Battely Inspection And Care; Battery Charging - Fleetwood Expedition 2009 Service Manual

Electrical Systems
cuits. These circuits isolate selected electrical
systems from either the chassis or the house bat-
teries. Deactivating the relay(s) will prevent bat-
telY discharge which may occur over extended
storage periods. During normal use of your
motor home the relays must always be in the
"on" position.
If you plan to store the motor home for an
extended period, press the disconnect switchles
to OFF. Remember to press the switchles to ON
when you take the motor home out of storage.
.II
NOTE
I
A
trouble shooting guide and function manual that
explains this system is included with your motor home
Owner's Information Package.
.II
NOTE
I
When charging the batteries, the battery disconnect
switches must be ON.
Battery Inspection and Care
A.
WARNING
Do not use the motor home when the chassis battery
is disconnected. The power step will not operate as
designed if the chassis battery is disconnected. If the
step is not in the correct extended position, you may
be injured if you step out of the motor home.
Check the external condition of the battelY peri-
odically. Look for cracks in the cover and case.
Check the vent plugs and replace any that are
cracked or broken. Keep the battery clean. Acid
film and dirt on the battery top may permit cur-
rent to flow between the terminals and discharge
the battelY.
To clean the battery:
1. Be sure the vent caps are installed and tight.
2. Wash the battelY with a diluted solution of
baking soda and water to neutralize any
acid present.
3. Flush with clean water. Foaming around
08-2
terminals or on top of the battery is normal
acid neutralization. Avoid getting the soda
solution in the battery.
4. Diy the cables and terminals.
5. Do not use grease on the bare metal inside
the cable terminals to prevent corrosion.
Grease is an insulator. Electricity will not
flow through it. A plastic battelY terminal
spray will protect the terminals after you
have cleaned and reinstalled them.
6. Check the battery, including water level, at
least once a week. Keep the carrier and
hold down hardware clean and free of cor-
rosion and chemical accumulation.
A.
WARNING
Disconnect the 120-volt shore cord and the negative
terminal from the batteryfles before working on either
electrical system.
If
you work on the electrical sys-
tems with the power cord connected, you may be
shocked, electrocuted, or severely burned.
Battery Charging
Both sets of batteries will be kept charged by the
chassis engine alternator and charging system
while you are driving. The DC power converter
will charge the chassis and house batteties when
plugged into 120-volt AC service or by the gener-
ator (if equipped). If the battelY needs to be
charged from a different charging source, please
follow these safety guidelines:
• Leaving a charger connected to a battery for
an extended period of time can shorten bat-
telY life.
• Do not smoke near batteries being charged
or which have been recently charged. Please
note that batteries are being charged while
you drive, and while you are connected to
120-volt AC power through the convel1el1
charger circuit.