Home » Public Forums » GMCnet » Battery problem
| Battery problem [message #98313] |
Fri, 03 September 2010 00:40  |
bhayes
Messages: 263
Registered: March 2010
Karma: 1
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Senior Member |
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The adventures of our newly acquired GMC continue...
So I had the two golf cart batteries out this evening to make a few repairs to the slide-out battery tray. Mounted next to the batteries is a switch for the macerator, with a positive lead going from the boost solenoid up over the batteries to the switch. After I had finished repairing the tray slides, I put the batteries back on the tray, hooked them up, and was sliding them in when the positive lead leading to the macerator switch snagged on one of the negative terminals of the batteries. The macerator lead had chafed down to the bare wire, causing a nice short with its accompanying shower of lovely gold sparks.
I repaired the macerator wire (and looked for a way to reroute them out of the way of the batteries) and went into the coach to turn on some lights, but there wasn't any power. I tried to start the generator, and again, no power. I checked the fuses and they were all fine. I went up front and pressed the battery boost switch a few times, and the lights finally came back on and stayed on when I let go of the switch. I fired up the generator, but it ran very rough and then suddenly died, along with the lights. Hitting the boost switch allowed me to start it again, but this time it died when I let go of the boost switch, along with the lights
Obviously something got fried, but I'm not sure what. I was thinking that since the macerator wire is hooked up to the left side terminal on the rear boost solenoid, perhaps the solenoid itself got damaged. I've disconnected the house batteries for now, and tomorrow when it's light I'm going to check the voltage on them. Any other ideas?
Bryan Hayes
'76 Eleganza II
Salt Lake City, Utah
Bryan Hayes
'76 Eleganza II
Salt Lake City, Utah
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| Re: [GMCnet] Battery problem [message #98317 is a reply to message #98313] |
Fri, 03 September 2010 04:49  |
powerjon
Messages: 2446
Registered: January 2004
Karma: 5
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Senior Member |
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Bryan,
Be sure that you have installed the battery wiring correctly. The 6
volts are wired in series to provide your 12 volts. I got a call from
a GMC friend a couple of weeks ago for the very same issue.
See this link
http://tinyurl.com/2dj8bcl
JR Wright
>
>
> The adventures of our newly acquired GMC continue...
>
> So I had the two golf cart batteries out this evening to make a few
> repairs to the slide-out battery tray. Mounted next to the
> batteries is a switch for the macerator, with a positive lead going
> from the boost solenoid up over the batteries to the switch. After
> I had finished repairing the tray slides, I put the batteries back
> on the tray, hooked them up, and was sliding them in when the
> positive lead leading to the macerator switch snagged on one of the
> negative terminals of the batteries. The macerator lead had chafed
> down to the bare wire, causing a nice short with its accompanying
> shower of lovely gold sparks.
>
> I repaired the macerator wire (and looked for a way to reroute them
> out of the way of the batteries) and went into the coach to turn on
> some lights, but there wasn't any power. I tried to start the
> generator, and again, no power. I checked the fuses and they were
> all fine. I went up front and pressed the battery boost switch a
> few times, and the lights finally came back on and stayed on when I
> let go of the switch. I fired up the generator, but it ran very
> rough and then suddenly died, along with the lights. Hitting the
> boost switch allowed me to start it again, but this time it died
> when I let go of the boost switch, along with the lights
>
> Obviously something got fried, but I'm not sure what. I was
> thinking that since the macerator wire is hooked up to the left side
> terminal on the rear boost solenoid, perhaps the solenoid itself got
> damaged. I've disconnected the house batteries for now, and
> tomorrow when it's light I'm going to check the voltage on them.
> Any other ideas?
>
> Bryan Hayes
> '76 Eleganza II
> Salt Lake City, Utah
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J.R. Wright
GMC GreatLaker
GMC Eastern States
GMCMI
78 30' Buskirk Stretch
75 Avion Under Reconstruction
Michigan
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| Re: Battery problem [message #98325 is a reply to message #98313] |
Fri, 03 September 2010 07:13 |
Craig Lechowicz
Messages: 541
Registered: October 2006
Location: Waterford, MI
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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| Bryan Hayes wrote on Fri, 03 September 2010 01:40 |
The adventures of our newly acquired GMC continue...
