Community Forums

lgdillon · 09-19-2019, 11:00 AM

I am in desperate need of help. We have a 2003 Monaco Executive with a little over 100,000 miles. My problems began about 6 years ago when we had a left front tire blowout. When the tire blew, it hit the front run box and knocked the VIP Smart Wheel Control Module off the inside of the front run box. I repaired the front box and resealed it as well as remount the VIP Control Module. Everything seemed to work fine. Then we started to have problems with the cruise control deactivating once and a while. It soon progressed to the windshield wipers stopping on their own after operating for a short period of time. At this point I installed and new VIP Smart Wheel control module. Everything worked fine again for a short period of time. Then the same issues started again along with a few other problems. The front cab blower started to act up. The blower motor would start up and run for a period and then shut off. The strange thing is when the blower motor stopped, the compass on the front dash would go out until I turned the blower switch off at which time the compass would come back on. I installed another new VIP Smart Wheel Control Module with the same results as the last time. Cruise and wipers worked for a little while and then started to act up again to the point the cruise control and wipers would not work at all. I sent the VIP Smart Controller Module back to the manufacturer and they said it was not working so they sent me a new. I installed the new controller only to find out the cruise control and wipers to not work. The horn and both the front and back courtesy light flashers are do work. When I press the cruise control on/off button, the cruise indicator light on the dash would come on and then go out again. In addition, when I would hit a wiper control button on the steering wheel, the compass would turn off and stay off until I would unplug and reattach the power connector wires. As a side note, I have removed and tested the blower motor and it functions properly. I have replaced the resistor unit on the blower system. I have installed a new wiper motor. I have also moved the VIP Control Module to inside the coach from the front run box. The manufacturer said that the module should be inside the coach because it is very susceptible to moisture. The wiring diagram for the coach even has a note stating the module should be installed inside the coach. I have called the REV Group, but they are no help because they have no one from the old Monaco Company on staff and they do not have any experience with Monaco coaches. This whole experience has got me perplexed.

RamiDav · 09-19-2019, 01:11 PM

Wow, what a mess. Since the blower motor, at least on my coach is not a
smart wheel controlled device, I asked myself how could they be related?
The only thing that comes to mind is maybe a ground issue.
Have you looked into grounding everything?
Is the module grounded? If not run a dedicated ground to the module.
I would make sure the blower motor has its own dedicated ground too.
Also, locate all the grounds even those at the chassis ( frame ),
clean all thoroughly ( wire brush ) and make sure all are tight.
My coach has a ground strip outside above the generator yours may be inside,
look at those grounds too.

RustyTools · 09-19-2019, 01:25 PM

A bad ground issue(s) came to mind immediately, too.
Getting sidetracked with stuff like the bad VIP module can easily mask an underlying problem, making it all even more complicated to diagnose and fix.

Good luck, and keep us posted.

8.3Oilbuner · 09-19-2019, 03:19 PM

Hi Lgdillon: As for the blower, that's a good one. I will agree with RamiDav & RustyTools that there could be a grounding issue and they both have given great advice on checking the grounds. I have read here about owners with the Smart Wheel sometimes have a connection problem with the harness at the bottom of the steering column. Has this been checked that all connections at that plug are good and tight? Also it would seem strange to happen at the same time as the tire blowout, but has the clock spring in the steering column been eliminated as a cause to the problems you have been having. I thing both items I have mentioned are upstream from the controller. These things came to mind reading your post. Hope this is some helpful information!

Outbound · 09-19-2019, 03:34 PM

I was having a problem with my blower motor and found one of the white ground wires in front run compartment came loose, might want to check there, that is where blower ground terminates on my 02 Exec.

lgdillon · 09-19-2019, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 8.3Oilbuner

Hi Lgdillon: As for the blower, that's a good one. I will agree with RamiDav & RustyTools that there could be a grounding issue and they both have given great advice on checking the grounds. I have read here about owners with the Smart Wheel sometimes have a connection problem with the harness at the bottom of the steering column. Has this been checked that all connections at that plug are good and tight? Also it would seem strange to happen at the same time as the tire blowout, but has the clock spring in the steering column been eliminated as a cause to the problems you have been having. I thing both items I have mentioned are upstream from the controller. These things came to mind reading your post. Hope this is some helpful information!

We did a continuity check on the four wires coming from the smart wheel to the connection midway down the steering column and all checked out. We then check from that connection to the connection to the control module and all is good there.

I found two grounding blocks in the front run box. I removed each ground wire and made sure they were clean and then reinstalled. I then ran a ground wire to each ground block and grounded the wire to a good ground on the chassis. There could be some grounding blocks mounted on the firewall under the dash that I will look for and check.

