Bjohnsonmn

It would be nice to know the system voltage... but the ammeter in the dash pegs to 18v and always has!

2 hours ago, MHRookie said:

Are more people switching to the ML-ACR unit when their Leece Neville fails?  Seems like an improvement all the way around for the system.

My change over is spurred by the alternator going wonky, but the isolator was removed because it wouldn't work well with my LiFePO4 house battery setup. I am going to a DC-DC charger to charge the house on the road and a to be determined thing to trickle the chassis while we are parked.

1 hour ago, veraken said:

I replaced my 160 amp Leece Neville 2824LC with a 200 amp Delco Remy 28SI. The install was fairly simple, ( I have a side radiator).  On the DR you don't connect the excite wire since it is self exciting. I purchased mine with a extra pulley wheel at:

https://www.qualitypowerauto.com/catalog.php?category=139

I had my old LN rebuilt and carry it as a spare.

Did you have strange issues at idle? Jim mentioned that that his alt fail light came on due to low idle speeds...

I noticed that the Delco 28SI was listed as a suitable alternative for the Leece DUVAC.

Questions for someone who has made the swap:

1. Did you reuse the DUVAC (20amp fused) wire as the new alt-sense wire?

2. Which version did you buy? The long or short swing, the 160amp or the 200amp?

3. Any oddities pop up that are in your "That's just how it is" book?

Thanks!

10 hours ago, Ray Davis said:

Does that apply on a 2000 yr model?  Is that a computer ( ECM ) engine?   I think it is.   If it is an electronic engine doesn't the tach get its info from the ECM?   I'm asking because I'm not sure

The wiring schematic shows AC taps for the Tach and Alt-Fail. Thinking about that, it confirms my suspicion that the wiggly + Battery post on the back of mine is the issue!

Making sure I have interpreted all of this discussion correctly:

If I've removed the Battery connect solenoid that bridges the house and chassis batteries and am going to a DC-DC charging system, I can replace my Lecee DUVAC alternator with a standard alternator that any Cummins powered vehicle would use, greatly simplifying my life 

If so, any recently purchased alternators people are having luck with? The positive battery post on my Lecee is wiggle loose now and not charging, so something needs to be done.

1 minute ago, Rocketman3 said:

Good Luck getting everything fixed!

Your description brought an unrelated thought to my mind…

We are full-timers and boondock a lot!  This last year I heard of two different occasions where a MotorHome was stolen when the owners were away. I was thinking of a adding a switch somewhere that would prevent the rig from starting. (Even if the switch up front was hot wired).
 

From your account- it I add a switch onto the wire between the neutral safety switch and the starting solenoid - the rig cannot be started without that switch being on. 
 

Is there any downside to doing that?

 

Thanks!

That's a good question. I am not sure that specific location would cause issues, but it could add resistance?

One other option you may have is using the remote start switch in the engine bay if you have one. We have a small black box in the engine bay near the outside big hatch that has two rocker switches. One is a start button that is held similar to holding a key in the start position. The other is a three position selector. Up is front start. Middle is NO start, Down is rear start. I believe I inadvertently figured out that it has a similar effect to a disconnect in that it is like a selector for the ignition wire. I also don't think the rear start switch works without the key in the run position up front, but I will test that for my own purposes as well.

Super simple to test on your rig if it has one without needing to do any wiring, cutting, or switch installing!

On 5/22/2022 at 7:43 PM, Exekia said:

Hi All

This thread has been super educational, and perhaps pointed out some of my own ignorance.  I have my DC-DC (Renogy OEM - Wudnum) mounted in my upper battery tray.   It is really the only place I could put it.    But I'm now concerned with the three SLA batts in the tray below.   The battery compartment has a vent / hole in the top left corner where several cables come through, not sure that is enough venting but would love some advice as I'm worried now about vented gases and the DC-DC - worst case I'll kill the DC DC (I have it switched) - but we are off to Alaska soon and don't want to leave without being more clear about this situation.  Pic attached.

Also not sure why I'm posting here as Exekia.  Usually post as anand.s;  I must have used a different email address.

Thanks in advance and for all of the help on this forum.   

Anand

You are after the exact same question I am seeking to answer!!!

We've all made mistakes in our owner maintenance of our rigs, or found things that just didn't seem right as we work to improve the RV's performance and improve longevity. Sometimes those mistakes have consequences beyond a blown lightbulb. This is my troubleshooting steps for a no-crank following an engine battery reverse polarity hook up.

Step 1. Assess.

After the sparks had stopped, I went around and assessed what was and was not working. For example, which of the annunciators stayed on.

In my case, the usual lights remained on, but I had failed to notice that the "check trans" light stayed on. More on that later.

Step 2. React and Trace.

