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Road Pilot · 03-07-2008, 12:10 PM

Coming back from Daytona had to get diesel.Pulled into station with a left turn. Then to align with island turned right. Filled tank and next 2 turns were right turns out of the station. When I got on the road the coach wanted to keep going right. Two hands on the steering wheel and major effort kept us of the side of the road. Called Jeff who turned us over to Chris Friar. We were concerned since we were blocking the road.

Question to Chris is is there anything we can do right there or does he think it's OK to drive the 15 miles to Pelican Lake? He said should be OK.

We drove to P.L. which required approx. 25 pounds of pressure on wheel to hold the coach straight. One hand would not do. If I lifted my hand the wheel would gone full right in approx. 200mS.

At P.L. Chris suggested shutting of engine electrical switch in engine compartment, to reset comfort drive memory. Didn't work.

I then drove it around the block to our pad and made a sharp left turn into the lot. The last 50% of the left turn felt much harder then the first 50% of the wheel turn. And when I centered the wheel I noticed I didn't have to hold it. Backed out of lot and drove around loop and comfort drive is now centered.

Spartan says it was dirty hydraulic fluid in comfort drive. The coach was serviced 3 weeks ago by North Trail to the tune of $1400 which was to do everything required by time or mileage. They didn't change the fluid per Spartan.

Anybody else had a runaway comfort drive? It was scary. To me if it is hydraulic related it sounds an awful lot like the airbus that crashed in NYC due to the over center hydraulic system controlling the rudder.

Road Pilot · 03-07-2008, 12:10 PM

Coming back from Daytona had to get diesel.Pulled into station with a left turn. Then to align with island turned right. Filled tank and next 2 turns were right turns out of the station. When I got on the road the coach wanted to keep going right. Two hands on the steering wheel and major effort kept us of the side of the road. Called Jeff who turned us over to Chris Friar. We were concerned since we were blocking the road.

Question to Chris is is there anything we can do right there or does he think it's OK to drive the 15 miles to Pelican Lake? He said should be OK.

We drove to P.L. which required approx. 25 pounds of pressure on wheel to hold the coach straight. One hand would not do. If I lifted my hand the wheel would gone full right in approx. 200mS.

At P.L. Chris suggested shutting of engine electrical switch in engine compartment, to reset comfort drive memory. Didn't work.

I then drove it around the block to our pad and made a sharp left turn into the lot. The last 50% of the left turn felt much harder then the first 50% of the wheel turn. And when I centered the wheel I noticed I didn't have to hold it. Backed out of lot and drove around loop and comfort drive is now centered.

Spartan says it was dirty hydraulic fluid in comfort drive. The coach was serviced 3 weeks ago by North Trail to the tune of $1400 which was to do everything required by time or mileage. They didn't change the fluid per Spartan.

Anybody else had a runaway comfort drive? It was scary. To me if it is hydraulic related it sounds an awful lot like the airbus that crashed in NYC due to the over center hydraulic system controlling the rudder.

Route 66 · 03-07-2008, 12:19 PM

Something doesn't add up.

Comfort Drive is all electrical and completely self contained in the steering column.

The hydraulic fluid is only associated with the Spartan power steering.

Jetsmania · 03-07-2008, 12:48 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Spartan says it was dirty hydraulic fluid in comfort drive </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Hi Dick! I am glad nothing happened while on the road. Let us know what the final outcome is. Are they saying the Power Steering fluid needs to be changed? How would it get dirty?? Hope all is well at Pelican Lake. We will be back in April. paul

Road Pilot · 03-08-2008, 03:54 AM

Their first suggestion was to reset the memory of the comfort drive by switching off the battery disconnect in the engine compartment. That didn't work.

When the system reset itself going into the lot their engineers concluded it was contaminated hydraulic fluid, which I assumed was part of the comfort drive system.

I have no idea how hydraulic fluid could be contanimated, or if that is even the problem. I'm wondering if anybody else has had a similar problem or if anyone knows the systems well enough to either confirm what Spartan says or refute it. It is uncomfortable, to say the least, to drive a vehicle that has the potential to exhibit this kind of control problem.

