Community Forums

akadeadeye · 09-04-2016, 07:06 AM

We are traveling in Colorado. I turn the ignition switch. Nothing. At all. I turn again. Nothing. I bring it back to vertical and turn again. It starts.
Batteries are charged up. I am concerned that there is some solenoid or relay that may be about to give up the fight.

Any thoughts about what may be going on?

Don

steppinstone · 09-04-2016, 07:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by akadeadeye

We are traveling in Colorado. I turn the ignition switch. Nothing. At all. I turn again. Nothing. I bring it back to vertical and turn again. It starts.
Batteries are charged up. I am concerned that there is some solenoid or relay that may be about to give up the fight.

Any thoughts about what may be going on?

Don

have you tried cleaning all your connections ,battery and solenoid making sure you have a good contact?

akadeadeye · 09-04-2016, 07:22 AM

All connections are clean and tight. I will check again. Where is the solenoid usually located and what does it look like? Thanks for your response.

Don

steppinstone · 09-04-2016, 07:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by akadeadeye

All connections are clean and tight. I will check again. Where is the solenoid usually located and what does it look like? Thanks for your response.

Don

I just googled 400hp cumminsisi solenoid location and went tp fmca motorhome forume and someone with same description as your getting try googling it. hope it helps

Lug_Nut · 09-04-2016, 09:32 AM

It may be the ignition switch contacts. I had a similar issue with my previous coach, an Essex. It can be easily replaced without changing the key tumbler set. It just splits off the back of the ignition switch assembly.

Good luck and I hope you solve the issue.

Peter

dennis45 · 09-04-2016, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by akadeadeye

All connections are clean and tight. I will check again. Where is the solenoid usually located and what does it look like? Thanks for your response.

Don

If you go under the coach and find the heavy wire on the starter, you can follow that wire back to the solenoid. It is usually mounted somewhere on the frame rail but could be higher up in the engine compartment.

dennis45 · 09-04-2016, 09:49 AM

This solenoid is fairly simple to change and is available at most Autoparts stores. It would be the "Low Haning Fruit" in the solution to your problem.

Adam Hunter · 09-04-2016, 10:26 PM

Just had this same issue on our 2009 last week. On the way home from a 3 week trip....one stop it would start the next it wouldn't.

Here are some items that you may want to look at;

1. I replaced the starter. If your engine has the original cummins starter its easy to get the number off of it to order a new one. I went with a DELCO-REMY replacement.

2. If you don't think its a starter thats at fault then check your cable connections on the starter, when I was replacing mine one of the nuts was finger loose.

3. The barrel where you insert the ignition key is notorious for coming loose on our "year" of chassis. You may think you are turning the key, but in reality you are just spinning the whole ignition assembly in the dash. Lay on your back and you can tighten (check) the locking nut on the back of the barrel to make sure its secure.

Hopefully one of these ideas help!

Let us know.

Adam

USMCRET · 09-05-2016, 06:07 AM

Here's my solenoid. Yeah, it's problematic. Has been known to leave me talking to myself on occasion.

steppinstone · 09-07-2016, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by akadeadeye

All connections are clean and tight. I will check again. Where is the solenoid usually located and what does it look like? Thanks for your response.

Don

Just looking to see if you fixed the problem?

"007" · 09-07-2016, 09:13 PM

At the top of your steering column you may have a metal bend that your ignition wire runs over and flex's and chafes as you adjust you steering wheel for height.
Mine the wires worn through and blew 40 amp fusing and burned up wiring harness, may want to check out, I placed spaghetti wrap around mine after fixed.

akadeadeye · 09-09-2016, 08:18 AM

Thanks to all for your great suggestions. We are at Tiger Run RV Resort near Breckenridge and had a mobile mechanic/RV Tech come out. He volt metered the starter and solenoid and determined there was no juice to the starter when trying a failed start. He determined the starter was not the problem by using a remote starter. When he hooked up the remote starter cables to the starter with the ignition key in the "on" position, the engine started.

He was unable to follow the issue back to the ignition switch since he didn't know where other relays/solenoids might be located. I have talked to Newmar and Spartan. Spartan sent me an electrical schematic which is quite impressive and can only be read and understood by an electrical engineer graduate from MIT, I'm sure.

Peter, the tech also unhooked the plug from the back of the switch and he said it looked OK but he went ahead and sprayed some WD-40 into the connection and also into the key slot.

007, I will look to see about the wiring going over the steering column. The Spartan guy said it could be a frayed wire somewhere. Now, THAT is truly a needle in a haystack to find, I would think.

Adam, I will check the ignition switch barrel.

Any other suggestions are very welcome. I think I am resigned to just enjoy our trip and go to NAPA to get a set of remote starter cables in case whatever is failing finally dies.

Makes you appreciate just turning the key and hearing the roar of the engine.

Don

dennis45 · 09-09-2016, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by akadeadeye

Thanks to all for your great suggestions. We are at Tiger Run RV Resort near Breckenridge and had a mobile mechanic/RV Tech come out. He volt metered the starter and solenoid and determined there was no juice to the starter when trying a failed start. He determined the starter was not the problem by using a remote starter. When he hooked up the remote starter cables to the starter with the ignition key in the "on" position, the engine started.

He was unable to follow the issue back to the ignition switch since he didn't know where other relays/solenoids might be located. I have talked to Newmar and Spartan. Spartan sent me an electrical schematic which is quite impressive and can only be read and understood by an electrical engineer graduate from MIT, I'm sure.

Peter, the tech also unhooked the plug from the back of the switch and he said it looked OK but he went ahead and sprayed some WD-40 into the connection and also into the key slot.

007, I will look to see about the wiring going over the steering column. The Spartan guy said it could be a frayed wire somewhere. Now, THAT is truly a needle in a haystack to find, I would think.

Adam, I will check the ignition switch barrel.

Any other suggestions are very welcome. I think I am resigned to just enjoy our trip and go to NAPA to get a set of remote starter cables in case whatever is failing finally dies.

Makes you appreciate just turning the key and hearing the roar of the engine.

Don

Don,
Sorry to hear you are still having trouble getting this resolved.
From the sounds of it, your so called tech has narrowed it down to the solenoid. However, if he cannot follow the cable from the starter back to locate the solenoid, you need to find a new tech. I'll bet your young grandson could find it.
These are not hidden by any means. Get another tech. Not that hard to fix.

akadeadeye · 10-04-2016, 10:12 AM

Update........

Returned from our Colorado trip. Took it to the shop. The shop tech and Spartan have determined it is a defective TCM (Transmission Control Module). Apparently a signal is sent to this module for an OK before engine start.

Ordered part............back ordered for 40 days.

Great. Well, at least I can get it started by first turning the key to the right until the engine light goes out, then back to vertical, then all the way right without stopping.

Hope that continues for 40 days.

Thanks for all your input.

Don