Battery charging

[Towboy]

Does the engine alternator also charge the coach batteries or does the inverter do that only? Also how does the battery boost switch work on the dash?

2005 Gulfstream scenic cruiser.

The solenoid located in the pass side basement hatch seems to always be energized as it is very very warm to touch should the boost switch only activate this solenoid/

thanks, John

My generator is connected to the coach batteries to start it so if coach batteries are low no gen start.

[Dennis4809]

Your engine alternator should charge all the batteries, coach and chassis. Yes, the coach batteries are the starter batteries for the generator but if they were to get to low to start the gen then you can start the engine long enough to get the gen to fire off.
If you have a volt meter, you could take a reading on both posts of the relay. If identical then it would seem that it's energized. Could then pull the control wire to see if it changes states.

[Towboy]

any idea where the solenoid for the boost switch is located. The solenoid I found to be energized all the time is for the house batteries. If I **** the house batteries off the solenoid de energizes.So that makes sense. But there should be another for the boost switch no? Is there an isolator between the chassis batteries and house batteries so one does not draw the other down when nt running?

Thanks again, John

[Frutza]

Don't have a Scenic Cruiser, but, in my rear bay there are three big relays, 2, I think people call it a staleman?, I call them 100 amp relay, so theres 2 100 amp and 1 200 amp, my 100 amp relays are, 1 for house, 1 for coach, then the bigger one, 200 amp is for the aux start, my coach did not charge the coach batteries from the engine alternator, I've heard people say there aux relay comes on to do that, I don't know that to be fact. you can check your battery voltage on either bank and then start the engine or plug in to see if you get a voltage increase. It may not increase right away, it may take a minuet or two. A bi-directional relay, or a B,I.R.D system will charge either set of batteries when the other set of batteries are fully charged. I don't know if my coach or your coach had or has a bidirectional charging or not, or if its just not working? Happy hunting

[Dennis4809]

Checked mine today and that large relay with battery cables on both sides is cool to the touch. It energized when I hit the booster switch on the dash. At that point, both battery banks are tied together.

Also found out that my inverter/charger does NOT charge the chassis batteries.

[RayChez1]

The engine alternator charges the chassis batteries first, once they are charged then the bi-directional relay will start charging the house batteries.

Now to jump start the engine with the house batteries just press the rocking switch down and hold it for a few seconds and it will crank right up.

Now while I am hooked up to shore power only the house batteries get charged up with the inverter/charger on my Scenic Cruiser.

[Towboy]

Called Intellitec who makes the 00839 B.I.R.D. relay and told me the same thing but at rest when connected to shore power the inverter/charger charges both chassis and house batteries. I put a digital voltmeter on the battery terminals on the white rogers solenoid and did confirm it does charge both sets of batteries when connected to shore power.

[RayChez1]

I know that on my Scenic Cruiser the chassis batteries do not get charged with the inverter/charger. The only four batteries that get charged are the four six volt batteries for the house part.

I believe the only thing that charges my chassis batteries is the engine alternator. Because I know that when I am dry camping and my house batteries go down and need recharging the Onan 7500 quiet diesel will charge them back up.

[Dennis4809]

I know that on my Scenic Cruiser the chassis batteries do not get charged with the inverter/charger. The only four batteries that get charged are the four six volt batteries for the house part.

I believe the only thing that charges my chassis batteries is the engine alternator. Because I know that when I am dry camping and my house batteries go down and need recharging the Onan 7500 quiet diesel will charge them back up.


Same is true on our Friendship. Haven't used it since August as I had both knees replaced. Connected to shore power so coach batteries are good but steps stopped working. Chassis batteries were low. Separate charger took care of that.

[Towboy]

Do you guys have the Intellitec BIRD relay located drivers side front compartment (on Mine) and a white rogers continueous solenoid located right rear compartment? If you do alternator should charge both battery banks.

