Battery isolator solenoid

[MURPHY55347]

Have a 1 year old Sunseeker 2800 GT class C. Every once and awhile the battery isolator solenoid will start switching back and forth. Sounds a lot like morse code. Batteries are all charged up. May be more frequent when it is hot out. Brought the coach home today and plugged it into a 110V outlet just to cool down the fridge. All was normal. Fired up the generator to give it some excersize. Shut it off after a half hour and the noise started. Probably did cycling noise for 5 to 10 minutes than all was quite again. Having a hard time characterizing as it doesn't do it often enough to see under what exact circumstances it does it. Don't really think the generator has anything to do with it because in the past the generator was not running before the noise started. Should I even worry about it? Are these prone to premature failure?

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Smart solenoid. Therefore the advice from emblethen, is right-on-the-money IMHO.

If you cannot find loose and or badly tarnished connectors use your volt meter and check voltage at the circuit board then at the relay. Voltage everywhere should be rock steady.

Step-by-step

[MURPHY55347]

Yes that is it.

[Chris_Bryant]

I would check the voltage on the coil terminal on the solenoid- see if the solenoid or control are doing it. Go from there.

[enblethen]

Does this look like what you have?
Battery control center

[MURPHY55347]

Can't see any numbers on the board. Has generally only made the noise when plugged to shore power. This last time I happened to run the generator and it started the noise after it was shut off. Has not happened within the last 24 hours. Relay/ solenoid is located behind a panel called Battery control center made by Precision Circuits Inc. Relay has only small gauge wires going to it and all seem tight although it could still be a bad crimp.

[enblethen]

If the circuit board has a circuit to charge chassis battery from shore power or genset, a loose connection could cause the relay/contactor to drop out and in.
OP:
is there any numbers on the battery control center circuit board indicating make or model?

[MEXICOWANDERER]

• A standard relay? Not a smart relay?
• Should only activate when ignition key is turned to on
• But it clicks when key is not switched on?
• But only when system is being "charged"
• If this is not a voltage sensitive relay how is it being energized with the ignition key switched off
• A bad connection would only molest operation of a voltage actuated relay
• Something does not fit here
• Could this solenoid have a remotely mounted control board?
  
  
  

[enblethen]

Appears to be a standard electrically held relay/contactor.
Relay/contactor
It is electrically held via the circuit board, which appears to be a Forest River product.
Look closely for a loose connection.

[MURPHY55347]

[MrWizard]

the only one that cycles on from shore power or generator is one of the 'Bi-directional 'smart' relays

if the engine is on it charges the chassis first then when set point is reached, it closes to charge the house batteries
on shore power or generator, it charges house first, the switches in to maintain the engine battery

a picture will make it easily identifiable one way or the other

BTW
DO NOT START GENERATOR WHILE CONNECTED TO SHORE POWER

that is sure fire way to destroy something

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Can you post a picture? It would help

[enblethen]

The battery isolator should energize off the ignition switch in many rigs. Shore power and genset should not normally operate it.