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Topic: Battery/charging odity (Read 641 times) previous topic - next topic

Battery/charging odity

My coach is stored away from my home in an unheated warehouse.  The coach is plugged into a 120 volt, 30 Amp constant power source.  I check the coach every 3 or 4 weeks to make sure all is OK.  On November 7th I checked the coach and all was well.  I started the engine, backed the coach out of the warehouse and let it idle for 15 or 20 minutes and then put it back in the warehouse. (I had to remove the coach to provide access for a boat that was being put into storage).

I checked the coach again on November 23 (16 days later) after a 2 week period of temperatures below 20 degrees F. I discovered that the coach batteries appeared to be dead.  The 110 volt AC power was OK but  I could not get any 12 volt light to work.  I flipped the coach power switch (by the entrance door) off and on several times; no 12 volt power. (This switch was left OFF, by choice when the coach is in storage.)  The Heart Interface Link 2000 display was blank, no display at all.  The chassis batteries were fine and would turn over the engine, but I did not start the engine.  I did not have a volt meter with me so I was unable to check any voltages and did not have time to do any additional trouble shooting.

I returned to the coach today, November 24, with a voltmeter and tools in hand, prepared to do some trouble shooting. The temperature in the warehouse was 32 degrees F and 40 degrees F in the coach.  (I have a small electric heater that warms the coach in cold weather.)  To my surprise all seemed to be OK.  The voltage measured at the AGM coach batteries (all three in parallel) measured 12.98 volts.  The Heart interface was illuminated and working; displaying an E-10 error code, 13.10 volts and that the batteries were in the charge mode.  All 12 volt lights that I checked were working fine.  (An E-10 error code indicates that the Link 2000 had been previously depowered or the voltage had dipped below its operating voltage.)

Can anyone explain what may have happened?  There was no indication anywhere else served by the same power source of an AC power interruption in the recent past.  Was an AC power interruption during the cold snap the probable cause? Could there have been a power interruption within the coach's AC or DC circuitry: perhaps a circuit or device that opened and then closed without external input?

It is a mystery to me.  Perhaps someone with more knowledge of the charging system can offer an explanation.  Any comments would be appreciated.

Gary
Gary Vanhoff
1998 U320
3600 WTFE
Build No. 5342
2007 HHR Toad
Spokane Valley, Washington

Re: Battery/charging odity

Reply #1 –
Do you have an over/under voltage protection device on the incoming power?  Was your generator autostart switch on?
Regards,
Brett

'99 42' Foretravel Xtreme
'14 Brown Motorsports Stacker
'05 Chevy SSR
'02 BMW R1150R

Re: Battery/charging odity

Reply #2 –
Gary,

It seems like from your symptoms the  12 VDC-90 amp auto reset breaker tripped. (realize this is a real WAG) It should be the center round breaker, located behind the white panel in the basement. On our '97 it is shown on print B-2196.  We unhooked the wire from this breaker to do some work and got the E-10 code.  If this happened you need to figure out what caused the breaker to overload and trip.  When you were checking over the 12 VDC system did you check the battery connections? You may need to separate the coach batteries to see if one is going bad.

Pamela & Mike
Pamela & Mike 97 U 320

"It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters."

Re: Battery/charging odity

Reply #3 –
Two things,

I seem to remember a recent post about the 2000 not working in low temperatures.

Secondly is the unit set to invert?  Could the warehouse have lost power or the coach been unplugged?  The unit would then have run any 120v items left on.  When it was plugged in again it would have charged the batteries back up.

Keith
Keith, Joyce & Smokey the Australian Cattle Dog
1995 U320 SE Extreme 40' WTBI Build # 4780, with a Honda CR-V hopefully still following behind.
Motorcade # 17030
FMCA # F422159

Re: Battery/charging odity

Reply #4 –
Thanks guys, for your input.

1.  I do not have voltage over/under protection, but have been around the storage warehouse and adjacent building for 45 years and have never had a problem with the power.
2.  The generator "Auto Start" was not ON.  I do not use that function.
3.  I did not know that there was a 90A auto reset breaker in the system.  I looked at the electrical diagram and, there it is.  At this time I don't know why it would have tripped.  I need to think about it.
4.  The inverter was turned OFF, both at the 2000 Link control and at the inverter.

All above being said, something did happen.  A scenario that might explain the situation is as follows:
1.  There was an unexplained loss of AC power.
2.  The inverter turned ON.  I don't know how this could happen.
3  The electric heater (running on inverter supplied AC) ran the batteries down until the Link 2000 shut down.
4.  After some time the AC power came back ON.
5.  The batteries recharged until the Link2000 came back on.

Can the inverter come on by itself?  Are there any outlets in the coach that are isolated from the inverter?  I can determine that by trial.  It would be better to plug the electric heater into an outlet that is never serviced by the inverter.

Still thinking.  Hmmm?

Gary


Gary Vanhoff
1998 U320
3600 WTFE
Build No. 5342
2007 HHR Toad
Spokane Valley, Washington

Re: Battery/charging odity

Reply #5 –
Gary,

Do you have a Freedom 25 inverter?
Is the switch in the front of the inverter turned "OFF"?
If I remember correctly it is on the top right hand side of the face. Is this what you are talking about in #4?

Pamela & Mike

Pamela & Mike 97 U 320

"It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters."

Re: Battery/charging odity

Reply #6 –
Quote
Are there any outlets in the coach that are isolated from the inverter?

The answer to the above question is YES.

In my opinion, everyone should identify outlets Not On Inverter, and plug all heaters and high amperage appliances into them. Plugging a heater into an 'inverter' outlet and inadvertently have inverter switch on and unexpectedly lose shore power, house batteries can be over-discharged and maybe damaged, especially if generator auto-start is not active or non-existent.

Our coach has OEM non-inverter outlets for washer/dryer, refrigerator, vacuum & block heater. We identify non-inverter outlets with tags and different color outlet covers. We have run Romex cables from breaker box for new 'heater' outlets. We have also plugged extension cables into non-inverter outlets to extend their reach.

Re: Battery/charging odity

Reply #7 –
Hello Mike,

Yes, the switch on the Freedom Inverter was turned OFF.  A paragraph in the Freedom owners manual reads:

"When external AC power is removed and the power switch is in the ON position, the inverter will automatically be ON.  If the switch is in the OFF position and external AC power is removed, the inverter will be OFF."

I leave the Inverter Power switch OFF all of the time and control the inverter with the inverter switch on the Link 2000 control.

Gary
Gary Vanhoff
1998 U320
3600 WTFE
Build No. 5342
2007 HHR Toad
Spokane Valley, Washington

Re: Battery/charging odity

Reply #8 –
Gary,

With the inverter set up like that I have never had ours turn on by it's self. As you have stated in your second #2 I don't know how this could happen. If you were out of power long enough with a bad cell in a battery it will drain down your system but if this is the case it can be found by separating your batteries and testing them alone. Keep us updated on what you find.

Pamela & Mike
Pamela & Mike 97 U 320

"It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters."