Alternator / charging problem

[SteveQ]

Last night I moved the coach from home to work. When I started it there was no
alternator charge, usually there is about a two second delay from start to
charge showing on the gauge. On the trip I hit a bump and there was charge for
about 30 seconds then none. Both alternators are new as of three years and
about 20,000 miles. To me it sounds like a ground problem. Also I ran the
generator and the coach charge came up to about 10 amps

Where to start to solve the problem?

Thanks
Steve Quandt
1993 PT-40
Iron Mountain, MI

[GARY MINKER]

Do you have dual ammeters? Do they both crap out? Vibration is the ticket it seems. The alternators to not have have a common ground but the battery bank does. The alternators use shunts to meter with and you may actually be charging but your metering may be bad. Go on Ebay or Grainger and purchase a DC clamp on ammeter and drain the batteries a bit and high idle the rig and measure everything and compare it to all the metering plus use a good quality DC Voltmeter. Don't get fooled in to thinking you have a problem until you verify with alternative metering that you really have a problem and not just a metering error. Gary 1958 PT-40 --- On Tue, 10/6/09, SteveQ wrote: From: SteveQ Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Alternator / charging problem To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2009, 7:15 AM Last night I moved the coach from home to work. When I started it there was no alternator charge, usually there is about a two second delay from start to charge showing on the gauge. On the trip I hit a bump and there was charge for about 30 seconds then none. Both alternators are new as of three years and about 20,000 miles. To me it sounds like a ground problem. Also I ran the generator and the coach charge came up to about 10 amps Where to start to solve the problem? Thanks Steve Quandt 1993 PT-40 Iron Mountain, MI

[cape0001]

or check the wiring before investing in any toys
Stephen 77fc35

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, GARY MINKER wrote:
>
> Do you have dual ammeters? Do they both crap out? Vibration is the ticket it
seems. The alternators to not have have a common ground but the battery bank
does. The alternators use shunts to meter with and you may actually be charging
but your metering may be bad. Go on Ebay or Grainger and purchase a DC clamp on
ammeter and drain the batteries a bit and high idle the rig and measure
everything and compare it to all the metering plus use a good quality DC
Voltmeter. Don't get fooled in to thinking you have a problem until you verify
with alternative metering that you really have a problem and not just a metering
error.
> Gary
> 1958 PT-40
>
> --- On Tue, 10/6/09, SteveQ wrote:
>
> From: SteveQ
> Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Alternator / charging problem
> To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2009, 7:15 AM
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Last night I moved the coach from home to work. When I
started it there was no alternator charge, usually there is about a two second
delay from start to charge showing on the gauge. On the trip I hit a bump and
there was charge for about 30 seconds then none. Both alternators are new as of
three years and about 20,000 miles. To me it sounds like a ground problem.
Also I ran the generator and the coach charge came up to about 10 amps
>
>
>
> Where to start to solve the problem?
>
>
>
> Thanks
>
> Steve Quandt
>
> 1993 PT-40
>
> Iron Mountain, MI
>

[GARY MINKER]

You need the ammeter to check the metering How else do you easily check to see if the ammeters really work right. --- On Tue, 10/6/09, cape0001 wrote: From: cape0001 Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Re: Alternator / charging problem To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2009, 6:27 PM or check the wiring before investing in any toys Stephen 77fc35 --- In WanderlodgeForum@ yahoogroups. com, GARY MINKER wrote: > > Do you have dual ammeters? Do they both crap out? Vibration is the ticket it seems. The alternators to not have have a common ground but the battery bank does. The alternators use shunts to meter with and you may actually be charging but your metering may be bad. Go on Ebay or Grainger and purchase a DC clamp on ammeter and drain the batteries a bit and high idle the rig and measure everything and compare it to all the metering plus use a good quality DC Voltmeter. Don't get fooled in to thinking you have a problem until you verify with alternative metering that you really have a problem and not just a metering error. > Gary > 1958 PT-40 > > --- On Tue, 10/6/09, SteveQ wrote: > > From: SteveQ > Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Alternator / charging problem > To: WanderlodgeForum@ yahoogroups. com > Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2009, 7:15 AM > > > > > > > > > > > > > Last night I moved the coach from home to work. When I started it there was no alternator charge, usually there is about a two second delay from start to charge showing on the gauge. On the trip I hit a bump and there was charge for about 30 seconds then none. Both alternators are new as of three years and about 20,000 miles. To me it sounds like a ground problem. Also I ran the generator and the coach charge came up to about 10 amps > > > > Where to start to solve the problem? > > > > Thanks > > Steve Quandt > > 1993 PT-40 > > Iron Mountain, MI >

[SteveQ]

Steve / Gary

I do not think that it is a metering problem. The problem first surfaced last
December the morning I was leaving for Texas. I pulled the coach out of the
warehouse and noticed that the headlights were dimmer than normal, indicating
lack of charge. The meter was showing no charge. By the time I unhooked the
toad to back it in to the warehouse to check things it selfhealed and the
headlights returned to the proper intensity. I could not get it to replicate
the problem so I left for Texas. It has worked perfectly until last night.

If I have to locate the shunt for the gauge any ideas where I would find it?