Using the wiring diagram, I traced all of the things that were in line from the wire bundles that attaches to the battery. In our case, it is a negative wire with a secondary return line on the same battery terminal and the positive with the main positive and a secondary positive that feeds the fused 12v supplies to the ECM and other drive components.

This is where the carnage first showed itself. The reverse polarity had blown 4 fuses. Some 7.5 and 10amp.

Step 3. Fuses

The trace processes is repeated until you find all faults between the key switch and the starter solenoid. This means the fuse bundle that comes from the wire bundle directly attached to the battery's positive (red) wire. In the case of my vintage, it is several 7.5 and a few 10amp fuses located in my electrical bay in the back corner of the coach. I also inspected the large capacity solenoids in the engine bay. They include two grid heater solenoids and the starter solenoid. After 22 years, the contacts were quite worn with one 5" red 6awg cable that connected the two supply sides of the grid heater solenoids being melted through the insulation. (Replaced that with a high quality 6awg MTW and new lugs).

It was a good excuse to clean up all of these contacts in hopes of improving conditions in general.

NOTE: The simple act of cleaning the contacts, nuts, lock washers, and the cable terminations make a much higher quality contact and seems to have improved the starting process in general. The engine started with fewer cranks after sitting for 6+ months without a start and a battery that had just been very abused.

Step 4. Trace again.

With all of this work done, there still was not the satisfying click of the starter solenoid. This is when I noticed that the NSS wire is the wire that contacts the solenoid. This is the Neutral Safety Switch that actually drives the starter solenoid. This is a part of the transmission control system that ensures that the coach is not started in gear. There is a relay within the VIM (Allison box in the driver's side exterior electronics bay). There are 6 relays and two fuses in fact. The relay that drives the NSS is fed from one of those 10amp fuses and will not allow the starter to engage as it can't close. I checked both 10amp fuses and only one was blown. Replaced and BAM...

Step 5. Start Your Engines!

That's right, it started right up! The coach is running well, though I haven't attempted to move yet. There are still a few electrical gremlins in the works, though I believe those are unrelated to the original issue.

What's next:

It is possible that the alternator is not working as the engine battery was reading 12.08v at a slightly elevated neutral run level. I'll need to find out if a hidden fuse is blown in where the DUVAC controlled alternator lives. OR, the battery is so toast, it won't even allow for charging.

8 hours ago, StephenW said:

I found out last fall while winterizing my coach that my accumulator tank had failed.  So I decided to get a replacement pump and accumulator tank.  While installing the new pump this week I noticed like others have stated, that the replacement pump, a 4008 series, does not need an accumulator tank. Finished the job today leaving out the tank and going with just the pump, I notice the pump puts out better pressure and is so quiet I can't hear it while running water in the kitchen faucet.  I will keep the old pump for a backup and connect the tank if using the old pump. Good luck with the project! 

Thank you for the first hand report with the 4008!

Thanks to everyone who chimed in. I hope I worded the original post in a way that will help others as well.

1 minute ago, RoadTripper2084 said:

Well the RRB has a vent port in the bottom right corner and top left corner, so I assume it will vent alright. Also the exhaust fans on the Renogy are at top of the device, so should be pulling cooler air from the bottom vent and exhausting toward the top vent. Though I haven't measured the temps at all.

Sounds like yours is a little bit different than mine. Mine is sealed except for the pass through gromets for the cable that enters from the engine bay. Do you have a photo of yours?

Here's what mine looks like: (Before I started removing all of the unneeded equipment)

3 minutes ago, georgecederholm said:

Over the years, I've replaced water pumps a few times and have gradually gone downward in terms of price and features. When our accumulator tank failed, I tried the whole "buy an expensive variable speed pump and you don't need an accumulator thing", but wasn't happy with that. I'd capped off the accumulator after it failed but actually removed it when I had to change out the Aqua-Hot and it was in the way if the hose connections (different story!)

A few years ago, I settled on a basic SeaFlo water pump and found a mated accumulator. I added that and have been happy. And the 3-ish GPM pump is very quiet and puts out better flow and pressure than many campgrounds. I realized we don't need a 5.7 GPM pump through personal experience.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MUYL8F8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Looks like a nice option and saves space. I am going to try out my tankless setup for now but keep this on my radar. Which SeaFlo did you go with and how have you liked it?

3 minutes ago, DavidL said:

Y, I didn't do much shopping, was just looking for a pic / model that I have.  But that's a good price!

I don't think that Shurflo 4008 is variable speed....so I would use an accumulator with that one to minimize cycling on / off with low flow conditions.

That is what I was wondering too, but then this is what I read in the Pentair docs:

3 minutes ago, RoadTripper2084 said:

I had the same issue as you and ended up mounting my Renogy 60A DC-DC vertically orientated in the rear electrical panel. I had to remove the original diode battery isolator, chassis battery maintainer, and battery Boost solenoid in order to make room for it. 

