garyb1st
Well-known member
If I had to continuously press on the switch until it started I would agree. I don't need to do that. I just depress it once and the dash lights up. Then it starts normally with the turn of the key.
Intermittent ignition issue
- Thread starter garyb1st
- Start date
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garyb1st
Well-known member
Not connected to 120v.
I'll try that tomorrow.
House batteries are at least 50% charged. Based on both the batteries internal monitor and a stand alone battery monitor.
I'll give that a try but as mentioned the chassis battery is new and as best I can tell working properly.
Ex-Calif
Well-known member
Yes - that's where I am headed. As I understand the system there is at least one relay and also the battery management computer.
My theory is that if it starts with only chassis battery connected you can then get down to the relay and finally the most expensive part - the computer.
garyb1st
Well-known member
I think it's the Salesmen's switch. If I switch it on and off a few times, the light on my OBD plug in module will come on which tells me the chassis is energized. Then I am able to start the engine without using the connector switch. I also can tell that the system is working properly since the house batteries are discharging at a rate of more than 1 aH. That will deplete my house batteries in just a few days. It's the reason we keep the Pace plugged in when it is at the house.
I believe the issue is directly related to the Lithium house batteries I installed several years ago. At the time I didn't understand the issues of having Lithium house tied to Lead Acid chassis batteries. Eventually I discovered if the Salesmen's switch is left on, the lithium batteries will continuously try to charge the chassis battery. So even though I have the Pace plugged in while at the stick built, I turn off the chassis battery at the Salesmen's switch. The last time we had the Pace serviced, the house batteries were only about 50%. That tells me the switch was left on for about 5 days. So I'm thinking either the Salesmen's switch, something in the BCC or possibly a Soelenoid. Haven't checked the fuses yet so I'll do that before going any further.
I believe the issue is directly related to the Lithium house batteries I installed several years ago. At the time I didn't understand the issues of having Lithium house tied to Lead Acid chassis batteries. Eventually I discovered if the Salesmen's switch is left on, the lithium batteries will continuously try to charge the chassis battery. So even though I have the Pace plugged in while at the stick built, I turn off the chassis battery at the Salesmen's switch. The last time we had the Pace serviced, the house batteries were only about 50%. That tells me the switch was left on for about 5 days. So I'm thinking either the Salesmen's switch, something in the BCC or possibly a Soelenoid. Haven't checked the fuses yet so I'll do that before going any further.
garyb1st
Well-known member
Checked the fuses in the BCC. All are good. One thing I discovered, if I hit the chassis switch and wait about 10 to 15 seconds, the chassis energizes. I would hate to think all this is due to my impatience. 
Can anyone tell me if a 10 to 15 second delay is typical when powering on a chassis? If not, does this suggest a part has or is about to fail?
Can anyone tell me if a 10 to 15 second delay is typical when powering on a chassis? If not, does this suggest a part has or is about to fail?
Ex-Calif
Well-known member
I hope someone with the same coach has an answer. I don't know but depending on the technology of the board it is feasible that it takes time to determine if the paralleling parameters are met.
In terms of "failing" I would say if it does what's expected in 15 seconds and no other problems, I'd drive on until I got a hard fail of some type.
Tulecreeper
Well-known member
Checked the fuses in the BCC. All are good. One thing I discovered, if I hit the chassis switch and wait about 10 to 15 seconds, the chassis energizes. I would hate to think all this is due to my impatience.
Can anyone tell me if a 10 to 15 second delay is typical when powering on a chassis? If not, does this suggest a part has or is about to fail?
With my brand new, super-duper, high-tech RAM truck it takes about 10 - 15 seconds after I start the engine for the radio to become operable. No clue why, other than there are so many electronics onboard that it takes that long for all those systems to do a self test before everything starts talking to everything else.
garyb1st
Well-known member
That's where I'm at. I just hope if I lose power and I'm on a serious downhill highway there's an emergency offramp.
garyb1st
Well-known member
Hopefully that's the norm. Thanks for posting.
