Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: Charging Starter Battery (Read 6480 times) previous topic - next topic
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Re: Charging Starter Battery

Reply #25 –
Yahoo Message Number: 94129
My battery boost was incorrectly wired from the factory.  Didn’t find out until I tried to use it.

Dan 2006 Allure 31348  C-9

Re: Charging Starter Battery

Reply #26 –
Yahoo Message Number: 94135
Gary

Did you check the inline fuses. The Red wire goes to the House Batteries and the Striped wire goes to the Starter Battery. Like I said before one of the best things I got was the Volt meter that plugges into the power port, you see the voltage all the time on the start battery.
You may have seen this already

http://www.bestconverter.com/assets/images/Xantrex/echocharge/echochargemanual.pdf

Floyd 2006 Inspire 51744

Re: Charging Starter Battery

Reply #27 –
Yahoo Message Number: 94141
Gary,

Your Echo charger doesn't work or a fuse for EC is blown. I replaced mine with the Magnum Battery Combiner. It's a great product and easy install.
The battery boost switch has nothing to do with the Echo Charger.
The reason your chassis battery voltage increased with the engine running is because the alternator has taken over for the charger.
Very few on this board us a trickle charger. The overwhelming majority have a functioning EC or like.

George in Birmingham
'03 Magna 6298
George in Birmingham
2003 Magna 6298

Re: Charging Starter Battery

Reply #28 –
Yahoo Message Number: 94144
George,

Thanks for your information. Now I feel both enlightened and confused about how the system works. By "not part of the equation" do you mean the echo charger is out of the loop when the engine is running?

The echo charger green light comes on under the following conditions: A. The engine is running and B. The engine is not running and the battery boost switch is pressed inside the coach to assist in starting the engine. This green light does not come on when the engine is not running and the coach is connected to either shore power or generator.

You can clear up my confusion. If the echo charger is out of the loop (not part of the equation) when the engine is running, why does the green light come in? What does the presence of the green light mean under this scenario?

Thank you.

Gary C.

Re: Charging Starter Battery

Reply #29 –
Yahoo Message Number: 94145
Think that charge monitor will be a big help, especially while I am having a problem with the echo charging system. Did check the fuses today and they were okay.

Gary C.

Re: Charging Starter Battery

Reply #30 –
Yahoo Message Number: 94146
George,

Okay, I guess the light on the echo charger means nothing, since it has been replaced by the alternator. Checked the two fuses today and found them good, so the echo charger must be bad, as you suggest.

Have been in touch with Kevin Waite regarding the replacement you recommend. Assume the Xantrex is attached to the frame by screws which must be removed. During installation of the new MCB will I be able to attach it using the same holes left in the frame by the removal of the old Xantrex unit? Presumably, the MCB comes with detailed installation instructions.

Thanks for your advice.

Gary C.

Re: Charging Starter Battery

Reply #31 –
Yahoo Message Number: 94148
Gary

When I installed the Magnum Combiner I just marked it out on the other wall on the left looking at the battery about 10" in next to the lugs for the ignition max switch and kind of next to the wiring block set it up and drilled new holes. Got a roll of number 12 wire and made up the new harness with the same wire plugs and made the right one with a strip. Ran the wires through the hangers then plugged into the lines with the fuses and the one for the ground. It works great there because I can open the bay door and see the amber or green light and know it is working. Then I cut out a board painted it black and covered up the hole next to the battery to keep any water out if running in the rain. My old echo charger is still there why do the work to remove it.
My connect voltage is at 13.4 low voltage is at 12.9 and the high voltage is at 14.3 (works great) Hope this help.
Floyd 2006 51744

Re: Charging Starter Battery

Reply #32 –
Yahoo Message Number: 94154
Gary,

Yes. The Magnum device comes with complete instructions. The installation could not be easier. There are three wires for the Echo Charger and the same three wires for the Magnum.
One fused wire to house battery

One fused wire to the chassis battery One ground wire

The battery wires don't actually go to the batteries. They go to each side of the combiner(boost) solenoid. Just determine which is house and which is chassis. The ground may go to chassis if you wish but mine went to ground bus bar nearby. Each of the battery wires has an in line fuse. All you need to do is reuse the coach side of the fuse to install the new device. I have seen no installation of any device as simple as this one with the possible exception of the cooling fan controller which you do laying down.

Good luck

George in Birmingham
'03 Magna 6298
George in Birmingham
2003 Magna 6298

Re: Charging Starter Battery

Reply #33 –
Yahoo Message Number: 94156
Don,

Thanks so much for your thoughts on this rather knotty problem. Some have recommended replacing the Xantrex charging unit with one that operates on a different theory than recognition of voltage differences between two battery banks. Kevin Waite would probably not mind my quoting him on the factory installed Xantrex Echo Charge unit: "It's a piece of junk!"

We're not doing much traveling these days so our coach remains on the pad for long periods of time connected to shore power. Right now the only way to keep the chassis batteries charged up is to take the coach out on the road. That's probably a good idea, anyway. It's just the idea that things don't work as designed on one of the "world's finest motor coaches" that sticks in my craw.

Gary C.

Re: Charging Starter Battery

Reply #34 –
Yahoo Message Number: 94159
Gary,

The echo charger is not echo charging when the engine is running. That is because there is no significant difference in voltage between the house and chassis batteries. The reason there is no difference in voltage between the two batteries is because the alternator is charging them both via the boost(combiner) solenoid.

