Battery Isolation Manager location help 2020 Quantum

[Quint]

Does anybody know where the BIM is located on the 2020 Quantum WS31, I've called Thor, I've called the dealership where I bought it and can't get an answer. I've crawled over and under the rig and can't find it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.


I think Thor refers to it as the battery Isolation Relay

[Judge]

A Battery Isolator Relay is usually tied to the USE / STORE switch. The BIM (Battery Isolation Manager) controls whether the alternator charges the house batteries when the engine is running or whethee the converter / charger can charger the chassis battery when on shore power.

Typically the BIM is located in the house battery compartment and the Battery Isolator Relay near the 12V power center. But it can vary by coach. Someone with your specific model should respond.

What is the reason for your question?

[Quint]

Originally Posted by Judge

A Battery Isolator Relay is usually tied to the USE / STORE switch. The BIM (Battery Isolation Manager) controls whether the alternator charges the house batteries when the engine is running or whethee the converter / charger can charger the chassis battery when on shore power.

Typically the BIM is located in the house battery compartment and the Battery Isolator Relay near the 12V power center. But it can vary by coach. Someone with your specific model should respond.

What is the reason for your question?

I'm changing it out for a Lithium battery compatible one.

[Judge]

It should be located near the house battery compartment. It will have one post with a postitve cable running directly from one of the house batteries and then the other post will have a postive cable to the chassis battery.

There will also be three smaller wires running to it as well.

[halfprice]

Mine was behind the batteries. I could only see it by crawling underneath and then looking up into the battery compartment

I had a 29m but would think it should be in a similar location

Jerry

[OldWEB]

Originally Posted by Quint

Does anybody know where the BIM is located on the 2020 Quantum WS31, I've called Thor, I've called the dealership where I bought it and can't get an answer. I've crawled over and under the rig and can't find it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I think Thor refers to it as the battery Isolation Relay

Thor should know where it is... they have a recall on some of them.
See "Vehicle 7" here.

[Quint]

This is getting frustrating, so I think have found an isolation relay under the radiator overflow tank in the engine compartment unfortunately that is not even on the schematic. The schematic refers to an Isolation manager and what makes matters worse is the Thor documents refer to it as an isolation relay yet the part number they give for it is an isolation manager. UGH!!!

[Judge]

Originally Posted by Quint

This is getting frustrating, so I think have found an isolation relay under the radiator overflow tank in the engine compartment unfortunately that is not even on the schematic. The schematic refers to an Isolation manager and what makes matters worse is the Thor documents refer to it as an isolation relay yet the part number they give for it is an isolation manager. UGH!!!

Are you sure your coach has a BIM? Many Class C's do not. I had an Outlaw 29H that did not have a BIM and I have a Super C now that does.

The Outlaw 29H had a Battery Isolator Relay located in the electronics bay that allowed the Use / Store switch to disconnect the house batteries from use. It also had a solenoid under the hood (and under the coolant reservoir). That solenoid was for the Emergency Start Switch. When you press the switch, it ties the house batteries with the chassis battery to boost it for starting.

[Quint]

Originally Posted by Judge

Are you sure your coach has a BIM? Many Class C's do not. I had an Outlaw 29H that did not have a BIM and I have a Super C now that does.

The Outlaw 29H had a Battery Isolator Relay located in the electronics bay that allowed the Use / Store switch to disconnect the house batteries from use. It also had a solenoid under the hood (and under the coolant reservoir). That solenoid was for the Emergency Start Switch. When you press the switch, it ties the house batteries with the chassis battery to boost it for starting.

According the documentation and the schematics and Thor technical support it does, for whatever that means.....so to answer your question I'm not sure about anything at this point. I'm ging to start removing a few things to get at what I found and see what it is.

[Judge]

Originally Posted by Quint

According the documentation and the schematics and Thor technical support it does, for whatever that means.....so to answer your question I'm not sure about anything at this point.

You do have to be careful with Thor Schematics.... electrical, plumbing construction, etc. I have found errors in them with two different coaches.

There is only one way we are going to know for sure......

Look at all of the positive (red) cables coming off your house batteries. I'm talking about the large ones (0 / 1 / 2 AWG). Try to follow where each one goes.

