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Technical Support / Re: 2007 Patriot Thunder Starting
« Last post by Eric Maclean Co-Admin on March 11, 2026, 01:49:25 PM »Bill
With your coach plugged in and the inverter/charger unit charging with a voltage above 13.2 Volts the B.I.R.D ( bi directional relay delay) should activate the Big Boy solenoid to connect the chassis battery bank to the house battery bank allowing the inverter / charger to charge both battery banks together.
When you push the battery boost switch it also activates the Big Boy solenoid to connect the house battery to the chassis battery allowing you the boost the chassis bank to get a dead chassis battery started.
A common problem with the system is that the contacts inside the Big Boy solenoid get dirty over time and use, to the point there is no connection made
This and the fact the engine ECM has a small parasitic draw all the time leads to a dead chassis battery bank over a period of time ( 3 or 5 weeks time )
The good news is the Big Boy can be taken apart and the contacts cleaned up to return it to operation.
There is a full description of the B.I.R.D. operation and troubleshooting as well as an article on how to dismantle the Big Boy and clean it in the COACH ASSIST library under COMMON PROBLEMS.
Start by making sure your inverter/charger is charging properly and go from there.
Hope this helps
Eric
With your coach plugged in and the inverter/charger unit charging with a voltage above 13.2 Volts the B.I.R.D ( bi directional relay delay) should activate the Big Boy solenoid to connect the chassis battery bank to the house battery bank allowing the inverter / charger to charge both battery banks together.
When you push the battery boost switch it also activates the Big Boy solenoid to connect the house battery to the chassis battery allowing you the boost the chassis bank to get a dead chassis battery started.
A common problem with the system is that the contacts inside the Big Boy solenoid get dirty over time and use, to the point there is no connection made
This and the fact the engine ECM has a small parasitic draw all the time leads to a dead chassis battery bank over a period of time ( 3 or 5 weeks time )
The good news is the Big Boy can be taken apart and the contacts cleaned up to return it to operation.
There is a full description of the B.I.R.D. operation and troubleshooting as well as an article on how to dismantle the Big Boy and clean it in the COACH ASSIST library under COMMON PROBLEMS.
Start by making sure your inverter/charger is charging properly and go from there.
Hope this helps
Eric
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