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Old 12-24-2020, 02:24 PM   #1
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Mystery Solenoid

With a dead engine battery I tried to use the battery isolator to get some juice from the full house batteries. Though the isolator made the connection between the two battery posts, no luck. It turns out there appears to be a mystery solenoid between the isolator engine battery post and the engine battery. Fortunately, there is something like a jump start post also between the solenoid and the battery, so I used a jumper cable to get around the solenoid and got started.

Does anyone know what this solenoid is for and how it is actuated? Sorry for the poor foto, the various parts are labeled. This is right under the isolator on my 2006 SMB 50.
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Old 12-25-2020, 08:54 AM   #2
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Every vehicle converted to a "camper" will have a normally-open battery isolation solenoid installed. Are you saying the one in your photo is definitely not that solenoid?

If you trace where the white wire connected to the solenoid in your photo goes, you should have the answer.
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Old 12-25-2020, 09:58 AM   #3
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I have a solid state dual battery isolator which has a "start" feature to connect the house to engine batteries that works. However, this other NO solenoid is in series to the engine batteries. It may well be the one you are referring to. I couldn't trace the wires as there was too much debris falling in my eyes and I had to get the engine started.

Under what conditions should the solenoid you're referring to normally be actuated and is it necessary given that I have a new dual battery isolator?
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Old 12-25-2020, 10:40 AM   #4
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The normal mode of operation is for that solenoid to close when the ignition is switched ON. However if the engine battery is dead, that will not happen.

Did you install the solid state isolator? If not, whoever installed it may have left the old one installed when it perhaps should have been removed. Just guessing..

Of note: there are some discussions here you can find that indicate the house battery should not be used to "jump start" the vehicle. OTOH, maybe the solid-state isolators operate such that this is no longer a concern.
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Old 12-25-2020, 08:39 PM   #5
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I replaced the old Surepower, but it was wired incorrectly to ALWAYS be in start mode, so it was always too hot to touch until the battery died.

Does anyone see a problem with removing the NO solenoid since it is redundant to the solid state battery isolator?
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Old 12-26-2020, 05:40 AM   #6
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Being that the relay is still a mystery as to what it performs I would say no. The picture does not do a good job, of showing what it is. You also didn't say what vehicle it was. If we're to assume that it was there as part of the original Ford package I would really say no.

But, why not attach your "solid state relay" directly to the battery or at least to the direct side of the battery of the solenoid it is now attached to. It sounds like it is now attached to the switched side of the solenoid.

This would have probably been a bad attempt at someone trying to fix the always on surepower.

-greg
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Old 12-26-2020, 07:28 AM   #7
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It's best to check with the manufacturer, but typically a solid state isolator is meant to replace the electro-mechanical one, not work in tandem with it. In fact, as you found out, the old electro-mechanical one is actually preventing the new unit from doing one of its jobs - providing a start off the house battery (assuming it's designed to do that).
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Old 12-26-2020, 08:09 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wackerb View Post
I replaced the old Surepower, but it was wired incorrectly to ALWAYS be in start mode, so it was always too hot to touch until the battery died.
My suspicion is that somebody added the Surepower after the fact, and did not realize that they got it wrong because of this solenoid - the system worked, just not for the correct reason.
My advice: wire the solid state isolator correctly, remove the solenoid.
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Old 01-04-2021, 09:27 PM   #9
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Attached is pic from my 2006 6.0 PSD SMB RB50. No mystery solenoid. (Sorry when I posted the pic it shifted the photo 90 degrees counterclockwise.) Hope it helps. Let me know if you have any questions.
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Old 01-04-2021, 10:57 PM   #10
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Thanks. I have one of these, too. It appears to be a post which allows connection to the + battery. On mine the other (hidden) side goes to the solenoid and from there to the battery isolator.
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