2018 Conquest Batt Not Charging

[jmodares]

Hi everyone,
I have a 2018 Conquest 6237LE and the house battery is not charging while I drive. It charges fine with the generator, and when it is connected to the outside electric lines.

All the indicators point at a faulty solenoid, or relay, or isolator, which I have not been able to locate it. Any ideas where the relay may be? I appreciate any comments or suggestions.


Jeff

[RY469]

Did you check the 12vdc from your tow vehicle on the 7-way plug? (pin 4) This is the charge line while in tow. You may have bad or missing fuse under your hood.

[jmodares]

Thanks for your reply. This is a C class and is not towed. I have checked all the fuses in the cabin and under the hood. I have found fuses near the battery, and they all are intact. The engine battery, while running, reads over 14 volts, but the house battery is 12V.
Thanks again.
Jeff

[RY469]

Did you find the isolator? Look under hood, driver side. Maybe on the firewall.

[jmodares]

No, I have not had any luck so far. I have looked under the hood. I even removed the radiator reservoir but did not see any relays. Thanks for following up.

[RY469]

You most likely have the solenoid type. Round, two large terminals, one to two small terminals. Most Class C"s I've seen they are mounted under the hood, far to the drivers side, back near or on the firewall.

The isolators two large terminals have large gauge wires going to each battery (house and chassis).



You can look at the positive terminal on your battery and follow the cabling. The largest gauge wire is used for engine starter, disregard that one for now. There most likely are also smaller wires (smaller than the starter cable, but still larger than "normal" wiring) connected there. Follow them. One is bound to lead you to the elusive isolator.

There's a remote chance the isolator connects to the battery by joining the large gauge wire at the starter terminal. Not normal but I've seen it (Usually Nexus).

Hopefully I've given another way to chase it out. If you are near Chicago, bring your unit into the Dealership I work at. You've got me curious.

[jmodares]

You certainly know what you are talking about. There is an additional heavy wire at the engine battery that goes exactly where you pointed at, driver side firewall. But nothing is connected to it, and it goes under the driver seat. I have followed it under the vehicle and it gets bundled up with other heavy cables and goes to generator and the house battery, which is right next to the generator.

I have not looked at the starter yet. Never occurred to me. I did find a box next to the house battery the has a small relay and three resetable fuses. I will try to upload a picture if I find a way.This relay is very small compare to the picture you put for me.



I am very thankfull for your advice and guiding me.


Jeff Modares

[jmodares]

After a long and persisting search, I found out that this coach does not have the wiring for charging the house battery! So if you have a similar issue, you might want to make sure that the circuit is installed before worrying about repairing it.

I contacted Gulf Stream Coach and they told me this is an option and apparently the first owner of the rig did not ask for this option, or didn't know anything about it.
It is amazing how Gulf Stream takes a necessary feature and makes it an option to charge more.

If I have the dealer to install the wiring and the isolator circuit, it will cost between $500 to $1,000. But the kit goes for $40 - $100 online.
Thanks to all who tried to help me.

[THenne1713]

On my 2000 w/ 99 chassis, it is on the firewall under hood, in front of driver. They can CLUNK and not connect when bad. Turn IGN ON/OFF/ON/OFF and listen? USe CONTINUOS DUTY RATED.

[hossross]

If true that it was an option, then you can still charge the coach batt with 10 gauge wire running to that batt. The#2 or big wires are only if you try to start the engine off the coach batt. Most have a special switch to back flow from that batt. Since you don't have that circuit. Then you are giving up nothing. You would need to add a 400 watt diode in the circuit to prevent the chassis battery taking power from the coach batt or add in the solenoid that was suggested to you. Which ever is cheaper, but if you can strip wire, no need to pay for more than materials. Buy Red 10 gauge wire so it's obvious it is hot, use lots of wire ties to support the new wire. You only need the red, you already have a ground to the chassis. If not, short wire from coach batt to vehicle frame will do

[jmodares]

Thanks a lot for your comment. The fact is that our coach has the switch to start the engine with the house batt. I really appreciate your suggestion and have been searching for a safe and inexpensive way of bringing the charge to house batt.

I was trying to find a way to use the starting circuit to also charge. Do you think it is possible and safe? I can do the installation myself once I am sure about the method.

Happy holidays.
Jeff M.

[hossross]

I think this is all good news. 1. I think you got bad info on the option. I can't believe this circuit would be optional. 2 if you have the emergency start switch, you have the circuit, unless the switch is mounted and hooked to nothing. Assuming you have the circuit. Then the solenoid is not connection the alternator to the coach batt with engine running. Why? Bad solenoid, bad fuse from ignition switch? Circuit not there. Start at the coach batt and look for the big wires that go towards engine. Mine GS had a solenoid around the batts. Get a VOM. Volt meter and see if you have power to the terminals of the solenoid. Yes all 4 terminals. But especially the little terminals. With engine running 1 should be 12 V (red probe on terminal black probe on negative of batt or case of the solenoid) Do you have 12V? If so bad solenoid,
if no 12 V then go look for a fuse blown on the chassis wiring. Aldo have someone depress emergency start switch and see if solenoid clocks & test for 12 V at other small terminal. And on the big wire terminal opposite one obviously hooked to batt. You can test for both conditions. You can't hurt anything with a volt meter set for DC VOLTS. do go probe test and get more diagnostic info

[THenne1713]

On my 2000, the CHARGE SOLENOID is UNDER HOOD, on firewall in front of driver; easy to find by turning IGN ON/OFF and listen for CLICK/CLUNK; had to replace my BOOST solenoid earlier this year under step, would CLUNK, but not connect.

