Runroblarun Posted October 8, 2017 Report Share Posted October 8, 2017 OK guys we have a 2004 Fleetwood Ford Jamboree. The last two nights we haven't been hooked up to shore power BOTH aux and main batteries have read empty on the gauge in the morning. The only power draw overnight is a Dometic fridge on auto, propane alarm and a single phone on charge. Recently our tail lights have stopped working. Fuses and bulbs are fine. Brake lights and indicators are good. Could the light issue be related? We're getting the batteries checked today anyway, but they're both fairly new. Our driving habits are unusual as we move about 40 miles a day, but in about five increments as I'm running across America and she's our support vehicle. We connect to power about every three days. Thanks in advance, Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou Schneider Posted October 8, 2017 Report Share Posted October 8, 2017 Assuming the batteries check out OK, the next step is to find where that power is going. Get a multi-meter with a 10 amp DC current range. Put the probes in the current measuring holes. Starting with the house battery, disconnect the negative battery post and connect the meter in line between it and the battery. Does the meter register any current? If it does, go to the house 12 volt fuse panel and start pulling fuses until the current drops to zero. This will narrow down where you're losing power. Then do the same for the chassis battery, looking at the chassis fuse panel (under the dash or in the engine compartment). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldjohnt Posted October 8, 2017 Report Share Posted October 8, 2017 Rob, while the non working tail lights could possibly have something to do with the engine battery discharge, such shouldn't normally (if alls well and correct) affect the house batteries. If there were a dead short in the tail light circuit that would blow a fuse (engine circuits)instantly versus a high resistance fault and a total open would of course stop them from working altogether. The current draw as Lou described is a way to tell what circuit and how many amps a fault is causing. If a person doesn't have an ammeter if its fairly dark and you unplug and plug fuses you can see and maybe hear little sparkies which indicates current (though not enough to blow the fuse) is being drawn. Same is true at the battery terminal posts as far as current draw or not (provided enough to caused a sparkie) but that doesnt provide details as to where. Another consideration is when dry camping even if the house batteries are somehow being discharged that would NOT draw down the engine battery UNLESS the two are connected together (and vice versa). Many RV's use an isolation relay (or solid state device) that ONLY has the engine and house batteries tied together when the engine starts (or a manual switch is depressed) so the house batteries can be charged via the engine alternator while driving. HOWEVER if the two are always tied even when not supposed to an engine circuit fault (tail light related or not) could cause BOTH batteries to discharge. Likewise an RV house fault could drain BOTH batteries. Since BOTH are discharging and if its NOT a bad battery, I would investigate to see if the two systems are unhooked as they should be unless driving or a switch is activated. Maybe a stuck isolation relay or a bad switch or mis wired??? Then you have to find which circuit or device is discharging which battery. One circuit one fuse at a time to find the leak and then investigate if and when and how house and engine batteries are tied together,... John T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk W Posted October 8, 2017 Report Share Posted October 8, 2017 5 hours ago, Runroblarun said: Recently our tail lights have stopped working. Fuses and bulbs are fine. Brake lights and indicators are good. Could the light issue be related? If your Ford chassis is set up the same as ours was for a class A, there should be a series of fuses that are labeled with the leading name of "body builder." Those fuses supply the tail lights, brake lights, and turn signals that are on the coach and which were supplied and installed by the "body builder." It is the same whether the chassis is for an RV, ambulance, or delivery truck. Good travelin !...............KirkFull-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runroblarun Posted October 10, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2017 Thanks so much for your replies guys. We've managed to partially sort the battery issue. The battery was pretty much dead despite being 6 months old. I guess it had just been too messed about! 😊 Sorted temporarily with new battery and purchase of a mains charger for when we're on shore power... Tail lights was a broken wire where someone has done a rewire underneath. Fixed. Still not sure why both were discharging, but the house fuses/solenoid (not grounded) and circuit appear to be wired unusually, so it's certainly a possibility that the batteries are wired in such a way that all possibilities are on the table!! We also think the inverter/converter isn't working so could that be an issue? So overall, we're 8/10 happy. By the way, big thumbs up to both Fallon RV and Service and Frank's Automotive and Diesel in Fallon for doing a great job in the minimal time we had! Any thoughts on the inverter and battery? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldjohnt Posted October 10, 2017 Report Share Posted October 10, 2017 9 hours ago, Runroblarun said: Any thoughts on the inverter and battery? Congratulations, WOW A BROKEN WIRE its so often those simple things, thanks for the feedback. You mention "inverter/converter" is that what you have ???? Have the battery load tested and check its specific gravity and voltage. If the what I refer to as Converter/Charger portion is working it will eventually raise the battery voltage to at least 13+and up to as high as 14+ initially SUBJECT TO its size and design and charging algorithm IFFFFFFFFFFFFFF THE BATTEYR ITSELF IS OKAY ?????????? If you turn it on and assuming its wired correctly prior to that an at rest stabilized battery would read around 12.6 volts,,,,,,,,,,,,,then once under charge if the converter/charegr portion of your inverter/converter is working the battery voltage should eventually rise DOES IT ???????????? Id have the battery load tested at a shop. Also check the Converter/Charger portion output voltage and insure its wired to your house battery bank and its powered up and working??? Again typically the engine and house batteries are NOT connected unless the engine is running or a manual switch is closed a nd a battery isolator is engaged, that way the RV use doesn't discharge the engine starting battery but while driving the alternator can supply some degree of charge to the house batteries. If they are connected when dry camping if one or the other batteries are bad (or just used up) it can run down BOTH. Insure they are NOT connected when they aren't supposed to be Get your voltmeter and check battery voltage at rest and stabilized then once the Converter/Charger is on assuming its WIRED RIGHT??? Keep us posted John T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.