2004 LY *Won't Start, No Power* Help

[RAG]

2004 Land Yacht 30, 21,000 miles, P-32 Chassis 8.1L Motor

- Took her for an oil change last week and brought her home the next day. No problems.

- She is plugged in to 110 shore power in the driveway. Batteries should be at full charge.

- Planned to take her for state inspection today, but she won’t start, no power even to the dash lights, nothing at all. Absolutely dead!

- The chassis battery and coach battery switch at the door are in the on position, but only the coach light is lit.

- The 3 overhead lights in the front cockpit work with no shore power and no coach battery power. Aren’t they hooked to the chassis battery?

- The generator will start without 110 shore power. The manual says the generator uses the chassis battery to start. When the generator is running and you turn off the coach battery switch, the generator dies.

- If the overhead cockpit lights are part of the chassis battery and so is starting the generator, there’s got to be power in the chassis battery. Right?

- Using the "auxiliary start” switch on the dash to combine all three batteries does nothing. No power to the dash.

- Previously, the MH would fire up with no indication of a impending chassis battery problem.

ANY IDEAS???

Am I missing something?

Thanks for any and all help…….

[Colonial Airstream]

There were a lot of problems with the ignition switch on the P3 Chassis.

[idroba]

Couple of thoughts:

1. Clean the terminals and tighten them well on the engine battery. Often enough power will go thorough to light a light but not to start the engine. Sudden death like you mention is commonly tied to bad terminal connections. Worth a try at least.

2. As mentioned in the post above, the ignition switches can fail suddenly.

3. The neutral safety switch which determines the rig is in park or neutral can be a problem. Try wiggling the shift lever in both neutral and park when trying the ignition. However, it still could have failed and even wiggling will not make it work. I got stuck at a campground for a short while in my 83 310 with that issue. I also had a brain fart once and tried for 15 minutes to start my engine while the shift lever was in drive. Oh my! I know you would not do that!

These are general answers common to all rigs with similar problems. I don't know that P32 specifically.

[Smartstream]

Check the wire from the battery terminal on the starter to the amp meter/volt meter on the dash. This is the main power feed to the dash and contains fusable link. A loose or dirty terminal can cause the problem.

Good luck, Dan

[RAG]

These are good things to try, too bad it's 26 degrees out and falling!

I've tried the wiggling of the shifter while turning the key.

The battery terminals "look" very clean, but.......

Thought about ignition switch, but wouldn't the retracting step, headlights, horn, etc. still work?

With the "Auxiliary Start" switch on the dash, I'd figure the 3 batteries together would at least give me a warning buzzer about my seat belt not being fastened or a light telling me my battery is low. Nothing!

Trying to deal with Airstream and Workhorse's interpretations of whose to blame is interesting (love the manuals! ). Problem is I've only been an owner for about a month and I'm just trying to sort my way through the maze.

It's getting dark here, I'll try again tomorrow.

Sure keeps life interesting!

[Colonial Airstream]

Originally Posted by RAG

Thought about ignition switch, but wouldn't the retracting step, headlights, horn, etc. still work?

With the "Auxiliary Start" switch on the dash, I'd figure the 3 batteries together would at least give me a warning buzzer about my seat belt not being fastened or a light telling me my battery is low. Nothing!

The Aux start circuit only engages the two coach batteries to start the engine momentarily until it is released. If that is not working, you may have a problem with the Intellitec battery disconnect system or battery disconnect solenoids. My service department is closed until January the 2nd otherwise I would ask them their suggestions.

[DaveFL]

Ignition switch uses a selenoid to actually connect, if selenoid fails = no power from chassis battery. Before calling a tow truck use your meter to find where voltage is found, more important than where it isn't to eliminate replacing parts haphazardly.

[masseyfarm]

You may want to find the solenoids and feel them for heat.(warm to touch) If you had all the switches off, it may be a stuck solenoid. You say the outside light stays on???? I had a similar instance, with the outside light, (I was not trying to start it so don't know if that was also involved) on my Clipper a few years ago and had to disconnect the chassis battery and allow the solenoid to cool and when I reconnected all worked OK and I have had no problems since.

NOTE: If you chassis/house batteries are connected through an isolator, you will find when you are plugged into shore power, the chassis batteries will not charge, unless you have modified the OEM system.
The isolator only charges one way, from the alternator downstream to both battery banks. NOT IN REVERSE. Look under my CLIPPER posts to modify this for both directions.
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f313...tml#post998556
A week or so will drain you chassis batteries with just the gas monitor and other minor electronics running.
Dave

Originally Posted by DaveFL

Ignition switch uses a selenoid to actually connect, if selenoid fails = no power from chassis battery. Before calling a tow truck use your meter to find where voltage is found, more important than where it isn't to eliminate replacing parts haphazardly.

[RAG]

Dave,
Could it be different on a '04 Land Yacht? The manual states shore power charges both the chassis and coach batteries. The generator supposedly does the same.

Wouldn't the rooftop solar charge the chassis battery enough to even light up the dash?

[masseyfarm]

Yes, your 2004 may be different than my 1996.
It is always a challenge to understand something that is new to your life. eg. marriage or motorhome
If yours charges both ways, then I assume it is through solenoids, rather than diodes on the isolator. So, see if one of them is hung up and if so it should be hot.??
Dave

[RAG]

This is the quote from the manual; motorhome, not marriage

"The Engine battery is used for starting the engine and operating the headlights, taillights, running lights, instrument panel lighting, automotive air conditioning and other accessories. The alternator charges all the batteries while the engine is running. The converter charges all the batteries when the unit is plugged into shoreline."

[345bill]

Where my start battery neg cable attaches to the frame loosened up once and I had all kinds intermittent troubles until I found that. Worth checking.

[Waipio Rim]

We had similar troubles recently. The connections on the batteries were okay, but the other end of the cable from the positive chassis battery terminal was broken and flopping around.

[3 Dog Nite]

Originally Posted by RAG

- The chassis battery and coach battery switch at the door are in the on position, but only the coach light is lit.

ANY IDEAS???.

On my 345MH, the red light on the switch panel gets its power from after the switch. The power goes from battery through the switch, then to the light & fuse box. If the light isn't lit, there's no power there. Is your chassis battery charged? Maybe the switch on the panel or the switching unit underneath is bad.

[DaveFL]

Tested my 2000 and shorepower only charges the house batteries, once you put in a charged battery would be a good idea to see if it was wired the way the manual reads. Then find the item draining the start battery.

[RAG]

Thanks Dave,
The 2000 is supposed to be that way, the 2004 *should be* different. We'll see about that. I was figuring on a call to Airstream when the re-open on Jan. 2.