No power to Chassis after pressing Chassis Disconnect Switch

[[email protected]]

I have a 2006 GS Crescendo that I recently purchased. Everything was working fine until I took it to storage and clicked on the coach and the chassis disconnect switches to isolate the batteries. A week later, I returned and the chassis disconnect would no longer engage. I pulled the two chassis batteries out and charged them. I also replaced all of the house batteries as they were completely discharged and swollen.

Now, I have good coach connectivity. The generator will start and run, but I still do not have anything when I turn the ignition key and I have no audible indication that the disconnect switch is switching. I checked the rear passenger fuse panel. all of the breakers are closed. I checked voltage to the terminals on the chassis disconnect relay and I have nothing on either side. There is another relay in front of the disconnect relay that there is power to, but is closed. I am not sure what this other relay is connected to. Maybe the B.I.R.D? Here is a picture.

 

[RY469]

Looks like the solenoid labeled "what does it do" is the main disconnect for your house batteries. Maybe it should latch on to provide power?

 

[[email protected]]

Looks like the solenoid labeled "what does it do" is the main disconnect for your house batteries. Maybe it should latch on to provide power?

Thank you for your reply. The House disconnect is labeled (bottom left of the picture) and looks exactly like the chassis disconnect. It is working properly and has voltage to the Battery side of the switch when closed and voltage on the load side when opened.

The chassis disconnect has no voltage on either side and in fact, one side is grounded. After further investigation, I think I may have reconnected one of the sensor leads on the chassis battery to the wrong terminal. I am going to try that next.

 

[bharbison2500]

The button has more than likely failed. Mine failed basically the same way. I had choach power but could not get the chassis power back. I bought 2 if the power relays and recreated the circuit on a bench with wiring and pushbuttons. I tested the circuit made sure it worked. Then i tried it on the coach. I got the chassis power back on. I had to do this because the dual disconnect coach / chassis switch was not available for replacement.

 

[THenne1713]

OK, (Terminology) a LATCHING SOLENOID only requires momentary power to turn ON/OFF, but OFF is reverse polarity from ON, controlled by the ROCKER SWITCH. A STANDARD SOLENOID requires coil voltage, or solenoid turns OFF. Suspicion is bad rocker switch, or low/ marginal battery? Hope this helps?

 

[[email protected]]

Thank you for the responses. Because the Coach battery disconnect works, I tested the rocker switch by swapping the plugs to the Chassis switch and the chassis switch worked to the coach solenoid, so I don't believe the switch is the issue. There is a Trombetta 114-1211-020 solenoid connected to the battery side of the Chassis solenoid. I have voltage coming into that, but the outbound post is grounded. I am wondering if its this battery isolation solenoid that is bad. I have verified that all of the battery connections are correct. I don't understand how the Battery side of the chassis switch could be grounded.

 

[[email protected]]

OK, (Terminology) a LATCHING SOLENOID only requires momentary power to turn ON/OFF, but OFF is reverse polarity from ON, controlled by the ROCKER SWITCH. A STANDARD SOLENOID requires coil voltage, or solenoid turns OFF. Suspicion is bad rocker switch, or low/ marginal battery? Hope this helps?

Thank you for your explanation. I am assuming that these Battery Disconnect solenoids are LATCHING SOLENOIDs. My understanding is that the battery side needs at least 10.5 volts for the switch to open. As indicated in my other response, I don't have any voltage to either side of the chassis solenoid and in fact the battery pole has continuity to the frame. I did replace the chassis solenoid, but it didn't change anything.

 

[Chuck v]

Attached is a short PDF showing how the latching mechanism in these relays work such that no power is needed to maintain either the open or the closed state...so you will not have voltage on the coils EXCEPT when the momentary rocker switch in the stairwell is actually being pushed in.


If there has been some work on the harness or other hacking of the switch/wires/etc. then the small fuses on either coil may be blown...that would preclude latching relay actuation.



Chuck

 

[[email protected]]

I was able to resolve the issue. One of the battery cables was reconnected to the wrong post when the batteries were reinstalled. Thank you to everyone who responded.

 

[Chuck v]

Thanks for closing the loop on the root cause, as it may help others seeking answers to a similar question.


It is usually true that when an issue comes up it likely can be traced to the last changes made just prior....


Chuck

 

[proost]

I was able to resolve the issue. One of the battery cables was reconnected to the wrong post when the batteries were reinstalled. Thank you to everyone who responded.

Edit: I figured it out: Black wire but with a hidden shrinkwrapped red jacket. Seriously?

Which was it (size, pos/neg, etc)? I'm having a similar issue and can't trace the wire that may have been incorrectly installed. I'm pretty sure I connected everything up correctly but I'm having the exact same issue at the moment. Zero power to the chassis side.

 

[Alloutofdonuts]

Edit: I figured it out: Black wire but with a hidden shrinkwrapped red jacket. Seriously?

Which was it (size, pos/neg, etc)? I'm having a similar issue and can't trace the wire that may have been incorrectly installed. I'm pretty sure I connected everything up correctly but I'm having the exact same issue at the moment. Zero power to the chassis side.

I know this was posted a while ago, do either of you have a pic of how the chassis batteries are supposed to be connected? I’m having a very similar issue. I do t want to go around swapping stuff for fear of damaging something.