House batteries are charged but wont work.

[indianbones]

I have a complicated issue. When I try to run my house batteries the only way I've managed to get them work is if I hold down on my house battery switch. I have tried clamping down the switch in order to keep the lights on but the solenoid stopped working. We were hoping it was just a bad solenoid so we replaced it and we are back to the same issue when I hold down the house battery switch in the on or off position that is the only time i can get power from the house batteries. I have tried following the lines from the battery and solenoid but it just branches out into a whole bunch of things I don'd understand. Has anyone heard of an issue like this before? Please help.

Thanks!


Batteries have a good charge and the converter is putting out the appropriate amount.

[4x4van]

indianbones wrote:
I installed the new(ish) 12v continuous duty solenoid relay. Unfortunately it failed. Having the same result as the other starter solenoid *click-click* on - off. However this is a super cheap-o one from amazon that I am sending back. I will order a more higher end one instead of the bargain bin deal when I arrive at my next destination. Hopefully it will get me a different result as for now we are in the middle of preparing for a move up into Ithaca and who knows maybe I will find some electrical guru on the way. Until I can get back to digging around tho we will be side barring this whole ordeal.

Thanks once again to everyone for your input and time.

You're still not understanding what you want/need. There is nothing wrong with the continuous duty relay you purchased; it is doing exactly what it is supposed to do. It turns on when you press the switch, then turns off when you release the switch. *Click-click* on - off

Go back and re-read my previous post. You do NOT want a Continuous Duty Relay for your battery disconnect. You want a Latching Relay. The Latching Relay will turn on when you press the switch, but it will STAY on when you release the switch.

[wolfe10]

Before concluding that the solenoid is bad, make sure it was receiving 12+ VDC to the signal terminal.

Said another way, if voltage reaching the signal terminal is too low, it will not close the solenoid.

[indianbones]

I installed the new(ish) 12v continuous duty solenoid relay. Unfortunately it failed. Having the same result as the other starter solenoid *click-click* on - off. However this is a super cheap-o one from amazon that I am sending back. I will order a more higher end one instead of the bargain bin deal when I arrive at my next destination. Hopefully it will get me a different result as for now we are in the middle of preparing for a move up into Ithaca and who knows maybe I will find some electrical guru on the way. Until I can get back to digging around tho we will be side barring this whole ordeal.

Thanks once again to everyone for your input and time.

[fischer]

I believe that there might be a schematic on the inside of the front cover of the BCC. my 2005 southwind did.
I found the relays at NAPA
The resetable circuit breakers are inside the BCC box. the little breakers at the top left and right. the button on top is red (push to reset)

I think the chassis battery is used to send 12 volts to start the gen. That is why I would start the engine before trying to start my gen.

[mchero]

I think the next step is to identify the solenoids e.g. schamatic. Need to get as much info. as possible. Once you know how it all operates THEN you can procede to replacing parts.
Im surprised no one has come up with a schematic yet.

Id be very concerned about the Aux Start solenoid.
It might also energize while driving down the road so that your alternator not only charges the chassis battery but the house batteries as well.

While on the subject of Auxiliary Start Solenoid..........

If you find your chassis battery dead or not having enough voltage to crank over the engine, do NOT try to crank the rig over immediately after pressing the Aux. Start switch!
The draw on the house batteries will be so great you run the risk of blowing your house battery fuse!
Wait a minute or more holding down that switch.

[RLS7201]

If I read you correctly, the relay closes when you press the switch. So the wiring should be correct. That make me suspect the relay has lost the capacity to latch. For a temporary fix, you could move the battery wire to the other side of the relay. Check you private massages.


Richard

[indianbones]

Thanks 4x4van, seems like you're agreeing with us. Im not concerned about the emergency start as much I am just the house batteries and I'm hoping that replacing it with the correct solenoid or relay I will be able to get things working correctly and then go from there. One thing at a time because it seems every time I go to fix one problem I find two more. :R

[4x4van]

Typically, there are two different relays in play here, and you need to fully understand what they (are supposed to) do and how they do it.

