Clicking noise from truck battery area

[RicoV]

Hi all,
On a recent trip while traveling I noticed a clicking sound every few seconds coming from the truck's battery area under the hood, near where the wiring takes off to our FWC Grandby. At the time I was charging a laptop on our small 350w inverter, and the road was fairly washboardy for quite a ways. After a bit I stopped to turn off the inverter to see if that might be the source of the problem, but the clicking continued for about 20 minutes or so and then: it mysteriously stopped. All has been well since then. So this is more of a curiosity than a real problem for us, but have any other WTWers experienced this type of clicking noise emanating sporadically from their truck's battery area? Any idea what causes it? Thanks.
Rico

 

[KILR0Y]

Gremlins? ;-)

 

[Stan@FourWheel]

Is your battery separator mounted in the engine compartment?

 

[RC Pilot Jim]

How old is your camper battery?

When my electrical was moved from the old to new truck, I asked the installer if the "gold" colored block mounted on the drivers side was a separator.

Installer replied, "yes and it also regulated current flowing to the auxiliary battery...if the camper battery voltage got to low, the separator will rapidly "click" (turning current on/off) until battery reached a safe level to normally charge."

Check with Terry Todd at FWC - terry@fourwh.com for more info if you need it.

 

[RicoV]

During the new camper's initial installation in Nov. 2011 (presumed age of the camper battery), the tech mounted a small blackish rectangular cube, roughly 1" x 3/4" x 3/4", near my truck's battery in the engine compartment. Heavy gauge wiring connects the cube to the battery as well as routed back to the camper, so that would suggest that the cube is likely a 'battery separator' although none of my FWC paperwork describes this item specifically. I'll follow up on Jim's explanation of what might be going on with it. Thanks for weighing in yall, and any more thoughts on this will always be appreciated.

 

[jbahr]

That sounds like the thermal circuit breaker, not the battery separator. This article might clear things up a bit http://www.bcae1.com/cirbrakr.htm

 

[RicoV]

OK, this afternoon I had a closer look under the hood of the truck and inside the camper's battery compartment. As Jason has suggested, the little 'cube' in the truck's engine compartment looks just like the double-post thermal circuit breaker shown in the article he linked to (above). There's also a similar type of cube with a gold finish mounted in the camper battery compartment, next to the IBS-DBR dual battery relay device (which I think I can now safely assume is my actual 'battery separator', would that be correct?) So it seems the circuit breaker under the hood is what was likely making the clicking sound every few seconds until it decided to resolve itself, magically. I suppose that might mean the breaker was tripping and trying to reconnect after some unspecified disruption, and I probably ought to be concerned that the breaker could wear itself out after X number of tripping incidents. In any event I'd like to be able to understand what issues are of importance for me to monitor with respect to my truck and camper battery connections, since I don't like to make dumb mistakes when I'm out in the wilds. Thanks again for any info or pointers you guys can provide me, and I'll follow up with FWC as needed until I can get a clear understanding of my particular configuration.

 

[2thetop]

Interesting topic, just recently I have been noticing a "noise" when I unlock my truck with a remote. Sounds like a bulb blowing out right around the area where my two batteries are in the Hawk. Everything seems to work fine in the Hawk, but the noise is somewhat concerning. Anyone have the same experience. Not yet talked to Four Wheel Camper about this as I feel it is nothing too concerning.

 

[Stan@FourWheel]

Maybe to check and see if the aftermarket shop that did the camper installation hooked the wires up correctly on the thermal breaker fuse ?

(see attached picture)

The wire on the brass post of the thermal breaker fuse should be hooked up to the battery in your trucks' engine compartment.

The wire on the silver post of the thermal breaker fuse should run back under the truck to the aux. camper battery.



.

 

[Jim49]

I know this thread is a little old but I appear to be having similar issues as the OP.
Any more updates? Mine noise seems like it is coming from the rear and passenger side of the cab. The noise is a muffled click similar to the auto locks engaging every 30 seconds or so. I have never heard the "sound" while the truck is in park and idling.

 

[PaulT]

I know this thread is a little old but I appear to be having similar issues as the OP. Any more updates? Mine noise seems like it is coming from the rear and passenger side of the cab. The noise is a muffled click similar to the auto locks engaging every 30 seconds or so. I have never heard the "sound" while the truck is in park and idling.

