Community Forums

Jeepmann · 08-13-2019, 11:55 AM

Hi everyone! I just bought a 2008 Fleetwood Providence 40x with the 360 Cummins in it. We did our first trip this weekend flat towing my Jeep Wrangler. I don’t have the actual temps but just going by the gauge it seems to get a little warm but I am new diesels and not sure if there should or will be fluctuation with temps. It would typically run just over the half mark when idiling or around town. When on the highway around 60-65 mph it would climb to about the 3/4 mark on the gauge then drop back down when the fan came on. It this normal? Should I be checking something out? What are others using to monitor actual temps instead of just a gauge?

BigEvi · 08-13-2019, 12:28 PM

I have a Cat C7 330hp and it runs less than half on the gauge. The gauge needle does move visibly a couple needle widths up and down. But I dont think it ever goes over half. I dont tow though.

-E

Crasher · 08-13-2019, 12:28 PM

Perfectly normal. My 450 cummins will stay around 185* until increased power is needed. It will then slowly climb up to 210* when the fan kicks into high speed. Then it will drop back to 185* when the high speed turns off and if the extra power is still needed, the temp will start a slow climb to 210 and it all happens again. On a long climb, it might just cool down to 205* and stay there till the power is reduced. That's the way cummins has designed it.

Jeepmann · 08-13-2019, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crasher

Perfectly normal. My 450 cummins will stay around 185* until increased power is needed. It will then slowly climb up to 210* when the fan kicks into high speed. Then it will drop back to 185* when the high speed turns off and if the extra power is still needed, the temp will start a slow climb to 210 and it all happens again. On a long climb, it might just cool down to 205* and stay there till the power is reduced. That's the way cummins has designed it.

Ok thank you, good to hear. How do you monitor your temps? Do you have a readout or using something aftermarket?

NCC-1701A · 08-13-2019, 12:42 PM

My three diesels all had not only the analog gauge with just marks, like yours seems to be, but also a digital that you could select as part of your measurements via the Light Bar Control Unit (LBCU) which is pretty standard on Freightliner chassis.

Do you have something that looks like this? If so, you can choose what shows up there including engine temp.

Jim_HiTek · 08-13-2019, 12:50 PM

Don't know for sure about Spartan chassis but with a Freightliner, they have graphics and list temps for various needle positions on their dash gauge in the Users Guide.

**Lt Dan** · 08-13-2019, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeepmann

Ok thank you, good to hear. How do you monitor your temps? Do you have a readout or using something aftermarket?

A ScanGauge D is your best investment since Analog gauges are a crap shoot. It lets you monitor several engine functions at a reasonable price. It can display four at a time and you can scroll through the others. I display Instant MPG, Avg MPG, FWT (coolant) and TFT (transmission temp) all the time. A SilverLeaf system lets you monitor more functions at a time but at a higher cost. My 380 Cummins is similar to Crasher. It runs about 185-188 normally. When the temp climbs to 209 the fan goes into high and the temps drop back to normal.

Jeepmann · 08-13-2019, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NCC-1701A

My three diesels all had not only the analog gauge with just marks, like yours seems to be, but also a digital that you could select as part of your measurements via the Light Bar Control Unit (LBCU) which is pretty standard on Freightliner chassis.

Do you have something that looks like this? If so, you can choose what shows up there including engine temp.

Yes I have a freightliner chassis with a display like that but I only see trans temp. Maybe I need to play with it a little.

znt1186 · 08-13-2019, 01:05 PM

ScanGauge D reads actual temps from ECM. Yes, they do fluctuate on a regular basis. My temps on previous Cummins ISC would range from about 194 to 208 and drop back down to 194 when fan came on. When fan controller went bad, the fan stayed on high and temps ran about 185 constantly. When it was replaced, it went back to 194 to 208. Current ISL runs between 200 and 213 or so. FYI, analog gauges are about worthless as far as actual temps are concerned.

powerboatr · 08-13-2019, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeepmann

Yes I have a freightliner chassis with a display like that but I only see trans temp. Maybe I need to play with it a little.

yep, you can scroll through many parameters to view
i believe eng temp is in the same tab down when you see the eng rpm, it goes through temp, oil pressure volts etc.
mine runs right at 190 to 212 all the time
fan kicks on at or close to 210 ans runs till around 185. i used to watch the dash gauge and get excited, then i started looking at actual temps on the lbu display

Peto · 08-13-2019, 01:20 PM

I have an Edge CTS monitor in my diesel truck and when towing I monitor Coolant Temp, Oil Temp, Turbo EGT's and Transmission Temp.

It will do so much more but that how I use it on the average trip.

NCC-1701A · 08-13-2019, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeepmann

Yes I have a freightliner chassis with a display like that but I only see trans temp. Maybe I need to play with it a little.

OK, if you have that and a little "joystick" thing with four arrows on it, that is how you change what you can have for electronic metrics, which come right off the ECM or other electronics measuring system functions. BUT...let me warn you...it's anything but intuitive as to how to manipulate the joystick thing (actually more something the size of dice than a joystick).

Here's a link to the LBCU operating manual....all 22 pages of it!!!

https://www.rvtechlibrary.com/electr...u_overview.php

In my opinion, it's not worth buying a different monitoring system when you already have one built into your coach. You should be able to constantly display 3 or 4 or them, but then you can scroll through several others you can select.

Crasher · 08-13-2019, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeepmann

Ok thank you, good to hear. How do you monitor your temps? Do you have a readout or using something aftermarket?

I have the Silverleaf vmspc kit in a laptop sitting on my dash. It displays all of the engine data. speed, cruise control setting, turbo boost, engine temp, tranny temp, miles driven, mpg for current tank and 2 trip totals, voltage, time, % of load, torque, etc, etc, etc. It has more information than I need to see, but it's all there if I get bored.

Treetop Flyer · 08-13-2019, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NCC-1701A

My three diesels all had not only the analog gauge with just marks, like yours seems to be, but also a digital that you could select as part of your measurements via the Light Bar Control Unit (LBCU) which is pretty standard on Freightliner chassis.

Do you have something that looks like this? If so, you can choose what shows up there including engine temp.

I have the LBCU on my 2005 Winnebago Journey but the display is so dark it can’t be read from the driver’s seat. I’ve gotten down on the floor and up close to adjust the brightness but can only read the display from up close. Is there a way to fix the display?