Paul, everything is still great back here. We're leaving in a week and a half to go up north for another grandbaby birth, then we'll be down here in the latter part of April.

rebelsbeach · 03-08-2008, 04:01 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Route 66:
Something doesn't add up.

Comfort Drive is all electrical and completely self contained in the steering column.

The hydraulic fluid is only associated with the Spartan power steering. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I agree with Dirk.... Comfort Drive has NOTHING to do with hydraulic fluid.

I would HIGHLY suggest you get in touch with Ken Sherwin, the grandpappy of Comfort Drive from TRW.

He can be reached via email at ken.sherwin@trw.com

Route 66 · 03-08-2008, 04:10 AM

One of our members, Ken Sherwin, is the TRW engineer who developed Comfort Drive.

I believe he has previously stated that if Comfort Drive failed, then the coach would steer as if Comfort Drive was not installed, that is, just like regular power steering.

I don't recall any Comfort Drive failures being reported. All issues turned out to be steering gear related, which is what Spartan seems to be saying here.

Jetsmania · 03-08-2008, 04:28 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">We're leaving in a week and a half to go up north for another grandbaby birth, then we'll be down here in the latter part of April. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Hi Dick! What a wonderful thing!!

Best of Luck! When they figure out what happened let us know. Paul

Explore America · 03-08-2008, 08:37 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Route 66:
One of our members, Ken Sherwin, is the TRW engineer who developed Comfort Drive.

I believe he has previously stated that if Comfort Drive failed, then the coach would steer as if Comfort Drive was not installed, that is, just like regular power steering.... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
That's what I've also been told. I having a feeling its not going to be an issue with the Comfort Drive, but likely a Spartan issue.

Road Pilot · 03-08-2008, 11:33 AM

To keep things on track I've changed the title.

Has anyone had similar problems?

Does anyone know enough about the systems to know if this could happen going 70mph?

CSX4350 · 03-08-2008, 02:30 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Road Pilot:
Does anyone know enough about the systems to know if this could happen going 70mph? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

This is something I've been thinking about all day while driving down the road, and it has kept me on guard all day. If it did and you were just lightly holding the wheel as we all do most of the time, the results could be really bad.

A pretty scary thought.

Lug_Nut · 03-08-2008, 04:12 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">This is something I've been thinking about all day while driving down the road, and it has kept me on guard all day. If it did and you were just lightly holding the wheel as we all do most of the time, the results could be really bad. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

John, I wouldn't worry about that. This to my knowledge has never occurred, so why not worry about stuff that has really happened, like wheels flying off, tie rods dropping, somebody losing control while comming at you, etc.
These have happened, what worries you has not. Try to enjoy RVing, not worry about unfounded senarios. Life's good, enjoy it.

Peter

rebelsbeach · 03-08-2008, 04:57 PM

I've had NUMEROUS discussions with Ken Sherwin and am convinced this issue is more a Spartan issue than a CD issue, especially when Dick mentions a hydraulic fluid issue. CD is ALL electric and has no hydraulic parts.

I recommended to Dick that he make contact with Ken to be proactive, I hope he takes that ball and runs with it, but I can only lead the horse to water.

CSX4350 · 03-08-2008, 05:15 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Lug_Nut:
John, I wouldn't worry about that. This to my knowledge has never occurred, so why not worry about stuff that has really happened, like wheels flying off, tie rods dropping, somebody losing control while comming at you, etc.
These have happened, what worries you has not. Try to enjoy RVing, not worry about unfounded senarios. Life's good, enjoy it.
Peter </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I know, but I read this post right before driving off today, so it was fresh on my mind. It was a nice (albeit COLD) not very windy day and I was driving along marveling at how easy this coach is to drive on a nice day, when I got the mental picture of the wheel being yanked out of my hands and going full right instantly. Try getting something like that out of your head after you think about it, especially when you don't have much else to think about.
Except thinking about the fact that you just paid $3.90 a gallon for diesel..... $260 for only 67 gallons.