Battery Isolater Solenoid Clicking about every 2 minutes

[kmessinger]

When my coach battery is fully charged the clicking starts. Peter, at Sportsmobile thinks that is a sign of one battery being bad.

The truck battery show 12v and drops to 8 on a start. Is that ok? I haven't figured out how to find a negative on the cables connected to the circuit breaker to test my coach battery.

To stop the clicking I pull the bottom right fuse. Of course that disconnect the TrippLite and my solar. The AGM battery was replaced in October 2013. The truck battery around the same time.

Any thoughts on the solenoid?

[kmessinger]

I am just going to replace the solenoid. Easy to due, cheap. If the clicking starts again then I'll go back to the batteries.

[Scalf77]

With the limited information I would tend to agree with Peter, your truck battery sounds like it has gone south.

I expect based on the year that you have a Sure Power Separator.


It sounds when you unplug the charger or Solar that you go into a cycle of the separator cycling. The voltage is above 12.8 (most likely in the 13.xx range. Once the charge is released the voltage will drop below 12.8 and disconnect (solenoid clicks). Once disconnected the house battery is now removed from the load of the bad Starting battery, this lets the House battery recover above 13.2 to make the separator connect (solenoid click). The process would start over, I would not expect it to last long as the surface charge should get drained off and your battery house battery should settle in around 12.8 volts and stay disconnected.

If this happens only when you are charging or solar is active. I would disconnect the ground on the separator. Is the truck battery getting hot when you are charging?

=greg

[tlg]

Although this may not apply, I had an excessive cycling issue with my separator. Turned out to be a loose connection in one of the wires running to the solar controller. Eventually replaced the Sure Power separator with a Blue Sea Systems variant. Much better and quieter system. Thread that lays out the issue and conditions is here:

http://www.sportsmobileforum.com/for...s-14154-2.html

[kmessinger]

Turns out the solenoid is what you guys have been calling a separator and is not cheap. Now I am going to check for loose connections.

I will also check the battery for heat but it is hard to get to. With the Sprinter it is under the floor of the driver.

[tlg]

Had to replace our separator as all the excessive cycling had brought a rapid end to its service life (circa 50,000 cycles). You could actually hear the difference in the cycling action. Its worth upgrading to the Blue Sea Systems 7622.

[kmessinger]

As I understand it, when the van is parked the separater prevents power from the starter battery flowing to the aux. battery. It also prevents power from the aux. battery flowing to the starter battery unless you hold down the emergency start button.

If the van is running power will flow from the alternator to both batteries.

So what is cycling and why when the motor is not on?

[daveb]

Do you have solar Keith?

[tlg]

Greg did an amazing job of explaining the separator's functions in this thread:

http://www.sportsmobileforum.com/for...ches-7991.html

[Scalf77]

Kieth,

The separator is bidirectional, so if it sees a voltage increase from your shore power charger or solar charger it combines the same as it does when the alternator brings the voltage up.

I sent you a PM with my cell #, if you want to discuss.

-greg