The one thing that is common amongst all the problems is the fact they are all suppose to work with the key in the on position.

Tomorrow I am going to test some of the relay switches located in the front run box that are associated with some of the systems that are not working.

Thanks to each of you for the suggestion. I really appreciate your help.

79cvx20 · 09-20-2019, 09:04 AM

I'll go with RamiDav & RustyTools. Continuity testing is an outdated process. Nowadays, good mechanics use a voltage drop test which is actually pretty simple if you have a digital voltmeter. I'm sure you only need to test the ground side. Google "voltage drop test". It has to be done with the circuits loaded, in other words being used. If you don't have a long enough test lead to go back to the battery compartment just test from the ground bus bar to the frame. When that box got torn up did you use any crimp connectors or scotch locks? If so, get rid of them and solder the connections.

Vanwill · 09-20-2019, 11:02 AM

X4 on the grounding issue, especially after a catastrophic blow to the FRB. I've owned two Dynastys. The first was a 1993. After owning it a short time, my butthole drew up every time I left my driveway...waiting for some new electrical gremlin to surface, occasionally putting me on the side of the road. Bill Duckwitz, a wise crusty ol' buzzard, advised me to take a whole weekend, if necessary, and "renew" every single connection on my coach.

It DID take almost all weekend on the 1993. I unplugged every relay, removed every fuse, loosened every connection. I sprayed each with WD-40 and reconnected. Probably the most likely issues were from the multitude of ground busses on that coach. Some of them are very hard to get to. I think most Monaco's have at least one ground buss behind the instrument panel and one on the firewall behind the generator. On every single ground buss bar I found screws that had loosened. Long story short, after that weekend, Praise the Lord, the old bus never so much as had an electrical hiccup for the five years I owned it.

When I bought my current coach, a 2000 Dynasty, I performed the same "preventive maintenance" to it. To this day, I've not had a single electrical gremlin. I've done this procedure for two friends with random electrical problems. It also solved their issues.

Will this solve your issue? Not sure. But I'd sure give it a try.

Van W
2000 Dynasty 36 pulling one Harley
Southeastern NC

lgdillon · 09-20-2019, 05:48 PM

Good news. We now have a blower that works and everything on the smart wheel with the exception of cruise control works. The issue was a solenoid in the front run box that needed replacing.

Beside the 2 ground blocks in the front run box, there is three more behind the front dash.

Thanks to all that helped.

RustyTools · 09-21-2019, 05:58 AM

Glad to hear you got it fixed. And thanks for the update, it helps to hear what the solution was.

RamiDav · 09-21-2019, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lgdillon

Good news. We now have a blower that works and everything on the smart wheel with the exception of cruise control works. The issue was a solenoid in the front run box that needed replacing.

Beside the 2 ground blocks in the front run box, there is three more behind the front dash.

Thanks to all that helped.

Glad to here you found the problem .
I'm sure you feel much better

Can you tell which solenoid it was and what its job or label is ?

My cruise will not set if the exhaust brake switch is on .

rpasetto · 09-21-2019, 10:55 AM

@lgdillon, Glad you found the issue. It's a good idea to check and tighten all your ground connections. I usually do when I am working in an area near one of them I need to take @VanWill's advice myself and methodically check them all.

On my 03 Dynasty, there is a White Rodgers solenoid-type relay in the front run box (see attachment) which is controlled by ignition. Your exec is probably the same. I've replaced mine a few years back, now keep a few spares. Those Bosh-type relays go too so a few spares of those are aq good idea to carry as well.

Hope this helps you in the future.

rpasetto · 09-21-2019, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RamiDav

Glad to here you found the problem .

...................................

My cruise will not set if the exhaust brake switch is on .

The Cruise-Engine-Brake issue is probably worth a whole thread. Mine'sbeen like that since I bought the coach, that is, engine brake disables cruise. WIth some coaches, activating cruise will shut off engine brake and as soon as one hits the service brakes, cruise goes off and the engine brake comes back on. I think it was set up that way by design.

I recall asking various Monaco reps about changine it at the tech seminars of MI rallys, back when they had such things. I never go an answer but would love to know how it could be changed. If you ever get a solution, post that in a new thread. It would be valuable I am sure, to many who have Cruise-Engine-Brake set up like ours.

shootist · 09-21-2019, 02:43 PM

The engine brake kicking the cruise out was done for safety. Your foot on that switch means you want to slow down, bouncing your foot once or twice and having the cruise trying to engage and accelerate you would not be good.