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PeterH-350LE · 03-13-2006, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ralley

Ok, fair enough, and easy to check.
..................At least I think I have understood him correctly

R

One thing to keep in mind:
Isolators have 1 function: to allow simultaneous charging of two or more batteries from one alternator without connecting the batteries together.

Left Post: 12+ Motor Battery
Center Post: Alternator
right Post: 12+ Coach batteries

thats it, nothing more

what Chaplain Kent did is connect the 12+ Motor battery to the alternator charging circuit, which the diodes in the Isolator are supposed to prevent.
This is where I would look for trouble:

Foiled Again · 03-13-2006, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chaplain Kent

Chummy Runs!
Thanks Guys!!!

I've been following this thread, worrying about Chummy and I'm so happy you're on the road to victory. Obviously from additional posts, you may have a few other things to check out, but goodness, it's good to hear an engine turn over, isn't it? Whew...

I too think Chummy wouldn't be happy as a flower pot.

Tin Lizzie

2airishuman · 03-13-2006, 06:45 PM

well chaplain kent and other following this circuit.......

i'm happy she started.......and hope for the best.

i do have one series of questions...for the wired guys or gals......

you had a diesel conversion?

what if any wiring needed modification for this?

does the diesel sit on rubber mounts?

and if so does this alter the grounding in anyway?

doesn't a new ground need to be created from engine to frame?

cheers
2air'

ralley · 03-13-2006, 06:53 PM

Yes, I understood you correctly. So, just in case I get to do this some dark night, a jumper from the solenoid post to which 14 Red 2E is attached running to the junction box marked No10--or presumably any successive junction box, or even the post on the battery isolator--should circumvent the blown fusable link in the wire marked 14 red 2E.

It sure would have been useful to have a drawing such as this in troubleshooting CH Kent's problem. How do I find one? I would need one for the 454 in 91. Others obviously vary.

R

Jim & Susan · 03-13-2006, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterH-79MH

......
All of this points to the very first wire from the starter solenoid to a junction block to be bad due to a blown fusible link.

Or a bad/burned wire, or ground that became bad recently. I'm asking from ignorance here, but all of this started when CK replaced his dashboard, right? (I'm sincerely asking) Any time you disconnect that many wires at one time, there's a bunch of stuff that can go wrong. The point is that whenever you disconnect that much stuff, there's a lot of opportunity to break or damage a wire that maybe you can't even see. Like you 79, I think the base probelm will be traced to a wire someplace. A wire that is grounding that shouldn't, a hot wire that has lost it's connection, etc. This is why I hate to work on wiring issues between the firewall and the engine. The stuff aft of the front seats is easy compared to the engine compartment.

Jim

garry · 03-13-2006, 08:22 PM

I knew you could do it given time

Garry

Chaplain Kent · 03-14-2006, 09:52 AM

[quote=PeterH-79MH]I would like to make a prediction:
Once the new Isolator is in place, hooked up just like it was before, Chummy will not have power to the main fuse block.
The current Isolator is probably not even defective.

I hate to say it but Peter was correct. I had the Isolator tested and it was OK. Taking Peter's diagram all of those wires are perfect. No soft or spongy areas, no noticeable burn marks, nothing loose and no fuse-able links! I have been on the internet for the past several hours learning about fuse-able links and even took an on-line course about auto electronics to learn how to spot a fuse-able link. I tell you there are no fuse-able links at this location or any other location that I or anyone else who has looked at this problem has been able to find. If you read the owner's manual from AS it has many entries that what they are describing does not pertain to the diesel. I am convinced that what they did with the few diesels they built was to cobble them together with whatever was available and if it was not available in the plant they went to the local farm supply store and purchased what they needed.
Chummy may become a planter/ lawn ornament after all.

Pschoerrn · 03-14-2006, 10:20 AM

Good to have you and Chummy back on the Roads!!! That must have been frustrating days searching for the problem...
TG we have a trailer!!

mmmhhh, ok, well...

...at the moment all wires are out and the new electric system has to be installed in the next weeks or month... Hopefully our trailer lights and all the rest will run after that...

Bjoern

Jim & Susan · 03-14-2006, 10:21 AM

Rev, we're not giving up on Chummy yet! I'm not familiar with isolators, or even with MOHO's for that matter, but that doesn't stop me from having an opinion! Let me noodle this out for a minute.....

1) We know that when you take the isolator out of the circuit, everything associated with the dash works as it supposed to, at least I think that's what I'm reading here. Is that correct?

2) You had the isolator tested and it tests good, but still doesn't seem to work when installed the vehicle, right?

3) Is it possible that the isolator tests good, but could be just a bit out, or not quit working normally?

4) Is it possible that soemthing on the "backside" of the isolator is interferring with its normal operation? As I understand it, the isolator's function is to "divide" the 12v power into 2 circuits, essentially. One circuit serves the drive/engine functions, the other circuit serves the "camper" portion of the MOHO. Is it possible to disconnect the "camper" from the "engine" functions at the isolator and see if that works? I'm not sure that is a safe idea (wouldn't want to break something else in the process), but something to possibly look at.

