If anyone out there has pictures and/or diagram on the power transfer system of a Breakaway from the engine (battries/alternator) to the house battries I would love to see how it works.

Can't get mine to function anymore..Thanks

There's an isolator; in my Breakaway, it's in the battery compartment.

quote:

Originally posted by Eric Herrle:
If anyone out there has pictures and/or diagram on the power transfer system of a Breakaway from the engine (battries/alternator) to the house battries I would love to see how it works.

Can't get mine to function anymore..Thanks

There are generally two ways the chassis batteries are connected to the coach batteries.

Not sure which you are having problems with, so here is a rundown:

1. For charging, as Rusty said, there is usually a diode isolator that allows the alternator to charge both the coach and chassis batteries. It is usually a 3" X 5" approx finned aluminum plate with three fairly heavy terminals on it and 10 gauge (or so) wiring to each terminal.

2. For discharge, the other thing is an aux start solenoid (really a relay). This is controlled by a rocker switch on the dash (on mine). On my coach, the solenoid is bolted to the frame very close to the battery compartment. It looks like a Ford starter relay, and has a battery cable from the positive of a coach battery on one heavy terminal and a cable from the positive of the chassis battery on the other heavy terminal. A skinny wire from the rocker switch is on a small terminal. The other small terminal (if there is one) is grounded.

Mine has neither, since my 4 GC coach batteries act as both start and coach batteries.

I'd look for links with pictures, but my internet is really slow now. Verizon.

Mine is not a diesel, but it does have an isolator and also a heavy duty relay operated by a switch on the dash to control whether the engine charges house the batteries or not. Probably for taking load off the engine.

Thanks for the help! But in typical Barth fashion none of these are what I'm finding.

I did find and replace a solenoid on the frame rail, it had 4 heavy + cables to one terminal and only lighter guage stuff to the other terminal. beats me how it works.

quote:

Originally posted by Eric Herrle:

I did find and replace a solenoid on the frame rail, it had 4 heavy + cables to one terminal and only lighter guage stuff to the other terminal.

That might have been a temp fix of some kind.

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beats me how it works.

Does it click when the ign is on and the aux start rocker is activated?

Might have to trace wires and make a diagram.

Hi Eric. Our breakaway has a constant duty ford type Solinoid that is activated when the key is on to charge the house batteries on the road.