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Engine will not crank, Featherlite Vogue 2000
We need help! Very new to RV community. We bought a Featherlite Vogue 2000, all electric coach. Worked great when bought in March, parked it at that time and now the Engine will not crank, new starter, new batteries on chassis, new terminals on chassis batteries. Does not turn over. When trying to crank from rear distribution, low voltage from the solenoid to the rear distribution panel is 4 volts. When trying to start from front switch, no response but entire coach shuts down on A/C, then resets itself and comes back up. From engine block on negative side of batteries, if I jump from negative side of battery to the engine block or the frame, ground to ground, I get 11.3 volts. Battery normally reads 12.8. it should be the same right? About 1 1/2 volts different. Glenn Byrd. 409 344-0048. Working on the coach now, ok to call. The Byrds.
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15 Replies
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How long has it been since it last started?
Have the batteries been on a charger or charged since the last time it started?
My 1st guess is the batteries need to be charged.
Check each battery for voltage, should be at least 12.3 or better. Fully charged is 12.7 with no load. 12 volts is only 40 % charged.
The 11.3 volts at rest ( no load) you mentioned is 0% charged and may be the result of a bad ground from the engine to the frame.
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It’s a little hard to tell from your description, but your chassis batteries may just be too low. If you have been parked since March without disconnecting the chassis batteries or being plugged in to a charger, they probably were drained by parasitic loads. Even if you pulled the disconnect when you parked, they may have still been pulled down. The voltages you mention are too low to start the engine. You need about 25 volts (12.5 on each of your chassis batteries, which are wired in series and parallel to make 24 volts for the starter). 11.3 volts on chassis batteries is way too low.
When you say the entire coach shuts down on A/C when you crank the engine, I think you are saying the inverters that make alternating current shut down when you turn the key and then re-start when you stop cranking. The inverters will shut off when the house battery charge is too low, so that at indicates that the house batteries are curently tied to the chassis batteries somehow, and turning the key pulls additional juice from them, enough that they hit their shutoff point. If that is the case, your bus may have a system that allows tying or “jumping” the chassis batteries from the house batteries and it may be currently engaged. If that is the case, maybe you just need to start the generator and charge up the house batteries. You should have a cockpit switch to control that jumper function if you have it.
You can also separately charge each of the chassis batteries one at a time with a 12 volt charger, but you will need to remove the cables that connect the battery being charged from the other batteries.
Post more information about your system. I’ll bet someone has one similar and can give you more precise help.
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Thanks for the responses. Batteries are new bought in June, new starter bought in July. The coach is a 12 volt system, if that means a difference. Did a voltage drop test, with a volt ohms meter, between the frame and negative ground on battery that’s where the 1 1/2 volt difference is showing. It should be zero. All batteries read 12.8 to 13 volts, according to volt meter. Could brand new batteries bought in June already be bad? This is Rynada (the wife half) typing the response (at work), Glenn is at the coach with no internet access (disconnected due to move), so we are doing this on the phone, if anything sounds crazy it’s because I know way less than Glenn about this stuff. Really, really appreciate all the help.
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How long has the coach sat without the engine being started? How many days?
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Many of our coaches are equipped with chassis battery chargers as well as chassis battery boost systems like stated above.
I had this happen to me recently when parked at a campground for a while. Hit the Gen to charge house batteries then use the jump system to start the coach. If you have access to shore power you should be able to charge the chassis batteries that way as well. It takes a bit of time to charge them but it worked for me.
Your chassis battery charger should keep them charged up when stored or parked.
I have purchased batteries in the past that came to me bad or no good so it is possible to have new batteries that are no good.
Good luck.
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The coach has not been started since mid April. I (Rynada) live in it because I travel. It has been plugged into shore power since that time. Everything works great. Glenn is checking the batteries again and the connections. I think after work we will go for some coffee and internet connection so Glenn can post to here regarding the system, hopefully like mentioned someone else will have a similar system. Again thanks for the help and more to come about the system.
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Rynada, with all batteries at 12.8 or above it sounds like your batteries are not defective. Has the bus run since the new batteries and starter were installed? If not, suspect possible connection snaffu, either bad connections or improperly connected batteries. You say your system in 12 volt, but actually it is both 12 and 24 volts. The starter uses 24 volts. The 12 volt chassis batteries need to be tied together in series to generate 24 volts. There is a battery equailizer, probably near the chassis batteries, which supplies the 12 and 24 volt parts of the system. If your chassis batteries are not connected properly, the equalizer won’t work. Do you have 2 chassis batteries, or 4?
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Hey guy’s, this is a Vogue not a Prevost with (2) 12v 4DA start batteries wired in parallel. Larry called me, I’ve tried to help him and told him he needed Ben’s help..
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OOPs. It says “Vogue” right in Rynada’s signature. I was not aware that Featherlite did anything other than Prevost conversions. Rynada, sorry if I led you astray. Good luck with your issues. Let us know how it works out.
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Oh yeah, We had one, a 2000 1 slide. Good coach, at the top end for plastic stuff. 40′, 500 cat and steer tag.
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Vogue made conventional high end motor homes and when Harvey Mitchell bought Vogue he added Prevost conversions to the product mix.
I believe Featherlite bought Vantare and then following that, Vogue and at some point the Vogue name was dropped after production was shut down.
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Corey, that explains a lot. Cat engine = 12v. starter. I replaced a few of those on logging equipment in a former life. Trying to start at -15 was hard on them I guess. Was that the C-13 or C-15 in the Vogue?
I had a C-9 400hp in a plastic coach and found it to be really reliable and easy to service. After Detroits, I never could get used to the Cat’s long cranking time while it built oil pressure before starting, though. I love the instant start now that I’m back in the Detroit Diesel club.
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Was not aware of all stated in the above posts. Apologize if my advice steered you wrong. Good luck and as always, I continue to learn more on PC.
Hope everything gets rolling soon.
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Thanks to everyone!! Glenn has made contact with Ben and Jeff. He got great information, this forum is really helpful. The weather is not allowing him to check all the issues that were suggested. Weather here in North Central Texas is rainy all day! Mostly heavy rain this morning. Positive side is temp is much cooler and we got an extra week here to work on the coach, as my job got extended. Again thanks to all, I will let you know what happens, once the issue is settled. Rynada.
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Rynada: Did you acquire the Vogue at Mecum’s Indianapolis auction earlier this year?
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