Community Forums

AE Gary · 08-31-2014, 09:19 AM

My '92 American Eagle has developed a intermittent starting problem. Thank god that this started in my driveway and not in the middle of the Nevada desert. I was installing a brake actuator for my car hauler trailer and was starting the main engine several times to hook up the trailer and parking it. The next time I went to start it, nothing, like I had it in gear and the safety switch was activated, which it was not. I started trouble shooting by turning the switch on and jumpered the remote solenoid located on the passenger side of the panel next to the rear wheel. I had replaced it acouple of months ago as the bottom of it was rusty. Applying the jumper got me no response from the starter however it did manage to burn out the coil on the fuel shut down solenoid at a cost of $330. I got my wife to to use the key to try to start it while I was checking things under the engine and about the third time it started, before that no clicking of the starter or nothing. I started it a half a dozen times and no problem. The next day (yesterday) I went out and tried to start it and back to nothing. I had called Spartan and asked for a schematic on the starting system and they said it would only be a generic one at best, still have not got even that. Has any one out there have one on this system??? I expect that it is either the starter switch, which with my wife I can check out by checking for power at the remote solenoid, or my starter solenoid, or starter has a problem. When it does start there is no heisitation or nothing it fires right up. If anyone else has experienced this, what did you find?

Skip426 · 08-31-2014, 11:01 AM

I've had to replace 3 starter relays ( the remote solenoid ) in 4 years of owning my coach. Finally wired in a by-pass so I didn't have to go under the coach to by-pass it.
There is a possibility the internal contacts in the starter mounted solenoid are in trouble, but you usually would hear a click at the starter, with no cranking when they go bad. If you have a Denso starter, the contacts can be checked and replaced with the starter in place.

AE Gary · 08-31-2014, 04:26 PM

Thanks for the info. I went under to remove the starter and found that the mounting bolts must be a 12 or 13 mm 12 point as my 1/2 twelve point slipped. I was looking at removing the solenoid because, like you I was thinking that the contact disk was probably arced real bad after 220k miles. Looking at the room to work it would be a Braille job a best I was also thinking of installing a push button right to the starter solenoid so I could by pass the remote one also.
gary

DieselTech39 · 08-31-2014, 04:34 PM

Gary, Just a thought...CHeck and make sure your ground strap and ground cables are secure and making good contact. Nothing at all suggest the circuit is not getting completed somewhere. Best of luck in finding a solution.

Skip426 · 08-31-2014, 11:35 PM

Dodge Cummins, ISB , starters were mounted with a bolt that had a 10mm , 12point head. Larger engine might use a larger bolt , but 1/2 , 12 point wouldn't slip on a 13mm, 12 point, they are almost identical size.

AE Gary · 09-01-2014, 05:51 PM

Thanks Ken, yes that's the first place that I checked. Skip, Yes I thought that was the case also, my wife told me at 70 I was to old to be crawling around under the MH, I had to agree, taking it in tomorrow at the truck shop and have them do it. If it starts again.

I will let you know the outcome, the starters look to be $300 give or take. Thanks guys

Skip426 · 09-01-2014, 06:02 PM

You mean , I'm going to have to stop fixing my own rig in 5 years.

Just kidding, what ever you're ; she's ; comfortable with.
Fingers crossed that it's an easy fix.

Ray,IN · 09-09-2014, 07:37 PM

Just read a post about the same problem a few days ago. The fix__, removed the ground straps/cables, cleaned everything, replaced=problem solved.

AE Gary · 09-23-2014, 08:25 PM

I had the starter replaced and so far it starts every time. In the process I had a extra wire installed on the "s" side of the starter solenoid and I will install a remote start switch to bypass the remote little solenoid that some of you have had problems with. Thanks for all of the advice. And yes Skip it could be your turn in 5 yrs--or so. Hope not though. I was under it today checking for the cracked staring gear mount and found that mine was ok. However I did discover that the front spring clamp nuts were all loose, not good, fixing that now.