Mine alternator was not charging the coach batteries so I measured voltage at each battery post on the solenoid while diesel running and only had charging volts 14.1 on th eleft battery post BUT the solenoid was energized. Changed solenoid now works both ways alt charges both banks and inverter/converter charges both. Contacts were burned inside solenoid not allowing a connecton to both banks of batteries

John

[RayHarkness]

I fought a battle on this topic. On my coach there is an Intellitac BIRD they call it. front compartment, below driver seat. I FOUND that the wires had been spliced several places. I ALSO found the connection for Ignition, was wired improperly. It was live constantly. I corrected that, found a post in one of the blocks, that was only live when the coach was running (engine) I also followed all the connections for the intellitac in front, found them crappy...rewired, new connectors where needed. WHAT we figured out, is that the Intellitac does not send a lot of voltage back to the White Rogers Relay (continuous) back compartment. It was not really opening that (or closing, not sure which) that in a strong manner. When I got better voltage, to the Intellitac, that improved. I also found a bad ground wire on the intellitac, that I replaces with a very good strong one.

That White Rogers solenoid WILL get warm. there is a lot of current going thru. I replaced it once. But the real problem was not getting the voltage to the trip (Exciter) wire on that Wh Rog solenoid, relay.

All is well now....if anybody has any questions, shoot me a note..glad to help. I worked with Intellitac, there was a guy there that went out of his way for me...and we figured out the problems. I was replacing those black boxes a lot, now that I found Bad splices in the wires, cleaned that up. I THINK, I was told by Gulfstream that these are installed by dealers, NOT from the factory, In my case, they just had some crappy splices up in that front compartment to the Intellitac.

I felt quite proud of myself, cleaning this problem up.

[RayHarkness]

Correction to my previous post. I talked with Master Tech INc. on the Intellitac BIRD...as they call it.

these BIRDS are also used on ambulances, fire trucks etc. Now I need a siren!!! (have another story on the air horns,not working too!)

[RayChez1]

Ray, I do not believe I have that Bird as you call it. Maybe it is because you have the Spartan chassis and I have the Freightliner. But I know that my chassis batteries do not charge with the inverter/charger to shore power.

What does the Bird stand for? Can you post a picture of the Bird and also the relay in the rear compartment you were talking about.

[RayHarkness]

I have a Freightliner. I do know that it was installed at the Dealer, NOT from Freightliner. They verified that to me.
Let me find a pic....

let me know if this attaches ok...never attached a file in here...I can email one to other email if you want.
BIRD stands for Bi Directional Isolator Relay Delay. (thus, the nickname) The Intellitac is supposed to send voltage thru the White Rogers solenoid/relay, when its needed. I find mine runs most of the time, if on shore power charging. Puts voltage to the engine batteries. I can put a volt meter on, and see both house and engine batteries and see them both at same voltage, which is coming from the charger.

You can hear the White Rogers relay click on, and send power thru......

if this makes sense?

[RayChez1]

I have something like that on the compartment under the drivers seat, but on mine it says bi-directional Relay delay diesel. Don't ask me what that is for, but that is what mine has. I checked the other compartment on the rear passenger side and my is different from yours all together.

[RayHarkness]

its probably the same thing. Let me get pic of that rear compartment...where the relay is located. I have a yellow wire that trips the relay. This is where the battery switches are. My relay was located in the lower right corner, as you face into that compartment, next to the batteries. I have a yellow wire that trips a small post, called the Exciter. That relay you found and mentioned, I think is doing what this unit does. Mine does not say diesel. You may be set up differently. I know these are installed at the dealers, NOT by Freightliner.....so each dealer can do it differently. This solenoid on mine gets warm..as its passing current thru. Your "BIRD" sounds bit different. But same prniciples On that previous pic, you can see some tape, on the left side of the Intellitac BIRD. I found other "splices'> I took them all apart, ran all straight wire, eliminated some splices, cleaned it up..and I got better voltage back to the relay in the back compartment, which is kind of needed. see photo of the relay

[RayHarkness]

here is a more expanded view of that back compartment. The Relay is in the lower right corner, just under the date stamp.....