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Battery isolator bad? [message #123643]

Thu, 28 April 2011 12:09

Larry

Messages: 2875
Registered: January 2004
Location: Menomonie, WI

Karma: 10

Senior Member

I am almost certain that my isolator is bad. It fails to charge the engine battery when hooked up to shore power. Charges the house batteries just fine. If I put a jumper across the solenoid, it will charge the engine battery when hooked to shore power, so I know the charger/inverter is working. I have a combiner that I bought 6 yrs ago and just have not installed it. Do I need to have a good working isolator so that the isolator will work, or should I replace the combiner and then install the isolator?
Thanks

Larry

78 Royale w/500 Caddy
Menomonie, WI.

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Re: Battery isolator bad? [message #123644 is a reply to message #123643]

Thu, 28 April 2011 12:11

Larry

Messages: 2875
Registered: January 2004
Location: Menomonie, WI

Karma: 10

Senior Member

Larry wrote on Thu, 28 April 2011 12:09

Last sentence was to say "Do I need to have a good working isolator so that the combiner will work, or should I replace the combiner and then install the isolator?

Larry

78 Royale w/500 Caddy
Menomonie, WI.

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Re: [GMCnet] Battery isolator bad? [message #123647 is a reply to message #123643]

Thu, 28 April 2011 12:19

emerystora

Messages: 4442
Registered: January 2004

Karma: 13

Senior Member

On Apr 28, 2011, at 11:09 AM, Larry wrote:

>
>
> I am almost certain that my isolator is bad. It fails to charge the engine battery when hooked up to shore power. Charges the house batteries just fine. If I put a jumper across the solenoid, it will charge the engine battery when hooked to shore power, so I know the charger/inverter is working. I have a combiner that I bought 6 yrs ago and just have not installed it. Do I need to have a good working isolator so that the isolator will work, or should I replace the combiner and then install the isolator?
> Thanks
> --
> Larry :)
> 78 Royale w/500 Caddy
> Menomonie, WI.
>

Larry

The engine battery will never charge from the standard GM built setup when hooked to shore power.
The only way you can do it is to jumper the solenoid. Your isolator sounds fine and is working as it should.
The isolator takes power from the alternator when the engine is running and feeds it to both the engine and the house battery.
When plugged into shore power there is no connection to the engine battery.

More modern converters that replace the buzz box such as the Xantran Statpower 40+ that I have has an additional output that can be run to the engine battery by adding a wire and then that will charge the engine battery.

Normally you should not have to charge the engine battery as it is kept up to charge when the engine is running.

if you are running such things as the dash radio when parked it will run down the engine battery. You can change that so it runs off the house batteries.

Emery Stora
77 Kingsley
Santa Fe, NM

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Re: Battery isolator bad? [message #123649 is a reply to message #123643]

Thu, 28 April 2011 12:39

WD0AFQ

Messages: 7111
Registered: November 2004
Location: Dexter, Mo.

Karma: 207

Senior Member

Larry, like Emery said, your isolator is working like it was designed to work. You do not need a working isolator to use the combiner. I am one who prefers not to use both. I have two combiners on our coach. One up front and one for my Onan motorcycle starting battery.
I kept blowing the small combiners and had to upgrade to a larger one, up front. No problems with it.
Dan

3 In Stainless Exhaust Headers One Ton All Discs/Reaction Arm 355 FD/Quad Bag/Alum Radiator Manny Tran/New eng. Holley EFI/10 Tire Air Monitoring System Solarized Coach/Upgraded Windows Satelite TV/On Demand Hot Water/3Way Refer

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Re: [GMCnet] Battery isolator bad? [message #123654 is a reply to message #123644]

Thu, 28 April 2011 13:21

Billy Massey

Messages: 916
Registered: January 2004
Location: Central Texas

Karma: 1

Senior Member

Your isolator is working as it should if it charges your house batteries
while under way. It is not meant to charge your chassis battery.

You don't need an isolator with your combiner but it doesn't hurt to have
both. I've done it both ways but to retain the isolator has its advantages.
See Gene's album: www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showgallery.php?cat=4944

bdub

-----Original Message-----
From: Behalf Of Larry

Larry wrote on Thu, 28 April 2011 12:09
> I am almost certain that my isolator is bad. It fails to charge the engine
battery when hooked up to shore power. Charges the house batteries just
fine. If I put a jumper across the solenoid, it will charge the engine
battery when hooked to shore power, so I know the charger/inverter is
working. I have a combiner that I bought 6 yrs ago and just have not
installed it. Do I need to have a good working isolator so that the
isolator will work, or should I replace the combiner and then install the
isolator?
> Thanks

Last sentence was to say "Do I need to have a good working isolator so that
the combiner will work, or should I replace the combiner and then install
the isolator?
--
Larry :)
78 Royale w/500 Caddy
Menomonie, WI.

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bdub
bdub.net

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Re: [GMCnet] Battery isolator bad? [message #123655 is a reply to message #123654]

Thu, 28 April 2011 13:38

Billy Massey

Messages: 916
Registered: January 2004
Location: Central Texas

Karma: 1

Senior Member

Ooops! Should be "It is not meant to charge your chassis battery "when
plugged into shore power".

-----Original Message-----
From: gmclist-bounces@temp.gmcnet.org
[mailto:gmclist-bounces@temp.gmcnet.org] On Behalf Of Billy Massey
Sent: Thursday, April 28, 2011 1:22 PM
To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
Subject: Re: [GMCnet] Battery isolator bad?

Your isolator is working as it should if it charges your house batteries
while under way. It is not meant to charge your chassis battery.

You don't need an isolator with your combiner but it doesn't hurt to have
both. I've done it both ways but to retain the isolator has its advantages.
See Gene's album: www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showgallery.php?cat=4944

bdub

-----Original Message-----
From: Behalf Of Larry

Larry wrote on Thu, 28 April 2011 12:09
> I am almost certain that my isolator is bad. It fails to charge the engine
battery when hooked up to shore power. Charges the house batteries just
fine. If I put a jumper across the solenoid, it will charge the engine
battery when hooked to shore power, so I know the charger/inverter is
working. I have a combiner that I bought 6 yrs ago and just have not
installed it. Do I need to have a good working isolator so that the
isolator will work, or should I replace the combiner and then install the
isolator?
> Thanks

Last sentence was to say "Do I need to have a good working isolator so that
the combiner will work, or should I replace the combiner and then install
the isolator?
--
Larry :)
78 Royale w/500 Caddy
Menomonie, WI.

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bdub
bdub.net

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Re: Battery isolator bad? [message #123797 is a reply to message #123643]

Fri, 29 April 2011 10:45

Ken Burton

Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana

Karma: 10

Senior Member

Just consider the isolator as part of the alternator charging system. If the alternator charges BOTH batteries (House and engine then the isolator is doing it's job.

Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana

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