1999 Beaver Marquis Alternator burn out
I had the alternator in my 1999 Beaver Marquis rebuilt on April 1st 2014. Once installed along with 2 new chassis batteries the voltage reading at the batteries was 14.6V. No reading was taken at th...
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I agree that you probably have a diode style battery isolator, and they are no good. If they open the circuit for even a couple of seconds, the alternator can spike in voltage to well above 25 volts and melt the diodes inside the expensive alternator.
By replacing the diode type isolator with a relay, you will have much more reliability, and will not disconnect from the chassis battery ever. The relay is energized while the engine is running, and disconnects from the chassis battery when the engine is off. The huge advantage is you can now install a dash switch, that once activated (usually a momitary switch that you hold down for a few seconds) you can activate it and while starting the engine be able to use both the engine and coach battery to start the engine.
In my motorhome, I used the radio +12 from under the dash to power my coach battery to chassis battery relay. So if I put the RV in ACC or start it, either one will energize the relay and charge the coach battery from the alternator, or if parked will allow the coach charger to charge the engine battery.
The relay is Grainger part #6C017
http://www.grainger.com/product/WHITE-RODGERS-DC-Power-Solenoid-6C017?s_pp=false
While rated at 100 amps, that is the forklift rating. So it is rated to go on and off with 100 amp loads 12 hours a day for 100,000 cycles. You can actually run about 125 amps through the relay for a short time or 100 amps for hours at a time.
You probably have #4 wire or #2 wire from the alternator to the old diode splitter. Your voltage is probably 15.6 at the alternator to this location, then drops by 1.2 volts across the diode, then will have a wire #2 or so to the engine battery and another #2 wire to the coach battery bank.
What needs to be done is connect the engine battery directly to the alternator (you can use the input terminal of your old diode if you like to mate the two wires together). Then run a wire from the alternator to the new relay, then to the battery bank with #2 wire rated at around 110 amps. The new relay will offer a voltage drop of only about 0.1 volts - so 14.2 volts from your alternator to the battery bank will reach it at 14.1 volts at upwards of 100 amps.
Fred.
By replacing the diode type isolator with a relay, you will have much more reliability, and will not disconnect from the chassis battery ever. The relay is energized while the engine is running, and disconnects from the chassis battery when the engine is off. The huge advantage is you can now install a dash switch, that once activated (usually a momitary switch that you hold down for a few seconds) you can activate it and while starting the engine be able to use both the engine and coach battery to start the engine.
In my motorhome, I used the radio +12 from under the dash to power my coach battery to chassis battery relay. So if I put the RV in ACC or start it, either one will energize the relay and charge the coach battery from the alternator, or if parked will allow the coach charger to charge the engine battery.
The relay is Grainger part #6C017
http://www.grainger.com/product/WHITE-RODGERS-DC-Power-Solenoid-6C017?s_pp=false
While rated at 100 amps, that is the forklift rating. So it is rated to go on and off with 100 amp loads 12 hours a day for 100,000 cycles. You can actually run about 125 amps through the relay for a short time or 100 amps for hours at a time.
You probably have #4 wire or #2 wire from the alternator to the old diode splitter. Your voltage is probably 15.6 at the alternator to this location, then drops by 1.2 volts across the diode, then will have a wire #2 or so to the engine battery and another #2 wire to the coach battery bank.
What needs to be done is connect the engine battery directly to the alternator (you can use the input terminal of your old diode if you like to mate the two wires together). Then run a wire from the alternator to the new relay, then to the battery bank with #2 wire rated at around 110 amps. The new relay will offer a voltage drop of only about 0.1 volts - so 14.2 volts from your alternator to the battery bank will reach it at 14.1 volts at upwards of 100 amps.
Fred.
