Volt guage reads different between coach and chassis battery

[Arberg0]

From: jipjob1  (Original Message) Sent: 12/25/2003 8:45 PM

I have a problem that occures when I start up my 1974 Winne and the volt meter on the dash show that I'm charging on the main batterys but when I push in switch over to house battery it show no voltage at all. This is on the Volt meter and I swear when I first got this rig it would show charging voltage on the main battery and then I would switch it to the house battery and it would show it charging and now it doesn't, What do I look for? Could it be the selonoid back by the batterys and how can I check this. If I can't figure it out I will just haft to take it to an RV dealer and pay through the nose. Thanks Jipjob and have a happy Christmas!




From:captainpine Sent: 12/25/2003 11:31 PM
The first question is has your  meter or meter wiring failed, or has the charging circut? The way to check is to switch to charging house battery and put a DC voltmeter across the battery. If the voltmeter shows 13 volts or thereabouts, the battery is getting charged and your monitoring circut is defective. In tha case use the voltmeter across the voltmeter to see if it is bad,  if the voltmeter shows voltage and the panel meter does not ,if so replace the meter. If not then your wring from the batery is bad or the switch is bad.  If  its not getting 13 volts therabouts, check across the contacts of the solenoid to your baterry with the voltsmeter, with the solenoid on, there should be less tha 1/2 volt showing on the voltmeter, any more than that replace the solenoid. Be sure to check that you have voltage going to the solenoid from the alternator. Iff You have voltage going to the solenoid and no voltage showing across the contacts, check for a bad connection at the battery.




From: denison Sent: 12/26/2003 9:29 AM
My voltmeter needle only moves when I press the rocker next to it. Pressed one way it shows the engine battery voltage. Pressed the other way it shows the coach battery voltage. If the coach battery is absent or not connected it shows zero of course. When I move the other rocker switch to the -dual- position, so as to connect the two batteries together for charging the coach battery, the voltmeter Should show that the coach battery voltage is higher. Usually it doesn't show that - until I have been driving for a while; many miles and some bumps. I think my battery linking solenoid is lazy. I have been meaning to fix it for 12 years. I expect to have to replace the wiring that runs from the coach battery to that voltmeter also.
If the solenoid back by the batteries isn't doing its job, you coach battery would just sit there and eventually get discharged. But before I would spend the money a RV dealer would change, I would just connect the two batteries positive terminals together with a sturdy wire having a pair of good sized alligator clips, after I had started the engine for the days drive.
denison




From:jipjob1 Sent: 12/26/2003 2:10 PM
Thanks guys I will try out all thies recomendations and get back with you if one of thies idems dont't work. Jipjob