Community Forums

skitime · 08-27-2007, 01:19 PM

We were coming home from out west and stopped to get gas. After filling up I went to start the motorhome and nothing. No dash lights no starter cranking. Eventually had it towed to a garage. The mechanic was able to basically hot wire the ignition with a jumper cable from the engine fuse panel to the battery so we could at least get home. It will start and run with the jumper but you have to disconnect the jumper to shut the motorhome off. So I have read on this forum that there is a wire harness in the steering column that might be the problem. What is your guess?

skitime · 08-27-2007, 01:19 PM

We were coming home from out west and stopped to get gas. After filling up I went to start the motorhome and nothing. No dash lights no starter cranking. Eventually had it towed to a garage. The mechanic was able to basically hot wire the ignition with a jumper cable from the engine fuse panel to the battery so we could at least get home. It will start and run with the jumper but you have to disconnect the jumper to shut the motorhome off. So I have read on this forum that there is a wire harness in the steering column that might be the problem. What is your guess?

Bob (WA0MQE) · 08-27-2007, 01:36 PM

There was a problem with the ignition switch, the electrical part of it which is down under the dash (not in the steering column) that would short out and get hot to the point it could fail.

On my past motorhome which was a 2001 Daybreak on the P32 chassis this happened to me. The switch didn't fail but the Workhorse Service Center noticed it when I went in for other service, and he replaced it.

Jeff H · 08-27-2007, 03:49 PM

Bet ya it's the ignition switch/harness in the steering column.

skitime · 10-18-2007, 04:31 PM

I finally got the motorhome into a Workhorse garage to have this problem fixed. Turned out to have a contact in the ignition switch completely melted. The garage installed a "Ignition Protector Kit" Part number W8002060 at a cost of $445. The kit redirects a flow of electrical current away from an ignition curcuit, to prolong the ignition switch. Basically it uses a heavy relay to control all the power that used to go through the ignition switch. Thank goodness I had a great extended warranty that everyones says not to buy. They also repaired a binding brake pedal. All covered by the warranty to the amount of $740. Anyway sorry it took so long to post a solution. I was running the motorhome the whole time with a jumper switch until I got to the end of the season.

tom112 · 10-19-2007, 05:40 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">The garage installed a "Ignition Protector Kit" Part number W8002060 at a cost of $445. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
_____________________________

More info please. Whose part no. is this ? Where can I purchas it ? I have gone through two ingition swithes in the last 1100 miles.
thanks
tom

Jeff H · 10-19-2007, 06:17 AM

Quote Wally B:
I had similar problems with my P32 chassis (Airstream Land Yacht), was towed twice, and hopefully have fixed the problem forever. The Auto Park system sets the brake when the ignition goes off. This can be disconcerting when driving down the road and the brake sets. The first time this happened to me at 14000 miles, tIhe connector was burned and making intermittent conections I figured this out later), I got it started and drove to a shop in Tucson where they could not get the problem to repeat and just shrugged their shoulders. After I left, I noticed a hot electrical smell.

Finally the ignition switch failed in the entrance to a campground a few hundred miles down the road. I was stopped to register and it would not restart. I was towed 70 miles to another shop. The tow driver disconnected the mechanical linkage to the Auto Brake to allow towing. The shop replaced a burned ignition switch and I headed for home.

A short time later, the Rig failed to start in my carport. No way to tow it so road service was to send a mobile mechanic. No mechanic for several days so I began troubleshooting and found the burned connector which had failed completely. I fixed it with a connector kit from Chevrolet parts store GM PN 12102602 (terminal connector, wires and crimp connectors.) I found out at this time that Workhorse knew the coach builders were overloading their switch and were developing an upgrade kit but it was not available. I went about 30000 miles and the ignition switch failed again. I was towed again and had only the switch replaced at this time as I needed to get home. The upgrade kit was available but had to come from Workhorse parts at a big bucks price and several days delivery. The repair included reinstalling the drive shaft which the tow driver had removed.

When I returned home I learned the ignition switch upgrade kit WCC PN W8002085 contained a relay kit for the P32, a new ignition switch, and a relay kit for some other application which I didn't have, The kit is about $254. I bought a relay, terminals, crimp connectors, and heavy wire for about $20 and installed a relay system on pin C in the ignition switch (pink wire.) This wire carries many chassis loads as well as supplying the coach builder. The relay is a 70a 12 vdc SPST automotive part PN NTE-R51-1D70-12F.
The wire was the most expensive part of the fix.

After about 8000 miles, it seems to work fine and the switch does not get hot to the touch.

GLWilliams58 · 10-19-2007, 08:47 AM

A friend of mine on a P30 chassis just had the same problem and now I am in the prevention mode with mine.

Jeff, any chance you could provide a little more detail on how you knew where you need to place the relay, and what was re-routed? Could you provide a drawing to simplify the project and help me understand how you wired it?

Thanks.

tom112 · 10-19-2007, 09:30 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Could you provide a drawing to simplify the project and help me understand how you wired it? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
______________________________
Me too, me too, me too

thanks
tom

Jeff H · 10-19-2007, 10:28 AM

Sorry, That was a quote from Wally B.
Check in find under ignition

MikeT · 10-21-2007, 04:23 AM

That part number is a Workhorse part. The problem with some P32's was the coach builder put too much electrical load on the ignition circuit and overloaded the wires. This subject has been covered here before in this forum. Do a search to find it.

skitime · 10-21-2007, 03:04 PM

The mechanic gave me the manual that came with the kit. It has lots of pictures of the parts and how to do the conversion. It seems pretty straight forward installation.

"007" · 10-21-2007, 03:33 PM

skitime if your ignition cable goes over a metal bend at the top of your steering post place a wire guard around wires going over the bend. When you adjust your steering wheel movement of wires over this bend can chafe through the wiring bundle and blow fuse and also possible smoke up the place when wire insulation burns.

GLWilliams58 · 10-24-2007, 06:01 PM

T&W Posted the following details on the switch and the process in this thread: P32 Ignition Switch:

"OK. NAPA part# for late 90's GM ignition switch known to fit 2001 Workhorse P32 gas chassis is as follows; KS6622 ECHLIN Price 26.92 Net price to me as a loyal NAPA buyer = 13.16 . To change out switch; locate and remove steering column support yoke (8 bolts). Lift wires from Dimmer switch and Shifter lockout switch solenoid. Remove Ground wire from Shifter lockout switch body. Remove the rest of the mounting screws from this assembly and zip-tie it up out of the way. At this point remove Ignition switch mounting screws.Carefully remove it from the relay rod that drops from the ignition switch cylinder lock. Now lift 2 harnesses from old switch and place them onto new switch. Operate the slide in the switch with a dull pointed tool. Check that you have cranking, with ignition, on function, and accessory position function. Reassemble all the hardware and electrical connections. Make sure you have re-inserted the Ignition switch relay rod and the Dimmer switch relay rods. Adjust the Dimmer switch for proper operation, at the mounting screws. Before replacing the steering column support yoke retest all Ignition switch functions, Dimmer switch up and down, and Shifter lockout. Shifter should not move from park position until ignition is on and foot-brake pedal is depressed. If not working as described then recheck the 2 wire harness on the Shifter lockout switch solenoid. To the best of my limited memory, this is how I did it. Good luck to all. By the way, Saluda is in Saluda County South Carolina. It is the real one."

T&W
DOG, CAT, BIRD & PUPPY
2001 GMC ALLEGRO
US NAVY, VA, VFW
CHIEF ENGINEER