If you do have a BIM160 (picture attached), one of the shorter red cables should lead you to it. It would be highly unlikely it would be very far from the house batteries (but with Thor all things are possible).

[Quint]

Sounds like a plan was hoping it would be straight forward.

[Judge]

Originally Posted by Quint

Sounds like a plan was hoping it would be straight forward.

Welcome to the WWT...... the Wild World of Thor!

[Quint]

Originally Posted by Judge

Welcome to the WWT...... the Wild World of Thor!

So I did a little experiment while it's still light out. Maybe I'm thinking wrong about this but if it only has the relay that allows you to use the house batteries to boost the chassis battery to start the vehicle then there isn't a "smart devise" to charge the house batteries from the alternator. So I drained the house batteries down to about 12.3 volts and then started the coach and the batteries started to charge so I'm assuming there must be a BIM otherwise how do the house batteries get charged via alternator.

[Judge]

Originally Posted by Quint

So I did a little experiment while it's still light out. Maybe I'm thinking wrong about this but if it only has the relay that allows you to use the house batteries to boost the chassis battery to start the vehicle then there isn't a "smart devise" to charge the house batteries from the alternator. So I drained the house batteries down to about 12.3 volts and then started the coach and the batteries started to charge so I'm assuming there must be a BIM otherwise how do the house batteries get charged via alternator.

That is the correct test. The Precision Circuits BIM engages when battery voltage drops below 12.6V and the other battery bank is over 13V.

The other test is to be on shore power and then turn on the headlights without the engine running. Once the chassis batteries drop below 12.6V, you should (or might) hear the relay click when the BIM engages to allow the Converter / Charger to charge the chassis battery.

As one person stated, their BIM was located on the outside of the battery box. I have a larger battery box that can hold 4 batteries and mine is on the inside.

The Class C battery boxes are usually small so things like the Bussman Breakers and BIM are usually mounted to the outer walls of the battery box. Try tracing those positive cable off the house batteries.

[Quint]

Can't find it I pulled my batteries and looked all over the compartment inside and out and nothing.



I don't know how the alternator is charging the house batteries if there is no Battery Isolation Manager. What is the mechanism that allows that to happen.




I'm calling Thor technical assistance again tomorrow and insist the hook me up with someone knowledgeable about my coach.

[Pillbox]

I love wheres waldo bim search.
Found mine behind the house batteries in the stair well.
Happy hunting and good luck.

[16ACE27]

Have you traced the positive cables from the chassis battery? Not unusual to have a BIM under the hood.

[Quint]

Mystery solved, It did have an Isolation relay by Precision Circuits and it was removed when they did a recall and replaced with a Trombetta solenoid and Isolater Relay Delay (IRD). Now I have to research that new configuration and see if it's compatible with Lithium batteries and protects the alternator.




Thanks everyone for your input.

[LRVRocks]

Originally Posted by Quint

Mystery solved, It did have an Isolation relay by Precision Circuits and it was removed when they did a recall and replaced with a Trombetta solenoid and Isolater Relay Delay (IRD). Now I have to research that new configuration and see if it's compatible with Lithium batteries and protects the alternator.




Thanks everyone for your input.

Did you ever actually find the location of the IRD? I have 2022 Quantum MB24 and I am trying to track down mine.

[10scDust]

Originally Posted by Judge

Are you sure your coach has a BIM? Many Class C's do not. I had an Outlaw 29H that did not have a BIM and I have a Super C now that does.

The Outlaw 29H had a Battery Isolator Relay located in the electronics bay that allowed the Use / Store switch to disconnect the house batteries from use. It also had a solenoid under the hood (and under the coolant reservoir). That solenoid was for the Emergency Start Switch. When you press the switch, it ties the house batteries with the chassis battery to boost it for starting.

My 2 cents: We have a 2016 Outlaw 29J, ours was located on the front fenderwell, under the hood on the driver's side. I replaced it with one like pictured in post #10.

A lot of times I can hear it switch by hearing that loud knock. Usually from sitting on shore power, then opening a cab door that makes the parking lights come on for about a minute, then in a bit, "knock"!