. . .I repaired the macerator wire (and looked for a way to reroute them out of the way of the batteries) and went into the coach to turn on some lights, but there wasn't any power.
Obviously something got fried, but I'm not sure what. I was thinking that since the macerator wire is hooked up to the left side terminal on the rear boost solenoid, perhaps the solenoid itself got damaged. I've disconnected the house batteries for now, and tomorrow when it's light I'm going to check the voltage on them. Any other ideas?
Bryan Hayes
'76 Eleganza II
Salt Lake City, Utah
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Bryan,
Along with the solenoid, (2 fat terminals, and 2 small ones) there is a 50 amp circuit breaker that is smaller around and fatter than a hockey puck with only 2 medium sized wires on it in the circuit, right next to the solenoid. If that is open, it would explain the house power not working without the boost switch, but wouldn't explain the generator not starting, which doesn't go through there. (Maybe 2 separate problems?). Also, I have noticed that batteries don't like direct shorts, and sometimes will never hold a charge again. My neighbor killed my little jumper box for me this way.
Just a couple more things to check.
Craig Lechowicz
'77 Kingsley, Waterford, MI
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| Re: [GMCnet] Battery problem [message #98327 is a reply to message #98325] |
Fri, 03 September 2010 07:23 |
bill schurman
Messages: 97
Registered: February 2004
Karma: 0
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Member |
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Curious, what year is your coach ?
William S. Schurman
P.O. 773325
Steamboat Springs, CO at the foot of Rabbit Ears Pass1978 Palm Beach ("Peabody")
970-846-4212
> To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
> From: craig.lechowicz@sbcglobal.net
> Date: Fri, 3 Sep 2010 07:13:05 -0500
> Subject: Re: [GMCnet] Battery problem
>
>
>
> Bryan Hayes wrote on Fri, 03 September 2010 01:40
> > The adventures of our newly acquired GMC continue...
> >
> > . . .I repaired the macerator wire (and looked for a way to reroute them out of the way of the batteries) and went into the coach to turn on some lights, but there wasn't any power.
> >
> > Obviously something got fried, but I'm not sure what. I was thinking that since the macerator wire is hooked up to the left side terminal on the rear boost solenoid, perhaps the solenoid itself got damaged. I've disconnected the house batteries for now, and tomorrow when it's light I'm going to check the voltage on them. Any other ideas?
> >
> > Bryan Hayes
> > '76 Eleganza II
> > Salt Lake City, Utah
>
>
> Bryan,
> Along with the solenoid, (2 fat terminals, and 2 small ones) there is a 50 amp circuit breaker that is smaller around and fatter than a hockey puck with only 2 medium sized wires on it in the circuit, right next to the solenoid. If that is open, it would explain the house power not working without the boost switch, but wouldn't explain the generator not starting, which doesn't go through there. (Maybe 2 separate problems?). Also, I have noticed that batteries don't like direct shorts, and sometimes will never hold a charge again. My neighbor killed my little jumper box for me this way.
>
> Just a couple more things to check.
> --
> Craig Lechowicz
> '77 Kingsley, Waterford, MI
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> List Information and Subscription Options:
> http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
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| Re: Battery problem [message #98348 is a reply to message #98313] |
Fri, 03 September 2010 10:36 |
bhayes
Messages: 263
Registered: March 2010
Karma: 1
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Senior Member |
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Bill, it's a '76 Eleganza.
I do have the batteries hooked up correctly, though I still need to check the charge on them. Also, how do I reset the 50-amp circuit breaker next to the boost solenoid? Is it self-resetting?
Bryan Hayes
'76 Eleganza II
Salt Lake City, Utah
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| Re: Battery problem [message #98351 is a reply to message #98348] |
Fri, 03 September 2010 11:15 |
idrob
Messages: 645
Registered: January 2005
Location: Central Idaho
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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| Bryan Hayes wrote on Fri, 03 September 2010 08:36 |
Bill, it's a '76 Eleganza.
I do have the batteries hooked up correctly, though I still need to check the charge on them. Also, how do I reset the 50-amp circuit breaker next to the boost solenoid? Is it self-resetting?
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Yes, it is self resetting but being 35 years old could have decided to pack it in, especially with a short like you experienced. Not likely, but possible.
