want the coach and chassis batteries connected together.

The solenoid is just a switch that operates electrically when we put power on the small "control wires".
When we start the engine, there is a point they call ignition hot, which puts 12VDC on wire LR going down to the solenoid. That power goes through a coil in the solenoid and connects to ground wire FM which is often connected to the mounting screw for the solenoid. That gives ground both from wire FM and the mount, too.
The drawing makes it look like FM is on the big lug but it is actually on the ground mounting screw when we look!

So when we start the engine the solenoid connects left and right big lugs together and we have one big battery instead of two. As the engine runs and we drive home from camping, the engine alternator charges the coach AND the chassis batteries!
Second use is when we find we have a weak chassis battery and want to "jump start" it. We have a switch on /near the dash that is labeled different things at different times. AUX, boost, are a couple names that have been used, so some looking at what they called yours?

This is a switch which is momentary and connects power to wire LR again to connect the batteries together.
But this time, we are using the coach to help the chassis and before we were using the chassis to charge the coach!

Good system and does lots of good stuff but it also operates every time we start the engine and the contacts tend to arc and corrode more than we might like! Something to be aware of if the coach battery stops charging as we drive!

But the generator not turning wqhen we try to start it? Sounds like it is getting "some" power but not enought to turn over and crank.
When you are connected to shore power, there is a converter onboard which works to charge the coach battery and that is likely just enough higher voltage to let the generator go ahead and start at times but maybe not all the time?
I am guessing that there is a dirty cable somewhere along the path from the coach batteries to the starter solenoid on the generator itself???

See the red line come in from the coach batteries to the solenoid and a short cable to the coach battery disconnect relay? That relay has to operate and close to pass the power on through to much of the coach as well as the generator starter! Make sure the disconnect relay is operating when you push the disconnect switch. The switch may be near the door?
This is a special relay that latches in which position we last pushes the switch, on or off. See if you get lights inside when you push the disconnect switch. That will show the relay is actually moving and connecting power to the coach as well as toward the generator.

If power is getting through the disconnect relay, it is possible there is a dirty connection that keeps it from getting fully back to the generator.
If you open the generator cover, you may spot a big red battery cable coming in and you may need to test the 12VDC gets there???
Not at all unusual for some connection along the way to go bad when things set like RV do.
Back on the generator itself, there is likely to be a switch for starting the generator, instead of going insdie to a different switch. Maybe try that switch to see if it goes or if y9ou hear the solenoid there click? Normally somewhere near the near side and labeled. But there is also a breaker on the gen. so don't turn it off!
Nothing goes bad as quick as an RV that doesn't get used!!

I'll stop before I totally drive you insane!! Brain overload is a definite thing!!

[Liketoobike]

Originally Posted by Morich

I might point to where one might go for info. first thought is that the info you need will NOT be found in one single spot as an RV isa "house" built on a truck!
For the truck functions, you will need to go to a combo of places for info. One is the owners manual.
Then for the coach/RV issues Winnebago info is a very good place to start with the owners manual as a beginning but then looking for manuals to help with all the different parts that are made by others and simply installed by Winnebago.
I might do a quick rundown on a very large field of info?
Some sites and what you might find are these

First thought is if you have the large bag of info which should travel with each RV sale. Do you hae that on hand as being specific to the RV you have as it was built?
A manual for the chassis, perhaps?
Booklets for lots of parts like frig, furnace, jacks, etc? Those can be a great place to start without having to search for them, but if not on hand an alternate can work.

The Winnebago home site is the opening to lots of info.
https://www.winnebago.com/
The right to owners and that takes you further into things with a list at left of numerous places to find things - like the owners manual!

Time spent reading/ study of the info online can save a lot of grief!
Best of luck and do keep this site in mind as a backup when things don't seem to make sense!

thanks Richard, this is very helpful, although we are on the road now for a week... with other issues, we have only had this unit about 2 months and discovering new issues every day. Would you know, what may cause the stop lights on the back to stay on when everything else is turned off? never happened before last night, but they are on even now... i took the fuse out overnight. We did have a minor accident on a narrow river bridge yesterday broke the right side mirror, so maybe an electrical connection to that may be causing it. anyway, appreciate all your help, tho where we are at and staying mostly hilly/mountain areas have little to no internet service!

[Liketoobike]

Hi Richard, wanted to let you know the generator started and is working ok since installing all new batteries and cleaning all connections thoroughly.. Still tail/brake lights are on full time, now also park brake is stuck for which i read the switches replacement should be a simple fix and perhaps why the brake lights stay on. Thanks for the helpful info getting started, i have a list of 28 fixes to work through... but confident most can be diy with assistance from manuals and links youve provided.

[Morich]

the brake light on and the parking brake would be seperate in my thinnking.
But the brake lights staying on may be somewhat simple. Or it may have changed since I last looked??
what I might guess is that there is a kind of simple switch that rides along the brake pedal "lever". As we push the pedal down, it is meant to push the brake lights switch on.
Diffeerent things can happen. The switch can get loose and get hung up to keep it pressed or it may just be broken.
So the first idea might be to look under the dash at the linkage for the brake pedal and if you see any wires in/on that area, it may go to the switch? It may be mounted on the firewall so that as the pedal goes down it pushes the switch?
That may be the old way but it is kind of easy to spot----if the knees don't fuss too much getting down there! I havn't seen one in a while so may be wrong but semi-easy to check or fix if correct!

A link with picture of one of many types:
https://www.samarins.com/glossary/br...ht_switch.html

Good treking to you !

[Liketoobike]

Yes you are right onthe brake switch above the pedal, the plastic housing/clip is broken so the switch is not engaging w the pedal. Re the park brake i did get the J71 auto park upgrade kit from Brazels and just completed installation of both new switches, but no change and i'm sure there is a more detailed thread on here somewhere to further trouble shoot that. Seems like the yellow push pull button doesn't do anything. However, it will not move now just whines when i put it into gear reverse or forward.

[Liketooobike]

And duh when I filled the reservoir w fluid… it works fine.