New guy to the forum and to Chinooks. Just bought a 95/96 Concourse (paper says 95, title says 96).
First two trips went wonderful, everything worked as it should. On the last trip I noted the starter seemed to be packing up (pulling way to many amps) so I took it to a automotive shop and had it replaced. Brought it back home and now I have 0 power in the coach. The shop that did the starter spent 2 full days on it trying to find the problem without success. Am totally stumped. All 3 batteries are @13 volts, store/use switch (above visor) is in use position, but 0 power in the coach, anywhere. When you depress the spring loaded battery boost (also above the visor) power returns to the coach as long as the switch is depressed. This Chinook started life as a 2 battery under the hood RV, then later someone converted it to one starting batt, and 2 coach batteries just aft of the water heater. I was told by the previous owner that this RV did not have a LVD. Something is killing the voltage between the firewall and the coach, but what?? I have found a 15 and a 50 amp self resetting breaker (on fire wall), which both test good. I have been under the rig and can find nothing which looks like a breaker or fuse, I have looked under and in every nook and cranny in the coach without finding anything. Any ideas, hunches or just WAGS would be appreciated.
Best to all,
Doug
No power in coach--Help??
Re: No power in coach--Help??
Do you have a generator? Does it power the 120 at least in the coach? There's something odd about the starter wiring. When I replaced mine the hot lead would still soark as I connected it (even though I had disconnected both cables to the chassis battery and turned off the DC switch in the coach). I think it had to do with the previous sure power charging relay thing. It was a bidirectional model that I've since replaced to a uni directional). If you have a blue sea disconnect anywhere, they have a manual switch on top of them.
Just a wag, but I'd be looking for a loose cable still.. Bad ground point maybe.
Blue-go will most likely have more help on here..
Just a wag, but I'd be looking for a loose cable still.. Bad ground point maybe.
Blue-go will most likely have more help on here..
Re: No power in coach--Help??
On a previous post,on another forum you state your batteries read 12 volts,on the post here they read 13 volts,....just curious which post is correct 13 volts is possible but if your coach is not plugged in to shore and has not for overnight and your batteries are older,13 volts though possible is very very good.Also if you remove the positive wire from your chassis battery under the hood and press the boost switch does the power to the coach still work?
Re: No power in coach--Help??
Welcome to the forum and to Chinook ownership.
Just so you know, the coach battery/wiring system in the Chinooks is a bit different in the 95/96 than in the 1997-and-later models (where it sort of settled and stayed through the rest of the production run, for the most part). Alan, aka "kyidletime" is quite familiar with your generation's electrical system and if he chimes in, may be a great help. I think we have also uploaded some of the wiring diagrams from that era either in the Reference forum or in one of kyidletime's threads from when he was sorting out and improving his electrical system (he also went to a coach mounted house bank).
I had my mind around how your system worked last year when Alan was re-doing his, but it has somewhat slipped my mind by now. I could refresh though. But don't have time right at the moment. However, let's at least start with some basics:
1) So what it sounds like is your house (coach) battery is not working at all for some reason. I say that because if you "combine" the banks (by pressing that switch, which is meant so that you can start the Ford off the house bank in case you run your Ford start battery down) then you suddenly have coach power. I'm thinking this is because in reality what you are then doing is powering the coach via the start battery (temporarily). Let up on the switch and you are back to no power.
2) So what is causing the house bank not to work? Bad battery? Something else?
3) Since it happened just as you had some other work done, bad/old battery seems less likely (presuming it was working fine before?). Although at this point maybe best not to assume anything.
Have you looked at the wiring diagrams for your year? As I remember it there was a collection of solenoids under the hood, vs. the LVD/combiner setup that came in in 1997.
Sorry to rush off, but I have to hit the road.
BG
Just so you know, the coach battery/wiring system in the Chinooks is a bit different in the 95/96 than in the 1997-and-later models (where it sort of settled and stayed through the rest of the production run, for the most part). Alan, aka "kyidletime" is quite familiar with your generation's electrical system and if he chimes in, may be a great help. I think we have also uploaded some of the wiring diagrams from that era either in the Reference forum or in one of kyidletime's threads from when he was sorting out and improving his electrical system (he also went to a coach mounted house bank).
I had my mind around how your system worked last year when Alan was re-doing his, but it has somewhat slipped my mind by now. I could refresh though. But don't have time right at the moment. However, let's at least start with some basics:
1) So what it sounds like is your house (coach) battery is not working at all for some reason. I say that because if you "combine" the banks (by pressing that switch, which is meant so that you can start the Ford off the house bank in case you run your Ford start battery down) then you suddenly have coach power. I'm thinking this is because in reality what you are then doing is powering the coach via the start battery (temporarily). Let up on the switch and you are back to no power.
2) So what is causing the house bank not to work? Bad battery? Something else?
3) Since it happened just as you had some other work done, bad/old battery seems less likely (presuming it was working fine before?). Although at this point maybe best not to assume anything.
Have you looked at the wiring diagrams for your year? As I remember it there was a collection of solenoids under the hood, vs. the LVD/combiner setup that came in in 1997.
Sorry to rush off, but I have to hit the road.
BG
1999 Concourse
Re: No power in coach--Help??
If I am correct,since you describe the battery bank no longer under hood,your rig has been electrical modified by previous owner to some degree.Even newer rigs with the newer stock electrical,find that they could stand upgrading,sooner or later.....If you have the time $$$ and inclination,you could up size your wire,add solar,new converter/charger...add proper fusing and new relays as required/desired..One advantage with that scenario is you would then be totally set electrically and totally aware of your system, failing that it is good advice to try and Draw out your modified electrical,using the stock 1995 as a guide checking continuity as you go.