No start/crank need some help please

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No start/crank need some help please

July 10, 2015, 04:30:58 pm

Went to move the coach for oil change and no start/crank..nada no light no beeps nuttin. Did some research here and used the boost switch, boom he fired right up.

Drove abit and then same thing "no start"although battery voltage show 14.1 engine side.

May the dash solenoid be bad.

if so where can i find one.??

Thx

Hans

Re: No start/crank need some help please

Reply #1 – July 10, 2015, 04:35:50 pm

Hans, If started with boost on it sounds like your CHASSIS batteries are dead. Load test them first,( one at a time ) if dash solenoid is bad you would not be able to start with boost switch.
Where did you measure 14.1 ? If Alternator is working OK it is possible that you charged the CHASSIS batteries to 14.1 but if dead cells they will almost immediately drain off.
Gary B

Re: No start/crank need some help please

Reply #2 – July 10, 2015, 04:44:45 pm

Gary..

The panel that reads the house and chassis batteries ( by the fridge) shows 14.1 engine and 13.9 house. The engine batteries are 2 years old red tops.

Hans

Re: No start/crank need some help please

Reply #3 – July 10, 2015, 04:50:30 pm

Hans, I would verify battery voltage at EACH battery, If one battery is dead it can kill the other. If one is dead you can always disconnect it and run on the good one til replacement. May have to use boost but that is OK.
And I assume you have already cleaned and inspected all battery cables and connections. A bad connector will also deprive you of use of a battery.
This may sound silly BUT My method when I have a problem such as yours is to get out the tools, clean ALL battery connections and talk myself into believing that it is a small problem solvable with a cold drink and a little elbow grease. ( occasionally I have to add some salty language.) Works more times that not.
Gary B

Re: No start/crank need some help please

Reply #4 – July 10, 2015, 04:55:47 pm

To add to Gary's excellent suggestions, here is one possible source for a load tester. This is a very handy tool - a weak battery can show good volts and go completely flat under load.

500 Amp Carbon Pile Load Tester

6 Volt/12 Volt Battery Load Tester

Re: No start/crank need some help please

Reply #5 – July 10, 2015, 05:03:15 pm

Gary/Chuck tomorrow will check the batteries and clean them up. But Im still a little baffled by the threads on dash solenoid issues and the same symptoms appear.

Hans

Re: No start/crank need some help please

Reply #6 – July 10, 2015, 05:09:48 pm

Hans I had to replace my solenoid last year and found one at NAPA. You can also take it apart and flip the contact over and keep it as a spare if its not burned up.

Re: No start/crank need some help please

Reply #7 – July 10, 2015, 05:10:36 pm

Hans,

Very simple to test the dash solenoid (with multimeter or test light), just to ease your mind on that point. If it is working correctly:

Ignition key OFF: one big lug on the solenoid is HOT (shows around 13-14 volts) and the other big lug shows zero voltage.

Ignition key ON: BOTH big lugs on the solenoid show the SAME voltage (13-14 volts). (Plus, you will hear a big CLUNK when solenoid closes).

Re: No start/crank need some help please

Reply #8 – July 10, 2015, 05:15:39 pm

Anyone locate 8D AGM LIfeline batteries cheaper than $580 per + freight??
6/8 date code ='s new.. pc

Re: No start/crank need some help please

Reply #9 – July 10, 2015, 05:18:21 pm

Will check the solenoid voltage in the AM. time for a swim right now its 98f on the deck whewwwww.

Hans

Re: No start/crank need some help please

Reply #10 – July 10, 2015, 05:29:25 pm

Quote from: pocketchange – July 10, 2015, 05:15:39 pm

Anyone locate 8D AGM LIfeline batteries cheaper than $580 per + freight??

Not Lifeline, but good batteries, made by Penn, same as Deka/MK:

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/SSBL/AGM8D/N2493.oap?ck=Search_N2493_-1_-1&pt=N2493&ppt=C2389

Re: No start/crank need some help please

Reply #11 – July 10, 2015, 05:42:50 pm

If I get nothing when I try to start our coach (1989) and yet the batteries are up to snuff, it is usually because a certain dumbass didn't put the tranny selector in neutral. (no names please)

Re: No start/crank need some help please

Reply #12 – July 11, 2015, 11:09:49 am

Thanks All for the input . This morning took the cables off the batteries cleaned them and the posts, Then tested the batteries for voltage all read the same 11.72V.
Reinstalled cables.
Turned the key and yeah he started right up.

Again Thank You, what a great group we have.

Hans

Re: No start/crank need some help please

Reply #13 – July 11, 2015, 11:29:03 am

11.72 VDC is virtually a totally dead battery.

Recharge ASAP if you want to insure battery life.

