[bikestuff]

Gang,

I have had a recurring problem with my engine batteries and am hoping that you guys can figure it out.

In the two years since I have had the coach, I have had to put in three sets of engine batteries. (All replaced by Newell) Newell said that I needed a float charger (they installed). The batteries now have Powerpulse Battery Maintenance boxes installed as well.

The symptom is that when I stop the coach (engine off) and try to restart, sometimes it wont turn over and start. Newell tested the batteries and said they were bad. The tech told me that I should always leave the batteries merged, but I cannot believe that I should have to do that.

Now, I have a brand new set of Lifeline batteries and the same thing is happening. I just drove three hours and when I stopped, it would not start again. (I merged the engine batteries with house and was able to crank). The silverleaf says that I have 13.8V from the alternator.

So what will cause batteries to die? Or maybe its a bum starter? Could the merge relay cause this?

[folivier]

Check your battery connections on the engine batteries. Another possibility could be a bad battery cable, sometimes corrosion gets inside the insulation.

[bikestuff]

Forest,

That is good thought! One cable has a little worn spot on it from the plastic battery cover...maybe it is the culprit! Would that account for the batteries to "test bad"?

[folivier]

Could be. Remember if power can't get out of the battery to start the engine then it can't get back in to keep the battery charged.
Good luck

[John L Williams]

I had that on one of other coaches, and it turned out to be the ground cable, where it hooked to the frame...I found it when I touched it, and almost burned my hand. Loose connections are trouble...

[encantotom]

i replaced one of the starting battery cables on my 02 when i saw that that there was lots of corrosion on it near the connector. i cut the insulation back and was full of green corrosion back more than 6 inches so i just had another cable made for it.

btw, i had a similar problem on my 90 that you are having and i even stupidly changed the starter because i was convinced the starter was going bad. (did it myself and man was it heavy). it ended up being a very large inline fuse in the battery cable to the starter.

tom

[bikestuff]

Tom,

When that happened to you could you start with house batteries?

bill

[encantotom]

so here is my story. it had started getting hard to start on the engine batteries. so i would merge them together and it would start. i just figured my batteries were bad. they were old, so i just took them out and replaced them with sams club 8d flooded. when i took the old ones in, they were too discharged to check. (btw, i later bought a cool battery tester).

well it started fine and then after awhile, it started doing the same thing. had to merge to start. in retrospec, i should have realized they were just discharging. so now the engineer in my takes over and starts looking for something else. i figure the starter has to be going bad. so i took it out (it is 90lbs on the 8v92) and just replaced it. it was a bear to get in by myself laying under the coach.

put it in, nadda. the same thing.

now something in me says start with a meter and start checking cables.....then i realized one of them was totally open.

it ended up being the humongo in line fuse on the battery cable where it was attached to the battery.

i bought one on ebay, put it in and walla, all was well.

i should have checked it first...

i bought an extra in case.

they are pricey if you buy them retail, gotta find them on ebay.

thats my story.

tom