Community Forums

osok · 02-02-2017, 10:53 AM

My 2016 Dutch Star CD has never worked like it did on my 2014 Ventana. Both the same floor plan. One day it would work part of the day and then the next not all all, 90% of time not working. The friction dial has rarely made a difference. I had Freightliner check at their shop in the town north of Newmar factory and they said it was working fine by using the friction dial hooked to a diagnostic device. Showed me that the electrical resistance on device showed a change with rotation of dial. Asked Newmar to check it and they came back to me that is was working, I disagreed but they said its working.

Okay now I know you must be thinking that I'm nuts! I drove my Ventana for year and half and know how great CD is when working properly. Now this Dutch Star has no assistance and steering is very difficult, as very hard to turn steering wheel when driving slow around 90 degree corner. As I gain speed on highway it becomes easier but still tighter than I would want to drive all day. The friction dial is turned down to zero but I have tested it to see if steering would get more difficult by going to dial 6(No Change). This difficult steering started after Freightliner in Houston attempted to correct tag axle centering and performed 3 axle alignment. I have performed both wakeup tests several times with no success. The steering was always very easy but rarely could I change the effort by using the dial. Also the steering wheel will not self center.

My question is this a Freightliner issue or Newmar? I want to take it to who should test and repair without me going back and forth with each.

I checked power steering fluid level and it is correct.

BBelanger · 02-02-2017, 11:11 AM

At rest, with the CD dial turned to zero I can turn the wheel easily full left or right with one finger and it will re-center itself.

Carefree · 02-02-2017, 12:01 PM

Is it possible that your issue is with the power steering and NOT the CD? Check your brake fluid. We had a catastrophic hydraulic steering fluid leak and had exactly the same symptoms you are describing. Our Steering power pump was leaking on a brand new (literally very first trip) DSDP back in June last year.

osok · 02-02-2017, 02:14 PM

Got it working!! Searched some CD threads and found someone unplugged their CD and then it started working. I did same and that fixed it. I also just in case did the 2 step wakeup procedure but it may have not been needed. Not sure what has been causing the problems but maybe I have a loose wire somewhere, and that has allowed it to work but not work next time. At least for time being it is working.

I hate taking coach for repairs because it always comes back with something else not working or problems not fixed, be it Freightliner or Newmar factory service.

Thank you BBelanger and Carefree for your suggestions.

Capt. Bill · 02-02-2017, 02:32 PM

OSOK- you can always tell if your CD is working- it will always jerk the steering wheel a little when you shut off your rig. I know the designer/engineer of CD says this is incorrect, but I've never seen one yet (I've seen over 40 Newmar coaches with CD that do this) that doesn't kick the steering wheel either hard or just a little.

Glad you got it working.

Aloha from Hawaii- staying all winter on the Big Island of Hawaii. Tough duty, but some poor guy has to do it!

JMH · 02-02-2017, 07:07 PM

Have had the same issue. Seems to appear when my 12vdc plugs glitch. My fix has always been to pull over, shut the ignition off, start again and CD works again. So, am thinking it is a loose 12vdc wire somewhere. Having Newmar check at factory this summer.

Mark and Louene Hetrick
Newbee the last VTDP 3725

**pasdad1** · 02-02-2017, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by osok

Got it working!! Searched some CD threads and found someone unplugged their CD and then it started working. I did same and that fixed it. I also just in case did the 2 step wakeup procedure but it may have not been needed. Not sure what has been causing the problems but maybe I have a loose wire somewhere, and that has allowed it to work but not work next time. At least for time being it is working.

I hate taking coach for repairs because it always comes back with something else not working or problems not fixed, be it Freightliner or Newmar factory service.

Thank you BBelanger and Carefree for your suggestions.

Where did you unplug it? Have a picture to share ?

wagonmaster2 · 02-02-2017, 07:46 PM

Good question. That's what I wanted to know.

KenSherwin · 02-02-2017, 09:09 PM

First, to the OP. I'm glad you got your problem solved.

<rant on>
If the service people had used the diagnostic software tool available at trucksteering.com/diagnostics, they would have discovered the non-functional efforts control immediately. This has been available for several years and I don't understand why more people won't use it. <rant off>

Warning: The following is more information than most of you probably wanted to know.

The cause of the kick in the steering wheel is very easily demonstrated by using a car with conventional power steering.

Start the car and turn the steering wheel all the way to the left then let it loose. The wheel comes back just a small distance then stops with the wheel still turned most of the way. This is how the steering gear in your coach behaves too.

Now let's add the Comfort Drive feature. The CD is intentionally designed to bring the wheel all the way back to straight so let's do this in the car. Steer back to straight ahead but DO NOT steer past it. You have to hold the wheel to keep it straight because you are holding against the windup of the front tires. You just did the same thing the CD does when it centers. Do not hold the wheel like this for very long (a minute is a long time here) because you are heating up the power steering system. More about this later.

Hold the rim of the steering wheel with the palm of your hand, being absolutely sure NONE of your fingers are in the wheel where the spokes could break them. You have been warned! Without releasing the wheel, turn the ignition off and watch the wheel kick. All that tire windup that was resisted with the power steering now comes right up through the column and steering wheel into your hand. See why I insisted you keep your fingers clear?

When you turn off your coach, the same thing happens. You lose the restraining power of both the CD and the hydraulic system so all the tire windup that was masked appears.

On a slightly related note, I asked that you not hold the steering in your car at center because it will build heat and I heard you thinking "Why will the CD in my coach do it then?" There are several reasons:
1. The oil reservoir in your coach contains several gallons of oil where the one in the car is typically less than a quart. The car will simply heat up faster.
2. The lines between the pump & reservoir and the steering gear in the car total a couple of feet long where the lines in the coach total 80 to a hundred feet long. This is a rather effective oil cooler that the car doesn't have.
3. The CD doesn't really hold the pressure on the system for a long time either. You know that if you stop with the wheels turned, the CD will turn them back straight for you. You may have noticed that if you just sit there for 5 minutes without touching the wheel or moving the coach, the steering wheel will move back toward where you let go of it. This is the CD letting go of the wheel to stop building heat. That's why it moves by itself.

If this isn't clear and you actually want to know, ask questions.

Ken

osok · 02-03-2017, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pasdad1

Where did you unplug it? Have a picture to share ?

I pulled the shroud off steering column and checked CD wires and plug. I gave up trying to disconnect this plug, I just do not contort very well anymore. I just checked for loose wires and found none. Next I pulled the dash portion out that contains the Nav, Backup Camera & Potentiometer and disconnected that plug.

Truly do not know if moving wires from CD fixed it or if unplugging the potentiometer did the trick. With my CD working it still does not tighten up the steering(like Ventana) when I turn potentiometer up, but does make a slight difference. I have had days where the CD worked as well as on Ventana but they are few.

Next I am going to install a new potentiometer and maybe get lucky. Current one has 3 prongs for wire connections but mine only has 2 wires connected. I found no loose hanging wire so do not believe they left a wire disconnected.

Hopefully Ken will see this and recommend a potentiometer for replacement. I Googled for one got prices between 0.75 cents and $40+. Need to know what Ohm rating & Watt rating.