2018 View/Navion Dead Chassis Battery
(It is really a 2017 disguised as a 2018 to get a price increase out of me. Sprinter built 09/2016 and coach built 2nd quarter 2017.) I tried to start the motor and found the battery stone cold dead; ...
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I found the problem and for now it is ok. I recall from previous trouble shooting that taking random readings won't be accurate. First, I discovered that my best VOM had an internal resistance that was too high and the Sprinter saw it as a bad battery cable. I did find another meter that had a 1 Ohm internal resistance on the 10 Amp range so I used it for fault finding. I reconnected all the connections to the positive battery bus and placed the meter in series with the negative ground cable. After turning off and removing the key, I monitored the draw on the battery as different components go to sleep. I made sure doors were closed and lights were off. The draw was not the 5 to 6 Amps that I read previously, but were more like 3 to 4 Amps, still too high. By moving the meter to each of the connections on the positive side, I found that the excessive draw was coming from the driver's seat area where a fuse block is, as I previously tested. Under the seat in addition to the Sprinter wiring there was stuff added by Winnebago. A mass of yellow and white wires. I found a 'Shiner' that looked like it could be trouble. I clean up things a bit and the trouble went away. I could have read the number codes on the wires to determine the source of the trouble, but I was running out of steam and I was just happy to fix the problem. After putting it all together, I ran another test allowing time for the Sprinter to go to sleep. The current draw went down into the milliamp range. I assume that is normal to keep alive essential stuff.
This is a new RV. I should not have to be doing this, but when it goes to the shop I get, "Found OK. Within design specifications."
Ever ask yourself, "Is it just me or do other people have this sort of luck?" I got my answer this afternoon when a friend called me to tell me about his fifth-wheel that he took in to have the black holding tank sensors replaced. The read out was never right because the sensors in the tank would foul and never got clean despite having an internal track spray. The fix would be to replace with a new type that is resistant to fouling. He brought the RV home after repairs were completed and looked at the repair invoice more closely to find that the jacks on the rear were removed and replaced. That made no sense as the holding tank was more to the middle. So, he goes to the repair shop to ask about it. After quizzing the repair tech my friend finds out that the sensors on the fresh water tank were replaced. The repair ticket clearly states that it is the black water holding tank that was to be repaired. It is a good thing those guys are not running a hospital.
This is a new RV. I should not have to be doing this, but when it goes to the shop I get, "Found OK. Within design specifications."
Ever ask yourself, "Is it just me or do other people have this sort of luck?" I got my answer this afternoon when a friend called me to tell me about his fifth-wheel that he took in to have the black holding tank sensors replaced. The read out was never right because the sensors in the tank would foul and never got clean despite having an internal track spray. The fix would be to replace with a new type that is resistant to fouling. He brought the RV home after repairs were completed and looked at the repair invoice more closely to find that the jacks on the rear were removed and replaced. That made no sense as the holding tank was more to the middle. So, he goes to the repair shop to ask about it. After quizzing the repair tech my friend finds out that the sensors on the fresh water tank were replaced. The repair ticket clearly states that it is the black water holding tank that was to be repaired. It is a good thing those guys are not running a hospital.
