Seabass69
Texas
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Joined: 12/28/2011
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If I don't keep my mh plugged into shore power, the battery goes dead. I charged it then turned off the battery switch inside and unplugged the shore power, next day it won't crank. Any ideas where to start looking for a electrical draw? When I hit the battery boost to crank it, that doesn't work either. I can hear the battery boost solenoid pull in but the voltage on the gauge in the dash doesn't go up.... I am lost ... Sure hope my first motorhome doesn't turn out to be a electrical nightmare....
Also even when the ac power is unplugged the maintainer light stays on but isn't charging. I removed the ground wire from the maintainer and the light went off but there is still a small spark when applying the positive lead back to the battery...
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SKIPCAROL
COSBY,TN
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I had similar problems last month. All my batteries went dead ...2 house plus chassis. Thought the problem to be the converter. Had to jump it to get it home before Christmas. Then in the shop...turns out one of the batteries had a short, causingt all the rest not to work. Replaced all three and all is well now. Don't really understand it but all is ok & converter is working. When the battery shoreted everything worked on shore power, but something tripped the 12v reset button on the 12v box under the hood too.
Carol, Skip & Buddy the Mutt
2005 Four Winds Hurricane 32R
2008 Chevy HHR Toad
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Seabass69
Texas
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My engine battery is just one Big battery, I load tested it and it check to be good.....the house batteries show to mpbe charged, I hooked jumper cable from them to the engine battery to jump the engine ....
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rvrepairnut
bc
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Joined: 11/11/2011
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Seabass69 wrote:My engine battery is just one Big battery, I load tested it and it check to be good.....the house batteries show to mpbe charged, I hooked jumper cable from them to the engine battery to jump the engine .... Like I told you the green lite on the mini charger stays on all the time and the amount of power it draws is a non issue.If your positive your main battery is good to go then obviously your shuting off of the switch is the wrong one or its not shutting all draws off.Pretty simple math.Take off the battery cable and see if it,s still dead or if it holds full charge.
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badboy368
OHIO
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its very possible the batteries just need replaced. even if one battery goes bad, it can destroy the other ones too. may be best to just replace them.
40' pusher,350 turbo cat, pullin a 37' trailer haulin a drag car. oh yea baby
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Seabass69
Texas
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badboy368 wrote:its very possible the batteries just need replaced. even if one battery goes bad, it can destroy the other ones too. may be best to just replace them.
I understand what you are saying but there is only one battery to crank on so I dont see how it cna bring down any other batteries....
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rvrepairnut
bc
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Seabass69 wrote:badboy368 wrote:its very possible the batteries just need replaced. even if one battery goes bad, it can destroy the other ones too. may be best to just replace them.
I understand what you are saying but there is only one battery to crank on so I dont see how it cna bring down any other batteries....
seabass just read what I told you.IF you had the battery load tested and it charges properly as you allude to and you think your shutting off the master switch to the battery there is one of three things here
The switch is the wrong one being shut off
The switch is not killing the whole system and there is a draw
The Battery is bad and was misdiagnosed
Do as I told you.DISCONNECT the battery and leave alone for a few days and then see what happens
That wi;ll tell u the story
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Executive
California/Arizona/South Dakota
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Joined: 02/07/2008
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First and easiest thing to do is take OFF the battery cables, clean them, lube them and REINSTALL them. Take a meter reading to make sure all batteries are fully charged. My guess is you have a bad connection on one of the batteries. Oftentimes a bad connection cannot be seen. The other issue is your maintainer may not be working correctly so your batteries are not receiving a charge while you're hooked up.....Dennis
Dennis and Debi
Monaco Executive M-45PBQ Quad Slide
525HP Cummins ISM 6 Spd Allison
Chevy HHR W/ ReadyBrute
Full Timing and Living the Dream 
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Seabass69
Texas
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thanks, I have cleaned ad reconnected the battery, it is getting charged up by the maintainer. it will crank fine if i leave it plugged i nto the shore power
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deandec
Northern CA
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Joined: 09/26/2001
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Seabass69 wrote:If I don't keep my mh plugged into shore power, the battery goes dead.
It appears you are writing about the chassis battery?
I charged it then turned off the battery switch inside and unplugged the shore power, next day it won't crank.
Does your chassis battery receive a charge from shore power? Many rigs do not have that feature.
The inside battery shut off switch is normally for the house battery.
Do you also shut off the chassis battery?
How do you determine that the chassis battery is charged when you remove the shore power? Do you have a meter inside or a multimeter that you use?
Any ideas where to start looking for a electrical draw? When I hit the battery boost to crank it, that doesn't work either.
Try disconnecting the negative cable from the chassis battery overnight. The next day rehook and see if you have power in the battery to start the engine.
If it starts the battery is good and you have a draw on the chassis battery. If the engine will not start, the battery is bad.
How do you know your house batteries are charged when you unplug from shore power? Do you use a meter that shows something more than 12.2v?
I ask because if your house batteries are charged and you use the house battery shut off switch, you should be able to boost the chassis battery with the house battery after turning that switch on.
Dean
95 CC Magna, Jeep GC
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