Pac Brake

[Barrier2]

Hello all, I have a question about engaging my Pac Brake. I have a 2001 Monaco Dynasty 36' without aqua heat. My coach has the Pac Brake button on the Floor. I was looking in my owners today and saw a switch
on the dashboard marked Engine Brake. My coach does not have this switch amongst the other 5 switches. The only control is the floor mounted Pac Brake button.
Do any of you with similar Dynasty models have that Engine Brake Switch as well as the floor button?
Barrier

[rmmpe]

Not having an absolute answer, I'll offer this as just a comment:
I suspect your Pac Brake was an aftermarket installation wired with the foot switch. If so, a switch elsewhere may not be present because your Pac Brake is not controlled by the engine or transmission computers.

Question:
Does your transmission shift down when you step on the foot switch?

[Barrier2]

Thanks for the response rmmpe, All my Manuals and info sheets list the Pac Brake as standard equipment for 2001?
As for shifting down it does, but I think I notied that you have to hit the switch each time you start the Engine. I am not that familiar with driving a Diesel Pusher. I know it works and as I said the Manuals and info sheets do not explain fully.
Barrier

[rmmpe]

Please understand I'm doing a bit of guessing with the following.

Your switch may be a press on-press off type (like the floor mounted headlight dimmer switch on older cars) in combination with a relay rather than a normally open (momentary press on-release off) switch. If this is correct, it simply replaces the on-off switch often found on a control panel.

Should you rather have hand-operated switch on a panel, install a single pole-single throw (on-off) switch connected in parallel with the floor mounted switch. Be aware though that because either switch can activate the Pac Brake feature, you may have difficulty determining if the Pac Brake is armed until it actuates.

If you do install a hand operated switch, I suggest removing the floor mounted switch after you install the panel mounted switch or install an LED light to indicate if the circuit is armed (some rocker type SPST switches have an LED indicator light).

Do you have an electrical schematic?

[Barrier2]

Thank you very much Bob. I have the schematic, I will check that.
I think that explains what I have been experiencing. I would press on the floor switch and it would seem to work. If I then accelerated and then released the accelerator it would not seem to be on. That is what confused me in the operation. I assumed that by pressing the floor switch the Pac Brake would stay engaged if I accelerated or braked until I pressed it again, that was not happening. People I spoke with advised using it all the time as did the Pamphlet. I suppose that means engaging when wanted.
When I saw mention of the dash switch in my manual I was further confused since my Coach did not have one . I guess production changed after my manual was written. Do you know why they changed that?
Barrier

[rmmpe]

Barrier,
It could have been a request by the original owner if your rig was a "made to order" unit.

Some people prefer to have it foot actuated rather than it be required to remove your hand from the wheel to turn on the Pac Brake/downshift circuit. That way you must make a conscious effort to energize the downshift/Pak Brake circuit.

Personally, I don't like that because I don't believe I'll always have the time to make that effort when I need immediate maximum braking (I'll probably have other things requiring my attention).

What I'd try is, when on a long downhill, remove your foot from the accelerator pedal. After a delay of 5 seconds or so, step on the foot switch to see if it shifts down and the Pac Brake closes. Keep in mind that the transmission doesn't always immediately shift down or the Pac Brake apply.

My Alpine's brake lights didn't illuminate when the downshift/Pac Brake circuit activated. As I wanted that to happen, I installed an air pressure switch to illuminate the brakes lights upon downshift/Pac Brake activation (deceleration is deceleration). Power to the pressure switch comes from a fused hot wire directly from the battery normally powering the brake lights. That way, when the pressure switch closes all it does is parallel the brake light circuit.
I also ran power from the cold side of the brake light switch to an LED indicator I installed in the instrument cluster, which illuminates whenever the brake lights illuminate, regardless of whether it's by pushing the brake pedal or actuated by the pressure switch.

In short, whether the solenoid opens to provide pressure to the Pac Brake or I push the brake pedal, the LED on the dash illuminates.

If your rig's brake lights illuminate when the downshift/Pac Brake circuit activates, you can do the same thing regarding the slave LED indicator wired from the brake switch's cold side.

Lastly, this may be more properly addressed on a personal e-mail basis rather than on this forum. If you feel it is so and nobody else watches this thread, contact me directly at rmmpe@yahoo.com. I'll be glad to help in any way I can. Up to and including drawing a new schematic for the application.
If someone else is interested in this topic, post that on the topic and we can stay with it here.

[Barrier2]

Thanks for the reply. I will be in touch by email.
You brought up an interesting topic about "made to order". I have posted elsewhere about breaking my water fill door and the need to repaint that part with the correct color and how to get it mixed. The color scheme I have for my coach is not the same as the other ones I have seen. there seems to be a different pattern with a change of one of the colors. This does not matter for the paint I need, but it might answer the reason for the Pac Brake switch. Were "made to order" coaches done regularly by Monaco?
thanks again
Barrier

[rmmpe]

It may be a custom color.
But, any paint shop should be able to match it by using color chips.

[Happycarz]

Barrier2,
On early Monacos the exhaust brake (PacBrake) was activated by a momentary foot switch, with the driver having to select a lower gear. The next generation had the same foot switch with the transmission automatically selecting a lower gear when activating the exhaust brake. Then came the engine brake (Jake Brake) that was turned on/off with the dash/console switch. When on and the engine brake would activate automatically after a few seconds of no throttle and select a lower gear. Now both the exhuast brake and the engine brake use the dash switch.
About the time you coach was built, both brakes were offered. So, some had the floor switch and some had the dash switch, which makes for a confusing manual.
Once you get used to the floor switch, it will become second nature.

[rmmpe]

Assuming the foot switch was interlocked to prevent downshift/Pac Brake actuation from occurring under throttle when the foot switch was pushed, it makes sense to me.

[Diplomat Don]

Barrier2......I'm going to throw some confusion in here. It seems odd that when you step on the foot switch that it activates the exhaust brake, but you have to do it again after acceleration. It should still be activated. The reason for this might be that someone added a "Brake Switch" (aftermarket product) to your system. If you have one, it will be a small 1" x 1" metal box with wires and the words "Brake Switch" on it, probably in the bay below your driver's window.

On a lot of the coaches when you turned the exhaust brake on it eliminated your abillity to use the cruise control until it was turned off. The "Brake Switch" solved that issue. If the "Brake Switch" is installed, it's actuated by momentarilly touching the brake pedal and the exhaust brake is turned on. Touch the throttle and it's turned off. This might explain why your exhaust brake doesn't engage until you hit the switch again. Try tapping the brake pedal......Just a thought.

[Happycarz]

Don,
I had two Dynasty's that had only the foot switch like Barrier2. The foot switch is the only way to engage the PacBrake. When you have the foot switch, you don't have a dash on/off switch. This is a momentary switch and only activates the PacBrake when depressed. When you let up, the brake goes off and the transmission selects 6th gear.

[rmmpe]

Don/Happy,

I that case installing a SPST switch in parallel will work as described above.

I cannot speak to the "Brake Switch" application/installation because my Alpine's Cruise control over-rides the the downshift/Pac Brake activation until I step on the brake. There must be a relay in series with the downshift/Pac Brake circuit to interrupt it until the Cruise control is deenergized. Either way, it works fine.

[EngineerMike]

Barrier- sounds like you would love the Brakeswitch, which will turn your brake light signal into the actuator for your PacBrake. You can still use the foot switch if you like, and you could install an on/off switch on the Brakeswitch wiring if you would like auto-PacBrake (On) or foot-switch-only (Off).