Thor Forums

[DenverTransplant]

I took my 2-month old Interstate 6V batteries to my local Interstate location to have them tested - They were not holding voltage at all well. It turned out one had a cracked shell (hence all the white powder in the battery compartment and the need to add more water than I though should be necessary) and the other tested OK. They replaced the bad one at no charge. They are now both tucked back in their home with a newly cleaned and painted battery compartment. I also just received a couple of neutralizing battery pads to put under them too.

While I had the batteries out I was going to do a bit of maintenance and found that when the house batteries are removed, I had no power to the generator starter. I was thinking (falsely) that the chassis battery would start the generator.

I was tempted to try the emergency switch next to the driver's seat, but wasn't all that dedicated to getting the generator started. I'm not sure that would have worked as to my understanding the emergency switch connects the house batteries to the coach engine starter and I think it requires house battery power to drive the solenoid.

Any one else had this opportunity? Seems a bit of a Catch 22 as if your coach batteries get discharged, you can't start the generator to recharge them. I suppose if I was really in a fix, I could pull the jumper cables out of the Mini we use as a toad and start the generator off the Mini (or the chassis battery).

If it is a wiring error, it wouldn't be the first for the coach. I found 3 of the 120 VAC circuits were wired to the wrong breakers