Community Forums

hillboy · 07-25-2015, 07:43 AM

MH at an RV dealer for roof repair. No start with the little gear symbol and exclamination point. Not sure if one has anything to do with the other.
I am 150 miles away so cell conversation with service tec only info.
It is in a lot so no emergency but any info or thoughts would be welcome.
Allison six speed Cummins ISC 350 2001 MADP

hillboy · 07-25-2015, 08:03 AM

I probably should have posted this in the Allison forum.

"007" · 07-25-2015, 12:34 PM

Moved to Allison forum

HD4Mark · 07-25-2015, 12:43 PM

Ours would not start because of the Allison trans. Check to see if the shifter has 12V to it. It will not light up when the ignition is on if not.

It turned out the wire from the TCM (transmission control module) is broken somewhere from the back to the shifter. Any ignition switched 12V source will fix it. No need to run a new one all the way to the back or find the break if that is the problem. The tough part will be to figure out which wire it is.

hillboy · 07-26-2015, 05:52 AM

thanks.

Which wire is it?
Do you have the touch pad?

HD4Mark · 07-26-2015, 06:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hillboy

thanks.

Which wire is it?
Do you have the touch pad?

I'm not sure which wire. The Allison tech ran a new one all the way from the back temporarily to get us going. He used a red wire so it was easy to figure out. There is some kind of code on the wiring harness but they all looked white to me so I guess they are marked some way.

We do have the touch pad. If yours lights up with the ignition switch on, that is probably not the problem.

The first thing I would try is to make sure the connectors on the shifter and the TCM are tight. I'm not sure where the TCM is on your coach but ours is hidden behind a door, passenger side, next to the radiator.

There also may be a fuse on the 12V supply to the TCM. Ours in an inline fuse holder connected right on the battery.

The Allison tech also told us the touch pad shifters almost never go bad. He said the only ones he has seen were on city buses that the window was left open and it rained on it repeatedly.

Allison is very protective with their diagnostic software so if it comes down to that you may not be able to find a non-Allison tech that can work on it. When ours first would not start Good Sam sent a roadside tech that cost us $300 to tell us we needed an Allison tech.

hillboy · 07-26-2015, 11:41 AM

Thanks again. All good to know.

So far not easy to find Allison tec info in the Binghamton area where the MH is sitting. Tomorrow we have to head out there and search up some on to take a look if clearing the codes does not do it.
It could also just be something old school like a starter solenoid etc. We dropped it off for some roof work and when they went to move it inside they had a "no start".

We have been through Cicero a number of times on rt. 11 I think was. We are west of Albany a bit. I guess we all know about snow but the Syracuse area always seems to get a little extra,

hillboy · 07-27-2015, 03:23 PM

when you say your mh wouldn't start do you mean it would not crank or that it would crank but not start?

Thanks any info.

Scotty1973 · 07-27-2015, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HD4Mark

I'm not sure which wire. The Allison tech ran a new one all the way from the back temporarily to get us going. He used a red wire so it was easy to figure out. There is some kind of code on the wiring harness but they all looked white to me so I guess they are marked some way.

We do have the touch pad. If yours lights up with the ignition switch on, that is probably not the problem.

The first thing I would try is to make sure the connectors on the shifter and the TCM are tight. I'm not sure where the TCM is on your coach but ours is hidden behind a door, passenger side, next to the radiator.

There also may be a fuse on the 12V supply to the TCM. Ours in an inline fuse holder connected right on the battery.

The Allison tech also told us the touch pad shifters almost never go bad. He said the only ones he has seen were on city buses that the window was left open and it rained on it repeatedly.

Allison is very protective with their diagnostic software so if it comes down to that you may not be able to find a non-Allison tech that can work on it. When ours first would not start Good Sam sent a roadside tech that cost us $300 to tell us we needed an Allison tech.

I would start with fuses.

If you have a display on your shift selector I would try to get any codes out. Push the up / down arrows simultaneously until you see D1 followed by 4 numbers. EG D12212. It seems as though you would have WTEC III transmission so your shifter would only have 1 red display. You will need to carefully write down what is being flashed out. It will be D1 then four numbers and will cycle through and start at D1 again. Once you have that code sorted, push the mode button and you may get D2. It will either be followed by four numbers or a -. if it has a code again write it down, and then mode button again. keep checking for codes until you get a -. When you get a D2,3,4 or 5 followed by a dash it means no more codes.

May be hard if you are not there. Indecently did anyone do any welding on the roof when they were repairing it?

hillboy · 07-28-2015, 02:22 AM

Thanks for that.I did try to get the codes and to clear them. Not much luck. Hard to translate with the key pad I have. The warning light goes away when it is running, at least it did when it would start.
Spent a good while checking every fuse in the MH (my experience is that the lables on fuse locations may not be accurate. I checked the micro fuse labled "trans" in passenger side compartment forward of the rear wheel . it was ok and the it had power. I do have lights on the touch pad.

HD4Mark · 07-28-2015, 06:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hillboy

I do have lights on the touch pad.

I replied to your PM. Ours did not have any lights so I don't think it can be the same problem.

Looks like the closest Allison service Penn Diesel in Syracuse from your home or where the MH is. Not real close either way.

Hope it is not the TCM, they are about a $1500 item.

The tech that worked on ours tried running a new power feed direct from the batteries to the TCM, no go. One problem I see is figuring out what wire is what without a diagram. He also had a special tool to crimp on the pins in the plug. He had tried a new TCM then after a long trip to get one a new shifter and neither one worked. It was like he was throwing parts at it.

If you end up having an Allison tech come out to the MH to diagnose it, ask them firmly to bring both a TCM and a shifter. We argued that we paid $135 an hour for a 7 hour round trip to get a part we did not need. We finally got a $700 credit after having Visa dispute the charge. This was Florida Detroit Diesel - Allison in Miami not Penn in Syracuse.

hillboy · 07-28-2015, 07:06 AM

HD4Mark
Thst's good advice on parts. Only place I called that made sense was Syracuse Allison, but they said it would have to be towed in because it would have to be put on a lift. Don't see why but we will see.
Appreciate your efforts.