After leaving the poor coach sitting, but, plugged to shore power, I decided to get brave and go for a trip to a local spot to check it out. Many health and family issues on the past year prevented its use.
I started it and lo and behold an engine warning appears?? With the Silverleaf system that I have got I was able to see that it was a low voltage warning. So I cleared it and it came back, and I then saw that the alternator dropped off line at just above the idle setting??
I then adjusted the idle with the cruise controls as shown in the manual and got it to idle so that the alternator gave continuous charge. The cause is probably an alternator diode but as we have no repairers in town I guess I will end up with a new one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thought this may help someone else with a similar problem??
Speedbird 1
Have you cleaned the battery connections? You need to check the sensing wire connections for corrosion also. If all the wires are clean then look at the brushes being stuck in the brush holder or a bad voltage regulator.
If the alternator was charging when you went to high idle you should check these things before spending $$$ on a new alternator.
Pamela & Mike
+ one to what Mike said, probably do not need a new alternator
Thanks for all the responses.
Indeed it was not the alternator. I drove to and from the site where I was doing my shake down cruise and it all cleared up.
The problem was that I started with low batteries, and that gave the warning. Once I reset the warning and drove it 20mls the batteries came up to 12.9 at rest and all has been fine since.
I even remembered the way to up the idle using the cruise control buttons??? Amazing.
Speedbird 1.