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03-20-2017, 11:31 AM
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#1
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Member
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 65
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Diesel cranks, won't start: diagnosed and fixed!
Went to fire up our motorhome a couple of weeks ago and the very reliable Cummins 8.3 would crank but not fire up. Oh oh... 
After thinking about it, I chose to break out the Cummins engine manual and consult the Troubleshooting guide.
One thing I came across was the Fuel-shutoff solenoid. I thought maybe it had died and wasn't opening to allow any fuel to enter the injection pump.
I flipped the bed up so I could observe and listen, then had my wife turn the key on. No click from the shutoff solenoid. HMM, not a good sign. 
I manually lifted the plunger while she turned the key / cranked the engine and it started right up. Okay, issue is the solenoid.
As I am looking around, I notice a wire (in the corrugated protective tubing) just hanging in space. I look at the end of the (white) wire and note that a connector has broken off.  I followed the wire and VOILA!! The wire goes to the fuel cutoff solenoid. Now we're getting somewhere. 
Being that a white wire is often a ground, I looked around and noted a screw that was holding / grounding another wire and noted that there was a broken ring tab peeking out. I removed the screw and found that the broken ring-tab connector was supposed to be on the end of the white wire. 
I cut off the broken end of the wire, soldered a new ring-tab connector in place and screwed it down. Had my lovely assistant crank the engine over the the lovely Cummins clatter erupted from the 8.3 without any further intervention. 
Quick, inexpensive resolution to what I was thinking could have been an expensive problem. Yay for us!!
__________________
Jay and Valerie - 1996 Monaco Dynasty, Count 36FD. Coach #66387 C 8.3-300 hp; Allison 3060, 6.5 LP generator, no slides. New to us (3-30-2015)
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03-20-2017, 11:34 AM
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#2
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Senior Member/RVM #90
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Columbus, MS
Posts: 54,771
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A little common sense goes a long way! Glad you were able to figure out the problem!
__________________
Joe & Annette
Sometimes I sits and thinks, sometimes I just sits.....
2002 Monaco Windsor 40PBT, 2013 Honda CRV AWD
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03-20-2017, 12:11 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Huntingtown, MD
Posts: 834
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Good Info......thanks
__________________
Earl & Sharon, 2008 Fleetwood Expedition, ISB 6.7
1995 Jeep YJ/2013 Chevy Sonic
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03-20-2017, 12:25 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Holiday Rambler Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 596
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Jay, nothing like and older diesel to keep it simple. Glad you are fixed up!
__________________
2002 Holiday Rambler Imperial 40PKD
with Residential refrigerator conversion
2014 Jeep Wrangler in tow, M&G brake system
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03-20-2017, 12:52 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Mo
Posts: 270
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Congratulations!! Always like to hear when someone uses common sense and solves their own problems!!
Good Job 
__________________
Jim and Carol
2005 Monaco Windsor
2010 RAM 1500 Quad Cab 4x4
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03-20-2017, 01:03 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 2,186
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I agree completely YAY for JAY and his lovely assistant 
Thanks for sharing
Ray
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03-20-2017, 01:05 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club Coastal Campers
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 2,164
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BigPapaYams
Went to fire up our motorhome a couple of weeks ago and the very reliable Cummins 8.3 would crank but not fire up. Oh oh...
After thinking about it, I chose to break out the Cummins engine manual and consult the Troubleshooting guide.
One thing I came across was the Fuel-shutoff solenoid. I thought maybe it had died and wasn't opening to allow any fuel to enter the injection pump.
I flipped the bed up so I could observe and listen, then had my wife turn the key on. No click from the shutoff solenoid. HMM, not a good sign.
I manually lifted the plunger while she turned the key / cranked the engine and it started right up. Okay, issue is the solenoid.
As I am looking around, I notice a wire (in the corrugated protective tubing) just hanging in space. I look at the end of the (white) wire and note that a connector has broken off. I followed the wire and VOILA!! The wire goes to the fuel cutoff solenoid. Now we're getting somewhere.
