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Old 11-27-2020, 10:53 PM   #1
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Axis
State: North Carolina
Posts: 12
THOR #3400
bird & trombetta

I've owned a 2016 Axis since 12/15 & have had to replace the bird & the trombetta 3 times each at different intervals. The last time was over a year ago so I assumed the phantom problem of not charging the chassis battery when plugged in was solved. WRONG......I keep it plugged in year round so last week I moved it closer to the house to load it for a Florida winter & it happened again. My house batteries are 100%, the radio won't play, the front shade won't move & the engine won't even try & start. Otherwise everything operates fine.
I've met quite a few other Axis/Vegas owners who've experienced the same issue.
Anyone know how to fix it???

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Old 11-27-2020, 10:57 PM   #2
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THOR #13932
What happens when you turn on the coach 'use/store' switch and then use the aux start button to try starting the engine?

What happens when you try to crank the generator?
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Old 11-27-2020, 11:16 PM   #3
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THOR #3400
bird & trombetta

The store switch is always on "use" since I keep it plugged in. As the generator works off the house batteries it's no problem. The aux. start does nothing.
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Old 11-27-2020, 11:27 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by shspector View Post
The store switch is always on "use" since I keep it plugged in. As the generator works off the house batteries it's no problem. The aux. start does nothing.
When you hold down the aux start does it make a pretty scary loud double click?

Amazon sells, and I bought one but have yet to install it, a remote control electric activated battery cutoff switch.
I think I paid $40.
Installed on the engine battery positive cable, you'll never have this problem again.
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Old 11-28-2020, 12:58 AM   #5
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THOR #20289
Apparently the BIRD/Trombetta relays installed on that coach are a POS. Sometime about 2018 Thor started installing a better mouse trap, a BIRD made by Precision Circuits.

Precision's website is a bit obtuse but I think that this product is a drop in replacement for the older Intellitec BIRD: https://precisioncircuitsinc.com/pro...lok-connector/

This is the 225 amp version and they also make one rated for !60 amps. They also have a lithium version and I have no clue how it may be different- their spec sheet talks about limiting charging to one hour. Don't know how that works.

BIRD by the way stands for Battery Isolation Relay Delay or maybe Device and is a generic term. Trombetta is the name of the company that makes the latching relay used in BIRDs supplied by Intellitec.

David
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Old 11-28-2020, 11:38 AM   #6
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THOR #9178
Pretty common for the Trombetta solenoid to fail but no much for the BIRD

Lots of threads about the solenoids and alternatives
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Old 11-28-2020, 02:36 PM   #7
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When the problem occurs I put a volt meter on both sides of the trombetta & one side shows 13.4 & the other side is much less. After I charge the chassis battery with my external charge both sides read the same & everything works fine.
My problem is, I don't know which part failed.....the BIRD or the solenoid?
Is there a way to test either one to determine which one needs replacing?
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Old 11-28-2020, 03:24 PM   #8
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Yes, If the solenoid is activated and you have the voltage difference the main contacts are bad. If there is no voltage to activate the solenoid when conditions call for it to be activated, there is a problem with the BIRD. If there is activation voltage and the solenoid does not engage, the solenoid is bad. As previously mentioned, the solenoid is usually the failure item. Replace it with a heavy duty, continuous duty, low activating current, high pass-through current solenoid. It doesn't have to be a Trombetta brand.
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Old 11-28-2020, 04:43 PM   #9
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Time for a song...

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Old 11-28-2020, 04:52 PM   #10
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Bird is the word

Funny, I've been singing that song since we first replaced the BIRD 3 yrs ago.
You must be as old as me!
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Old 11-28-2020, 05:09 PM   #11
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Trust me: I feel older...