The first is your house battery disconnect. The battery disconnect switch is a 2-way (on-off-on) momentary switch and needs to activate a latching relay, just as RLS7201 stated. Pressing the momentary switch puts power (momentarily) to the relay, which closes and then "latches" closed even after you release the switch. This connects the house battery to the RV systems (including the generator starter). Pressing the switch the other way (momentarily) deactivates that relay, disconnecting the house battery from the RV.

The second one is the emergency start (or "boost") switch, which is also momentary (1-way; on-off), but this one activates a continuous duty relay that temporarily connects the house battery and the chassis battery only as long as you hold the switch. This relay also activates when the engine is running in order to charge the house batteries from the engine alternator while driving.

Your latching relay (the house battery disconnect relay) is bad (or the wrong type of relay).

(BTW, your coach could also have a 3rd relay, just like the first one, to disconnect the chassis battery as well. It would operate exactly like the house battery disconnect)

[indianbones]

RLS7201 wrote:
Not sure what Fleetwood installed on the 2000 Flair. You should either have this self latching relay to disconnect your batteries or this self latching relay............

Richard

The second one is identical to the one that the coach battery is hooked up to. Which I believe would work with what I am trying to do.

I have seen the first one but I'm pressed on time and had to order one that would hopefully work and has had some feed back for similar use. I chose a cheaper one that I don't expect to put a heavy load on just need to be able to run the lights at night and the pilot light for the fridge. From what I have gathered I dont need a heavy duty one and I am willing to roll the dice. My main intention for this is to see if this is where my problem is.

[RLS7201]

Not sure what Fleetwood installed on the 2000 Flair. You should either have this self latching relay to disconnect your batteries or this self latching relay in a RV custom products Battery Control Center to disconnect your batteries. I suspect someone installed a non-self latching relay and that is why you must hold the switch down inside the coach to get power. If the relay in question looks like an old Ford starter relay, then you have the wrong relay installed.

Richard

[indianbones]

MrWizard wrote:
you held the switch down, and the relay/solenoid burned out
that means it was NOT rated for continuous duty
please post pictures of what you are replacing

So I've looked into this and it seems this could be the problem. The solenoid I have currently is a starter solenoid. I will replace it with a continuous duty solenoid/relay. I gotta say though I am not finding any locally and the ones that I am seeing online do look identical to my current one. Some are black and shaped differently but the ones I am looking at are indeed continuous duty and people say in the comments they've used it on their RV for their AUX battery.

To answer the question on where the click is, it is the silver shiny solenoid that is making the clicking sound when I use the switch for the house batteries.

I will update you on my progress. Thanks everyone for your time and comments its greatly appreciated and has been a lot of help.

[MrWizard]

you held the switch down, and the relay/solenoid burned out
that means it was NOT rated for continuous duty
you need to use a continuous duty relay for the battery charge relay

normally a 'intermittent' duty relay is only used for momentary contact
like for the emg jump start switch

either have not found the real battery connect relay (aka you are using the emg start)

or somebody miswired/replaced the original relay

the battery disconnect is almost always
a 'latching' relay, and they look different and are different
than the silver round cylinder charge relays and emg start relays
having a powered relay for the house battery relay would be a big drain on the battery, around 7-8 amps continuous
no RV mfg, does this

please post pictures of what you are replacing

[mchero]

Hmmmm, looks like your image did not make it.
I tried Indianbones link and get an error
Purchase a new LPG leak detector and replace the fuse. Those detectors fail when they age.


OK, tried Indianbones link again and can now see the image.


That silver solenoid front and center looks like the solenoid that connect both chassis and house batteries.

Up in the right top corner I can see what might be another solenoid.

What solenoid clicks when you press that house battery disconnect switch?

Im sure someone with like bcc will chime in.

[indianbones]

https://ibb.co/dJJ8mJ