5) Did I mention that I hate electrical problems?

Keep the faith, somebody will figure it out.

Jim

ALANSD · 03-14-2006, 10:23 AM

It is driveable as it, just the house battery will not charge.So maybe its time to drive it over to an automotive electric specialty guy who can check those circuits.
PeterH know his stuff, no doubt. But hisplace is too ling to drive for you.

Chaplain Kent · 03-14-2006, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ALANSD

It is driveable as it, just the house battery will not charge.So maybe its time to drive it over to an automotive electric specialty guy who can check those circuits.
PeterH know his stuff, no doubt. But hisplace is too ling to drive for you.

Alan you are right on the mark. I just got off the phone with a guy who said he would take Chummy as long as I had not filled him full of dirt yet. The place that tested the isolator this morning recomended this guy. Chummy is drivable if I jump the isolator. I have kept the coach batteries disconnected throughout this entire process, no sense in involving a total different circuit here.
I am going to start putting things back together so I can drive the few blocks to his shop.

Chaplain Kent · 03-20-2006, 12:59 PM

This time is for certain. Chummy is fixed!! Thank-you Peter for the phone call and talking me through some of the wires. However, when all was said and done those wires were fine. But Peter said something which stuck with me all night and this morning as I tracked down the two red wires from the alternator which turned into the green wire which terminated at the "Battery Condition Gauge." He said sometimes they will run the power through a gauge. This is exactly what was happening. All wires were fine. All fuse-able links checked out, thanks again Peter for teaching me how to check Ohms. There was power to the battery condition gauge, no power to the ignition unless we jumped past the battery isolator, or the battery relay off the alternator. The only thing this was doing after I pulled all the wires was by-passing the battery condition gauge. I feel like leaving off here and running a contest, a puzzler to see if anyone can figure out what the problem was. Hint, the gauge was not bad. OK, you guys have been too nice. I had the wires switched from the AMP gauge to the Battery Condition Gauge. When I connected the wires up to the AMP gauge that were on the battery Condition gauge and vice versus, everything worked. Over two weeks of testing wires and pulling fuses and cleaning contacts and sweating and yes even doing a little swearing for something as simple as that. I kept telling myself that logically there must have been something I did which caused this to happen and there was.
So now I begin the task of taping and re-hanging and re-directing miles of wires so it looks like it did before I began.
Thanks again for everyone who had input here. Special to Norbert and Dave and Peter.

GlenCoombe · 03-20-2006, 01:07 PM

Fantastic!! It's always something overlooked that will just wear you out. I'm certain the weight lifting was very nice indeed. Now you're an expert in the wiring department. Not many of us have had the courage to go as deep into that maze behind the dash to learn what you did. Congratulations on finding the problem.

2airishuman · 03-20-2006, 01:15 PM

well congrats chaplain kent........

we've all been waiting for an update, and some good news.......

so you had your wires crossed?

i'm so happy you're up and running again.....

you might want to add this this quote to the 'famous last words' thread......

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chaplain Kent

This time is for certain. Chummy is fixed!! .

cheers
2air'

balrgn · 03-20-2006, 02:52 PM

YES! Another sucess!!!

We've had you in our thoughts thru this all!

Foiled Again · 03-20-2006, 05:06 PM

Hooray! I'm happy for you. Isn't it amazing how you can go through things 20 times and then suddenly you see it?

Now repeat after me in your best Joan Crawford "Mommy Dearest" voice, "NO more Aluminum Planters"!

Tin Lizzie

ralley · 03-20-2006, 07:40 PM

Ok--I'M THINKING HALLELUJAH CHORUS IN THE BACKGROUND, WHISTLE WHILE YOU WORK AS A SUBTEXT, AND "THERE WAS BLUE VELVET LANGUAGE...... well, nevermind. It was bound to happen sooner or later.

I think we have all learned a great deal. Thank you, Chaplain!!

R

Chaplain Kent · 03-21-2006, 05:45 AM

I just needed to post this picture of Chummy at his very lowest point. Myself at this juncture looked a little worse.

ALANSD · 03-21-2006, 09:37 AM

Yaay Chummy lives! It will be looked back on as a time you would like to not look back on! Great news.

Chaplain Kent · 03-25-2006, 02:38 PM

You may have thought this thread would just die and go away but not yet. In my anal retentive slightly determined mostly demented mind I decided that as long as I have gone this far I might as well clean up the mess of wires behind the dash. Over the years many people have added and subtracted, changed and altered thus leaving a mess which corresponded with nothing. I have been patiently tearing out and replacing all the wiring, using the correct colors as shown in my manual. I have been applying heat tape and cleaning all terminals and connections. My fuse box is now a work of art. Here's my current (no pun intended) problem. The wiring diagrams do not show the wires for the warning lights to the steps, door lock, or levelers. I have all the other warning lights tracked down and attached. I have tried to track these down by using a meter on the open wires and opening and closing the switches. So far I have tried each open wire and have not found any which operates these warning lights. I tried to trace the colors of wires from the sources and that did not work. There are too may terminals where the colors change. Would any one know at their warning lights what color wire they have?