Connections were simple in the rear panel everything you need is right there, and the diode isolator and boost solenoid were failing anyway so no loss. I have booster cables that I can use if I want to temporarily boost the batteries or get a boost from another vehicle.

I also re-wired the factory solar panel to maintain the chassis battery instead of the house, not sure that is doing much though, but the idea is solid, never worry about the chassis battery running low while parked again (in summer, at least).

 

How is the heat in that bay? Someone had said that the Victron DC-DC chargers get real hot, though I am wondering how hot is real hot and if they measured it or just "heard through the grape vine" that they get real hot. I suppose the other option is to cut in a vent into the RRB.

As it turns out, the previous owner put this pump in:

According to the manufacturer's website, the 4008 series does not require an accumulator tank. So, I guess I lucked out unless someone tells me that this 4008 does need a tank.

15 minutes ago, DavidL said:

You are looking for 2 gallon (or more if it will fit) with a 3/4" inlet.

They are all the same.  They all fail eventually (as yours did).

Save the money and buy a $55 one.  I have several.

Of course you can also upgrade your pump to a variable speed and eliminate the pressure tank...then keep your current pump as a spare.

It would be fantastic to eliminate the tank. Do you have one you like?

6 minutes ago, DavidL said:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=5+gallon+accumulator+tank&sprefix=5+gallon+accu%2Caps%2C124&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_13

 

Lots to choose from.

Lots of options, but I'm looking for one that someone has used and liked.

Water pressure accumulator tank replacement, 2000 Windsor 32PB
OE or Aftermarket...?

I pulled our 2 gallon tank today in preparation for our inverter replacement. It is full of water and has no pressure... it's dead.

Question: is there an aftermarket tank that others have had good luck with? The OE is still available for over $230. Many aftermarket alternatives for $50. Does anyone have hands on experience with a brand other than the OE brand? I am attaching a photo of the OE for reference. I am one to stick with OE, however, I have a hard time believing that there is only one manufacturer of 2 gallon accumulator tanks on earth given these are used in coaches, boats, shop bathrooms, etc.

5 minutes ago, Mark B said:

Bjohnsonmn here is how my charger and battery lay out came out. 400  amphrs in the lower tray.

Looks Great! Where is your inverter and which one do you have?

I am in the process of choosing a mounting location for our Victron isolated DC-DC charger for our 2000 Windsor. The battery bay is a large box with only a 5" diameter hole in the bottom for ventilation. It is not an insulated bay.

Originally, it had two drawers with one on top of the other. The bottom holding the engine battery (8D 12v) and the house battery bank (6x6v GC). The 6v are being replaced with LiFePO4 batteries being placed elsewhere in the coach leaving a large space above the engine battery.

The DC-DC charger includes a small breaker box for both + sides of the connections.

The question is: Can I mount the breaker box and charger in the same space as the engine battery, or is that an explosion hazard? The space is aproximately 28-32" tall, 28"ish deep, and 28"ish wide. The chassis battery sits at the bottom. There is the large 5" hole in the bottom and the 2x 3" grommets where the battery cables enter and leave the bay.

Any experience with this is appreciated!

(I have the drawers disassembled and getting the entire bay ready for rust converter and new high-heat paint.)

(

Yes, that is concerning. Perhaps a voltage regulator failed or there is a persistent setting that changed for some reason.

A different setup but similar situation happened with ours. We had the Monaco 30amp controller with 400w of panels on the roof. The previous owner cooked the batteries. The first sign that there was something wrong should have been that they needed a computer fan mounted over the back of the solar controller to keep it from overheating.

Can you share more details about the components you have (expand on Aladin system)?

Someone just commented on alignment. It is surprising how much that can make a difference if it is out of alignment where adjustments can be made (only some links are adjustable)

Can you describe the wandering? Is it wind? Road crown? Constant left to right without any outside forces? Getting passed by trucks?

Knowing how it is wandering is really important for knowing what is good advice vs. setting up the parts cannon approach.

I am in the process of putting my controller switch interface back in my rig. I can see how it would be easy for one of the blade connectors to come lose on the back. I agree with starting there.

4 minutes ago, jacwjames said:

Only 3 of mine have the indicator light that it is on.  Mirror heat, Pacbrake, & block heat.  I see one of yours is marked Mirror heat and one marked Brake.  Wonder if the 3rd one is Block heat?

I'm really not sure. Our block heater is a lighted 110v switch in the back of the coach by the bed.

18 minutes ago, gofastnow said:

It appears to be the "105" relay shown pigtailed above. The circle is the coil.

That appears to be it!

Now, I need to figure out what in the heck the On/Off switch was installed for on the console next to the mirror controls.