Glad to bring you a smile!
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Old 12-01-2020, 06:50 PM   #12
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Model: Hurricane 27K
State: California
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THOR #2544
Okay guys, I can tell by the thread that I may be out of my league here. I have a 2015 Hurricane 27K on the F53 chassis and my coach batteries no longer charge by the chassis charging system (alternator). I get lost with the talk of BIRD and Trombetta. I have not been able to find anything on my rig to compare with. A friend with a newer (2016 I Think) coach looked at it and could not find it because it is different than his. Does anyone know what I probably have on a 2015 27K and where it is located? The only relay I have located is for the Use/Store switch and is located under the dinette seat on the 27K. Is there another thread that I should be reading?



Thank you,
Bruce
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Old 12-01-2020, 08:30 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brucev View Post
Okay guys, I can tell by the thread that I may be out of my league here. I have a 2015 Hurricane 27K on the F53 chassis and my coach batteries no longer charge by the chassis charging system (alternator). I get lost with the talk of BIRD and Trombetta. I have not been able to find anything on my rig to compare with. A friend with a newer (2016 I Think) coach looked at it and could not find it because it is different than his. Does anyone know what I probably have on a 2015 27K and where it is located? The only relay I have located is for the Use/Store switch and is located under the dinette seat on the 27K. Is there another thread that I should be reading?



Thank you,
Bruce

Try this one Bruce:

https://www.thorforums.com/forums/f8...ies-24100.html
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Old 12-01-2020, 09:36 PM   #14
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That helped a lot. I ordered the stock Trombetta for $22 on Amazon, now if mine is the same as his, and that is my problem, yadda, yadda, yadda, I will have it made. I wish it were like the old days. You have a bad part, take it off and head to the store and find something that works. Thanks again. BTW, if anyone needs it, I have the Trombetta spec sheet with part number specs. Trombetta has an upgrade, Full Silver PowerBar but I couldn't find one I could get quickly.
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Old 12-01-2020, 11:20 PM   #15
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Model: Hurricane 31S
State: Texas
Posts: 4,157
THOR #6411
Quote:
Originally Posted by brucev View Post
Okay guys, I can tell by the thread that I may be out of my league here. I have a 2015 Hurricane 27K on the F53 chassis and my coach batteries no longer charge by the chassis charging system (alternator). I get lost with the talk of BIRD and Trombetta. I have not been able to find anything on my rig to compare with. A friend with a newer (2016 I Think) coach looked at it and could not find it because it is different than his. Does anyone know what I probably have on a 2015 27K and where it is located? The only relay I have located is for the Use/Store switch and is located under the dinette seat on the 27K. Is there another thread that I should be reading?
Thank you,
Bruce
Plant 750 generally puts the BIRD in the very back of the battery compartment. It is mounted high on the forward compartment wall next to the drive shaft just behind the transmission. The Trombetta control circuity module is mounted there also. It is usually hidden behind the battery cables and the circuit breakers.
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Old 12-03-2020, 02:12 PM   #16
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Model: Axis 25.3
State: Texas
Posts: 18
THOR #13383
Quote:
Originally Posted by DavidEM View Post
Apparently the BIRD/Trombetta relays installed on that coach are a POS. Sometime about 2018 Thor started installing a better mouse trap, a BIRD made by Precision Circuits.

Precision's website is a bit obtuse but I think that this product is a drop in replacement for the older Intellitec BIRD: https://precisioncircuitsinc.com/pro...lok-connector/

This is the 225 amp version and they also make one rated for !60 amps. They also have a lithium version and I have no clue how it may be different- their spec sheet talks about limiting charging to one hour. Don't know how that works.

BIRD by the way stands for Battery Isolation Relay Delay or maybe Device and is a generic term. Trombetta is the name of the company that makes the latching relay used in BIRDs supplied by Intellitec.

David
I installed the BIM 225 two years ago and it has worked great. I too have a 2016 Axis built in late 2015.....
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Old 09-19-2023, 04:01 PM   #17
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State: Oklahoma
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THOR #6508
link to replacement trombetta is file 404...not found
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Old 09-19-2023, 04:06 PM   #18
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THOR #1469
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marcia View Post
link to replacement trombetta is file 404...not found
Link below works just fine. Check your browser settings.
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