Help Please, mechanical issues w Interstate

[ghaag]

I was about to leave for Texas and my 2014 Airstream Interstate is dead, battery has full charge but I have no electrical and when key is inserted in the ignition it will not turn. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks in advance!
Greg

[Melody Ranch]

Step on the brake pedal as you turn the key......really.

[KJRitchie]

Is the steering wheel turned? Wiggle the steering wheel, step on the brake and see if you can turn the ignition. Happened to me on another type of vehicle.

Kelvin

[J. Morgan]

Try removing the neg battery cable from the battery, touching it to the positive cable, and then putting the cable back on the battery.


Brevi tempore!

[Mjgman]

Is the coach battery dead as well? The separator might not be working and it drained you car battery.. That happened to mine and they had to replace the separator.. Give it a jump and if it starts, that is most likely your problem..

[Protagonist]

Several things it could be. Listed in no particular order:

1 - Shift lever isn't all the way up into Park.
2 - Steering wheel is locked when the key is off. But it may be binding against the locks. Wiggle the wheel.
3 - Battery is deader than you think, and there is no power to the RFID reader in the ignition switch.
4 - If you have more than one vehicle with RFID-chipped keys, a key from a different vehicle is too close to the ignition switch. I have to keep my two vehicles' keys on separate rings for just that reason.
5 - Chassis battery disconnect down by the accelerator pedal came loose, possibly as a result of accidentally being kicked, which kills power to the ignition system including the RFID chip reader in the switch.
6 - Blown fuse under the dash. Fuse #2 (25A) is electronic steering lock and Fuse #3 (10A) is start switch. Either one could cause the ignition switch not to work.

[ben322]

Maybe a little early for a 2014 but check the Y-Cable which is common failure and a periodic replacement item.

[Marks71]

Originally Posted by ben322

Maybe a little early for a 2014 but check the Y-Cable which is common failure and a periodic replacement item.

In case I have this problem in the future, what's a Y-cable?

[ben322]

The Y cable runs from the battery to the alternator and starter. Check the voltage with the van running, (13.5-14.2), and the clip that attaches to the transmission which tends to fail. Earlier models had more of a problem as the part was improved but can still be a failure point. The symptoms typically are a click when the key is turned to start on a good battery but voltage irregularities can result in a no-charge state as well. Online the OE part is less than $70.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by ben322

Check the voltage with the van running, (13.5-14.2), and the clip that attaches to the transmission which tends to fail.

The symptoms typically are a click when the key is turned to start on a good battery but voltage irregularities can result in a no-charge state as well.

Catch-22. The OP cannot even turn the key in the ignition and so can't tell if the Y-cable is the problem.

[delongj]

Always check the cables for tightness. You shouldn't be able to turn the cable on the post. That said, I don't own your machine but am only speaking of problems I had in the past with batteries in vehicles.

I wish you the best of luck a remain open so as to consider all suggestions. Correct key - nothing out-of-date if that matters. If using a key fob (push-buttons on plastic key), does it have a battery?

Turn on lights and radio to check power of battery.

Back in the old days some of our vehicles on the farm would lock up where the old starters wouldn't turn until you rocked the vehicle!

Again, I wish you the best. At my age, failure is part of the equation. It all works out though! jd

[Lily&Me]

Originally Posted by ghaag

I was about to leave for Texas and my 2014 Airstream Interstate is dead, battery has full charge but I have no electrical and when key is inserted in the ignition it will not turn. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks in advance!
Greg

Ours has had this problem a few times, and jiggling the steering wheel has resolved it.


Maggie

[John Millner]

Last year I too had that problem and tried all of the above, to no avail. I even tried a different key fob and key. Nothing worked. Mercedes came out and connected their expensive code reader on (I tried my "cheap" one first). Anyway nothing seemed to happen. The technician tried reading the codes again when some dash lights flashed for no apparent reason, then the vehicle started. The technician had no idea what happened. He thought it may be a computer issue. Since that time I never had another problem with the unit. Who knows? Gremlins perhaps

[ghaag]

I am embarrassed to say I did not know there was a second battery under the drivers seat, which is apparently the main battery. This one was completely dead and as a result nothing worked. As soon as they replaced that battery everything went back to normal. Thanks to everyone for their help!

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by ghaag

I am embarrassed to say I did not know there was a second battery under the drivers seat, which is apparently the main battery. This one was completely dead and as a result nothing worked. As soon as they replaced that battery everything went back to normal. Thanks to everyone for their help!

I didn't even think of that, because the battery under the driver's foot well is my only chassis battery. I don't have one under the hood at all.

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by ghaag

I am embarrassed to say I did not know there was a second battery under the drivers seat, which is apparently the main battery. This one was completely dead and as a result nothing worked. As soon as they replaced that battery everything went back to normal. Thanks to everyone for their help!

Yes the battery in the engine compartment, if you have it, is an auxiliary battery and not connected to the vehicle system until after it is started. It will not start the Sprinter engine. It's strange that your main battery was dead. Was it sitting idle for a long time? The BIM is designed to also keep this main battery charged via solar or other charging sources like shore power and the LP generator. You might want to have your system checked to make sure it is working properly. Also if your main Sprinter battery is dead and you have fully charged house batteries your can use the boost button on the drivers lower dash, left side, to start the Sprinter.


- - Mike
2013 Lounge EXT on 2012 Sprinter

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Boxster1971

It's strange that your main battery was dead.

Not really. If the vehicle is NOT connected to a charging source (other than solar), the BIM is supposed to disconnect the two systems to prevent the house batteries from being dragged down with the chassis battery, or vice versa.

In my own case, the headlights do not turn themselves off after the ignition is shut off; I think that's a user setting, but I don't recall how to change it. Since I always tow my toad with the lights on for safety, I sometimes forget the headlights are on in broad daylight. And if I exit by means of the sliding side door rather than the driver's door, I don't get a "ding, ding, ding" reminder that the headlights are on. So there have been a couple of times I've returned to find the chassis battery stony dead and the house batteries still at 100%.

That's why 2013 models and later include the "boost" switch, to force a connection between chassis and house systems when the BIM normally wouldn't allow a connection.

[73shark]

I seem to have forgotten the purpose of the Aux battery under the hood in the later models. Since it can't be used to start, what is it's purpose? Can it be charged by anything besides the alternator?

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by 73shark

I seem to have forgotten the purpose of the Aux battery under the hood in the later models. Since it can't be used to start, what is it's purpose? Can it be charged by anything besides the alternator?

It's optional Sprinter equipment, not installed by Airstream. It's normally used on commercial Sprinters such as ambulances and television news trucks as a "house" battery. As such, when Airstream installs house batteries at the rear, the auxiliary battery under the hood is redundant.
Airstream could hook up stuff like the awning and sliding step to the auxiliary battery so they don't draw off the starting battery, but they don't. So the auxiliary battery is pretty much dead weight, unless you install an aftermarket alarm system or something and hook it up to the auxiliary battery.

And because of the way it's wired through a relay, the auxiliary battery IS only charged by the alternator.

I suppose it's possible to remove the relay in order to provide a permanent connection between the starting battery and the auxiliary battery, thus giving you two starting batteries and doubling your cold cranking amps. Which could be handy in cold climates if you don't have indoor storage.