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No Start
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I can start mine 3 places on coach. Good to know and first thing to check.
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Red, did you get your problem sorted out? Does your generator look like this, which is in my 2000 American Coach?
If so, or if it has a logo “C Gen Power”, it is a Kubota 21kw that was probably installed by AAP, Inc. in Virginia. (The same guys who supply Cruisair parts). They installed the generator in my bus, and at least two others at the same time back in 2000 and they told me they did quite a few for American Coach. They actually remembered my bus when I spoke with them last year and are super helpful. They may have insight into the start switch wiring. My gen has its own start battery and the start circuit is independent of the inverters. I have 3 start switches; dash, bedroom and the one pictured. It sounds like you have 4? Hope you are back in business by now, but if not, I hope this helps.
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Hi gang, well we got our new house batteries yesterday (thanks to tom) and the guys who installed them were pretty good. They checked the voltages and said they were spot on so we rested up last night and headed to shreveport. We just got here and just as we pulled in to the campground the alternator fail light came on. Im gonna check out the voltages after I cool down along with the engine and hope for the best. I havent gotten to the genny problem yet but thats next. Jeez this vacation is soooo much fun ! LOL I got the feeling that the run to Dallas is gonna end up at Prevost. Will keep you posted.
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Red, if you have led a clean life and are lucky it might be the monitor that failed. You don’t have to even break out a tool to do the check. Notice the chassis voltage with the key off and then start the bus. It should jump up a little if the alternator is working.
But if you have been a bad boy their might be a new alternator in your future.
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Hey Red, you didn’t throw a belt did you?
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I only wish it was that easy. good thought though LOL
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Well unfortunately the clean living part I failed at , however it has been some years since my last foray to the dark side so I gave it a try. Guess what —- no no you gotta guess ! ———OH alright -it started and the voltage jumped up a bit and the alternator fail light went out so Im thinking I better go look for a loose connection, Your thoughts ???
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Red, when I’m running a couple of Cruisairs off the inverters without the generator running, I sometimes get a “Low Battery” light on my dash when I slow from highway speeds and the revs drop. I think it just means that all or most of the juice from the alternator is going to the house batteries, leaving the chassis batteries with less than normal charging voltage. Light goes away as soon as the revs go back up. Any chance that was your issue? Just a thought.
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Gee I sure hope so Bryan cause all the connections seem tight and clean. We will find out tomorrow on the way to dallas.
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Bryan,
Do you have just one alternator? Just curious, high house DC amps don’t affect the chassis side in anything I’ve had, but they’ve all had two alternators.
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Red, were you running Cruisairs without the generator running? How many?
Tom, my bus has two alternators, but honestly I’m uncertain about how they are wired. The MCI E series comes from the factory with two alternators, even the seated coaches. They are a 50DN and a smaller one, I think 270 amps. The manual says the small one is set so at a higher cut in voltage so it doesn’t do anything unless the 50DN fails, in which case the small one takes over and allows limp home with headlights and passenger lights operating. I have no idea whether the converter altered that setup, but certainly the 50DN is charging my house, as I can run at least two Cruisairs off the inverters with the bus engine running, and also is charging the chassis batteries. My theory about the low battery light is that at a stoplight the revs are too low to spin the big alternator fast enough to supply everything, and my house batteries are making up the difference for the a/c, but the chassis batteries are going wanting. As you can probably tell, I know very little about this, so please tell Red if you think my analysis is wrong.
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Yes bryan I was running two roof airs . Its hot up front here so I thought I would give it a try. probably not my best idea HUH ? Well tomorrow morning when we leave Im gonna go below and fire up the generator and im gonna run all three of those new a/c units till Im freezing ! LOL
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Red, I don’t have the documentation, but I believe the American Coaches are supposed to be able to run 2 a/c units without the generator running, and like I said, I can do it with no problem except when the engine drops to idle, like at a stoplight. I don’t worry about that low battery light as long as I know I’m going to start moving again soon. Kinda like that early 60s truck I had that used a generator instead of an alternator. It didn’t make juice at idle, so sitting at a stoplight with the headlights on I knew the clock was ticking on my battery getting drained.
I didn’t realize you have roof airs. I would think they draw less per unit than a Cruisair unit.
I hope running the generator is all you need to do to fix your problem. Good luck.
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Thats two of us kiddo . Im gonna head to prevost while Im going to dallas to see if they can help out. What the hell, Im gonna be in the area so i might as well. You take care and drive safe.
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The alternators do vary their output based on RPMs so if the coach was running at low RPM when the light came on and the loads were heavy that might be the cause.
The converters who set the coaches up to run AC units via the inverters are relying on the fact the coach is traveling at speed. But I hope owners all recognize when they are operating AC units from the inverters the alternator is heavily loaded, is generating some heat because it is working hard, and if there are other loads it may not be replacing the full charge on the batteries.
I would strongly suggest that when it is necessary to run house AC units to stay comfortable that you start the generator, set the thermostats to comfortable temps and you are not going to overload the alternator. Most generators are not run enough under load anyway so you will actually be doing it some good. The cost of fuel isn’t going to change much if at all because energy is energy is energy. It will be the generator consuming fuel instead of the engine consuming fuel to spin the alternator.
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