Generator not charging battery

[njfishing]

Do you have a battery kill switch in your camper? If you do make sure it's not in the kill position.. If it is, the batteries may not be getting any juice from your onboard charger.

[ScottBrownstein]

Originally Posted by bubbles

...Me thinks there is some confusion here...

You got that right!!!

Most FR products do not have a disconnect for the engine battery. When there is such a disconnect, there is a disconnect defeat on the engine battery disconnect so you couldn't start using the battery and then disconnect it when the engine is running, which would immediately destroy the diodes in the alternator.

I agree, he said he was running to that he didn't have to jump start in the morning, but the isolation solenoid would prevent that anyway.

[Frameman]

Originally Posted by Frameman

I was plugged in to 50 amp land power . When I checked my black water level. I always check all levels it showed my batteries were dead !

That’s when I checked all the plugs were plugged in and found the one coming from battery charger unplugged.simple fix and big relief !

[ScottBrownstein]

No matter how short or non-existent a PDI is when accepting a new coach "where is the damn converter?" should always be answered.

Now, at the time, the new owner may not know what a converter is, but someday they will need to know.

[bubbles]

I guess what the OP is saying is that the coach batteries are not charging from generator running but are charging from running the engine. If that is the case then it would appear the converter is either bad/unplugged/circuit breaker open/or blown output fuses. Or the battery disconnect has disconnected the batteries. It's a crap shoot.

[ScottBrownstein]

Originally Posted by bubbles

I guess what the OP is saying is that the coach batteries are not charging from generator running but are charging from running the engine. If that is the case then it would appear the converter is either bad/unplugged/circuit breaker open/or blown output fuses. Or the battery disconnect has disconnected the batteries. It's a crap shoot.

Simple to tell the difference. If the disconnect was off, the lights would go out as soon as he shut off the engine.

[bubbles]

Originally Posted by ScottBrownstein

Simple to tell the difference. If the disconnect was off, the lights would go out as soon as he shut off the engine.

Agree; if he knew to look.

[FarFromLiberal]

Lyndall I also have a 2019 FR3. I believe we all get a 1 year membership to Coachnet directly from FR with our new purchase. Also being new to RVing I took advantage of calling their 800 number a couple of times when I had an issue needing immediate solution or directions to get something working again. Helps with the panic in the middle of the night instead of hoping there’s another forum member who can’t sleep and can answer your post!

[bubbles]

Did some memory bank searching and came up with this for my 2012 GT 378 not connected to shore power and genny not running. Coach batteries must be connected to start genny and if batteries are disconnected the genny will shut down. Coach batteries do not have to be connected for the engine alternator to charge the coach batteries. The coach batteries can be disconnected but coach battery charging cannot be turned off. This brings me back to a converter issue. I think the OP may charge his coach batteries from the engine alternator enough to start the genny and if the converter has an issue there is no charging and they deplete. Just a theory. Anyway, I think the OP said assistance from FR is forth coming.

[ScottBrownstein]

Originally Posted by bubbles

Did some memory bank searching...

Basically I think you are on the right track. The generator control circuits are operated with 12 VDC from the batteries, without that it cannot start and run and it would probably shut down if the 12 volts were removed via the disconnect switch (really don't want to try that!) Start/Stop switch momentarily grounds the start or stop pole on the wiring and the hour meter is run by 12 volts, as is the switch light.

This means that the disconnect switch is not preventing the converter from charging the house batteries, because the OP stated that his generator works but doesn't charge the batteries, rather it depletes them, although I bet they are using that dumb bank of 4 LEDs to say that.

Bus has 120 volts since appliances work. Both ACs run so both sides are functional and there is no transfer switch on an FR-3 to complicate the issue.

Sooo, 120 volts is there, generator starts and stops but there is no charging...hence got to be a converter issue (presuming it is plugged in!) Converter output goes to the 12 volt panel and back to the house batteries through the disconnect switch.

[CHICKDOE]

many of the generators have their 12 cables wired directly to the generator and do not go through the factory installed disconnect switch. if the disconnect is open or the converter is not working the generator will run until it runs down the batteries to the point that they cannot continue to supply operating power to the generator.

i mulitmeter reading of the voltage at the battery terminals while the generator is running would be helpful. are they receiving a charge voltage from the converter?

