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Topic: On your Odyssey does your Ford alternator charge your house battery?  (Read 4939 times) previous topic - next topic
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On your Odyssey does your Ford alternator charge your house battery?

On my 2020 Odyssey (2019 Fors E450 with the 6.8 V10) I went round and round with General RV in Ocala about the Isolation Solanoid that is mounted on the Firewall on the drivers' side in the engine compartment, General RV finally changed it out, blew an 5 amp fuse behind the dash, it took 3 months time and dozens of phone calls, three or four service appointments. On the Isolation Solenoid there are two big black cables, the lower on goes to the Ford fuse box in the engine compartment, is the Ford's battery voltage. And the upper cable goes to the coach battery. You can measure your battery's different voltages easily there, just pull back the rubber boot covering the connections on the Isolation Solenoid.
Measure the voltages with your 30 amp power cord disconnected, (convertor off), the generator off,(convertor off) and with the Ford motor not running, (alternator off) you'll see that the reading are not the same (for example 12.2 for the Ford engine battery and 12.5 for the coach battery). Now start the Ford's engine you'll see the engine battery's voltage jump from the 12.2 to around 14.0 volts, the alternator is charging the Ford engine battery.
So. on my Odyssey the coaches battery is NOT being charged at the 14.0 volt level, it is still reading 12.5 volts. 
The Service Manager at General RV told me this normal for Odyseey's.  Jayco motorized on the phone told me that the Ford's battery is supposed to charge the house battery. My question is, on your Odyssey does your Ford alternator charge your coach battery?
On other class C RV's how is the alternator connected to the coach battery (batteries)?

Re: On your Odyssey does your Ford alternator charge your house battery?

Reply #1 –
After reading your post you got me wondering also. I have a 2021 24b. I don't think mine charges either from the engine. My simple thoughts which may or may not mean anything are= If my battery gauge on the control panel by enter door reads 2/3 charge with the coach just sitting, no motor running and not hooked up to electric and then as soon as I plug in to 110 volt it goes to fully charged, guessing the reason is the converter/ charger is now charging. If just sitting and I instead start up the coach engine nothing changes on the meter, still at 2/3, battery not being charged now. Does this sound logical to anyone?
Thanks, Cliff

 
Cliff Odyssey 24B

Re: On your Odyssey does your Ford alternator charge your house battery?

Reply #2 –
You're exactly right. Your house battery (I add a second battery) are NOT being charged if you do not have all 4 little red lights on.
If you put a voltmeter on your battery it's something like 4 lights =12. 7 volts plus. 3 lights =12.4 to 12.6 volts. 2 lights = 12.1 to 12.3 volts. (those numbers are just guesstimates, it's been over a year ago since I measured the voltages and compared it to the red lights,)
A year plus ago, one time I could NOT start my generator with only 2 red lights on. I now carry a pair of long Jumper Cables, for I can reach from my engine battery to my house batteries, in case I need to jump to start my generator. 
 

Re: On your Odyssey does your Ford alternator charge your house battery?

Reply #3 –
Hi James, don't know if it is true or not as I have no experience in using the emergency start button. I have heard people say that it will work both ways. That the coach batteries will help start the engine when it has a low battery and also the engine battery will help start a generator when the coach battery is low. You might research that as it would be more convenient than jumper cables if that is true.
Cliff
Cliff Odyssey 24B

Re: On your Odyssey does your Ford alternator charge your house battery?

Reply #4 –
When my house batteries ran low one night in a WM parking lot (2 reds lights only on) I tried starting the generator and it would not start. The first thing I tried was having the wife hold the white button in. It did not work, the generator still would not start.
I talked with the Service Manager at General RV in Ocala Fl. about that White Emergency Start Button on the lower left side of the dash, and he said it, "only works one way". When push it in it connects the house batteries to the engine battery to jump-start the Ford's engine battery only.
I'm still waiting for someone on this forum to chime in and tell me how and what I need to get the Ford alternator to charge the house batteries.

Re: On your Odyssey does your Ford alternator charge your house battery?

Reply #5 –
Hi James,
The Ford's chassis alternator will charge your house batteries, but it does so very slowly. It could take 6 hours to build up a significant charge. If you have a long drive ahead of you then your house batteries will charge up.
FYI. The white button on the dash is used to add power from your house batteries to start the Ford chassis engine.

Re: On your Odyssey does your Ford alternator charge your house battery?

Reply #6 –
Thank you, Doug. But, that doesn't sound right. That would require 2 voltage regulators and some sophisticated electronics.
Jayco motorized says that there are 2 contactors, the Isolation one, mount high up on the firewall, that is used in conjunction with that white button on the lower dash. To jump the engine battery off the house battery if your engine battery is week.
And a second contactor, as the Jayco rep said, located down under, on the left side of the engine (driver's side) inside the engine compartment. They actually emailed me the 12-volt schematics. But, that schematic doesn't show where it physically is and it is of very poor quality.
I think I'll wire up some long leads and connect my voltmeter to the house batteries and put it on the engine dog house and watch it on my next road trip.

Re: On your Odyssey does your Ford alternator charge your house battery?

Reply #7 –
Update: I recently installed a digital LED voltmeter right underneath the head-high electrical panel right above the steps where the 4  little red voltage level and tank level lights are in.
Anytime my main house battery breaker is closed (on) my new digital voltage shows the real-time voltage of my two house batteries.
With the 30 amp power plugged in the new digital gauge reads 13.0 - 14.0 volts.
When I have no 30 amp power supplied, or no generator running after a few days the batteries drop from 13.0 down to around 12.5-12.7 range and stay at that level for a couple of weeks.
Now, when I start the Ford V10 I can look over my right should and see the house battery voltage on my new voltage gauge. And apparently, the Ford alternator is charging my house batteries, the house batteries read about 13.5-14.0 volts with the Ford engine running.
The new LED Voltmeter cost me about $15.

Re: On your Odyssey does your Ford alternator charge your house battery?

Reply #8 –
Well apparently from ENTEGRA the ford chassis alternator does charge house, but the house charger does not charge ford chassis battery.  I asked why. Supposedly they have an isolation relay (hidden secret apparently ) that connects when there is alternator current.  In the schematics I find a reference to isolation stud. Seems an odd term. I’m reviewing the aux start solenoid it may be wired to function with ignition in on position.

I’m one that likes to understand concept. Some I know have used a alligator clip to jump the battery leads on that aux solenoid when parked at length to maintain chassis battery.  That may work but the possibility there is there is no priority.  I know of a fix which is easy. A Magnum battery combiner which has electronics to monitor battery banks prior to connecting.  Those 2 positive leads at the firewall solenoid can easily be used.  Yiu just want to connect the house as main battery.  That way when plugged in the house gets priority and only after they are charged will it combine and charge chassis. Conversely when engine is running it won’t connect until engine battery is at preset level.  They are relatively inexpensive and easy to install.

I used one on my previous Class A as it’s internal BCC(battery control module) was acting flaky at times. Fixed that.

I’m considering adding one to my Esteem. 

BUT I STILL wanna know where the factory module is. I see a revenue to a diode which could work but that wouldn’t give feed back to ford alternator and might cause overcharge.  I realize they didn’t put a sophisticated system in the class a but I would appreciate more detail.

It’s obvious that dealers are oblivious to it

Re: On your Odyssey does your Ford alternator charge your house battery?

Reply #9 –
James

Where and what type volt meter did you get?  How large are the numbers?  Is it like a volt / ohm meter or does it only display the voltage?


Dave