06 Homestead
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My inlaws are supposed to be hitting the road tomorrow AM. Instead they've got a service appointment at the local Chevy dealer. A few weeks ago they replaced the vehicle battery, coach battery, and alternator chasing charging problems in the RoadTrek. The work was done at a Chevy dealership as the RoadTrek dealer is hours away. Everything appeared to be working fine on the ride home. The vehicle has an isolator (standard on the RoadTrek) so the coach battery will charge off the alternator without being able to run the vehicle battery down running RV stuff. This morning on a test drive their battery dash idiot light was flashing, and the gauge was reading 12 volts. I went over to try and help them troubleshoot and this it what I've come up with using a digital multimeter:
1)Vehicle battery reads 12.7 volts at rest.
2)Vehicle battery drops to 12.3 volts with vehicle running
3)Alternator lead to isolator reads 4.75 volts when key is turned on
4)Alternator lead still reads 4.75 volts after starting
Before I went over there I suspected a bad isolator, but it acts like the new alternator is bad to me. Shouldn't the lead from the alternator (before it even hits the isolator) carry 13.5 - 14.x volts when it's running? Is there some other circuit that would prevent the alternator from producing current? I don't believe there's any circuit breaker or fusable link in the lead, but I suppose it could be buried in the wiring harness. Anybody got any hints or ideas?
TIA!
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ronsminis
Newport News, VA, USA
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Joined: 06/27/2003
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Hi
I have had only one issue with my RT 190 Pop 04 with 62K miles. I was traveling for 50 days across country and on the first day I noticed my voltage gage reading 10 volts. I was 20 miles past the nearest town so I turn around.
Problem was a loose connection on the alternator. Once reconnected the wire on the connector was iffy. So they replaced the connector.
With all the work done on your RT, hopefully you could find loose wire/connector on the alternator, battery or somewhere else.
Good luck,
Ron and Pat
2004 RT Popular 190
Newport News, VA
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Handbasket
Asheville, NC
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Joined: 01/17/2003
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Maybe try taking the alternator-to-isolator lead loose (at the alternator, if possible) and see what the basic system voltage is with and without the engine running. This may help track down which component has failed.
Jim, "When the chips are down, the buffalo is empty."
'06 Tiger CX 'C Minus' on a Silverado 2500HD 4x4, 8.1 & Allison (aka 'Loafer's Glory') www.tigervehicles.com
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06 Homestead
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Turns out that the isolator was shorting out the alternator. The dealer bypassed the isolator and now the vehicle battery is charging just fine. I was going to try that the other night, but talked myself out of it when I couldn't get any voltage out of the alternator even before it hit the isolator. Oh well, they're on the road now, only a day later than they had planned.
So it looks like they'll be needing a new isolator. Anyone know what brand/size is standard on the 06 190 Popular? Or suggestions for a better one?
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loving retirement
SF Bay Area
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Joined: 06/30/2006
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06 Homestead wrote:Turns out that the isolator was shorting out the alternator. The dealer bypassed the isolator and now the vehicle battery is charging just fine. I was going to try that the other night, but talked myself out of it when I couldn't get any voltage out of the alternator even before it hit the isolator. Oh well, they're on the road now, only a day later than they had planned.
So it looks like they'll be needing a new isolator. Anyone know what brand/size is standard on the 06 190 Popular? Or suggestions for a better one?
Are you sure that Roadtrek installed an isolator and not a separator on that 2006 Chevy? The difference is that a separator will charge the engine battery when connected to shore power and an isolator will not. I am not sure what year Roadtrek started using separators, but I believe that all recent RT models have them.
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06 Homestead
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loving retirement wrote:
Are you sure that Roadtrek installed an isolator and not a separator on that 2006 Chevy? The difference is that a separator will charge the engine battery when connected to shore power and an isolator will not. I am not sure what year Roadtrek started using separators, but I believe that all recent RT models have them.
It's definitely an isolator. 3 main terminals, one to each battery and the third to the alternator. Rectangular box, not roundish like the separator would be.
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My Roadtrek
Tucson, AZ.
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Joined: 03/20/2002
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If it sits outside I would check all the wires for mice, or rat activity. I had a rat short out my alternator, and isolator. (only took him about a day to do it) Look for droppings, in the engine compartment, which is a sure sign of the little varmints.
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