Dave,Your click is most likely the camper's voltage sensing battery isolator. After running the truck for enough time, the truck's battery voltage is high enough that the camper relay is engaged. There is minimal draw on the truck battery so its resting voltage is above 12.8v and it remains turned on.

When you unlock the door, there is a surge in power draw on the truck battery due to the solenoids unlocking the doors and likely the interior lights coming on. This is commonly sufficient to pull the truck battery voltage below the stay on voltage in the camper isolator so it clicks as it turns off to separate camper from truck.

Yeah, it bothered me too. I satisfied myself that this was what is going on on my Hawk by running the truck enough to be sure all was charged up and with truck engine off & doors locked, I stuck my head in the camper battery compartment and pushed the remote door unlock. The click is louder when your head is about a foot away.

Paul

 

[Stalking Light]

When I had that problem it turned out that one of my two batteries was going south and wouldn't hold a charge. If the camper battery voltage is too low the isolator will cut off so the camper batteries can't discharge the starting battery.

 

[ski3pin]

I had problems with a clicking battery separator. The problem was two fold in the wiring to the separator, a bad ground, and corrosion on the in line fuse. Don't forget the simple stuff.

 

[craig333]

Walked by my truck today. Heard a noise like a quiet alarm going off. Looked at the voltmeter. 10.9 volts. Fridge has been turned off for the winter. I acquired a car and haven't driven the truck for a week. I borrowed the extension cord I use for the charger for my Christmas lights. Well its back on the charger but it bothers me something is draining the batteries that much in only a week.Time to do some sleuthing.

 

[longhorn1]

Craig, did you turn the power completely off or just the fridge. The smoke alarm and CO detectors will draw. I turn the power completely off. I check every couple of weeks and in 2 weeks it might go down from 12.7 to 12.6. I keep the camper covered and last year from November to March I set up the portable panel twice. Jd

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Wander The West mobile app

 

[PaulT]

Walked by my truck today. Heard a noise like a quiet alarm going off. Looked at the voltmeter. 10.9 volts. Fridge has been turned off for the winter. I acquired a car and haven't driven the truck for a week. I borrowed the extension cord I use for the charger for my Christmas lights. Well its back on the charger but it bothers me something is draining the batteries that much in only a week.Time to do some sleuthing.

I would sure be trying to identify the source of the quiet alarm. Anything making noise is likely drawing power to do it. (Although, it could be the CO2/smoke alarm complaining about low voltage.).

+1 on verifying that the fridge is actually turned off and not just turned down to minimum setting.

Otherwise, may be time to put a Trimetric monitor, or equivalent, to work. Love to spend other folks' money for them

Paul

 

[craig333]

I hope Santa brings a trimetric but I somehow doubt it. I do have an ammeter so I'm sure I can find it. I can't imagine the alarms etc, would draw it down that much in a week. Truck is under cover so no solar charging happening. Its also currently in parallel with the truck batteries so it may be something in the truck itself. Thats going to be a bit more difficult to track down but I can separate the camper if thats the case.

 

[Jim49]

Further elaboration.....Hawk Shell with furnace and stove. New batteries and the camper has been on the truck since I picked it up last month. It is a "daily driver" but I don't drive it very far, 5-10 miles a day.
So is the answer to drive it more often and for a longer duration...

 

[Stalking Light]

Have you topped off the batteries with 'shore power' since you got the camper?

 

[craig333]

A little update on what I found out on my system. 1. The alarms take a bit more juice than I expected, about 150ma ( I say about as I had to use the 10a function on my dying multimeter). I also left the inverter powered on accidentally. Thats about another 450ma. However the big drain is coming from the truck, over an amp there (meter was bouncing all over there). Tracing the truck drain is going to be a lot more work.

Couple conclusions I've drawn. Now that the truck is no longer a daily driver I'll use the main switch in the camper to kill the power when its parked. I like using the alternator to help charge the camper battery when driving but at least until I find the problem with the truck I'll just have to get used to using the battery switch and change it to camper battery only when not driving (its under the seat by the water tank so a bit a pita to switch which I why I usually left it on both).

Btw, since I was checking the fridge to make sure it was really off (it was) I opted to do a thorough cleaning while I was there. Did a few more minor chores also. Since I have the rest of the week off I'll try and get the new solar panel installed.