Hi folks. I've been slowly working on my coach since I purchased it last October trying to get it into fighting shape. Everyone on here has been very helpful and I've fixed a bunch stuff on the old beast with your help. So, here is what's been going on.
-I had the alternator fail, had it rebuilt, installed it and it failed right away again.
-Alternator shop gives me a new alternator and I install it. It is 12 volt 145 amps.
-I start the coach and notice on my dash voltage gauge the voltage fluctuating between 13.0and 13.6 (it stays at 13.0 for 5 seconds then goes to 13.6 for 10-15 seconds and then repeats. Batteries are new and charged) and there is a clicking sound coming from my electronics bay below the driver side window. I couldn't tell if the click was coming from the relay in the bay or one of the circuit breakers (if that what they are?) but either way, both sides of the relay are powered until I turn the key off and then the relay opens as it should and voltage goes to zero on one side
-I leave it overnight and the next morning, by chance, touch the alternator while looking in the engine bay and notice its hot. So voltage is flowing back from the batteries, through the battery isolator and to the alternator.
-I replace the Battery isolator and that fixes the reverse voltage flow to the alternator, but the fluctuating voltage is still happening
-I find out that when the coach is running and the voltage drops to 13, and I turn the key off, the coach engine won't shut down but the gauges go to zero and the odometer starts rolling forward. When I put the key back to the on position, everything goes back to normal (running engine normal)
-I then try turning the key off when the voltage fluctuation hits 13.6 (the high end of the fluctuation) and the coach turns off like it should
-I test the voltage at the alternator and it's 14.19-14.21 and not fluctuating the same as it does on my voltage gauge.
-I test the voltage at the battery Isolator on the stud that the alternator attaches to and it's fluctuating between 13.2 and 13.8 at the same interval as my voltage gauge.
-I try tracing the wire between the alternator and the isolator to find out if it connects to something that could be doing this, but I can't reach or see where it goes
-After attempting to trace the wires by jamming my arm as far as it can reach forward of the engine bay, I try to start the coach
-It turns over fine but won't start. There is no RPM while cranking and there are no check engine lights
-I've checked everything I can think of
-I need to somehow check if there is voltage going to my ECM but I don't how it connects to the system. Does it have a circuit breaker?
As you can see it's getting complicated. If anyone has a wiring diagram for my coach it would be great to see it. I've looked through this website and all the maintenance manuals available, but none of them go into enough detail. Thanks ahead of time for any advice.
1998 Beaver Patriot Brandywine CAT 3126 330hp
