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Hot Batteries!

Yahoo Message Number: 71074
About a third of the way to Abilene, TX from Austin, an alarm went off at the Xantrex control panel indicating high battery temp (168 degrees!). The inverter was off, charger on (which we disabled). High temps persisted. When I pulled over, the battery/inverter compartment was very hot - most of which seems to come from the engine itself given there's no barrier between either compartment.
How do y'all handle these temps with similar situation? Batteries are AGM - 2 golf cart bats - house, 3 red tops-chassis. Is overheating a common problem> I also noticed when I arrived at the RV park, the 50 amp. power cord was also very hot as it unrolled from the power reel. All temps for trans., radiator were normal - around 190-200.
Thanks

Bill

2005 Intrigue 1187

Re: Hot Batteries!

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71079
Bill, did you take a look at your voltage when the engine was running and the alarm sounding? I ask because I suspect the alternator charging at too high voltage.
I have never heard about this issue on Country Coach and have never experienced it myself. I think it is rare.

Good luck.

George in Birmingham
'04 Allure 31038
George in Birmingham
2003 Magna 6298

Re: Hot Batteries!

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71085
Bill,

165 is really getting hot for AGM's, Lifeline uses 160 as the max temperature. I'm not familiar with the 05 Intrigue, but there should be a means to get cooling air into the bay. My Magna has fans that are thermostat controlled for that purpose.

Your Inverter isn't charging while your driving unless your running the gen. You may want to check the charge voltage from your alternator and make sure you don't have a regulator problem charging the batteries at to high a current.

Tom

Lifeline Batteries
Pressure Pro
01 Magna 5999

Re: Hot Batteries!

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71113
Thanks Tom & George. The voltage was 13.6 when the alarm went off. I did notice the charger was on and I disabled it again - seems to go on automatically. Yeah - 165 is hot! The fans in the inverter/battery compartment were running full speed but they didn't seem to be doing anything but circulate hot air from the compartment. The engine is right behind it and the back of the compartment space is wide open to the engine. When I stopped and opened the battery door, the temp did go down quickly. Am thinking of modifying the door to have a vent installed that would pull air out. Will get with James Stallings at Xtreme Graphics in Nacogdoches and see what he can come up with - those guys are really good.
Voltage regulator is an obvious thing I absolutely didn't consider, duh! Makes sense in overheating the batts. Thanks agin.

Bill

Intrique 11881

Re: Hot Batteries!

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71123
Bill,

13.6VDC from the alternator is okay and did not cause your battery overheat unless your batteries are damaged. I only suspected that because you did not seem to indicate that it is a recurring problem.
My Allure is closed between the engine and the battery bay but I have seen other Allures from the same year that are open like yours. Perhaps the fitting of a sheet metal heat reflector to prevent radiant heat would be helpful.

Good luck.

George in Birmingham
'04 Allure 31038
George in Birmingham
2003 Magna 6298

Re: Hot Batteries!

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71147
Thanks George. It's funy you should mention a bad cell - on one of the house bats, there's a dark liquid stain around one of the cells from overheating and no doubt, bad cell. The batts are new (5 mos.), too. No

Re: Hot Batteries!

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71151
I would have those new Lifelines checked for bad cells. If they are only 5 months old they are still under warranty and if one is bad you should have it replaced before it destroys the others.

Bob Wexler

SOB with Lifelines

Re: Hot Batteries!

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71160
Bill,

What brand are your house batteries? If they are Lifeline, the 1st year is 100% and then prorated for 5 years. if there is a warranty issue, contact me off the forum and I'll hook you up with the right person.

Tom

Lifeline Batteries
Pressure Pro
01 Magna 5999

Re: Hot Batteries!

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71165
Thanks, Tom! I can't see what brand the batts are but will find out tomorrow after we get back to Austin. Will call Motorhomes of Texas and talk with them - they replaced & installed the batteries. Thanks alot for your offer - will do a PM when I find out more.

Bill

05 Intrigue 11881

Re: Hot Batteries!

