Got a 2009 1.9TD based motorhome (McLouis), and on checking recently after winter, it has all sorts of electrical issues. The leisure battery was dead due I think to a short somewhere in the habitation side. Both that and the engine battery were on a solar charger, and the engine battery is fine, and it started first time.
However, we have no 12V from the alternator to the habitation now when the engine is running. I've found the relay near the engine battery, and it has 2 small wires which get 12V across them when the engine is running, and 2 large wires which give 14V once running—I guess these come straight from the alternator.
I removed the relay and tested it on a bench power supply, and it's closing fine at 12V, taking about 120mA which seems about right for that sized relay. But on reconnecting it to the leads, it doesn't close when the engine is running, even though it has 12V across the coil. The current that signal wire supplied was nowhere near 120mA, and not enough to activate it. But the wire (2.5mm grey) just disappears into the bundle, and I've no luck tracing it.
Does anyone know where that will go? Will it be into the fusebox area in the cab? Or directly to the alternator in the engine compartment? Or somewhere else?
I'm hoping it's just some corrosion on the connectors that causing it to fail...
Many thanks,
David
However, we have no 12V from the alternator to the habitation now when the engine is running. I've found the relay near the engine battery, and it has 2 small wires which get 12V across them when the engine is running, and 2 large wires which give 14V once running—I guess these come straight from the alternator.
I removed the relay and tested it on a bench power supply, and it's closing fine at 12V, taking about 120mA which seems about right for that sized relay. But on reconnecting it to the leads, it doesn't close when the engine is running, even though it has 12V across the coil. The current that signal wire supplied was nowhere near 120mA, and not enough to activate it. But the wire (2.5mm grey) just disappears into the bundle, and I've no luck tracing it.
Does anyone know where that will go? Will it be into the fusebox area in the cab? Or directly to the alternator in the engine compartment? Or somewhere else?
I'm hoping it's just some corrosion on the connectors that causing it to fail...
Many thanks,
David