Chassis battery going dead while generator on
Hi all: We have an 05 Mandalay 40E Diesel. We don't use it much and so mostly it sits in my barn, plugged in. The past two times I have taken it to a football weekend, where you have the generator on...
Forum Discussion
Only the engine ALTERNATOR charges BOTH batts (or whatever your setup is 2 6v in series, or a combination of batts to get 12V one for the chassis, the other for the "house") you don't specify if the generator has its own alternator, or if the output (120VAC)of the gen is going to the 120VAC-to-12vDC pannel AND THEN to the batt. the sulfur smell probably WAS a bad regulator that overcharged the batts for a while, now the regulator destroyed itself leaving an open connection, thus ONLY draining the batts.
sure test is that when engine running disconnect +side only (very careful not to touch anything grounded with the wrench used to loosen the battery conector) only briefly each batt
A. IF the engine dies when disconnecting the chassis batt, ALT is toast.
B. if lights in the "house" dimms when coach batts are disconected, and bright again when connected... your ALT is OK (and battery isolator also).
C. when engine off generator on, try same test as B.
or beeing OVERCHARGED by only beeing plugged in, probably ended up drying the electrolite (evaporated by always beeing warm, or electrolized due to a "between plates" short).
also your battery isolator probably is shorted, because chassis batt should NOT drain using normal "house" power, also I've seen stuck boost solenoids!!!! (the ones that join both batts banks).
hope this help
sure test is that when engine running disconnect +side only (very careful not to touch anything grounded with the wrench used to loosen the battery conector) only briefly each batt
A. IF the engine dies when disconnecting the chassis batt, ALT is toast.
B. if lights in the "house" dimms when coach batts are disconected, and bright again when connected... your ALT is OK (and battery isolator also).
C. when engine off generator on, try same test as B.
or beeing OVERCHARGED by only beeing plugged in, probably ended up drying the electrolite (evaporated by always beeing warm, or electrolized due to a "between plates" short).
also your battery isolator probably is shorted, because chassis batt should NOT drain using normal "house" power, also I've seen stuck boost solenoids!!!! (the ones that join both batts banks).
hope this help
