Community Forums

Gregg606 · 08-27-2005, 09:46 PM

I own a 2002 Itasca on a workhorse chassis. I have 15,000 miles on it and of course two months out of warranty. My problem is twice now I have been towed off the highway as a result of the engine suddenly just dying. Once I'm stopped the engine will not crank over, lights and dash work just no crank. First tech declared it was the result of dirty terminal connections, though I just had had installed that morning three new batteries and I watched them clean the posts. The second time ( three days later and the next time out) the same thing happened. This tech at a different shop thought it was at first a steering wiring harness but ruled that out and declared a loose ground on back of engine block. It worked great until they moved it around in front of shop and it died again. Now after two weeks it still sitting there.

I could sure use some help if anyone has any suggestions or answers. Thanks in advance! Gregg. P.S. AAA towing insurance, worth every penny! Wide turn out on Oregon Mountain, Priceless !!

Gregg606 · 08-27-2005, 09:46 PM

I own a 2002 Itasca on a workhorse chassis. I have 15,000 miles on it and of course two months out of warranty. My problem is twice now I have been towed off the highway as a result of the engine suddenly just dying. Once I'm stopped the engine will not crank over, lights and dash work just no crank. First tech declared it was the result of dirty terminal connections, though I just had had installed that morning three new batteries and I watched them clean the posts. The second time ( three days later and the next time out) the same thing happened. This tech at a different shop thought it was at first a steering wiring harness but ruled that out and declared a loose ground on back of engine block. It worked great until they moved it around in front of shop and it died again. Now after two weeks it still sitting there.

I could sure use some help if anyone has any suggestions or answers. Thanks in advance! Gregg. P.S. AAA towing insurance, worth every penny! Wide turn out on Oregon Mountain, Priceless !!

RV Wizard · 08-28-2005, 01:12 AM

Gregg606, welcome to iRV2. Glad to have you join us here and we look forward to not only help where we can but also reading of your adventures and experiences. The problem does sound as though it is a connection that is breaking down somewhere. The repair shop should be able to find it and get it corrected. Have you or they called Workhorse for any assistance? They may have some very good recommendations that could save some diagnoses time. Good luck and let us know the outcome.

Kirk · 08-31-2005, 12:27 PM

To cause the engine to quit, and the starter to not crank, you have to be losing all power to the engine and starter. I can easily see why that tech thought that it was the ground to the engine, since to loose the one from your battery would mean that nothing would get 12V power. It the connection to the block is good, I wonder if anyone tried a new cable from the block to the frame? And did they make sure that the connection at the frame was good? I would suspect the cable because of it being intermittant. A flex of the cable from slight engine movement could make such a problem come and go.

By the way, where is Driver? He says the Horse never fails! Sorry guys, just couldn't resist.

Gregg606, be sure to come back and post what happens when you do get this problem sloved, as this sounds like something pretty unique.

DriVer · 08-31-2005, 01:29 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Kirk:
By the way, where is Driver? He says the Horse never fails! Sorry guys, just couldn't resist. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Kirk, I welcome your comment and may I please submit the following as a follow up on your post.

Workhorse only provides a "temporary" jumper battery and wiring sufficient enough to start the chassis and run it from the yard to the chassis shop. The first process requires that all of the temporary wiring and the chassis battery be removed from the chassis.

The starting system including batteries and cables is OEM designed and installed. One OEM may have their batteries in the side like mine and others may position the battery right behind the front grill. It would be impossible to determine exactly where the fault is because of the 15 OEMs that build on WCC chassis each will have their own criteria.

This isn't a Workhorse problem as such "however" Workhorse will fix it under warranty.

GStream40 · 08-31-2005, 02:35 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Gregg606:
First tech declared it was the result of dirty terminal connections, though I just had had installed that morning three new batteries and I watched them clean the posts.
Priceless !! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Did this problem start when the new batteries were installed?

"007" · 08-31-2005, 02:51 PM

Gregg,welcome to irv2.
Check the gnd post on frame of chassis, there are muiltible gnd wires on it and you may have a loose nut or dirty connections on it. ALSO heavy gnd wire from battery to frame of chassis maybe coming loose, place a star washer at connection to frame so willn't loosen again.

"007"

The Shadow · 08-31-2005, 06:20 PM

Greg, what type of shops worked on this problem? Were they both Workhorse authorized service dealers?

Jeff H · 09-03-2005, 08:10 PM

Did anyone check your ignition switch/harness? Is the pink wire melted?

Gregg606 · 09-04-2005, 07:56 AM

Thanks to all of you for your welcome, suggestions and ideas. I am new to this forum stuff as this is the first one I have ever been in. I have tried to answer each of you personnally but some of my mail was returned. Anyway my problem has not been fixed yet but I have passed all your suggestions onto the tech except for Jeff H's. who suggested the "pink" ignition wire in harness. I will do this Tuesday and keep all of you appraised of the final outcome. Thanks again to all of you! Gregg

Gary RVRoamer · 09-05-2005, 05:18 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> I have tried to answer each of you personnally but some of my mail was returned. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Gregg,
Please just post answers right here in this "thread", i.e. reply right here rather than by email. That way we all get to share in the conversation and you get the benfit of other's viewpoints.

Gregg606 · 11-10-2005, 01:49 PM

After being in a workhorse cert. shop for 1 month. This issue seems to have been resolved. Apparently more than one ground connection from batteries to chassis were dirty or loose. In one case the wrong size bolt was inserted thus not making a proper ground. Sorry I cannot tell you which ground wire as the shop thought they had located it, called me to pickup, but it died again as they brought it around. Workhorse although out of warranty by 2months, but with only 15,000 miles on it picked up 2.5 hours of labor, Thanks workhorse! I do suggest if you have this problem look for it your self as it was an expensive search.

Also, initially it was thought it could have been the pink wire in wiring harness in steering column this however checked out okay.

max49 · 11-10-2005, 04:11 PM

I'm glad and hope you have it fixed for good.
Greg, do you have the "autopark"? If a bad ground could kill your engine, I'd imagine a bad ground could lock up the autopark too, since it needs electricity to keep it released.
I just noticed that you said it "died again when they brought it around" Is it fixed since they called to tell you to pick it up. These electrical problems can be a nightmare, it seems no can figure out what is wrong, much less fix it. I've never heard of so many electrical problems with any other vehicle.

DriVer · 11-10-2005, 05:25 PM

The battery is mounted on top of the rail for convenience of the OEM to start and move the chassis to the frame shop.

Once the chassis gets on the line in the frame shop the battery and supporting electrical cables are removed. The entire DC battery electrical system is totally designed and installed by the OEM. Batteries and cables could be any of numerous unique configurations.

Workhorse established guidelines for the OEMs to follow in order to provide adequate wiring and battery capacity in order to operate the electrical systems on the chassis. In your case it would appear that the components were not grounded properly by the use of improper hardware.

If you have a problem with your battery wiring, Workhorse will provide warranty work on all these systems none of which are assembled by Workhorse.

By in large modern DC electrical systems that support the battery current are very robust and present few if any problems regardless of who provides the chassis.