Re: No start/crank need some help please

Reply #14 – July 11, 2015, 11:29:34 am

Hans, Glad that you are on the road again. If you are lucky all catastrophic failures such as this will be simple fixes.

.
My experience has been that CHICKEN LITTLE is wrong most of the time. I cant count the number of times that problems similar to yours have cropped up in a CG and the solution was simple. Dont overthink anything on a FT. In my 15 years of FT ownership I never was towed in to fix a problem, lots of times I was able with the help of this group and others to fix it and go on.
And some free advice, before any trip, go over the coach looking for future problems, clean battery posts, tighten bolts and nuts, fill fluids etc. These simple things will cause a lot of big things to go away.
And as Brett says, check charge state of batteries and keep them charged, a battery can only stand so many discharge cycles til its dead.
Enjoy the ride.
Gary B

Re: No start/crank need some help please

Reply #15 – July 12, 2015, 02:42:09 pm

Hans, very happy to hear you all are back in gear again, looking forward to seeing you all one way or the other (at Lakewood or via Cracker Barrel, or in the car, however you all can get there!) in early August! Are you still on the waiting list?

Re: No start/crank need some help please

Reply #16 – July 12, 2015, 03:44:53 pm

Quote from: Miz Dani – July 12, 2015, 02:42:09 pm

Hans, very happy to hear you all are back in gear again, looking forward to seeing you all one way or the other (at Lakewood or via Cracker Barrel, or in the car, however you all can get there!) in early August! Are you still on the waiting list?

Dani..

Yes, we are on waiting list hopefully we will get a spot.

On another note, can you recommend any sites in the Naples Fl area for February or near St Pete.??

Thx

Re: No start/crank need some help please

Reply #17 – July 12, 2015, 04:03:47 pm

Good, stay on it.....and yes, the Fla. FT motorcade chapter is meeting in Naples in March I think....the spring rally...at the Neopolitan Cove RV Resort, April 6-9, 2016. Neapolitan Cove RV Resort - Naples, FL

edit: the link here does not seem to be working, you can get on the site independently I guess, not sure why it isn't working here, same spelling, etc.... (oops, corrected spelling...hey I am a blonde ya know! ...thanks C & J!)

Re: No start/crank need some help please

Reply #18 – July 12, 2015, 07:22:46 pm

A quick way to check starting batteries is to turn on the headlights and then try and start the engine. If the head lights go out,
the batteries are dead, there is a bad connection or the starter has a short in it. If it is the starter the cables will be warm after trying
to start it. I've never had it be the starter

Re: No start/crank need some help please

Reply #19 – July 12, 2015, 08:54:30 pm

Quote from: pocketchange – July 10, 2015, 05:15:39 pm

Anyone locate 8D AGM LIfeline batteries cheaper than $580 per + freight??
6/8 date code ='s new.. pc

Gels have 50% more service life?

Re: No start/crank need some help please

Reply #20 – July 13, 2015, 10:26:58 am

Hans- do you have a system to maintain the charge on your engine batteries? After my Red Tops died on me I got a Xantrax Echo charger ( recomended by Keith Risch @ MOT) to keep the batteries charged. There are other products out there also. I found that we need something to keep the engine batteries charged between rides, it will help extend battery life.

Re: No start/crank need some help please

Reply #21 – July 13, 2015, 10:29:24 am

Quote from: pocketchange – July 10, 2015, 05:15:39 pm

Anyone locate 8D AGM LIfeline batteries cheaper than $580 per + freight??
6/8 date code ='s new.. pc

I got 8D gels made by DEKA from Battery Giant in Cincinnati 2 years ago for $500/each and they installed them for me-saving my back.

Re: No start/crank need some help please

Reply #22 – July 13, 2015, 10:50:52 am

O'Reillys Super Start AGM8D (that is their part number for the top post 8D's) are made by East Penn and are $449 ea. They have to order them and it takes a few days to get them in. If you have a military discount, you can get them for around $400 ea.
Don

Re: No start/crank need some help please

Reply #23 – August 04, 2015, 04:43:36 pm

Quote from: Ted & Karen – July 13, 2015, 10:26:58 am

Hans- do you have a system to maintain the charge on your engine batteries? After my Red Tops died on me I got a Xantrax Echo charger ( recomended by Keith Risch @ MOT) to keep the batteries charged. There are other products out there also. I found that we need something to keep the engine batteries charged between rides, it will help extend battery life.

Ted

I was reviewing a few posts regarding the start issue I had and noticed I never addressed your question (sorry).
Yes I do have a charge system that in the past has worked well. The issue was the battery terminals they were dirty and actually after close inspection 1 had a crack in it so I replaced both.

Hans

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