[rk06382]

Originally Posted by Lyndall

I know you think your explaining but I really dont understand. All appliances work with gen running but it is not charging the battery. I need to know why and a fix. Like I said simple. Like there is a switch here it should be on. Or if blankly blank is flashing do this.

Please download the FR3 Battery Control Center Schematic 5-31-16.

Please look for the 50 amp circuit breaker on the back of your battery compartment.

Push the reset button on the side:


50 amp breaker in my battery compartment:

[ScottBrownstein]

Originally Posted by rk06382

Push the reset button on the side:...50 amp breaker in my battery compartment:
Attachment 198973

Hey, its worth a try but the OP didn't say that nothing in his coach that runs on 12 volts is functional. That breaker would kill not only the converter output but also prevent any power from the batteries from reaching the DC panel as well...including his battery monitor panel, which obviously works!

Maybe they changed that is his unit.

[cavie]

Originally Posted by Lyndall

I know you think your explaining but I really dont understand. All appliances work with gen running but it is not charging the battery. I need to know why and a fix. Like I said simple. Like there is a switch here it should be on. Or if blankly blank is flashing do this.

RV's are not blankly blank capable. You need to get a multi-meter and learn how to use it.

RV's are not blankly blank capable. You need to get a multi-meter and learn how to use it.

Check the 2 30/40 amp reverse polarity fuses on the CONverter. Be sure the battery disconnect (so called salesman switch is ON). Be sure the circuit breaker marked converter is on. Be sure the main breakers on the gen are not tripped. You my be getting only 1/2 of your power.

[Lyndall]

I've checked all fuses and breakers they are ok. I dont see where there is a plug in for the converter. Possibally I just need to totally unpack and check harder. But if the appliances are running wouldn't this mean the converter is ok?

[ch1ch2]

6 days latter....What happened?

[frahm2]

Originally Posted by Lyndall

All of the sudden my generator isn't charging my battery. It is running the electrical outlets and such just not charging the battery. Every night I check the battery if I'm low run the generator for an hour or so and everything's fine. Went to do the same tonight and running the generator actually dropped the battery. I'm sitting here at 2am running the rv so I dont have to jump it in the morning. Any ideas? Yall have been great answering my stupid newly questions so far. It's a 2019 fr 3

Have you checked the water level in the battery, or considered it might even be a bad battery and not all the other stuff? I had a similar issue in my Mini Lite that was just one year old.

[bubbles]

Originally Posted by Lyndall

I've checked all fuses and breakers they are ok. I dont see where there is a plug in for the converter. Possibally I just need to totally unpack and check harder. But if the appliances are running wouldn't this mean the converter is ok?

Inside your electrical cable access compartment is where the converter is typically located in a GT and it should be plugged into a standard AC receptacle. My receptacle is in the ceiling of the compartment and the converter plug has backed out of the receptacle enough to remove power to it. The FR3 location could be different though.

[Gudmund]

This thread has been very helpful.

Boondocking during the week, I noticed that even with the generator running the coach's batteries were dropping in voltage - the generator was not charging them. I started the MH's engine and it charged the batteries enough to get us through the night. During the next day, the solar panels charged them as normal.

On return home, I found this thread and based on its recommendations, checked all of the fuses that are mentioned. All were fine.

This morning, when the batteries were down a bit from the overnight, I plugged the MH into a 110v source - no charging took place.

It appears that the converter is faulty as neither 110v source, the house electricity nor the generator, will charge the batteries. Both run the 110v appliances without any problem.

I have an appointment on Tuesday to have it looked at, but as we are leaving for a campground (with electricity) on Thursday, I have some doubt that the issue will be completely resolved (a new converter may need to come from Who-Knows-Where - or it may be that I have completely mis-diagnosed the situation. My solution will be to take the battery charger I use for my car batteries and use that to keep the coach's 12 volt system topped up.

Does anyone see a problem with using the car battery charger as a stop gap measure?

Gudmund

[ScottBrownstein]

Originally Posted by Gudmund

Does anyone see a problem with using the car battery charger as a stop gap measure?

Gudmund

Nope, that would be fine.