Charging System
Dear Friends .... Have an older 2000 Ford Coachman Catalina - 5.4 Triton Engine. Last year 2018 winterized it and began contemplating a Spring trip this year 2019. There is approx 90,000 miles on unit...
Forum Discussion
CharlesinGA wrote:kioticoachman wrote:theoldwizard1 wrote:
The battery light means that the alternator is putting out less voltage than the battery, so the battery is DISCHARGING ! No need to check the belt, it is on a tensioner. Check the connections at the battery and the alternor to see if they are clean and tight.
After that, 99% chance it is the alternator.
Maybe this may help? I have an emergency start system on the vehicle. Today I went out to start the vehicle using the emergency start system. I presume that the Coach & Chassis batteries are charged simultaneously/together when the engine is started and running?
Not sure if I got the procedure correct using the emergency start system uses the Coach battery but it was dead or would not respond. The Chassis battery turned over strong & started the engine. However the charging system light remains on.
Maybe tomorrow I will remove the Coach battery and see if it has a charge and how much of a charge. Correct me if I am mistaken but I presume that both batteries should be charging when engine is running?? Providing the alternator & charging system is working?
You are confusing the terms Coach and Chassis, making it difficult to understand what your problem is. The CHASSIS battery is the one under the hood, the one installed by FORD to start the engine. It sounds like it is DEAD.
The COACH batteries are the ones that run your 12v lighting, fantastic fan, fridge and furnace control circuits, etc in your coach.
By using the boost or emergency start switch you have proved that the COACH batteries are good. The fact that the light stays on, tells us that either the CHASSIS battery is very dead, or that the alternator is simply not working. A voltmeter will tell a knowledgeable person which it is. With the engine running you should be seeing 13.6 or better voltage on the Chassis (underhood) battery terminals. If you are not then the alternator is most likely the issue.
Charles
Yes Charles you are right and it does get confusing. The owner's guide that I got or rather found explains it exactly as you described. Coach (interior battery) CHASSIS (engine compartment battery).
Your analysis as well as some of the other comments have accurately concluded as to what is going on. Today I checked the Coach & Chassis battery voltage and found them to be 12.5v. The Chassis battery will still start up the RV but the alternator does not or is not putting out the 13.6v as recommended. About 12.6v output is about it.
Will try to keep up with a report as I proceed. It appears that the the alternator is most likely causing the issue as suggested by my Forum RV Team. Appreciate all the suggestions, assistance, insight that I have received. Thank you all very much. :)
