Okay, so for starters (heh), here is Fig. 9.4 so we can all look at it. I took this from the 2000 manual (because in the 1998 manual it's figure 4.x), but now I can't remember what year you have (could you put it in your profile or a signature? That's really helpful). This is the first year that shows the generator being started from teh house battery, BTW. Click these to enlarge them.
autox wrote:Sorry if I'm rambling some, my questions relate to the 12v system
In looking at the drawing 9.4 it appears the genset stater wire comes from the brown box, not a direct run to the house batteries.
The wire you see (that goes up the right side of the diagram) going from the genset to the brown box, well, I see where it could be confusing. Reason is Fig 9.4 is purportedly the DC system, but that wire is an AC wire. The genset outputs AC current.
The wire that supplies (DC) starting juice for the generator is going across the bottom of the photo to the house bank. Another confusion here is that they accidentally drew it going to the negative terminal, but it actually of course goes to the positive terminal (the negatives are all chassis grounds).
If you have a look at the equivalent drawing from the 1998 manual, I think it might be more clear (even though you'll have to ignore that the starting wire goes to the Ford start bank). You can also kind of guess how they made the mistake of drawing the new one to the house bank negative terminal, because you can see how the start wire goes across the bottom of the diagram, then they probably just did a bit of white-out and redrawing and.... ooops, took gen start to negative terminal. They also apparently forgot to draw in the 80 amp breaker on the new 2000 drawing.
I really should digitize my 1999 manual! But the gen part of the wiring on mine is the same as this 1998 drawing.
For another view, have a look at Fig. 9.6 from the 2000 manual, which is the AC electrical system. I put a red arrow by the AC wire that carries power from the generator to the brown box (via the ATS, or Automatic Transfer Switch, which is on the backside of the brown box). The genset outputs AC power.
autox wrote: So I think the 3 large wires on the positive house batteries are 1. to the Ford starter isolater, 2.the LVD 3. the brown box.?? Drawing 9.4 doesn't show that?
I believe on your rig the three large wires on the house bank positive should be as follows:
1) to the isolater, thence the Ford start battery
2) to the brown box (which is also the wire "from" the brown box - it's a dual function hence the warning buzzer up by the cab).
3) to the generator starter (beginning in 2000 model year).
autox wrote:So if I remove the genset I'll have to disconnect the starter wire from the brown box or just terminate it in the old genset space.
I should think you'd remove (or appropriately terminate, or appropriately re-purpose) the following:
1) 6AWG red wire that comes from the house bank and runs the genset starter
2) 10 AWG white flat Romex type wire that runs from the genset to the ATS (on the backside of the brown box).
3) Any small DC wires that run to either the main switch you press to start the generator, the main switch plus hourmeter, and auxilliary switch by driver's shoulder, if you have one.
Note that any wires that "go around the horn," (i.e. behind the shower and over to the passenger side) can be like irreplaceable gold (because just try to run a new one -- that would be a pain). So, for example, you could leave the 10 AWG AC wire (labeled) for someone later on, or you could make a dedicated circuit for an electric space heater, or whatever. Same with the DC wire to the cab. The starter wire would make a better feed for any compressor refrigerator than the 8AWG one that's in place for the absorption refrigerator that came stock, etc.
autox wrote:My other question was regarding the Ford battery isolater clicking when the house batteries are disconnected. Is that normal?
I haven't been using one in awhile and I can't quite articulate the specifics anymore, but there are times that they click (essentially that means they are in a cycle of trying to do something, not trying, trying, not trying). I think you put in the Blue Sea 7622, right? They do have an article on what can cause this. I have a hunch:
The relay closes thus providing power to the "other" bank whenever there is enough voltage to share (i.e. over 13.2 or thereabouts). So normally "click" and you are on your way, both banks sharing the charge. BUT, there is a low voltage cutoff. In other words, if the one bank has power to share, but when the relay closes it finds the second bank is below a certain voltage (9 or 10, IIRC), then it says "Oh no, we're not going to connect to this black hole of power sucking" and it clicks back open so as not to share. But then the relay sees that "Oh, we have power to share!" and it closes again, then sees the black hole again, etc. If there is no battery, that probably registers as the black hole. This shouldn't normally happen because voltage below 9-10 should not be there in any normal circumstance.
You could double check on Blue Sea's website to make sure I'm remembering correctly.
autox wrote:I'm finishing running the 702 cable to monitor and got a good look at the LVD behind the seat the wire I see feeding it was a #8 which is one of the three connected to the + on the batteries, the other two look to be #4s
This is how things were on mine (but double check yours of course) as far as wires on the house bank positive:
Mine had an 8AWG (red) from the house positive to the bottom of the LVD, via the little breakers in the white fiberglass hutch under by the frame. Maybe you have a 4AWG for this?
Then the "same" 8AWG (red) came out the top of the LVD. That's the dual purpose wire, that both carries charge from the brown box (charger) to the house bank, AND carries load power from the house bank to the loads at the brown box. It's a two way street (not the best arrangement, IMO, but the brown box makes you set it up this way. Chinook countered with the warning buzzer).
Then a 4AWG went to the the Ford start bank, via the Surepower isolator on the driver's side fenderwell.
Then there was the 6AWG (red) for the gen start, but in my case that was on the start bank but for you it would be on the house bank.
And a ..... 12AWG IIRC that came from the solar controller with a 7.5a inline glass fuse.
I'll post a couple of photos of the LVD in my next reply. One of them shows the Surepower diagram on the side.