Check Engine light

Electrical issues, both 12 volt and 120 volt
Post Reply
Cgzito
Weekend Camper
Posts: 28
Joined: Sun Aug 07, 2016 2:51 pm
B190 Year: 1993
WBCCI: 0

Check Engine light

Post by Cgzito »

1993 b190

Check engine light came on after rv dealer reinstalled my generator.

Had aamco look it over and replace an o2 sensor but said he cannot find any reason for this light to be on.


The generator use to be connected to a seperate battery from the truck battery.

When they reinstalled the generator the connected it to my truck battery and put a 50 amp fuse between the battery and the generator. The 50 amp fuse keeps blowing when I try to start the generator. When it blew thats when the check engine light came on.


Any ideas???? Please help.
User avatar
weekender
Seasoned Traveler
Posts: 162
Joined: Mon Aug 25, 2008 12:00 am
B190 Year: 1993
WBCCI: 0
Location: Northampton MA

Re: Check Engine light

Post by weekender »

Yes -- take it back to the RV dealer and tell them to figure it out and fix it.
Keystone
Seasoned Traveler
Posts: 199
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2010 1:00 am
B190 Year: 1994
Location: Boulder, Colorado

Re: Check Engine light

Post by Keystone »

If the check engine light is coming on, it should be throwing a code number that can be seen with the OBD1 diagnostic system (because you have a pre-1996 engine). The code number will correlate to a cryptic diagnostic phrase like "332 EGR Value not opening". A lot of mechanics are unfamiliar with this older system, so you might have to hunt around to find one that is, or you could do it yourself (I didn't; there is one seasoned guy at the local Ford dealer who is the go-to person for me). Good luck!
Keystone
1994
B190 4x4
User avatar
skater
Site Admin
Posts: 2569
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:00 am
B190 Year: 1991
WBCCI: 13270
Location: Annapolis, MD

Re: Check Engine light

Post by skater »

I can't imagine how a generator install like that would trigger a check-engine light, unless they did something else (even accidentally) while they were working on it.
1991 Airstream B190 - bought, 2005; sold, 2011; bought 2017
1995 Airstream Excella 30' trailer

WBCCI #13270, Washington, DC Unit
Cgzito
Weekend Camper
Posts: 28
Joined: Sun Aug 07, 2016 2:51 pm
B190 Year: 1993
WBCCI: 0

Re: Check Engine light

Post by Cgzito »

What ive learned is that the generator is not recharging the truck battery. This means the battery is getting depleted every time i start the generator and then when i go to start the van it causes another depletion but then the alternator charges it. Mostly from a low percentage of power.

My uneducated theory is that it could be causing the computer to have problems and not work correctly.

Something else I might add...around the same time era i had remote start and keyless entry installed. Could remote start be doing something?
User avatar
skater
Site Admin
Posts: 2569
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:00 am
B190 Year: 1991
WBCCI: 13270
Location: Annapolis, MD

Re: Check Engine light

Post by skater »

Cgzito wrote:What ive learned is that the generator is not recharging the truck battery. This means the battery is getting depleted every time i start the generator and then when i go to start the van it causes another depletion but then the alternator charges it. Mostly from a low percentage of power.

My uneducated theory is that it could be causing the computer to have problems and not work correctly.

Something else I might add...around the same time era i had remote start and keyless entry installed. Could remote start be doing something?
Either theory seems plausible. I'm not at all familiar with what was in OBD-I computers, but I think they were pretty rudimentary.

You are correct in that the generator isn't recharging the engine battery - it's isolated from the coach system, and usually there's an isolator that will let the engine battery recharge the coach battery (and power the coach 12 volt system) when the engine is running. (Most B190s had it; a few people have reported that doesn't work, though, so it's possible some either didn't have them from the factory or it was removed, for some reason.)
1991 Airstream B190 - bought, 2005; sold, 2011; bought 2017
1995 Airstream Excella 30' trailer

WBCCI #13270, Washington, DC Unit
Cgzito
Weekend Camper
Posts: 28
Joined: Sun Aug 07, 2016 2:51 pm
B190 Year: 1993
WBCCI: 0

Re: Check Engine light

Post by Cgzito »

Interesting. So is there a way to reinstall my coach battery and have the generator start and recharge on that battery?

I want the truck battery's only job to be starting the engine.

Sent from my LGMS550 using Tapatalk
User avatar
skater
Site Admin
Posts: 2569
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:00 am
B190 Year: 1991
WBCCI: 13270
Location: Annapolis, MD

Re: Check Engine light

Post by skater »

Cgzito wrote:Interesting. So is there a way to reinstall my coach battery and have the generator start and recharge on that battery?

I want the truck battery's only job to be starting the engine.

Sent from my LGMS550 using Tapatalk
Basically you have to find the wire that is connected to the engine battery for the generator and move it to the coach battery.

Note, in mine that's how it was wired - the generator started off only the coach battery. Starting the engine engaged the solenoid that allowed the alternator to power the coach system (and recharge the coach battery).
1991 Airstream B190 - bought, 2005; sold, 2011; bought 2017
1995 Airstream Excella 30' trailer

WBCCI #13270, Washington, DC Unit
Post Reply