Being that a white wire is often a ground, I looked around and noted a screw that was holding / grounding another wire and noted that there was a broken ring tab peeking out. I removed the screw and found that the broken ring-tab connector was supposed to be on the end of the white wire.
I cut off the broken end of the wire, soldered a new ring-tab connector in place and screwed it down. Had my lovely assistant crank the engine over the the lovely Cummins clatter erupted from the 8.3 without any further intervention.
Quick, inexpensive resolution to what I was thinking could have been an expensive problem. Yay for us!! |
Where is the shutoff solenoid?
Jeff
2001 Dynasty Regent tag axle
Cummins 350 8.3 ISC
2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland
FMCA ENERGIZED Task Force Chairman
__________________
Jeff
2001 Monaco Dynasty tag axle
2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee
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03-20-2017, 01:34 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,179
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You might consider going out and buying a lottery ticket... you must be covered in good fortune to get your issue resolved that easy.
Those great big chunks of iron & steel never-ever seem to give up their secrets easy (or inexpensively).
Congrats!
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03-20-2017, 05:35 PM
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#9
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Member
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 65
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Location of fuel cutoff solenoid
Jeff - the location of the cutoff solenoid on MY rig is attached to the fuel injection pump itself by two brackets. It is on the passenger side / right side of the rig, up on top with three wires running to it (mine are protected by some of that corrugated split down the middle tubing). Wires are less than 1-foot long.
See the attached drawing from Cummins Quikserve Online (for my engine).
__________________
Jay and Valerie - 1996 Monaco Dynasty, Count 36FD. Coach #66387 C 8.3-300 hp; Allison 3060, 6.5 LP generator, no slides. New to us (3-30-2015)
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03-20-2017, 05:46 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Country Coach Owners Club Solo Rvers Club iRV2 No Limits Club
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Vancouver, WA
Posts: 37,725
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Diesels require four things to run:
1. Some way to turn them over
2. Air
3. Fuel
4. Compression
__________________
2009 45' Magna 630 w/Cummins ISX 650 HP/1950 Lbs Ft, HWH Active Air
Charter Good Sam Lifetime Member, FMCA,
RV'ing since 1957, NRA Benefactor Life, towing '21 Jeep JLU Rubicon Ecodiesel
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03-20-2017, 07:03 PM
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#11
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Member
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Fort Worth, TX
Posts: 41
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr_D
Diesels require four things to run:
1. Some way to turn them over
2. Air
3. Fuel
4. Compression
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And the electronic engines need the black box to say everything's is OK before it sends fuel to the injectors☺
__________________
Steve & Sandy
2003 Foretravel 4220, Cummins 450hp ISM
2016 F150 SCREW 4x4, 2013 Crusader 295 RST
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03-20-2017, 07:17 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Where ever I park it
Posts: 1,345
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Just keep in mind that if you only turn the key to the run position the solenoid will not pull up. There are three wires going to it. One is the wire that puts power to the run coil (used to hold the plunger up for it to run), one puts power to the start coil (the one that actually pulls it up), and the ground wire.
__________________
2005 Dodge Ram Four Door Dually Southern Comfort Conversion
2017 Forest River 365RK
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03-20-2017, 08:45 PM
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#13
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Community Moderator
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Point Pleasant Beach, NJ
Posts: 31,518
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Don['t you just love it when it's an easy fix?
__________________
Tony & Ruth........... FMCA#F416727
2016 London Aire 4519, Freightliner chassis, Cummins ISX, 2018 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, Blue Ox Avail with AF1. TST 507 TPMS
No amount of money can buy you an extra second of time.
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03-20-2017, 10:28 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Fleetwood Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: northern IL
Posts: 2,557
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Nice job! And I'm sure a great feeling of accomplishment.
__________________
2014 Fleetwood Bounder 35k
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