Emergency start Vegas 2016

[michbout]

Hi
Did anybody have used the emergency start in their RV. Chassis battery went dead, tried to use this function , held switch in posisition and tries to start did not work.

I wounder of the proper way to use the emergency start , and connections of wires to make it happen. Connection with the house batteries does not seem to work.


Thanks

[alajeu]

I have used my emergency start 3 time on a Vegas 2018 25.5. It worked twice but did not one other time

Hold the start button down for 20 seconds then release it then try the ignition using the key. AS I said, it worked 60% of the time.

Alajeu
alajeunesse@centurytel.net

[DavidEM]

I have never used the start switch, but if I did, this is what I would do:

If the chassis battery isn't totally dead, hold down the start switch while you turn the key to crank. This way the coach battery is combined with the start battery. If you just hold down the start switch for 20 seconds, you are putting a little bit of charge into the chassis battery but when you let go of the start switch then the chassis battery has to do the starting by itself.

If the chassis battery is dead or close to dead, then I would first start the generator. How do you do that when the chassis battery is usually the source of starting current for the generator? You hold the start switch down for maybe a minute and then start the generator while keeping the switch engaged. The generator requires much less current to start than the chassis engine and will probably start.

Then once the generator settles down and is charging the coach battery, hold the start switch down for maybe 5 minutes. This puts some charge into the start battery and the generator keeps the coach battery voltage up while it is charging. Then try to start the chassis engine while holding the switch down.

The above procedure with some modifications for MH use is what I do when I use jumper cables from one running car engine to start another with a dead battery. Hasn't failed me yet. I once had to wait 15 minutes to build up a charge in the dead battery, but it finally started.

I may be missing something specific about Mhs that may not let this procedure work. Please correct me if so.

David

[16ACE27]

Originally Posted by DavidEM

If the chassis battery is dead or close to dead, then I would first start the generator. How do you do that when the chassis battery is usually the source of starting current for the generator?

Most Thor coaches use the HOUSE batteries to start the generator.

[HarryS]

Originally Posted by michbout

Hi
Did anybody have used the emergency start in their RV. Chassis battery went dead, tried to use this function , held switch in posisition and tries to start did not work.

I wounder of the proper way to use the emergency start , and connections of wires to make it happen. Connection with the house batteries does not seem to work.


Thanks

When you say "tries to start", does that mean the engine turned over?
What condition were the house batteries in?
How long did you hold the button down?
You shouldn't have to do anything with wiring to get the emer start function to work.

[michbout]

Originally Posted by HarryS

When you say "tries to start", does that mean the engine turned over?
What condition were the house batteries in?
How long did you hold the button down?
You shouldn't have to do anything with wiring to get the emer start function to work.

House batteries were full charged.
I held the button steady while turning key to start. Did not respond, engine was not turning just a click.
I did not hold the button for a long time.

Thanks for your help

[paulwadley]

If the chassis battery is dead, you hold down the emergency start button down while turning the ignition key to start the chassis. If it still does not work, you may need to add an additional power source like a portable battery jump starter or jumper cables from another car to help start it.

Paul

[galOnTheGo]

What Paul said - hold the button and turn the key, that works for me.

[HarryS]

Originally Posted by michbout

House batteries were full charged.
I held the button steady while turning key to start. Did not respond, engine was not turning just a click.
I did not hold the button for a long time.

Thanks for your help

When you push the aux/emer start button, you should hear a 'click' as the solenoid energizes, if you don't hear it, it's probably bad.

[GVP-The Boxcar Children]

Just went through this with our Aria. Cranking batteries flat, coach batteries down enough to not crank over the main diesel; however, they had enough juice to start the generator, so we cranked it up, waited about 10 minutes, then had enough juice to crank up the main engine.
GVP

[TLeenhouts]

My neighbor had a brand new Freedom Elite 28H that the e-start relay was wired incorrectly at the factory and did not work. It should have been a warranty fix but CW charged them $942 to fix it. Won't deal with them anymore.

[Pabs4]

Originally Posted by GVP-The Boxcar Children

Just went through this with our Aria. Cranking batteries flat, coach batteries down enough to not crank over the main diesel; however, they had enough juice to start the generator, so we cranked it up, waited about 10 minutes, then had enough juice to crank up the main engine.
GVP

We had the same situation. It was our own fault. It was after Hurricane Laura. We lost power to our home. It never occurred to us to go flip the use/store switch on the Vegas that was plugged into our house. When we finally went out to start the RV just to let it run ALL the batteries were DEAD! My husband charged the house batteries, but they would never start the coach battery. He finally decided to start the generator off the charged house batteries. That worked. We allowed the generator to run for a while to charge the batteries, and then we held the emergency start switch down for a couple of minutes to allow additional charging for the coach batteries. We kept the generator running, kept holding down the emergency start switch and then tried starting the engine again. SUCCESS!!! It’s a constant learning process. Once again, we used this forum to help us navigate a “situation”.

[JoeDS]

Originally Posted by 16ACE27

Most Thor coaches use the HOUSE batteries to start the generator.

Just a note. As I understand it, this diagram is missing the circuit that exist on my Vegas that allows the engine alternator to charge both the chassis battery and the coach batteries and conversely the coach generator/converter to charge the chassis battery. I would assume that the ACE has a similar circuit. If this circuit is not working correctly isolation can be lost and all batteries can be discharged.

[PaulH]

My chassis battery was dying the last few days of our France trip last year, had to use the house batteries 2 or 3 times to get going. Just hold the start button and turn the key, worked fine, but I can see a completely dead chassis battery needing a bit more. Good luck.

[GVP-The Boxcar Children]

Originally Posted by Pabs4

We had the same situation. It was our own fault. It was after Hurricane Laura. We lost power to our home. It never occurred to us to go flip the use/store switch on the Vegas that was plugged into our house. When we finally went out to start the RV just to let it run ALL the batteries were DEAD! My husband charged the house batteries, but they would never start the coach battery. He finally decided to start the generator off the charged house batteries. That worked. We allowed the generator to run for a while to charge the batteries, and then we held the emergency start switch down for a couple of minutes to allow additional charging for the coach batteries. We kept the generator running, kept holding down the emergency start switch and then tried starting the engine again. SUCCESS!!! It’s a constant learning process. Once again, we used this forum to help us navigate a “situation”.

Indeed a learning situation for all of us!
GVP

[BMcGough3]

We have a 2000 Infinity and I tried to use our emergency start button several times with zero success.

[Oneilkeys]

One word of caution using the emergency start switch. If the chassis battery is really dead, be careful of momentarily holding the emergency start switch down, starting the engine and immediately letting up on the emergency start switch. The engine probably will not start anyway without some charging up the chassis battery, but if it does and you let off the emergency start switch too quickly, if the chassis battery does not have a sufficient charge it could destroy your engine computer. It happened to me with a car computer. If you have a really dead chassis battery, you are safer to start the generator and let it charge the chassis battery before you attempt to start the engine.

[Lt Keefer]

Pop the e start switch out and make sure it is connected. Thor has been known to incorrectly wire such things.

[michbout]

Under warranty I had this checked out by dealer, he told me that wires were not connected properly. Took his word but surely they did not fix the problem.
House batteries were full charged, held the e switch while tuyrning key nothing happening. I used jump cable to start it.

I taught the generator was charging the house batteries only ???

Thanks everybody for your respond

[rudyhehn]

On my 2015 RV there is a solenoid relay that connects the house batteries with the chassis circuit. My emergency start system activates that solenoid. If that relay is broken, the emergency start won't work. Also your chassis alternator wont charge the house batteries and vice versa. Your rig may be the same.