Rob Allen
former owner of '76 x-PB
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| Re: Battery problem [message #98385 is a reply to message #98374] |
Fri, 03 September 2010 16:11 |
bhayes
Messages: 263
Registered: March 2010
Karma: 1
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Senior Member |
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Thanks for the tips, everyone. It looks like the boost solenoid may be available from my local RV parts store, but is the 50-amp circuit breaker a readily available part?
Also, at some point in this coach's history, the generator's 110v circuit breaker had been moved to the space in between the generator and battery compartment (probably for easier access), but had been bypassed, with the 110v wires running directly to the 50-amp outlet inside the electrical compartment. I'm not comfortable running the generator without it's circuit breaker, but is it safe since everything else inside the coach is on circuit breakers?
Bryan Hayes
'76 Eleganza II
Salt Lake City, Utah
Bryan Hayes
'76 Eleganza II
Salt Lake City, Utah
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| Re: Battery problem [message #98414 is a reply to message #98313] |
Fri, 03 September 2010 19:26 |
JohnL455
Messages: 4447
Registered: October 2006
Location: Woodstock, IL
Karma: 12
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Senior Member |
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With a VOM you should meter across the breaker in DC volts position. If there is voltage then the breaker is "broke". Beats guessing. The solenoid parallels across the breaker so it won't break during boosted cranking, then when the solenoid reopens you regain the breakers protection on the long cable run from back to front.
John Lebetski
Woodstock, IL
77 Eleganza II
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| Re: Battery problem [message #98436 is a reply to message #98385] |
Fri, 03 September 2010 21:36 |
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Matt Colie
Messages: 8547
Registered: March 2007
Location: S.E. Michigan
Karma: 7
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Senior Member |
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| Bryan Hayes wrote on Fri, 03 September 2010 17:11 |
Thanks for the tips, everyone. It looks like the boost solenoid may be available from my local RV parts store, but is the 50-amp circuit breaker a readily available part?
Also, at some point in this coach's history, the generator's 110v circuit breaker had been moved to the space in between the generator and battery compartment (probably for easier access), but had been bypassed, with the 110v wires running directly to the 50-amp outlet inside the electrical compartment. I'm not comfortable running the generator without it's circuit breaker, but is it safe since everything else inside the coach is on circuit breakers?
Bryan Hayes
'76 Eleganza II
Salt Lake City, Utah
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Bryan,
The 50Amp DC breakers (either self-setting or manual reset) are readily available, I would get one from my marine suppliers. As they might be kind of rare in Salt Lake City, you may have to prowl the web and order one in.
Though the breakers in the AC panel should be adequate to the purpose, in a typical GMC there are a lot of cables and connectors between there and the power source so your discomfort is justified (IMHO). I would feel that there is an acceptable level of risk running that way for a short time and while you are in close attendance. If it were mine, I would put the breaker back in service and test it. If it opens prematurely, then I would replace it. They are available, but they are not cheap.
Matt
Matt & Mary Colie - Chaumière -'73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan with OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Near DTW - Twixt A2 and Detroit
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| Re: Battery problem [message #98843 is a reply to message #98436] |
Tue, 07 September 2010 10:41 |
bhayes
Messages: 263
Registered: March 2010
Karma: 1
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Senior Member |
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Found the problem. I tested the boost solenoid and the circuit breaker, and both were fine. So I pulled the batteries back out to get a better look at the wiring and noticed that the negative battery cable, which was made up of two shorter cables spliced together, had come apart. Since the splice was located behind the batteries, I didn't notice it until I pulled the batteries out. I replaced the spliced cable with a 40" battery cable from the local Autozone, replaced the nut and bolt that connect it to the frame, and replaced some of the old wiring on the boost solenoid. It seems to be working fine now.
As far as generator circuit breaker is concerned, I'm going to reinstall it, despite the fact that all of the electrical circuits inside the coach are on their own circuit breakers. I figured that individual loads wouldn't be enough to trip any of the house breakers, but a large combined load--running both A/Cs, the electric water heater, and some other high current device--could be enough to trip the generator breaker, even though individual house breakers would not be affected.
---
Bryan Hayes
'76 Eleganza II
Salt Lake City, Utah
Bryan Hayes
'76 Eleganza II
Salt Lake City, Utah
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