I've recent;y purchased a 2008 Winnebago View and I'm running into a bit of a problem with the chasis battery and the battery boost switch. First some background - The chasis battery died about 8 weeks ago, yet I was able to use the battery boost switch to pull power from the shore battery and jump the chasis battery. I later tested the chasis battery and it was dead. All batteries, including the shore batteries appeared to have been the original batteries. I replaced all of the batteries and didn't have any problems, until yesterday...The shore battery was dead for some reason, and I wasn't able to jump using the battery boost switch. I can hear the selenoid switch when attempting to use the battery boost, yet for some reason it's not working. Obviously I'm concerned about the mysterious drain on the chasis battery, but I'm even more concerned as to why the boost won't work.Any help would be appreciated; I have limited knowledge mechanically speaking. Thanks!!

i think boost is only good one way. you maybe left something on in coach that you've heavily drained house batt. put house batt toggle to ON or USE and plug rv to shore power overnite then try. be sure to toggle house batt to OFF or STORE when MH is not in use. otherwise, maybe like my rig and maybe yours too - there is a BIRD relay that connects house batt to chassis, and as long as chassis batt is lower than house batt, the house will drain to chassis batt. a goofy thing, i think.the BIRD is one way like the dash boost toggle, but they are somehow different. i think the boost is for manual action in emergency. the bird allows shore power to charge both batteries, or this is what i make of the distinction, anyhow.

I'm sorry, I forgot to mention that the shore batteries were completely full. The drain appears to only impact the chasis battery and I'm still not sure why the boost wont work. As I mentioned, you can clearly hear the solenoid click over when you hit the boost switch. Between this and the fact that I had just recently used the boost switch really has me perplexed. Is it possible for the solenoid to be bad even though you can hear it click over?

Solenoid can be bad and still click. Easy fix under passenger seat. The chassis battery drain is a known "issue", if you will, on the Views/Navions/ERAs. Best practice is to disconnect the chassis ground under the dash if to be parked for more than a few days. That will take care of the chassis drain unless you've got something else going on.

This is great feedback, thanks so much! You mentioned disconnecting the chasis battery under the dash... Where would you go about doing this? I'm hoping I don't need to open the floor up each time it needs to be disconnected. Thanks again!!

you did say shore batt was dead before i posted. anyway, you have a chassis or engine batt, and one or two house or coach battery(ies). no such thing as shore batt. the shore power is from an AC cord plugged into RV.if you can, start genset (the onboard way to get AC) and have house batt toggled ON. now try your emergency start toggle (boost). if it works, the emergency start solenoid is OK.

Battery Boost Issue | Good Sam Community

txhood
Explorer
Apr 12, 2015
I use a trickle charger for the chassis battery. Keeps it fully charged. You can get one for $20 from Wally World.
burlmart
Explorer
Apr 11, 2015
older thread. BIRD goes either way depending on charge voltage
burlmart
Explorer
Apr 11, 2015
bucket1 wrote:
I don't think these smaller Winnebago have a bird like my DP did. Engine running will charge both sets of batteries.Plugged in to shore power will only charge house batteries, unless to put your own charging relay.

a couple of us have learned our smsll, kinda ordinary Cs have the BIRD relay so that whenever you charge house batt by shore or genset, AND THIS IS the WEIRD THING, whenever the house batt is toggled ON and has more juice than the chassis batt, the chassis batt is being charged.

my trail lite has no chassis batt disconnect that i know of, but i wish it did.

this BIRD relay seems to either be a rare thing, or not many rv.net posters are aware they have one.
bucket1
Explorer
Apr 11, 2015
I don't think these smaller Winnebago have a bird like my DP did. Engine running will charge both sets of batteries.Plugged in to shore power will only charge house batteries, unless to put your own charging relay.
bucket1
Explorer
Apr 11, 2015
On my Cambria the quick disconnect for the chassis battery needed to be really tight. Deploying the leveling jacks would make it trip and would not let the engine start. It was just loose enough to break the connection when it was drawing some amperage. Might want to check the connections.
Gene_in_NE
Explorer II
Apr 11, 2015
Big Daddy 72 wrote:
Bobojay - Thanks, I found the button! Mine isn't a diesel, so maybe I'm lucky there? In any event, the first thing I did was to have the oil replaced with synthetic.

Other than this battery issue it runs fantastic! I just drove it from the northern IL border all the way down to Key West a couple weeks ago. No problems at all until I got home and let it sit for a week.
Sounds like to prevent the chassis battery from discharging, use the red button.

On our unit, the boost (sometimes called emergency start) will not work to connect the chassis with the coach (house) battery if the coach battery is in "store" mode. Our RV does the same thing to the coach battery as your red button does to the chassis battery.

Be sure to have the coach battery connected to the coach and the chassis battery connected to the engine. The "boost" switch should then work for you. :)
Big_Daddy_72
Explorer
Apr 10, 2015
Bobojay - Thanks, I found the button! Mine isn't a diesel, so maybe I'm lucky there? In any event, the first thing I did was to have the oil replaced with synthetic.

Other than this battery issue it runs fantastic! I just drove it from the northern IL border all the way down to Key West a couple weeks ago. No problems at all until I got home and let it sit for a week.
bobojay5
Explorer
Apr 10, 2015
Big daddy, the chassis battery disconnect is right above the accelerator pedal. Push down on the red button, then pull straight out. You'll see the deal. Always wait at least 20 mins. after turning engine off to do this disconnect. It allows the computer system to go through all it's shutdown steps.
The usual term for the "shore" battery is house or coach.

You have a lot to learn about Sprinters. They are not the simplest vehicle to keep up correctly. Your 2008 takes special oil too, assuming it's a diesel. Not an off the shelf product. Read your Sprinter manual cover to cover.....
Big_Daddy_72
Explorer
Apr 10, 2015
My apologies. As I said, I have limited technical/mechanical knowledge.

I had thought the chasis battery was the correct term for the engine battery and the shore battery was the term for the house battery. Maybe this makes more sense to you now. Thank you again for your help!
burlmart
Explorer
Apr 10, 2015
you did say shore batt was dead before i posted. anyway, you have a chassis or engine batt, and one or two house or coach battery(ies). no such thing as shore batt. the shore power is from an AC cord plugged into RV.

if you can, start genset (the onboard way to get AC) and have house batt toggled ON. now try your emergency start toggle (boost). if it works, the emergency start solenoid is OK.

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