theoldwizard1 wrote:
pnichols wrote:
The two voltmeters on the dash read just about the same whenever the engine is running (if the solenoid has been activated and if it's contacts aren't too corroded).
Curious. What kind of numbers do you see when driving ?
Both voltmeters read very close whenever the engine is running ... except for two times in the past of our 17 year old Class C when the two meters did not agree when the engine was running.
These were the two times when I had to replace the solenoid that connects the chassis battery system to the coach battery bank. Both times the solenoid had 12 volts on it whenever the engine was running and I had heard the "clunk" as the solenoid engaged as I started the engine.
I assume that the reason that the two voltmeters read differently in those instances was because the solenoid contacts had corroded/pitted surfaces badly enough such that there was resistance in the charging current path to the coach batteries.
This caused the reading of the dash voltmeter to be lower than that of the engine system's voltmeter. This meant that the coach batteries were not getting charged because they weren't seeing high enough voltage on their terminals from the coach's 12 volt system as we were traveling.
I replaced the solenoid those two times with much more rugged non-stock heavy duty 12V solenoids that had silver plated contacts - which were not carried in parts stores. I had to order them special.
So ... what these dash meters tell me as we go down the road is:
1) Is the coach refrigerator getting 12 volts as we travel so food doesn't spoil?
and
2) Are the coach batteries getting charged via enough voltage being applied to their terminals from the engine alternator?
