ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON LOSS OF POWER

[TURTLEMAN]

I'M SETTING IN AN RV PARK IN KY. WHILE CLIMBING A HILL I TURNED OFF MY CRUSE CONTROL TO CONTROL THE ACCELERATION (W22 WORKHORSE CHASSIS- FLEETWOOD MH 2005 ) AND LOSS POWER, ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN BUT NO POWER. I DRIFTED OFF THE ROAD WAITED A COUPLE MINUTES RESTARTED THE ENGINE AND HAD POWER. ENGINE LIGHT WENT OFF SHORTLY AFTER THAT AND EVERYTHING SEEMS OKAY. ANYONE KNOW WHAT THIS IS? ANYONE HAD IT HAPPEN?

[TURTLEMAN]

I'M SETTING IN AN RV PARK IN KY. WHILE CLIMBING A HILL I TURNED OFF MY CRUSE CONTROL TO CONTROL THE ACCELERATION (W22 WORKHORSE CHASSIS- FLEETWOOD MH 2005 ) AND LOSS POWER, ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN BUT NO POWER. I DRIFTED OFF THE ROAD WAITED A COUPLE MINUTES RESTARTED THE ENGINE AND HAD POWER. ENGINE LIGHT WENT OFF SHORTLY AFTER THAT AND EVERYTHING SEEMS OKAY. ANYONE KNOW WHAT THIS IS? ANYONE HAD IT HAPPEN?

[tinkercb]

You didn't say what type of engine you have. But either way it sounds like a fuel problem like a filter pluged or else possibly an air filter problem. But I have also heard of a limp home mode on some engines, check your manual on that one to see if you have that option on your engine. good luck. tinker

[nhgeezer]

Several things come to mind here. Could be that the fuel filter is slightly resricted. This would cause a lean condition climbing the hill and limit power. The O2 sensor would see the lean condition and turn on the check engine light. Another possibility is that the catalytic converter is beginning to fail. This would limit power and also turn on the light. Two choices. Find a tech, probably a Chevy dealer who services trucks and get them to run a scan on the OBDII computer. Or run it and watch for it to happen again.

Brad & Lucy aka the Geezer & The Hedgehog
1990 Foretravel Detroit Deisel spinning an Allison
Kitty Kat: Earl
Whitey Ford riding the car trailer
ASE Master technician
SAE

[JCM]

I had the same problem and it was diagnosed as a loss of communication between the throttle and engine ( apparently caused by the impulse when you turned the cruse controll off and as I turned it on as I hit a bump.
Dont worry about it.

["007"]

JCM has it right if you flip the CC to fast it will cause the ECM of 8.1 to become confused and to protect the engine, it will cut power 1/2 to the engine. Its happens to me when I use the switch on CC to increase speed and flip the switch instead of pushing the button on end of control lever.
Welcome TURTLEMAN to irv2.
Enjoy the forums and do post often.

[Myronlg]

Had a like problem - found the PCV valve had come out of the valve cover.

[Rocky Larson]

I had it happen once climbing out of CA heading for NV. (WH20/8.1) I don't know what triggered it but the engine continued running. I may have just released the CC or maybe the OD, or just overheated the transmission. In anycase, with no shutdown or further intervention, within a couple of minutes I was back to normal. That trip was my first real experience at mountain driving so I now just take it more easy going up and down.

[Devil Dog]

What kind of engine? What kind of air filter? I had a 8.1 chevy truck that had the same symptons. It turned out to be too much oil on the K&N filter was attracting too much dirt and crap and clogged the mass air flow (MAF) sensor. A little brake cleaner and she was good as new.

["007"]

Devil Dog there has been discussions on cleaning the MAF down in the Workhorse forum.
Everyone has been using different cleaners for cleaning the MAF sensor and are harmful to plastics within it.
The following LINK has a cleaner just for the MAF on the Chev 8.1 engine.