Community Forums

Mrchips · 09-29-2013, 11:16 AM

Ned emergency help. Pulled in to fuel, coach been running fine all day get fuel and try to restart and I get a low fuel warning and engine won't start. Also now steps won't work. Anyone that can help I appreciate it as I stuck at a fuel island in a tiny town.

Please give a call if you can help.

609-346-8871

2005 MADP 4304

MJFZ · 09-29-2013, 11:32 AM

When trying to start is the engine turning over? Have you tried to start using the emergency start button ( tying coach batteries to chassis batteries) ?

mike

PDR John · 09-29-2013, 11:41 AM

Can you start your genny?

If jumping it works, your alternator has most likely gone bad. You can drive using the genny to charge the chassis batteries.

Skip426 · 09-29-2013, 12:25 PM

Really sounds like a bad connection , power or ground, somewhere in the system . First place to check is chassis batteries , connections at the posts then grounds at the engine and frame.
Check battery voltage, too , if you have a bad connection, volts could be low.

Mrchips · 09-29-2013, 12:39 PM

Engine turns over fine. Have drained fuel water separator. All good. Talked to spartan and we checked power at the ECM ing fuse and all good. They then simply said sorry, can't help you. Have been talking to good Sam roadside and they are trying to find either a mobile mec or a wrecker.

Mrchips · 09-29-2013, 12:54 PM

Generator starts and runs fine.

Dr4Film · 09-29-2013, 01:01 PM

Sounds to me like your fuel pump crapped out or it lost its connection.

What engine do you have?

Dr4Film ----- Richard

MJFZ · 09-29-2013, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mrchips

Engine turns over fine. Have drained fuel water separator. All good. Talked to spartan and we checked power at the ECM ing fuse and all good. They then simply said sorry, can't help you. Have been talking to good Sam roadside and they are trying to find either a mobile mec or a wrecker.

Years ago my gasser did something similar, it turned out to be g switch that shuts the engine down in the event f an accident. I do not know if the Spartan or Freightliner have the same re-setable safety switch.

Mike

Mrchips · 09-29-2013, 06:04 PM

Well here we are currently. The mobile tech showed up and hooked up to the computer. There were no codes displayed. The fuel gage on the dash showed empty, the red light within the gage is lit indicating no fuel, the low fuel warning light is also lit.
So he pulls the intake hose and gives a squirt of either and she fires right up and runs just fine. He continues to monitor the computer and still no codes or apparent issues. We shut it down and it will not start. we either it again and it again fires right up and shows no codes. It also shows very good fuel pressure. So we shut it back down and he forces the fuel pump to run for 60 seconds via the computer (as a test) and then again for 45 seconds as a test and we hit the key and she fires right up.

His belief is that there is a starting fuel pump (or priming pump) at the tank that is powered from the fuel level sensor in some manner. Because the fuel level is reading empty it is not allowing the initial pump to push fuel to prime the system; however, when we spray the system it allows the engine to start which bypasses the prime pump and then runs on the engine fuel pump.

Anyway we got it started and I ran the final 100 miles to the house without issue. A couple times during that portion the fuel gage would read full and then drop back to empty, about 30 miles left and it moved to full (we had filled up at the stop it would not start up at) and stayed there the rest fo the way home. When I got home and parked I shut the coach down then turned the key back on, verified the fuel was still full by the gage, no warning lights on and fired it right up.

So apparantly I have either a bad fuel sensor, or a bad wire/connection. The problem is how the heck do you get to the tank to see where the senor and wire harness are and enter the tank?

Skip426 · 09-29-2013, 06:10 PM

Question: Had you been driving on wet roads prior to this problem ?

Did the step problem go away too. Could be a front end ground wire connection.

Also, not sure of all the options on newer Newmars, Cat or Cummins ?
ISM, ISX , C-11

Mrchips · 09-29-2013, 06:31 PM

Yes the step issue was a momentary lack of situational awareness......we still had it in the lock out position from camping.....duh....

No roads were clear and dry, this is in an 05 400 Cummins.

My problem now is I can't see the tank, can't see the top of the tank and can't see any wires running to the tank.

Mrchips · 09-29-2013, 07:05 PM

MOVED TO THE SPARTAN FORUM as it now appears ot be a spartan issue.

Spinner · 09-29-2013, 08:10 PM

FWIW, mine is a 2000 on Spartan MM. I have a round access cover in the basement behind the freezer. This cover is the access to the tank level sensor. It is the forward-most bay on the passenger side. The cover on mine is black plastic about 6" in diameter.

YMMV. Good luck.