American Coach: Help / Stranded / RV will not start / Road Service is clueless

[GlennLever]

Help

We pulled into the RV park here last night.

Connected to shore, had heavy rain.

Disconnected this morning and went to leave and the engine will not crank

Turn the key, dash lights up, gauges read.

Battery condition indicators say they are good and they were new last year.

Generator cranks.

Road service has been her for three hours, cannot find the problem

If power is supplied to the starter solenoid engine cranks and fires right up.

Ideas?

[87Rockwood]

Have you tried starting in neutral while wiggling the shift lever in case you have a bad/loose safety switch? What cassis/engine do you have?

[GlennLever]

Originally Posted by 87Rockwood

Have you tried starting in neutral while wiggling the shift lever in case you have a bad/loose safety switch? What cassis/engine do you have?

There is no gear shift lever.

This is a diesel pusher with an Alison World Transmission (push button, electronic)

Display indicates neutral

[demoon]

Perhaps see if road service dispatch or the campground can recommend a service facility that you could drive to, since you are able to start the engine by jumping at the solenoid.

[bamaboy473]

Please confirm what you said. Is one post of the solenoid showing 12V?

Was power supplied to the normally-cold side of the solenoid allowing power to get to the starter directly? That would indicate a bad solenoid, but three hours of road service would have ruled that out 175 minutes ago...

[GlennLever]

Originally Posted by bamaboy473

Please confirm what you said. Is one post of the solenoid showing 12V?

Was power supplied to the normally-cold side of the solenoid allowing power to get to the starter directly? That would indicate a bad solenoid, but three hours of road service would have ruled that out 175 minutes ago...

When turning the key on the dash, there is no 12 v signal at the starter solenoid. ( this may indicate the problem as the circuit diagram indicated two starter solenoids, but we cannot find the second one).

I do not know what pole they supplied 12 volts to, my understanding is they jumped from the battery (large terminal) to the terminal that the key would supply 12 v to.

I have instructed them to install a remote rear start switch (keyed, in the electronics compartment) We will pick up power in the electronics compartment, go through a fuse, then a keyed switch, and then to the key terminal on the starter.

We did start the coach and check a number of things, gauges, turn signals, lights, etc, and all seem to work.

That will get us down the road, to a service facility.

[Tom222]

Originally Posted by GlennLever

When turning the key on the dash, there is no 12 v signal at the starter solenoid. ( this may indicate the problem as the circuit diagram indicated two starter solenoids, but we cannot find the second one).

I do not know what pole they supplied 12 volts to, my understanding is they jumped from the battery (large terminal) to the terminal that the key would supply 12 v to.

I have instructed them to install a remote rear start switch (keyed, in the electronics compartment) We will pick up power in the electronics compartment, go through a fuse, then a keyed switch, and then to the key terminal on the starter.

We did start the coach and check a number of things, gauges, turn signals, lights, etc, and all seem to work.

That will get us down the road, to a service facility.

Please let us know what was the problem found at the service center, and good luck. I had a similar issue in a truck once that was a main engine fuse.

Tom


Sent from my iPad using iRV2 - RV Forum


2007 Fleetwood Providence 40X
OurBigRVAdventure.com

[GlennLever]

Originally Posted by Tom222

Please let us know what was the problem found at the service center, and good luck. I had a similar issue in a truck once that was a main engine fuse.

Tom


Sent from my iPad using iRV2 - RV Forum


2007 Fleetwood Providence 40X
OurBigRVAdventure.com

There is a main 200 amp engine fuse which we cannot find either

[spritz]

We had similar, Fried a battery, bought the year before, They (store) replaced it N/C,
Interesting to hear your problem.

Tim

[wildirishman]

I had a simular issue and it was the 200 amp fuse. It was located under near the engine. I followed the wiring from the chasis battery. If I remember right there are a couple of them inline. Goodluck to you!

[terry735001]

relay and fuse you cant find may be on the back side of the motor on top of the trans

if you see some 3/0 or 4.0 wiring going on top of the trans ... very hard to see then its on top

this was installed this way on some RV when there was no bays installed and the RV need to be moved around befo the body of the RV was ever installed

just guessing here but i have seen a few like that

all so i seen some one post and showed pics of a 200 amp fuse installed in the frame like you are talking next to the motor from the under side of the RV in the motor bay

[Old Scout]

Since we are all guessing--my "guess" is that the secondary solenoid [the one that provides power to the primary solenoid on the starter, the one that is activated by the ignition key] has gone bad. Probably looks like an old ford/chevy continuous use, four-post solenoid, located near the battery or mechanical compartments.....About $25 at NAPA, about $12 on Amazon.

[NHRA225]

Originally Posted by Old Scout

Since we are all guessing--my "guess" is that the secondary solenoid [the one that provides power to the primary solenoid on the starter, the one that is activated by the ignition key] has gone bad. Probably looks like an old ford/chevy continuous use, four-post solenoid, located near the battery or mechanical compartments.....About $25 at NAPA, about $12 on Amazon.

I agree ! Chase the small wire from the starter solenoid back to the remote start pre solenoid most likely located somewhere in or close to the engine compartment . mine took a dump in a rest area and I jumped the starter and left it running 300 miles to home. Everything else functioned normally on the trip home.

[Arch Hoagland]

Exact same problem on my gas coach six days ago. Acted like a slide was open which, on mine, will cause those symptoms.

Couldn't find any sensing switches on the slide outs that would act as interlocks.
I went to the 12 volt electronics control module and checked some of the slide fuses, banged on the two slide out relays and all the others too.

Eventually after more tapping and banging it started.

We are on a cross country trip from California to Florida and back and I worried the same problem will occur again as I didn't find anything concrete to cause the problem.

But my thought is that it has something to do with the ignition lockout that occurs if the slides are out or the jacks aren't retracted.

I was sitting in Texas when my problem occurred and we had to be in Florida for a cruise this Friday so I was making plans to drive the toad to Texas when the engine mysteriously started.

Let us know what you find, I'd really be interested in knowing.