Generator and Leveling Jacks sluggish on battery/work on AC.

[sasuva]

I have a Class A Georgie Boy Landau 2001 36' Diesel with two slides. We recently went on a trip and this just started happening after it seems the batteries lost voltage, the generator and the hydraulic jacks seem to have a bad connection to the batteries. The generator will dim the DC lights and cause the LP detector to alert when attempting to start, the hydraulic jacks will operate very slowly then the panel will turn off. I can use the emergency battery switch on the dash and the generator and the hydraulic jacks both operate optimally.

I say it seems because the batteries do not seem to be malfunctioning. The batteries for the coach(2) and the engine(2) test out 12VDC or higher. The disconnect seems to be working and the rest of the DC, house lights, appliances, etc all seem to be functioning normally.

I may be looking for a relay or solenoid, or at least a connection where those two systems are not receiving the battery support they need to operate sufficiently.

Sam

 

[RodgerS]

If you can drive it out my way, to NorCal, I will help you in exchange for some BBQ. 
Fun challenge.

 

[Alfa38User]

This is a classic symptom of low batteries. Checking the water levels in each cell should be the very first step....

When plugged in or running the generator, your batteries should be charging and the 12V system should be receiving an assist from the converter. If, for one reason or another the batteries are not getting this, then further checking is needed.

When fully charged, the batteries should read about 12.6 V measured using a voltmeter across the terminals. When plugged in or using the generator, you should read at least 13.2 or better indicating that the converter is at least trying! The emergency switch simply bridges the two systems together and the engine battery is helping out (or visa-versa) when you do that.

The first thing to check is the converter operation, the second should be that the engine will charge the batteries while running and that can be done in a similar way by measuring at the house battery terminals. From there you will know which way to turn for further checks on relays and solenoids.

 

[Alfa38User]

Ooops, double post removed!!

 

[sasuva]

Rodger, you got no idea! The BBQ 'round he'ah is like honey suckle on the vine, mmm-mm. We got a place called Little Bit of R&R BBQ in Leeds, Al, it won the National BBQ award last month and it's a food trailer! O' course we are in Mississippi, it's the center of the BBQ universe. It's worth the trip and NorCal isn't terrible far from Talladega, Al where we have been managing a resort CG, come on and we'll take you to the Shaq our treat and you can help me locate that connection. 

 

[sasuva]

Thanks Stu, I have checked all the batteries in the coach and in the engine compartment, they are all 12VDC or better tested with a multimeter. I will check the fluid, that can be low, thanks for the good idea.

 

[Ernie n Tara]

12 Vdc is a nearly dead battery!,

Ernie

 

[Alfa38User]

Thanks Stu, I have checked all the batteries in the coach and in the engine compartment, they are all 12VDC or better tested with a multimeter. I will check the fluid, that can be low, thanks for the good idea.

12V is getting darn close to dead when under load for all practical purposes when dealing with the house system of deep discharge batteries, 12.6V is considered a full charge.

 

[Kevin Means]

Agree with the others. Everything you described point to weak batteries. The fact that the symptoms disappear when you tie the two battery-banks together supports that.

Kev

 

[John From Detroit]

Though I do agree it is a classic symptom of low or OLD batteries that have reached the end of life and have gone high internal resistance (Load test them to find out if that is the case)  It is also a symptom of a poor connection.

Often I will lay a finger on each of the two 12 volt battery terminals (Ok so I'm taking a 12mA shock when I do this but well. that' sbasically nothing) and have the owner crank the thing, or try to.. Very swiftly one finger comes off the battery as it is HOT!!!!

I clean that terminal and Varoom ... Other suspects are.. The other end of the very same cable (usually chassis ground). 

I have cleaned contacts on my Motor home's engine battery several times.

But when I crawl under the rig to do it (Starting battery is under the rig) I take the load tester with me

The dual-meter one from Harbor Freight with the knob to adjust the load.. NOt really big enoug to test GC-2 pairs but if they fail at max amps.. they are bad.

 

[sasuva]

Resolve! Thank you gentlemen for all of your fine responses. The house batteries were showing 13.75 on a charge but when under load they were 9.09. The batteries are stone dry, no distilled water, no acid, no nothing. We will be filling them,  testing them, charging them for 24 hours and replacing them if necessary

 

[Kevin Means]

Thanks for reporting back, and good luck.

Kev