Battery Isolation Solenoid Not Working Properly on 2001 Chevrolet Silverado

Updated 04/03/2014 | Published 04/02/2014

Question:

Hello My PK5231201 not working right.. Here is what I have done.. I took a #10 wire and ran it from the pole where the red wire was that went to the 7 pin plug and put it on the left side of the PK5231201 and the red wire that was on the pole I took off and put that on the right side of the PK5231201 ran a wire to the 12v center to a 10 amp fuse that is hot when truck is running and 0v when truck is off. Now I get 12v on both side of the PK5231201 when the truck is off I get about 14+V when the truck is running on both side Thanks!

asked by: John S

Expert Reply:

First I would look at what you have mounted the isolation solenoid # PK5231201 to. You will need to mount the isolation solenoid to a metal surface. The unit grounds through the mounting location. It will not function if it is attached to plastic so you will need to locate sufficient metal space so it will function correctly. I can't tell from your photos if you are mounting the isolation solenoid to a plastic or metal surface. The ground you have made to one of the screws holding the unit in place is not sufficient.

Next, disconnect the center tap wire. If you are still getting 12 volts when the engine is off there is probably a problem with the battery isolator and it will need to be replaced.

Finally, make sure the 12-volt ignition source is in fact only hot when the vehicle is on. If not, you will need to change the 12-volt ignition source to something like the fuse for the radio.

expert reply by: Chris O