Our 2007 Georgetown (2006 Ford F53 Chassis) has developed an odd electrical problem.
When I went over to the storage yard yesterday to do some minor work, I noticed the factory backup camera was lit in the dash and
the separate in dash radio was on(they were both off and not turned on the day previous when I was working in the motor home)
Another odd thing that started happening at the same time is the outside step will not stay in the OUT position when the step control switch is set to off when you close the door. I have never had a problem with the step control not keeping the step out when the switch set to the off position.
The engine key was not in the ignition.
The Coach "Battery Storage Control" was in the disconnect position.
I know of no way the camera and the radio would be ON with the engine ignition not in Accessory position or the engine running.
I started the engine and it started fine, turned engine off and removed the key. The radio and backup camera/TV were still on.
I then disconnected the battery to the engine(both + and -) and made sure the cables were not touching anything.
The radio and backup camera were still on.
I switched the "Battery Storage Control" switch on and off several times and then the camera and the radio when off.
Today I back to investigate further and it is making less sense then yesterday.
- I turned the "Battery Storage Control" control on and the camera and radio came on. I turned it off and the camera and radio
stayed on(the engine battery is still disconnected).
- The small led in the "Battery Storage Control" does go off when the switch is in the OFF position
- I cleaned all the connections on the engine battery
- I cleaned all the connections on the 2 12V house batteries(Batteries are Costco deep cycle, bought Aug 16).
- After reconnecting the house batteries the camera and radio both came back on. Recycling the "Battery Storage Control" did not turn them off.
I am wondering if there is something odd with the step control as that is a place where the engine and house electrical system come together.
Anyone have anything like this happen and if you did what did you do to fix it?
You are getting an ignition on signal to the steps and it sounds like the same ignition on signal to the battery control center box (if you have one). That is why I think the steps are not staying out when you close the door (ignition override regardless the step switch position) will retract the steps.
Great detailed information to help solve your electrical problem
It seems you are getting both engine and coach batteries on even with the engine off.
The only way this can happen is two ways.
My first guess with your information I would check and see if this switch is activated. Do you have anything laying on this spring loaded switch?
This is a long shot as it is spring loaded and this switch interconnects coach and engine batteries in case the engine battery was dead and you need to start the engine.
Now the second guess is that you blew a fuse in your battery control center that is allowing one of the solenoids in the battery control center to be closed when it should be open.
I would check all the fuses in the battery control center panel.
My third guess would be one of the solenoids is stuck closed.
Tap with a rubber handle of a screw driver to see if it releases.
Here are a pic and a document pdf that may help you.
So with that out of the way, I had a problem with my GMC Sierra. When I exited the truck, the radio, interior lights, etc. would turn off.
They suddenly started staying on when I opened the door.
Turns out there is a 200 dollar driver door switch that has a million connections on it that does all kinds of crazy things besides turning on the dome light (which stopped working).
Perhaps there is a similar switch somewhere in the Georgetown.
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Lou & Freya the wonder dog
2008 GMC Sierra 3000HD Allison Duramax
2019 Flagstaff 8529FL
Iggy, thanks for the detailed advice.
The rocker switch for the battery is one of the first things I played with, it appears normal and not flat(like a switch that has a broken spring).
The second switch I checked is the radio switch, this switch allows the radio to be played when the engine is off and ignition key removed.
I will check all the fuses around the house battery box tomorrow or next day(it still 91 degrees F at 4pm).
Where would you guess the solenoids are?
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I will check all the fuses around the house battery box tomorrow or next day(it still 91 degrees F at 4pm).
Where would you guess the solenoids are?
Like other say the solenoids are behind the circuit board of the battery control center. You can see one in the electrical drawing.
91 degrees! That's cool for Arizona. You better cool down as I'm heading your way in a few weeks for the FROG Rally in Kerrville.
Iggy
Iggy, thanks for the detailed advice.
The rocker switch for the battery is one of the first things I played with, it appears normal and not flat(like a switch that has a broken spring).
The second switch I checked is the radio switch, this switch allows the radio to be played when the engine is off and ignition key removed.
I will check all the fuses around the house battery box tomorrow or next day(it still 91 degrees F at 4pm).
Where would you guess the solenoids are?
Just curious. Are the slides inoperative? Ignition switch OFF.
Bubbles, I think you are going in the right direction. Here are some schematics;
Try removing fuses 2.17 Radio feed, 2.5 Acc feed 1, and 2.38 Acc feed 2. These are circuits for the body builder. If the radio and the camera go out your problem is prior to the fuse box (central junction box). Could be the ignition switch. If they don't go out then you have a short circuit somewhere. hope this helps.
I went out and checked the fuses today as suggested by Iggy
The 5 Amp EMS- Emergency Start(From Batt Boost) was the one that was blown.
I replaced the EMS fuse and the door started working properly, but the camera and radio were still on.
I decided to start the engine and turn it off and if that caused a relay to recycle. This appeared to cause something to recycle as now all works normally.
After replacing the EMS fuse I tested the slide and awning and they worked. I did not test them before replacing the fuse, just forgot that data point.
After replacing the EMS fuse what was odd was I could not get a voltage readout from any of the fuses in the area of the relay other than the EMS.
I pulled the CPC- Ignition cutoff, D15 ignition Hot(To Dash), D10 Ignition Hot(Ignition to Dash), and the RF75 Ignition Hot(Ignition Lockout)
Note: All the names of the fuses are from Iggy's Power Center PDF(saving this PDF for the future).
One of the relays coils behind the battery control center board may have shorted and blew the fuse.
If you can see the relay behind the board you should not get any DC power thru them.
Using a good ground on one side the meter then the other to test both large terminals on the solenoids.
If they are rusty this may have made one short out.
the picture is not the best of quality but it shows what looks like a relay behind the circuit board in the Battery Control Box and the connectors look clean. I did not test the posts on this relay as the system was now working.
Will test then another day if these are the connectors you are referring to.
Just a note. The large terminals are the coach and chassis battery terminals and therefore checking each one will render a 12 volt reading (one terminal chassis bat the other terminal coach bat). At least this would be the case if the fuse that blew is the emergency start fuse and that is what it sounds like. The smaller terminals are the for the solenoid coil but that should be ohms checked with the wires disconnected. A somewhat verification of a bad interconnect relay might be to hit the emergency start switch and see if the fuse blows again. Just a thought.
I will test the emergency battery switch in a day or two and see if it blows the fuse.
Have not found anything that I have done in the past week that would have blown the fuse that I can think of. The search for the cause continues but very happy I now know how to get it back working if it happens again.