RESOLVED -Battery, emergency start, BIRD, Bi Directional Isolator Relay Delay

[RVLIFE4ME]

For all us who have had battery charging issues. There are too many to help individually. With much valued assistance, we traced and labeled all of the actual wiring and compared to electrical layouts we found that the BIRD had been wired incorrectly! I bought 2015 ACE 27.1 new. I have merged all of the documents and a picture of the problem. Be sure to scroll to the right side if you don't see the photo.

*The BIRD and Iso Relay ( AKA Iso Relay) is located behind the batteries in the battery compartment. They are bolt to the compartment floor.

Specifically, I found that the RED "Coach" wire was connected to the YELLOW/WHITE wire that was physically going to the vehicle ignition! Thus, the ORANGE "Ignition" was connect to the YELLOW physically going to the Emergency switch on the dash. You will have to switch these connections! I will say again to emphasize. You have to switch these around!

Here is the bad news, the "E-Start Solenoid" (AKA Isolator Relay) had been burned out and needed to be replaced because it was receiving constant power. Luckily, the local auto parts store had one that worked as a replacement. NOTE: check your ground on the new one. It may be on the base or the nut.

One last note: Initially, Thor told me I needed a new BIRD. I can not confirm or deny that it was bad because I bought it, installed, and wired it in one wire at a time. I found the crossed wires after the new one was installed when it still did not fix the problem.

By the way, I also found that the original wire connections had melted to each other which may have caused a short.

You will see arrows on the wiring of the BIRD. This is simply to help understand the direction of power or info that is transpiring to and from the BIRD and E-Start Sol ( AKA Isolator Relay). It helped me anyway.

Be careful and good luck, as it is a bit tight in the battery compartment.

[Mo_Mike]

Ours was wired backwards with the coach battery wired to the ignition on the BIRD, and the coach battery on the BIRD wired to the ignition.

It takes some tracing, but is not hard to correct and now charging and emergency start works as it should.

[RVLIFE4ME]

I think you are saying yours was the same as mine. "Coach" on the BIRD merges with the yellow wire from the same lug on the Iso Relay as the large wire to that leads back to the coach battery. But, yes. After the merging of the 2 yellow wires it leads to the Emergency Start switch on the dash. The picture of the merge is in my document. I added a picture showing the back of the switch on the dash.

[Long & Winding road]

Great news. Im sure this will help many Thor owners. Thanks for the info.

[DocMike]

This looks like the best place for a quick reply. I am at a dealership needing a new chassis battery and the shop supervisor says the house and chassis battery are not connected for charging while on shore power. Many earlier discussions on this topic on this Forum. If my memory serves me correctly he is incorrect and it is due to the BIRD and(?) Another relay???
Please advise.

DocMike

[JamieGeek]

Does he mean that they measured it or in general?

In general house & chassis both get charged due to function of the BIRD+Trombetta (if wired correctly).

[camperguy99]

I had this problem on my 2015 Tuscany. I junked the failed Trombetta and installed a White Rodgers 15V coil relay (586-108111.) Worked great in the 2 years since installing. Yesterday I started up the ISL9 to see if the both the coach and chassie batteries were charging. After about a 3-5 minute delay the relay closed. With my clamp on amp meter I measured 55+ amps of charge at engine idle going to the slightly depleted coach batteries. Soon the current tapered off to a lower value as the batteries charged. I'm a happy camper! Now if I can just get my Aqua Hot working? I have an appointment with a factory guy next Tuesday for that.

[DocMike]

He was not aware that the Vegas line had the BIRD and isolater relay. He requested this thread.

Doc