Thanks
Steve Quandt
1993 PT-40
Iron Mountain, MI


--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, GARY MINKER wrote:
>
> You need the ammeter to check the metering
> How else do you easily check to see if the ammeters really work right.
>
> --- On Tue, 10/6/09, cape0001 wrote:
>
> From: cape0001
> Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Re: Alternator / charging problem
> To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2009, 6:27 PM
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> or check the wiring before investing in any toys
>
> Stephen 77fc35
>
>
>
> --- In WanderlodgeForum@ yahoogroups. com, GARY MINKER
wrote:
>
> >
>
> > Do you have dual ammeters? Do they both crap out? Vibration is the ticket
it seems. The alternators to not have have a common ground but the battery bank
does. The alternators use shunts to meter with and you may actually be charging
but your metering may be bad. Go on Ebay or Grainger and purchase a DC clamp on
ammeter and drain the batteries a bit and high idle the rig and measure
everything and compare it to all the metering plus use a good quality DC
Voltmeter. Don't get fooled in to thinking you have a problem until you verify
with alternative metering that you really have a problem and not just a metering
error.
>
> > Gary
>
> > 1958 PT-40
>
> >
>
> > --- On Tue, 10/6/09, SteveQ wrote:
>
> >
>
> > From: SteveQ
>
> > Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Alternator / charging problem
>
> > To: WanderlodgeForum@ yahoogroups. com
>
> > Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2009, 7:15 AM
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > Last night I moved the coach from home to work. When I
started it there was no alternator charge, usually there is about a two second
delay from start to charge showing on the gauge. On the trip I hit a bump and
there was charge for about 30 seconds then none. Both alternators are new as of
three years and about 20,000 miles. To me it sounds like a ground problem.
Also I ran the generator and the coach charge came up to about 10 amps
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > Where to start to solve the problem?
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > Thanks
>
> >
>
> > Steve Quandt
>
> >
>
> > 1993 PT-40
>
> >
>
> > Iron Mountain, MI
>
> >
>

[TimV]

Steve start with a test at the battery bank
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bzz7P3qNHcE

here is a good vid to watch which will give background for all the trouble
shooting / problem solving
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VzvhfI4UpA

A good /alt starter repair shop or rebuilder will test them for free. keep in
mind that the unique factor is the inverter and the battery bank isolators. one
other curious issue is the switch on my 94pt that flips between the alts??????

when you separate banks and limit draw/usage a gateway should be installed at
the charging end so a demand put on a weak bank want path amps thru the alts.
the alts hook to both banks
Greg ofTim&Greg
94ptca


--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "SteveQ" wrote:
>
> Last night I moved the coach from home to work. When I started it there was
no alternator charge, usually there is about a two second delay from start to
charge showing on the gauge. On the trip I hit a bump and there was charge for
about 30 seconds then none. Both alternators are new as of three years and
about 20,000 miles. To me it sounds like a ground problem. Also I ran the
generator and the coach charge came up to about 10 amps
>
> Where to start to solve the problem?
>
> Thanks
> Steve Quandt
> 1993 PT-40
> Iron Mountain, MI
>

[GARY MINKER]

Hi, Thanks On your year I don't know exactly but they are always within a few feet of the batteries to keep I/R cable losses to a minimum. Shunts look like 2 brass squares with 1 or more thin pieces of copper in between the brass blocks. The cables bolt to the brass blocks. Shunts "never" go bad but the connections do. The little copper plates are soldered from block to block and about never develop poor connections Gary --- On Tue, 10/6/09, SteveQ wrote: From: SteveQ Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Re: Alternator / charging problem To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2009, 8:11 PM Steve / Gary I do not think that it is a metering problem. The problem first surfaced last December the morning I was leaving for Texas. I pulled the coach out of the warehouse and noticed that the headlights were dimmer than normal, indicating lack of charge. The meter was showing no charge. By the time I unhooked the toad to back it in to the warehouse to check things it selfhealed and the headlights returned to the proper intensity. I could not get it to replicate the problem so I left for Texas. It has worked perfectly until last night. If I have to locate the shunt for the gauge any ideas where I would find it? Thanks Steve Quandt 1993 PT-40 Iron Mountain, MI --- In WanderlodgeForum@ yahoogroups. com, GARY MINKER wrote: > > You need the ammeter to check the metering > How else do you easily check to see if the ammeters really work right. > > --- On Tue, 10/6/09, cape0001 wrote: > > From: cape0001 > Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Re: Alternator / charging problem > To: WanderlodgeForum@ yahoogroups. com > Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2009, 6:27 PM > > > > > > > > > > > > > or check the wiring before investing in any toys > > Stephen 77fc35 > > > > --- In WanderlodgeForum@ yahoogroups. com, GARY MINKER wrote: > > > > > > Do you have dual ammeters? Do they both crap out? Vibration is the ticket it seems. The alternators to not have have a common ground but the battery bank does. The alternators use shunts to meter with and you may actually be charging but your metering may be bad. Go on Ebay or Grainger and purchase a DC clamp on ammeter and drain the batteries a bit and high idle the rig and measure everything and compare it to all the metering plus use a good quality DC Voltmeter. Don't get fooled in to thinking you have a problem until you verify with alternative metering that you really have a problem and not just a metering error. > > > Gary > > > 1958 PT-40 > > > > > > --- On Tue, 10/6/09, SteveQ wrote: > > > > > > From: SteveQ > > > Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Alternator / charging problem > > > To: WanderlodgeForum@ yahoogroups. com > > > Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2009, 7:15 AM > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Last night I moved the coach from home to work. When I started it there was no alternator charge, usually there is about a two second delay from start to charge showing on the gauge. On the trip I hit a bump and there was charge for about 30 seconds then none. Both alternators are new as of three years and about 20,000 miles. To me it sounds like a ground problem. Also I ran the generator and the coach charge came up to about 10 amps > > > > > > > > > > > > Where to start to solve the problem? > > > > > > > > > > > > Thanks > > > > > > Steve Quandt > > > > > > 1993 PT-40 > > > > > > Iron Mountain, MI > > > >