Community Forums

Flyer · 04-26-2007, 08:43 AM

Strange thing happened. Haven't ran the RV in a month or so. Figured I would drive it a few miles. Started it and noticed the ATC/ABS lights remained illuminated and the backup monitor was powered but blank (camera inop?). I drove about 2 miles and all of a sudden no power from the engine and black smoke coming from the exhaust. Couldn't get up a 2% grade. Idled OK. Shut it down--restarted it and ABS/ATC lights were out, back up camera worked, and engine was back to normal. Also, no CHECK ENGINE light and no fault code in my Silverleaf program. Called Monaco and they didn't know. Called Cummins and they didn't know how the engine could derate (if that's what happened) withour the CHECK ENGINE light coming on and without a fault code. Called my dealer and the head service guy said that wierd things can happen when the chassis battery gets low. Chassis battery was not low when I started it, but had gone down to 11.5 volts a week earlier. I recharged it with an external battery charger. So that's where I'm at. Everything working for now, but I would love to know what really happened and why. Any thoughts?

Flyer · 04-26-2007, 08:43 AM

Strange thing happened. Haven't ran the RV in a month or so. Figured I would drive it a few miles. Started it and noticed the ATC/ABS lights remained illuminated and the backup monitor was powered but blank (camera inop?). I drove about 2 miles and all of a sudden no power from the engine and black smoke coming from the exhaust. Couldn't get up a 2% grade. Idled OK. Shut it down--restarted it and ABS/ATC lights were out, back up camera worked, and engine was back to normal. Also, no CHECK ENGINE light and no fault code in my Silverleaf program. Called Monaco and they didn't know. Called Cummins and they didn't know how the engine could derate (if that's what happened) withour the CHECK ENGINE light coming on and without a fault code. Called my dealer and the head service guy said that wierd things can happen when the chassis battery gets low. Chassis battery was not low when I started it, but had gone down to 11.5 volts a week earlier. I recharged it with an external battery charger. So that's where I'm at. Everything working for now, but I would love to know what really happened and why. Any thoughts?

bsavage · 04-27-2007, 12:20 AM

I'm sure I don't know what could have caused the camera, ATC/ABS issues (we've wondered about the ABS light coming on, but usually it's during a long decline (even using Jake Brake)... but regarding the power (or lack of it) issue, we had a similar issue returning from our first outing in the new Coach, and it turned out to be the fuel separator filter. After further review of the Owner's Manual, Monaco recommends keeping an extra on-hand. Good advice, as we had to travel about 500 miles with no more than 1500 rpm's, and we couldn't find a replacement filter anywhere on the road. Good luck, let us know what you discover!

Brenda

chasfm11 · 04-27-2007, 03:01 AM

Flyer, this is just a wild thought but our Saturn was showing the ABS light and was acting strange. I was convinced that something had happened to the ABS electronic module. When our mechanic put a code reader on that, it showed a low voltage code. He traced it back to the battery connection itself. The wire was loose in the clamp and that was causing a high resistance. One of the symptoms for us was the engine dying without a check engine light.

Strange things can happen when the engine module doesn't get proper voltage. Whether it is your battery or a connection someplace in the battery circuit, it might be something worth looking into. Since our Saturn, I've made checking all of the battery cables and connections part of my maintenance on all vehicles.

Flyer · 04-27-2007, 03:01 PM

I think my problem may be similar to your Saturn problem. Went to leave on a weekend trip and the engine derated twice in 10 miles. Took it into the local Cummins dealer and they came up with fault code 1117, which incidentally didn't show up on my Silverleaf VMSpc program. The fault is low voltage to the engine ECM (<6.2 v). The Rv is now at the local dealer who is checking power supplies and grounds. If they don't find anything, it's off to Cummins NW. We'll see !!

ronboc · 04-29-2007, 03:21 AM

WOW, bummer Roy.

That's gotta be a very helpless feelng. And these beasties are really heavy, even if you could get all of us to help push.

Sounds like you might have it zero-ed in, though. I think we've all experienced bad-ground issues at one time or another. Good luck, and please keep us posted!

Ron

Flyer · 05-26-2007, 05:21 AM

Well, the dealer had the RV for two weeks checking out the problem and the engine quit on him, too. Next stop was Cummins NW. They had it for two weeks and diagnosed it as a bad engine ECM. Just got it home and so far so good. We are heading south to Santa Fe NM and LA to see grandkids in a week or so. Hope their diagnosos was a good one.

ronboc · 05-27-2007, 04:08 AM

Interesting problem and fix, thanks for letting us know about it. Here's keeping the ol' fingers crossed for y'all.

You seemed to have hit on my way of fixing things, too. Keep throwing money at something til it gives up and works (or til the money gives out!).

Have a good trip!

Flyer · 06-14-2007, 03:17 AM

Good new!! We made it from Tacoma WA to Moab UT and the engine is still running. So far, so good. Must have been the bad engine ECM. Secondary issue. I have Silverleaf's VMSpc program to monitor the engine data. Every once in a while I get what I think is a bunch of garbage fault codes. Anyone else experience this? BTW I did not get any fault indications when the ECM went bad--disappointing.

ronboc · 06-14-2007, 10:08 AM

So glad to hear the coach ran well for y'all. Now maybe you can quit holding your breath when you drive.

Weird engine codes. Yeah I got 'em too. Have you noticed any real problems with them, tho? Ever since I first hooked up the VMS, I've been getting those seemingly-random fault codes (both PIDs and SIDs). Talked to SilverLeaf who said talk to Monaco, who said talk to Cummins, who said talk to SilverLeaf, who... {sigh}. Never saw/felt/heard/whatever any problems with the coach or any ancillaries, just those odd codes. And they aren't always the same ones at the same time (ie, after cold-startup or after pulling a long hill, etc). Never could cross-reference them to actual Cummins codes. In fact, I got one once that told me something had failed that I didn't even have (don't remember exactly what it was, something off-the-wall like a spark-plug wire, maybe).

Finally got hold of a Cummins guy that guessed maybe the VMS and Cummins computer software-programs weren't talking 100% to each other on the fault issues, like maybe Cummins was telling the VMS one thing and VMS was interpreting it as another one. Dunno, but it made sense (sorta). After that, and the one impossible code I got, I sorta gave up and didn't pay much attention to it. Would be interested to hear your take on it, Roy.

R

ronboc · 06-14-2007, 10:17 AM

All -

I am adding this shortcut in the Winnebago Forum at the OP's request, because this may be of interest to others with the same/similar engine series.

Let me know if you think it should be added to other Owner-Forums as well.

Thanks!
Ron

Flyer · 06-14-2007, 03:04 PM

I guess what we are saying is that VMSpc tells us we have problems when we don't, and at least for me, didn't tell me I had a problem when I did--my engine quit. Oh well. I'll give Silverleaf a call when I get home.
Roy

ronboc · 06-14-2007, 04:27 PM

That's a good way to put it.

Be interested to hear what they have to say.

Flyer · 11-14-2008, 01:58 PM

Engine quit again. Good news is it quit 2 miles from home. Bad news is we were headed to Montana. Took it to Cummins NW and they said "no code". I did a little thinking and diagnosing with the few clues I had--happened after going down a hill with PacBrake on, no power when accelerating up the hill, and lots of black smoke from the exhaust. I called PacBrake and they immediately said "stuck valve". Even though I was out of warranty they said they would cover the part if I covered the labor. Great service!! I paid them a little extra and upgraded to the PRXB. Looling back, this could have been the cause of my original problem, not the ECM. Well, made it home from Cummins. Time will tell.