MrWizard
Van Nuys, Ca
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Joined: 06/27/2004
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batteries were dead , are now only partialy charged
why do people think a dead battery can be fully charged by a 20 minute drive to 30 minutes of generator time
how long does it take the little bitty battery in your cell phone to charge (2) hr ? maybe more, how about your car, your motorcycle etc..
a bank of batteries for the RV will take 6-8 hrs to reach a proper charge and several days to get fully charged
Options, always have options, and the journey goes much smoother
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wa8yxm
Wherever I happen to park
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Joined: 07/04/2006
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CamperDaveinPA wrote:
Today I go to start my refer up on propane and it wont light ( i have plenty of propane and yes its flowing I lit the stove burners) Runs fine with the generator running. I called a service tech He told me to put a volt meter across each house battery 1. 12.05volts 2. 12.07volts, He then told me that because the batteries were dead and the may not be charged enough to allow the propane to flow, Is this Possible?
The answer is yes and yes.. Two possible yesses
First, SOME rigs (not mine) have a safety valve on the propane tank that is operated by the explosive gas (Propane) detector inside the coach.. If the propane detector goes off. no gas flows
If the batteries are dead... The valve won't open
Second, the Fridge itself has much the same type of valve (just smaller) that is opened by 12vdc coming from the control board
If you don't have 12vdc, you don't have gas. it's that simple
The stove, on the other hand, uses a manual operated valve, not 12 volt needed
So I'm guessing your rig is like mine.
No propane detector operated safety valve (i do have an excess flow valve though) and you did not have ehough voltage to open the gas valve on the fridge.. Plugging in to shore power.. fixed that
Nothin adds excitment like something that is none of your business
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nbounder
Arizona mountains
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Joined: 11/26/2006
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While checking the voltage at the batts is important, I believe checking it AT THE LOAD, using a sharp alligator clip to get the ground conection, is even more telling. What counts is the voltage at the load.
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Gene&Ginny
North Kingstown, RI
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Joined: 03/16/2004
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CamperDaveinPA wrote:... my refer would go through the motions it would spark, then light a small flame, for about 30 -40 seconds then go out and cycle again in about 2 min later. So there is LP flowing and enough voltage to open the gas valve because you see a flame.
Doesn't stay lit because .....
?? not enough flow to heat the sensor ??
?? voltage to the control board too low so it doesn't know the sensor is heated ??
Just 2 guesses.
DSI doesn't work/spark at all .... ?? low voltage ??
Gene and DW Ginny
2008 Toyota 4Runner 4.7L V8 w/factory towing option
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CamperDaveinPA
Morgantown, PA
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Joined: 01/18/2003
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Well we have an update.....The rig is in the shop and it seems it not the batteries after all, I went to the Dover Race and continued to diagnose the problem in the parking lot and to my surprise it turns out the control board was bad.....I checked everything to my best McGuyver way... I wound up putting a plastic spoon behind the top right hand corner of the control board and it worked fine all weekend...must just be a bad solder joint or something....gettin fixed now....thanks everyone for the help
Dave and Noreen
2009 Coachmen Freelander 3150ss
2004 Chevy Tahoe
2004 Harley Road King Classic
2006 Chevy Avalanche
2007 Honda Accord 6 cyl
Life, Lovin' It!!!!
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Kirk
Livingston, Texas.
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Joined: 06/17/2001
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Good to see that you found the problem.
A battery that is at 12V should be able to operate the appliances since they are designed to operate down to a voltage of 10.5V. If your stove top lights, the propane valve is open. It is possible that your batteries are not as charged as you think and the only way to be certain is to check the voltage with a small load such as a couple of lights, or to use a hydrometer on each cell.
Good travelin! ........Kirk
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