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No chassis power?
So while I sit around places, I like to run the coach at least once a month. Today I went to start it and got nothing when I turned the ignition key. Checked rear engine start and nothing. Checked all breakers under driver area. No breakers out. So where would I start to diagnose this?
Charger is on and reads fine, vanner looks fine, both 12v and 24c cut out switches are on.
How best to “test” batteries? With them wired in, Can I just put a volt meter on each batter post and should I get a 12v reading on them?
it’s obviously electrical as if it was something past that, I would expect that I would get some kind of action when I turned the key (I get nothing, same on rear engine start).
new batteries about 4 years ago, never been off chargers and has always run fine. Been on 50 amp when parked and been lived in. House side works fine.
Regards
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38 Replies
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Little more info.
On dash, I have my 12v master light on but my 2v master light is no. When I turn on lights/warning lights, nothing.
My guess is my 24 volt vanner is dead. Or is there a 12v and 24v vanner? Cant think why 12v light would be on and 24v off on dash. have both house charges on and 24v charger on (and on the charger, the light reads OK).
Not 100% emergency, as in I dont need to pull anchor and move on, but want to start coach to run and re-level.
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You can measure the chassis voltage while someone is trying to crank. Can you hear the starter solenoid chatter when you try to start? That would indicate low battery-enough to engage solenoid, not enough to turn starter.
If you don’t hear the solenoid trying to engage and the voltage stays around 25V, you are not getting voltage to the starter solenoid or the solenoid is bad.
Gerald
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Do you have a boost button Charles?
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Check the remote start button in engine compartment.
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Charles has a Liberty, so probably no “boost” button which as I understand it gives the chassis batteries power from the house batteries on other conversions.
Charles: (1) when you turn the key to the “ON” position, what does the chassis battery voltage gauge on the dash read?
(2) Do you recall how long its been since you started the coach? Do the headlights and clearance lights work? Bright?
(3) You mentio0n you leave the chargers on all the time. “chargers” plural, concerns me. Are you referring to the house battery chargerS? The chassis batteries should have only a single charger, which is probably on a dedicated circuit that on your circuit breaker panel is labeled “24 volt charger”.
(4) What kind of chassis battery charger do you have? Are you using the large 24 charger that Liberty installed which is fastened to the ceiling of the engine bay? Or have you removed that and installed a new technology, three stage, smart charger?
(5) Call my cell at 262-365-9088 if you want to exchange ideas.
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Nothing happens when I turn the ignition key. No gauges, no nothing. From the rear, no remote start. No click, no nothing from the starter, etc.
Checked all breakers in the panel above engine, nothing.
Last ran a month ago with no problems then. Charger is chassis 24v charger. Breaker on on the electrical panel. Charger is Guest Charge Pro series both lights show “READY”. However, the dash light for 24 volt master is not lighting up with the 12 volt master and ATEC DEDEC master light is on on the dash.
Since the 24 volt master light is off, I am assuming this has something to do with it. Swith the 12 volt cut off and 24 volt cut off switched off and on (12 volt is metal knob, 24 volt is lever/switch) near the chassis batteries.
Turning on running lights, flashers/warning lights, etc.. does nothing.
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One more thing.
On dash gauges, I have two Amp/Volt meters. One for 12v and one for 24v.
12 volt shows 14 which is normal. 24 volt shows 0, which I tells me something on the 24volt side is bad. If im not mistaken the chassis side is a 12 volt and 24 volt system (jeff has tried to explain it, but Im still not 100% sure how it all works, I believe the engine is 24v and other stuff like lights, etc. is 12 volt).
so on the batteries, can I test each battery without disconnecting them? If I put a meter on each post, what should the volts/amps ready? Or do I need to test the “system” and put a negative probe on one battery and a negative post on another battery to see if they are charged? If so, how should that be done?
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You have a “12 volt Liberty coach” and I have a “24 volt Liberty coach”. But as I understand it, the 12 vs 24 difference of our coaches impacts ONLY the house. Our chassis systems are identical.
Are the two voltage/amperage gauges on the dash labeled? Mine (both 24volts) are labeled “chassis” (“engine”?) and “house” or something like that. Your 24 volt gauge should be for the chassis and the 12 volt is for the house.
The gauge indication, the fact that you can’t spin the starter, and the fact that the headlights/clearance light don’t work tells me your chassis batteries are dead.
You have the right chassis battery charger, apparently you have it plugged in right because the Guest charger is giving you the right indicator lights.
It can’t hurt to check the four chassis batteries by using your DMM across the pos/neg terminals of each battery. See what voltages you get and report back.
When my five month old chassis batteries went dead and we couldn’t charge them, Interstate battery distributor discovered one of them had a dead cell and the other three were fine. So you might have a bad battery.
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Charles,
I have the Marinco charger which i believe is the updated version of the guest that you have. I have had the same thing happen and heres what I have found. In my case if I leave the 12 and 24 volt switches on my batteries will drain down over a period of several weeks. This will happen even with the charger on. This tells me that I have a Phantom draw that is a little more than the 6amp charger can keep up with. If this happens the charger will show the green light indicating the batteries are charged when in fact they are dead. The charger is not sensing a battery to be charged because they are too dead. When this happened to me I used my boost to get it started then shut if down. The charger took over once the batteries had a little charge in them. I know this doesnt help you get started but this could give you a clue as to what is going on. Jeff
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Did you put a voltmeter on the chassis batteries? You don’t have to disconnect them for a quick check. Make sure the battery cable connections are tight.
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Charles,
Check the voltage on the large battery lugs on the side. Circled below.
Voltage should be 25-26 volts. If they read 24 volts, it probably will not start.
That will not isolate which battery might be bad but it will help you narrow the problem to the batteries. IF a battery is dead and they are 4 years old, I would replace them all as recommended.
Davy
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Thanks Threegreens and Davy on testing the batteries. Will through my meter on them tomorrow morning.
My guess is that as someone mentioned, there was a phantom draw and it drained the batteries (even in the month, which ive gone this time before). Will test tomorrow and if dead, head to Napa and get new batteries.
This is what I get for not having anything break this fall.
Been through the chassis battery swap once before and had jeff give me advice on how to disconnect, wrap terminals and replace without hurting myself 🙂 Basically they worked, then a week later they didnt. so doesn’t surprise me that it could be this again (that was four year ago).
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This might help at NAPA . Part number “BAT 7234” is the best CCA (cold cranking amp) at 1125 NAPA offers in this threaded stud top post. You can reduce the CCA ratings two (2) part numbers which would lower your purchase price.
If you call ahead….. ask the counter person if they have all the same mfg. date. If not, ask them to order from the distribution center so all batteries are the same date. You should have your batteries the next day.
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Charles, do all your checking on the terminals at the bottom of the equalizer just because it is easy.
I have a hard time thinking you could have 14V on the 12V side and zero on the 24.
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Jon,
What should I test on the equilizer?
2005 XL Thompson Coach
Rarely tow anything behind us.
Sold: 1993 Liberty that we loved for 12 years.
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