a couple of Winnie issues

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mercoupe50

mercoupe50

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 23, 2010
Posts
282
Location
Washington State
I have an Itasca Ellipse 42QD which is the same as the Winnebago Tour.

It is back at Camping World for warranty rep[airs again. 

A couple of things they are saying is normal I have a question on.

1.  When I start the motorhome when it is cold, the voltage drops on the gauge to below 12v for about 2 seconds and repeats itself about 10 times before it settles down.  Also with this drop I get a low voltage indication on the dash readout every time it drops.  The aqua Hot system also gets a low voltage alarm which has to be reset.  Camping world says that this is normal.

2.  One out of four tail light lens has lost its seal and is filled with condensation.  Camping World says that Winnebago calls this normal and won't fix it.  I have looked at many coaches trying to spot another coach with the problem to no avail.  Has anyone on the forum ever  experienced this problem and if so, what was done to fix it?


 
David,
On the first issue - that voltage drop when cold may be because the "glowplugs" or heaters on the diesel engine are coming on and off. I see this with mine especially below 40 degrees. I would be curious as to what the chassis battery voltage is just prior to starting. The error you get on the Freightliner display is also "normal." I get this for about a second or two, especially if the chassis batteries are a little low before starting. Can't help on the Aqua Hot, don't have one - but that also might be related to a low chassis battery on start.
Also can't help you with the tail light issue.

BTW, I grew up in the Columbia River Gorge - then spent some time in the more arrid part of the state before moving to TX.

Michael
 
mercoupe50 said:
1.  When I start the motorhome when it is cold, the voltage drops on the gauge to below 12v for about 2 seconds and repeats itself about 10 times before it settles down.
Click to expand...

Our chassis batteries (one year old) elicit the same response when we start the Horizon - no problem there

One out of four tail light lens has lost its seal and is filled with condensation.
Click to expand...

If you are still in the house warranty period, I would insist that taillight be replaced.  That's not normal (but not uncommon  ::) .)  If you are out of house warranty, condensation inside will eventually render the metal parts inside the taillight a crusty mess, so I would replace it at some point but in the big scheme of things, not a big deal
 
Micheal,
Thanks for the reply.  The coach batteries are fully charged at the time this occurs.  It didn't use to do this.  We have had the coach since September 1st and it just started happening as of late.  The charge rate `on the panel (inverter) is -11A.  I have no clue why it is minus at this point.  Hardly anything is on.
 
John,
yes the coach is still in the warranty period.  The coach battery indication and the chassis battery indication on the control panel fluctuate negative during this start-up period.
 
I also agree with the voltage drop upon starting even with fresh batteries. As stated between the starter draw, glowplugs - air preheaters, these will all pull down battery voltage and the colder it is the longer they will continue. I can see this all happen on the dash voltmeter.
The coach battery indication and the chassis battery indication on the control panel fluctuate negative during this start-up period.
Click to expand...
I would think they do this because they are not being charged by any source yet so they show a draw (neg). Do they show positive when they are being charged? I'm not familiar with your control panel so if it is not displaying what you think it should I would call Winnie and speak with one of the techs. They can tell you exactly what it should be reading and why.
I also would replace the tail light, they shouldn't even question it on a new rig.
 
David,
I am so glad you brought these items up about your Eclipse. We have a 2011 Tour and have both of these exact issues. Our MH is currently at the dealer getting some warranty items fixed, the low voltage indicating on the dash as one of the items. We are going to pick it up tomorrow so hopefully I can shed some light as to what they found, if anything. I completely forgot to tell them about the condensation in the taillight housings but we have the same thing..... I will bring it up tomorrow also. Do you have any problems with the shower not draining very well when taking a long shower? Sometimes I'm standing in an inch deep of water at the end of a shower. This is the second time it's been in for this issue and she told me today again they could not duplicate the problem. Looks like I'm going to have to take a camera in the shower with me next time to prove it... It won't be pretty!!!
Andy
 
Andy,
The only time that the water backed up in the shower was when the grey tank was full and the grey tank only indicated it was half full.  The sensors were at fault.
Please let me know what they say about the low voltage.  I don't know if you have an aqua hot system on your 2011 but it registers a low voltage fault and I have to manually reset it before using the system.  This problem wasn't there the first 4 months of usage.
 
Have you attempted to run the engine at high idle after starting?  This might take care of any insufficient charging issues that may be occurring.
 
I'm reporting back what the dealer told us regarding the low voltage issue with our Tour. They told us this was a Freightliner issue because the charging system and the dash display were from the chassis manufacturer. They called Freightliner which I thought was good of them and were told it is normal to register a low voltage reading upon start up primarily because of the glow plugs. I too get a low voltage fault on the aqua hot system but never understood why that was happening but now it makes sense. I've never reset it but I think this is done automatically when I turn it on. If you still have questions on the dash readout, I would call Freightliner's customer service line. I've called them before and they have been very helpful and knowledgable.
Andy
 
Thanks Andy,
I get the same normal answer.  Funny that it hasn't happened until now.  Mine cycles about 10 times before it goes back to normal.  Seems to me the glow plugs would account for the first one.
David
 
I have a problem, what engine do you have in the MH??  The reason I ask is that neither Cummins nor CAT have glow plugs but instead use a heater in the inlet air stream.  That heater sucks a lot of power though.
 
Jim,
I have the Cummins ISL 8.9 liter 450 hp engine. You are correct that it is not the glow plugs but it is the intake heater that is causing the large amperage draw. It does not have glow plugs. I mis-spoke.
Andy
 
I guess it would depend on where you live and how you order your package as glow plugs are still available. Most of the smaller diesels in MH seem to be using the intake heaters though. As you said all the starting aids suck a lot of power.
Also, if you register with Freightliners website you can access a lot of service/parts info if it is helpful to you.
 
If I remember the way Mike Cody explained it in Camp Freightliner, the MCU 'sees' the voltage drop from the start draw and gives the display.  By tapping the brake pedal you can 'clear' the alarm condition as it returns to normal after the engine starts.  You may not have seen it until now based on battery life/condition.
 
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