[hossross]

[QUOTE=hossross;35742] Updated........ I think this is all good news. 1. I think you got bad info on the option. I can't believe this circuit would be optional. 2 if you have the emergency start switch, you have the circuit, unless the switch is mounted and hooked to nothing. Assuming you have the circuit. Then the solenoid is not connection the alternator to the coach batt with engine running. Why? Bad solenoid, bad fuse from ignition switch, loose wires? Circuit not there. Start at the coach batt and look for the big wires that go towards engine. Mine GS had a solenoid around the batts. Get a VOM. Volt meter and see if you have power to the terminals of the solenoid. Yes all 4 terminals. But especially the little terminals. With engine running 1 should be *12 V (red probe on terminal black probe on negative of batt or case of the solenoid) Do you have 12V? If so bad solenoid,
if no 12 V then go look for a fuse blown on the chassis wiring. Also have someone depress emergency start switch and see if solenoid clicks & test for 12 V at other small terminal. And on the big wire terminal opposite one obviously hooked to batt. You can test for both conditions. You can't hurt anything with a volt meter set for DC VOLTS. do go probe test and get more diagnostic info. Per THenne the emergency/ boost solenoid is different than the coach batt alternator charge solenoid. This solenoid is the one that was in front of driver on his. His RV is 2000 mine was 2006 B+ so don't know if they still locate the components is approx same locations. THenne might be able to tell you if the charge circuit from alt to coach batt is via the boost/emergency jumper #2 cables or if they run a small wire to the coach batts. I don't have mine anymore, so nothing to view for an example. If you can read electrical circuit diagrams, There are some posted on forum, they are generalized but the circuit is accurate, just the component location can and is anywhere based apparently not only the model, but who the team was that built your specific RV. It is possible that yours is solid state stuff too, but the circuit is still basically good. A relay is just solenoid and both are just switches that turn on and off electrically not manually ie toggle switch. Solenoids are typically a class of higher amperage switches, Solid State can be any size. BTW do you have that 7 plug connector at the rear of your RV as was suggested in earlier posts? If so does it have +12 V with ignition switch on? with engine running? I don't know the size of this wire, but I think it would be too small for battery charging especially since I assume you have 2 or more coach batteries. Hope this helps go for it

[hossross]

RY469
That was nice of you to offer to look at his electrical wiring. I made some suggestions to him also, for my understanding, it sounds like typically they run 2 circuits from engine compartment to the gang of coach batts. I would think they would just use the #2 starter cable wires for both charging and emergency starting, as the most cost effective. The junction of those 2 circuits could be at batt, at starter, or anywhere in between if they added in an another connector. Also for info do they have logic to see if Alternator has output before energizing the coach batt solenoid, or just use any 12+ including the chassis batt and assume alternator is working? I suppose my question may have a different answer by year also, but clearly the driver warnings can differenate the normal from fault condition thanks

[RY469]

Originally Posted by hossross

RY469
That was nice of you to offer to look at his electrical wiring. I made some suggestions to him also, for my understanding, it sounds like typically they run 2 circuits from engine compartment to the gang of coach batts. I would think they would just use the #2 starter cable wires for both charging and emergency starting, as the most cost effective. The junction of those 2 circuits could be at batt, at starter, or anywhere in between if they added in an another connector. Also for info do they have logic to see if Alternator has output before energizing the coach batt solenoid, or just use any 12+ including the chassis batt and assume alternator is working? I suppose my question may have a different answer by year also, but clearly the driver warnings can differenate the normal from fault condition thanks

If you have concerns on proper interface with state of charge and voltage levels, install a B.I.R.D. (Bi-Directional Isolator Relay Delay). Here's a link for example, sorry it's also a plug for Amazon (not intentional):

https://www.amazon.com/Intellitec-00.../dp/B0721TL39Y

[THenne1713]

They do run the larger #2 cables between solenoids/ batteries; #6 to the Load Center, and the only #10 shown in diagram is to the step.

[jmodares]

Gents, I am so thankful for all your comments. I have to check a few things to be sure. The wiring diagram above is a nice guide of all the wires that go to a huller, but I have a 2018 class C and it certainly has not been wired like its previous year models. There is a 4g wire that goes from engine battery to a heavy fuse then it goes under the coach. From what I can see it does come to the house batt. I even took the radiator's overflow container off to look behind it for a solenoid but nothing there. I will have to further look into the battery area which underneath of the coach on the driver side. There is a small relay that I am not sure what it is for. It's about the size of a walnut and its black plastic. The largest wire that goes to it is 12 or 14. It clicks when I connect the 12V to it, but it does not when I activate the emergency switch.

Appreciate any help and comments. Happy New Year to all of you.

[jmodares]

I finally found the isolator!!! It was hidden in a metal box, in the same compartment with the house battery. The bad part was that the box was filled with styrophome and not easy to get into.

[THenne1713]

Originally Posted by jmodares

I finally found the isolator!!! It was hidden in a metal box, in the same compartment with the house battery. The bad part was that the box was filled with styrophome and not easy to get into.

FYI, more likely bad charge solenoid (burned contacts) than charge controller