P-30 Chassis Starter Issues

[klewisking]

Good morning
New Here so hopefully I am doing this correctly. Also new to RV. I have a 2001 Coachman Pathfinder sport Class A P-30 Chassis and Chevy Workhorse Drive Train.
When I turn the key to start I have dash instrument lights and I here a click.
I checked the Cables to the battery and appear to be great connections. Recharged the the battery to be sure.
It had been working with no issues.
I moved the shifter from park to neutral and heard the (assuming the electric brake motor) Returned to park and the same thing turn the key click and lights on
I went an bought a new starter but thought I would check any other possibilities before installing.
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

[Soppy]

Try to start it in neutral. Hold the key in the start position and wiggle the shifter. The clicking you hear may just be a relay under the dash. Have someone outside on the right side where the starter is and listen for the click on the starter. You could have a bad ignition switch , neutral safety switch , bad connection on the starter or bad starter/solenoid . You could jumper the starter by connecting a jumper wire to the small terminal on the starter to the positive of the battery. Be sure the vehicle is in PARK .

[randyrv]

While you have your foot on brake and in park hold the key in the start position and have a friend tap the starter solenoid with a hammer, if it cranks and starts replace the starter.

[MoCoTom]

Ask a moderator to move your post to the Workhorse chassis forum, you will find many P-30 knowledgeable people there. I think I read posts about bad ignition switch on that model

[JohnRR]

Thread moved.

[tomwalt]

First, that electric motor you hear when in neutral is your "AutoPark" hydraulic pump for the parking brake release - this should run for about 5 sec (unless the Yellow Park Brake triangle is pulled. Listen for it every time you go out of Park.

Here are a couple links to info that may assist you. The manuals are large .pdf files - I download them to a laptop or removable disk to have handy:

Manuals: Workhorse Technical Info
Starter Switch Info: http://www.irv2.com/forums/f22/stran...ch-284988.html
OMEY's handy site: Oemy's Web Site - Tech Tips

VIN reference (You may have a 2000 P32 chassis under your 2001 motorhome: https://www.ultrarvproducts.com/inde...formation_id=5

[Full.Monte]

Check your interlock module on the side of the transmission outboard on the left (driver) side. If it has worked loose, you need to push it back into place.
The starter won't work if this unit is not pushed all the way into the side of the transmission.

[John Lorang]

Originally Posted by klewisking

Good morning
New Here so hopefully I am doing this correctly. Also new to RV. I have a 2001 Coachman Pathfinder sport Class A P-30 Chassis and Chevy Workhorse Drive Train.
When I turn the key to start I have dash instrument lights and I here a click.
I checked the Cables to the battery and appear to be great connections. Recharged the the battery to be sure.
It had been working with no issues.
I moved the shifter from park to neutral and heard the (assuming the electric brake motor) Returned to park and the same thing turn the key click and lights on
I went an bought a new starter but thought I would check any other possibilities before installing.
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

I had the same issue.. Turned out to be the ground strap between the chassis and the motor. I measured 7 volts between the motor and frame when starting.

I fixed the problem for good. I went to the local car parts store and got the longest/heavy battery cable with lugs on both end. I took out a starter bold, cleaned the flange. Installed the cable with the starter bolt with out star lock washer. Roughted the cable up the C channel. The cable did not reach the battery. Found a empty hole in the frame near the end of the cable. I measured the distance from the battery negative post and the frame hole. Back to parts store for a another cable to fit the battery.
Cleaned the frame of dirt, rust and paint. Installed the cables to the hole with a outside star washer between the cable ends and the frame to get the best connections to the frame. I coated the bolts and cable connected with Ignition Sealer (a varnish like paint) to seal the connections. Starter now spins the motor with great authority.

PS. The outside star washer are what the military require for ground connection.. They work great. Fixed a number of ground problems with then.

[tomwalt]

Originally Posted by John Lorang

Installed the cable with the starter bolt with out star lock washer.

PS. The outside star washer are what the military require for ground connection.. They work great. Fixed a number of ground problems with then.

Would you please clarify this. Seems you did not use a star lock washer but your military experience recommends it.

P.S. my battery cables all have lock washers but not star washers.

[John Lorang]

Originally Posted by tomwalt

Would you please clarify this. Seems you did not use a star lock washer but your military experience recommends it.

P.S. my battery cables all have lock washers but not star washers.

The battery cable connection to the battery may not but I like using the star washer the teeth that point out on all my ground connections.

I even find factory wiring lugs with built in barbs on my Jeep for ground connections.

I worked for Lockheed Martin in one of there electronics plants.
We had to use the star washer on all wire to ground connections.

[tomwalt]

Thanks. I like to use star washers too, but I was just wondering about you comment. P.S. I retired from LM 7 years ago.

[Charlie 5320]

Originally Posted by klewisking

Good morning
New Here so hopefully I am doing this correctly. Also new to RV. I have a 2001 Coachman Pathfinder sport Class A P-30 Chassis and Chevy Workhorse Drive Train.
When I turn the key to start I have dash instrument lights and I here a click.
I checked the Cables to the battery and appear to be great connections. Recharged the the battery to be sure.
It had been working with no issues.
I moved the shifter from park to neutral and heard the (assuming the electric brake motor) Returned to park and the same thing turn the key click and lights on
I went an bought a new starter but thought I would check any other possibilities before installing.
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Take the ground strap off of the left head to frame and clean them both up real good, before replacing the starter. A couple of my older P30 chassis coachs had this problem.