The green light comes on the Echo Charger when the engine is running because the house battery is above the trigger voltage which is something on the order of 13.2VDC.

I can't explain why EC green light does not come on when 120VAC is present except to say that I think it(the EC) is broken. Or your house battery is not reaching the trigger voltage.

George in Birmingham
'03 Magna 6298
George in Birmingham
2003 Magna 6298

Re: Charging Starter Battery

Reply #35 –
Yahoo Message Number: 94160
You don't have to drive it to charge the chassis battery. Create a jumper across the two studs of the boost solenoid.

As far as the EC not working.....stuff breaks. Replace it.

George in Birmingham
'03 Magna 6298
George in Birmingham
2003 Magna 6298

Re: Charging Starter Battery

Reply #36 –
Yahoo Message Number: 94165
Hello All

I posted on this issue a couple of years ago re: my 08 Intrigue. The Echo Charger is supplied by the manufacturer with two fused wires, and a ground wire, with slow blow fuses as per a previous post. On my 08 (and this may not apply to the coach in question, but it might) Country Coach added a second, totally unnecessary fuse on the output line of the Echo Charger - mine was near the combiner solenoid in the rear. This fuse from the factory was a 7 amp fuse - the Echo Charger at full output runs at 15 amps! When I accidentally found this blown extra fuse I replaced it with a 20 amp fuse - note that the fuse supplied with the Echo Charger still provided 15 amp protection. No more blown fuses and perfectly charged chassis when plugged in to shore power.

Brad Burgess

Re: Charging Starter Battery

Reply #37 –
Yahoo Message Number: 94170
Gary,

I have to express my agreement with Kevin; my experience with Xantrex kit in general over the last 12 years has been pretty dismal. Their inverter/charger units are particularly poorly designed and engineered. When I bought my 2008 Allure 3 years ago the Xantrex charger started playing up within a short while so I dumped it. I could go into a whole list of experiences but they are not relevant to your current problem.
I was pleased to find that CC had not installed the Xantrex Echo combiner, but the Blue Seas one. It is a very sensible simple unit and if indeed your Echo unit is gone south I would seriously suggest you consider the Blues Seas as a replacement.
http://www.bluesea.com/resources/59/Blue_Sea_Systems_CL-Series_BatteryLink_ACR
It should work with the existing wiring but worth getting a sparks to check that over for you.

Anyway good luck, electrical issues can be a real pita.

Michael

2008 Allure 31683

Re: Charging Starter Battery

Reply #38 –
Yahoo Message Number: 94183
Michael,

Thanks for the suggestion and sharing of your experiences. Did you install the Blue Seas yourself?

Not sure what I will do. Our coach is up for sale, but no takers so far. If we keep the coach, I want to replace the Xantrex. Meanwhile, I must get the most bang for my buck on getting the coach ready for viewing. A potential buyer will worry more about cloudy windows and worn valances than the charging system. Repairs could cost a couple of thousand dollars, but it might be worth the expense.

Meanwhile, I think I'll just hook up my external battery charger while its on the pad for months and quit worrying about it.

Gary Collins

Re: Charging Starter Battery

Reply #39 –
Yahoo Message Number: 94191
Gary,

As I mentioned in my post the Blue Seas combiner was installed by CC from new and not the Echo Charger. I know not why, but it is a useful piece of kit with adjustable parameters. One thing, you have made a lot of discussion on this board, a potential buyer may be CC savvy and have visited this board and maybe iRV2, and so be specifically advised of your issues... by your own posts. AND without wishing to take the moral high ground, if you just purchased a new coach and found a problem like the one you are describing there would be much reinventing of the wheel to get where you are now. So maybe fixing it would be the right thing to do, it's a failed item, not an aesthetic worn one? Although the windows are a different matter, but at least caveat emptor, they are in your face! But I wish you luck with the sale, things are picking up here in the UK, but I still have not sold my boat after 2.5 years on the market.

Michael

2008 Allure 31683

Re: Charging Starter Battery

Reply #40 –
Yahoo Message Number: 94199
Gary - I've seen other coaches for sale, where the owners had priced the replacement item, then provided a credit in the sale price to cover these. For example, price standard wet cells for your coach. Offer that amount as the discount off of your asking price. Explain to the potential Buyer you did not go ahead and replace them, as they may wish to take that credit and use it towards the purchase of a set of Lifeline AGM's, other brands. This way the Buyer can install the batteries they want.

If you plan to use it before selling, that may not work for you...

Best,
Smitty

04 Allure 31017
04 Allure Sold to a nice new owner! Now enjoying a 07 Magna Rembrandt 45' ISX600 #6775
"We're ONDROAD for THEJRNY!" (Toad and Coach license plates, say Hi if you see us!)
 

Re: Charging Starter Battery

Reply #41 –
Yahoo Message Number: 94234
Smitty,

Good suggestion. Thanks. We started asking $93,000 about 6 or 7 months ago, now we're asking $86,900. I usually tell interested parties I've reduced my asking price to compensate for items that may need attention. People don't like items that "may need attention," though. They want a brand new used coach at a wholesale price. It's a nice coach but it has been lived in for nine years. May never sell it.

Gary