Sorry I know this is kind of long, but I really need your help!
Over the past 1-2 weeks ??, my battery warning light has been intermittently coming on. It comes on while I am driving, then after turning the engine off, the next time I start the van up, it is off. Sometimes it stays off, sometimes it comes on again. Then a few days after this started, I got a brief flash of additional warning lights a couple times along with the battery light, so I brought it in to the dealer.
I have a 2015 1500 gas engine. I have had it for 15 months. When I first got it, I had a van conversion place put in an auxiliary battery (under the driver's seat) to power LED lights, fan and a couple of 12v outlets. They also installed an Onan generator with A/C. I don't pretend to know much at all about the system that was installed, or if it has anything at all to do with the battery warning light.
About a week ago ?? I noticed that a switch marked "Charger" in my circuit box was either tripped or accidentally bumped into the off position...unfortunately I didn't think to determine which one it was, I just flipped it back on..(this info may or may not be relevant, so just keep it in the back of your mind)
So the dealer looks at the stuff mounted on the wall-(circuit box, charger, relay) and tells me this is not factory, blah blah (no kidding) I tell him it's got nothing to do with it (I think). Calls me back later and tells me that the testing shows it was overcharging and that I should talk to the people that installed the other stuff. I take the van home and call the conversion place and they tell me that the stuff they installed isn't overcharging the battery. Just FYI, the place I went to has been in business many years, and dealerships have recommended them. He told me that the charger is a 3 stage "smart charger" and that it only charges when the generator is running, and won't overcharge. He also told me that there is a battery isolator installed to prevent the van battery from being drained. He suggested I monitor what is going on with a voltage tester which I have, and I thought that was a good idea, so I plugged into the 12v outlet on dash and began monitoring this past weekend.
So here's what's happening now--Battery light comes on sometimes, not all the time. Reading is about 12.4 when I turn key on, then goes up to about 14.4 when I start the engine. Pretty normal, I think. I also tested the 12v outlet powered by the auxiliary battery and it is showing around 12.4
Today, when I accelerated from a stop, the number jumped to 15. then 16 for a few seconds, then dropped back down to 14.4. At speeds of around 40, once I got there, it stayed in the 14's. When I am getting on the highway and accelerating to highway speeds, again it shoots up for a few seconds then back down.
Yesterday, I found that when it went up into he 15's, if I turned on the A/C, the number would go back to normal. Turn it off, the number went back up. I called the service guy again and he tells me he has never seen anything like this before and he will need at least three days to try and figure it out.
I am sorry for being so long winded, but I am a fish out of water here----what is going on, and can my conversion equipment have anything to do with it?
I asked the service guy if they checked the alternator (I have the bigger one) and he said yes, but on the ticket it says only that they tested with WITEC codes P0563 and says system voltage is normal at 14.3
I would appreciate your input. Funny, I just don't feel real confident with the service department's knowledge of the Promaster.
Over the past 1-2 weeks ??, my battery warning light has been intermittently coming on. It comes on while I am driving, then after turning the engine off, the next time I start the van up, it is off. Sometimes it stays off, sometimes it comes on again. Then a few days after this started, I got a brief flash of additional warning lights a couple times along with the battery light, so I brought it in to the dealer.
I have a 2015 1500 gas engine. I have had it for 15 months. When I first got it, I had a van conversion place put in an auxiliary battery (under the driver's seat) to power LED lights, fan and a couple of 12v outlets. They also installed an Onan generator with A/C. I don't pretend to know much at all about the system that was installed, or if it has anything at all to do with the battery warning light.
About a week ago ?? I noticed that a switch marked "Charger" in my circuit box was either tripped or accidentally bumped into the off position...unfortunately I didn't think to determine which one it was, I just flipped it back on..(this info may or may not be relevant, so just keep it in the back of your mind)
So the dealer looks at the stuff mounted on the wall-(circuit box, charger, relay) and tells me this is not factory, blah blah (no kidding) I tell him it's got nothing to do with it (I think). Calls me back later and tells me that the testing shows it was overcharging and that I should talk to the people that installed the other stuff. I take the van home and call the conversion place and they tell me that the stuff they installed isn't overcharging the battery. Just FYI, the place I went to has been in business many years, and dealerships have recommended them. He told me that the charger is a 3 stage "smart charger" and that it only charges when the generator is running, and won't overcharge. He also told me that there is a battery isolator installed to prevent the van battery from being drained. He suggested I monitor what is going on with a voltage tester which I have, and I thought that was a good idea, so I plugged into the 12v outlet on dash and began monitoring this past weekend.
So here's what's happening now--Battery light comes on sometimes, not all the time. Reading is about 12.4 when I turn key on, then goes up to about 14.4 when I start the engine. Pretty normal, I think. I also tested the 12v outlet powered by the auxiliary battery and it is showing around 12.4
Today, when I accelerated from a stop, the number jumped to 15. then 16 for a few seconds, then dropped back down to 14.4. At speeds of around 40, once I got there, it stayed in the 14's. When I am getting on the highway and accelerating to highway speeds, again it shoots up for a few seconds then back down.
Yesterday, I found that when it went up into he 15's, if I turned on the A/C, the number would go back to normal. Turn it off, the number went back up. I called the service guy again and he tells me he has never seen anything like this before and he will need at least three days to try and figure it out.
I am sorry for being so long winded, but I am a fish out of water here----what is going on, and can my conversion equipment have anything to do with it?
I asked the service guy if they checked the alternator (I have the bigger one) and he said yes, but on the ticket it says only that they tested with WITEC codes P0563 and says system voltage is normal at 14.3
I would appreciate your input. Funny, I just don't feel real confident with the service department's knowledge of the Promaster.
