ISL side radiator fan speed problem

[wagonmaster2]

About a year ago there was lots of discussion about when and if the side radiator fan clutch ran on low or high. Also about by-passing the fan controller or adding a new ground wire to solve a constant high speed fan clutch.

Did anyone ever get Freightliner to admit there seems to be a problem and if so, have they ever come up with a permenant solution to our problem of low power and sorry fuel mileage?

[select55]

Originally Posted by wagonmaster2

About a year ago there was lots of discussion about when and if the side radiator fan clutch ran on low or high. Also about by-passing the fan controller or adding a new ground wire to solve a constant high speed fan clutch.

Did anyone ever get Freightliner to admit there seems to be a problem and if so, have they ever come up with a permenant solution to our problem of low power and sorry fuel mileage?

so the new ISL use a 2 speed fan clutch now instead of the hydraulic controlled system?
I know there is a belt driven clutch system that's engages a drive shaft that runs the fan system but never knew the fan was run with a fan clutch also

[Lug_Nut]

If Freightliner uses the same principle as Spartan, here how it works. The "Fan Clutch" is essentially a magnetic coil that rotates the fan with the magnetic field when it is in the non-locked up state. The fan speed is controlled by the amount of power supplied to the magnetic field. The controller of this monitors at least five temperature readings within the engine, engine intake and transmission. At a certain point, if a high cooling demand is required, a metal to metal clutch is engaged. The screech you may hear is not the drive belt slipping, it is the two clutch faces meeting.

Now, if there is any power failure that controls this system, the high cooling output clutch engages and remains engaged. This is its default mode. When this happens you will hear a tremendous roar from the fan continually and of course a slight power loss (50 to 70 Horsepower at the most extreme RPM) Your fuel mileage will suffer until this is corrected.

If fact, this can also be used when installing a new drive belt. The critical tension setting required on this belt must be rechecked or set when the belt is up to temperature. There is an electrical connection, on the right side of the engine near the AC compressor on the Spartan, that will remove the power from the controller. This heats up the belt quickly when disconnected.

So, if a ground to this was intermittent. the fan drive could well engage non-stop.

Well, at least that is my understanding of this.

Peter

[Dutch Star Don]

Allen......I read all of that stuff about these having fan issues and thought mine wasn't working properly too. My fan drive box was leaking so Freightliner said they would replace it. I told them I thought the fan was running only on high. They replaced the box and showed m that my fan was working properly.

We just did a coast to coast trip towing a CRV. In 7k miles, we averaged right about 7.8 mpg. I pretty much decided that's what my coach was going to get.

With all that said, I had a check engine light come on in December. I took it to Cummins for repair. They said it was only a maintenance light. I didn't get into detail what that meant, but should have. They said they re-flashed my engine with the latest update and resolved the maintenance light issue and it shouldn't come on again. They also changed my cruise control and how it interfaces with the engine brake (great upgrade).

It may be my imagination or my engine is finally breaking in, but its running better and getting better mileage. We just went to Quartzsite and averaged 8.6 mpg on a 600 mile round trip with one good grade and towing my new GMC Canyon.

This was the mileage I was expecting out of this coach when I bought it.

[wagonmaster2]

Man, 7.8-8.6, would I ever be joyful to get something like that. I have approached the lower 7.0s a couple of times driving west to east on I-70 across Kansas from Colorado dropping from over 6,000 feet to 1,200 feet with very little of the usual head wind or cross wind. But then I pay for that going east to west climbing to that higher elevation on our Colorado vacations, usually low 6s to mid 5s.

[Ron Postma]

Dutch Star Dan Could you describe the Cruse Control reprogramming. What are the changes?

[saddlesore]

Originally Posted by wagonmaster2

Man, 7.8-8.6, would I ever be joyful to get something like that.

LOL!
Our former coach (454 in a 36' p-30 chassis) got 5 to 6 down hill with a really strong tail wind.., lowest was 3mpg Heppner, OR to Stanfield,OR.

(current coach runs 8 to 9.5 with toad)

[Jim_L]

Originally Posted by Dutch Star Don

Allen......I read all of that stuff about these having fan issues and thought mine wasn't working properly too. My fan drive box was leaking so Freightliner said they would replace it. I told them I thought the fan was running only on high. They replaced the box and showed m that my fan was working properly.

We just did a coast to coast trip towing a CRV. In 7k miles, we averaged right about 7.8 mpg. I pretty much decided that's what my coach was going to get.

With all that said, I had a check engine light come on in December. I took it to Cummins for repair. They said it was only a maintenance light. I didn't get into detail what that meant, but should have. They said they re-flashed my engine with the latest update and resolved the maintenance light issue and it shouldn't come on again. They also changed my cruise control and how it interfaces with the engine brake (great upgrade).

It may be my imagination or my engine is finally breaking in, but its running better and getting better mileage. We just went to Quartzsite and averaged 8.6 mpg on a 600 mile round trip with one good grade and towing my new GMC Canyon.

This was the mileage I was expecting out of this coach when I bought it.

Don: First, I wish I had known that you were in Quartzsite...would have loved to meet you. Second, I basically have the same coach and on the trip to QSite from Phoenix I had somewhere around 7.4 for the 140 miles. I also had a strong headwind as I travelled west. However, my return trip average with a strong tailwind was an average of 8.9. That wind has a significant impact on mileage and can be very deceptive when travelling east and est. Now, to the bigger point, on average, I have nearly always around the 8.0 average which isn't that far from what you are seeing.

[tom chelbana]

The first thing to remember is that Dutch Stars and Ventanas have a hydraulic fan drive and MA, LA, Essex and KA have a belt driven fan drive. At about 205 either system should go into high speed fan drive to cool engine down. Most of the time you can hear this fan speed when on high. On the belt driven fan drive it is electrical connection that send 12 volts to the clutch drive to go to high speed.You can even control this with a switch which I have done.

[palehorse89]

Originally Posted by Ron Postma

Dutch Star Dan Could you describe the Cruse Control reprogramming. What are the changes?

Hello Ron, here is the thread Don started about the re programing he did.......... http://www.irv2.com/forums/f103/crui...ke-321315.html