Tulecreeper
Well-known member
I think, as @Ex-Calif said, you're probably OK. If the problem gets continually worse - takes longer and longer to react - then I'd have it looked at.
Larry N.
Well-known member
Or they went back to tubes...
garyb1st
Well-known member
I think I may have solved the problem. I removed, cleaned and reattached the battery cables. Both terminals were not as tight as they should have been. I gave them a pretty good twist so hopefully didn’t damage them. Then it looked like they had never been cleaned. I guess the mobile RV guy that charges $250 To come out and do what I just did, decided that half baked was good enough. Time will tell but after about a half hour the plug in OBD reader light is illuminated and the at tells me I’ve got power.
So Dan got this right early on but, never changing a side post battery with minimal space and I didn’t want to . However replacing a selenoid was also something I didn’t want to attempt. So at a minimum, I learned a few things after reading almost everything posted about RV Custom Producdts BCC. Now if I can just get my memory up to speed I’ll have a heads up on the next event.
Thanks for all the help.
So Dan got this right early on but, never changing a side post battery with minimal space and I didn’t want to . However replacing a selenoid was also something I didn’t want to attempt. So at a minimum, I learned a few things after reading almost everything posted about RV Custom Producdts BCC. Now if I can just get my memory up to speed I’ll have a heads up on the next event.
Thanks for all the help.
John From Detroit
Well-known member
Question on those terminals on that side terminal batrery
Are they both proper battery terminals (They are made of lead to match the lead of the battery side. Same metal) or are they steel ring crimp-ons like on my Motor home... Those had to be cleaned regularry and de-rusted... Till eventually I re-wired.
Are they both proper battery terminals (They are made of lead to match the lead of the battery side. Same metal) or are they steel ring crimp-ons like on my Motor home... Those had to be cleaned regularry and de-rusted... Till eventually I re-wired.
Ex-Calif
Well-known member
I've been trying to get my son to be more independent on his vehicle and not always be his mobile mechanic.
His Jeep has been broken down for about a month. I told him (again) step one is to check the cables and grounds at both ends. He's been borrowing my truck and his buddies car. His Jeep is my old 2012 Liberty and IMO is a fine but aging vehicle. He just likes driving my new truck is part of the problem.
2 days ago I went out, charged the battery, removed cleaned and tightened the battery cables. That's it 100% cleared. That boy drives me nuts sometimes.
So number one fix for any no start situation is to clean and tighten all the battery cables... always...
Lou Schneider
Site Team
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2005
- Posts
- 13,579
It's acidic spray from the battery cells, not dissimilar metals that cause corrosion on battery terminals. Even lead connectors on lead battery posts corrode, usually faster than the metal rings on lead posts.
The advantage to side terminals is they're out of the direct path of acid fumes from the battery cells so they produce less (though not non-existant) corrosion. For terminal corrosion to be insignificant you need a completely sealed battery like lithium-ion.
Tulecreeper
Well-known member
My dad was real good at plumbing, but never much of an auto mechanic and so therefore never taught me anything about vehicles - like anything...at all. When I was 15, my parents bought a 2 year old Winnebago that had about 11,000 miles on it. Several months later he told me, "The oil in the MH needs changing. It also needs a fan belt. That will be your job this Saturday." Imagine my deer-in-the-headlights look.
I had a high school friend who was a pretty decent mechanic so I went to him and he crawled under his parent's car with me and showed me where the crankcase drain was bolt, and what the oil filter looked like, and how to change a fan belt. So that weekend I'm crawling around under there and I told my dad, "there are two drains under here." He said, "One of them is the transmission - don't remove that one." OK...
I got it right the first time, and eventually got the belt replaced. From that point on I became a fairly decent shadetree mechanic. Until things got too technical and I gave up, by which time I could afford to pay someone else to do that stuff for me anyway.
John From Detroit
Well-known member
Agreed but dissimilar metals corrode faster unless chosen with great care.