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71575
Follow-up... I'm at Motorhomes of Texas (in Nacogdoches), getting some regular maintenance done as well as having the battery issue looked into. Alternator, voltage regulator all working OK and no bad cells in any of the batteries. Looks as if the battery overheating problem is the heat generated by the batteries and engine in that enclosed space (which is open to the engine/tranny). MoT called Country Coach which claimed that has never been a problem with design before...
In any event, James Stallings with Xtreme Graphics is coming out today to look at how to vent the compartment and add circulation fans so we can cool it down.

Bill

2005 Intrigue
#11881

Re: Hot Batteries!

Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71580
Bill, Mr Stallings is a excellent choice to look over your problem.

AL

00 affinity

Re: Hot Batteries!

Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71584
Bill,

This might not apply to you but worth looking into. I was driving to my shop a couple of days ago and my gauges quit working. Long story short, I had a couple studs break on my exhaust manifold where the Turbo bolts on my C-12 Cat. The temp got so high in the engine compartment that the plastic wire covers were melted 2 feet away from the turbo. I think I melted some of the wires coming from my ECM to my gauges. It got pretty hot back there. It sounds like for some reason it is getting hotter in your battery bay than it should. I would make sure I didn't have an exhaust leak in the engine compartment.
Kevin Burns

00 Affinity 5865, C-12 Cat going to the Warren Cat shop today.

Re: Hot Batteries!

Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71602
Thanks, Kevin, I'll most definitly bring that up tomorrow.
Motor Homes of Texas replaced my two MK gel cell batts with two AGM's on their nickle/battery warranty. AGM's tend to tolerate heat better than the gel cells. We're also looking at putting in a vent opening in the battery bay door. Haven't decided whether or not to add a couple of fans to draw the hot air out.

Bill

2005 Intrigue
#11881, C-13

Re: Hot Batteries!

Reply #13 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71606
Bill,

I haven't heard of everybody or anybody else with a 2005 Intrigue c-13 cat having to do this on this site. I can't believe it's a design flaw that would cause you to have to go to these extremes. It looks like to me your considering treating the symptom rather that the root cause.
Kevin

00 Affinity 5865

Re: Hot Batteries!

Reply #14 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71621
Kevin, what is happening with your coach ? The other day you were sort of lost on the highway as for whatever reason she really turned against you. Did you get rid of the electric gremlins ? AL

00 affinity

Re: Hot Batteries!

Reply #15 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71624
?
Al,

A couple of the exhaust manifold studs broke where the turbo bolts on and blew out the gasket. The exhaust blowing in the engine compartment melted some of the wires on the engine. It is now at Warren Caterpillar for repairs. Thought I would give my XTRA-ride extended warranty a try.
Kevin

00 affinity

Re: Hot Batteries!

Reply #16 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71653
We have a 2005 Intrigue with C13 with 50K miles, coach # 11872, and have never had a problem with the battery compartment overheating. It does get hot and after a long days drive the fan in the inverter compartment runs for quite a while. I wonder if the temp sensor for the inverter is actually connected to the batteries or lying next to the chassis metal that can get rather hot from teh engine heat.

Bob

'05 Intrigue 11872

Re: Hot Batteries!

Reply #17 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71663
Well, I'm all ears, Kevin and thus, reason for my posts. The one thing I've noticed with some other CC's that this coach doesn't have is a barrier betweern the engine compartment and the battery bay. Am not sure if here had been one in the past or not but I know from what MoT told me that the inverter & battery had been replaced before because of overheating. Tracing circuitry, we were unable to find evidence of overcharging, bad grounds, bad batteries.
Funny you should mention design flaw. There was a gentleman who works at Xtreme Graphics there in Nacogdoches who used to work at Country Coach. Said he built Intrigues and commented that there had indeed been discussion on putting all the electronics in that bay by the engine regarding overhesating. But all of that is hind sight and perhaps

Re: Hot Batteries!

Reply #18 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71664
Thanks, Bob - I will check again as I can't answer to that and don't have faith that MoT was on top of the situation. Question for you: Is the back wall of your battery bay open to the engine or do you have a wall-partition between the two?

Bill
#11881
 

Hot Batt

Reply #19 –
Yahoo Message Number: 71114
Hi Bill hot batt It sounds like you have a bad cell in one of the batt that will cause the charger to charge more and get your batteries hot. Catch you later Ed.