Newbie first roadside

[Longlook]

Now that I have the coach back I have no house batteries. Inverter reads low battery 8.3v 0amps and shows in fault mode with red light? We are headed to park and will plug in from now until tomorrow morning when we are planning to head out. Will this allow the house batteries to charge up enough? My camera monitors not house lights come on.

[grldst]

Engine alternator, Onan generator or shore power....either should recharge your house batteries. Check to see if the service center turned off any of your disconnects.

Also, I'm surprised the mobile mechanic didn't suggest or try new fuel filters.

[Arch Hoagland]

Originally Posted by Longlook

Now that I have the coach back I have no house batteries. Inverter reads low battery 8.3v 0amps and shows in fault mode with red light? We are headed to park and will plug in from now until tomorrow morning when we are planning to head out. Will this allow the house batteries to charge up enough? My camera monitors not house lights come on.

Do you have a "Salesman Switch" by the exit door? It will turn off the house batteries.

My service center turned mine off and the way I discovered it was my power seats quit working. They get their power from the house batteries on my Monaco.

[Longlook]

Agreed, now that I have more insight the fuel filter might have been the first thing to look at. It was definitely some kind of algae and expect it will raise it head. I plan to keep a filter or two on hand and just keep filling with solid fuel I.e. official trucks stops and change the filter every tank or so for the next 5-7 tanks. Any other suggestions? My main concern is getting back to SA with out a hitch. Wish me luck.

[Alan_Hepburn]

If it were my rig I'd head off to a truck stop and buy some algaecide to dump into the tank. Kill the algae and keep replacing the filters until all traces of algae are gone...

[Longlook]

Any specific algaecide?

[Mark_K5LXP]

Related question to fuel filter status - do diesel rigs have OBD access to fuel rail pressure? I've been monitoring fuel pressure as a "gauge" with every gas vehicle I've driven with OBDII. Seems with the sensitivity diesels have with fuel and filters, a dedicated gauge to monitor pressure and thus filter status would be a valuable thing to have. I'm surprised it's not "standard" like boost and other engine parameters.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

[Sundancer268]

I would check into a fuel polishing service and get the problem fixed once and for all instead of just changing filters. Plugged filters point to a problem that needs fixing. I am still running on the same fuel filter that I installed on my coach in 2009 when I purchased it over 30,000 Miles ago. See attached link to explain process and most marinas should be able to tell you where to obtail the service as it is quite common in the Boating Community.



https://www.axi-international.com/mo...g-systems-mtc/

[Longlook]

Thanks for the direction regarding where to find the right service. I prefer to spend the $ and fix it for good. So far so good we made it to Ft, Stockton and then in to San Antonio in tomorrow.

[Bigd9]

If you are going to carry a spare filter, make sure you place it inside a airtight container of some sort. Although the outside of filters look nicely painted, the insides are bare steel and tend to rust fast. You surely don't want rust particles inside the filter getting into the engine especially the fuel injectors.
Here is a picture or to of new filters about to be used:

[grldst]

Originally Posted by Mark_K5LXP

Related question to fuel filter status - do diesel rigs have OBD access to fuel rail pressure? I've been monitoring fuel pressure as a "gauge" with every gas vehicle I've driven with OBDII. Seems with the sensitivity diesels have with fuel and filters, a dedicated gauge to monitor pressure and thus filter status would be a valuable thing to have. I'm surprised it's not "standard" like boost and other engine parameters.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

Mark, you are right it would be a beneficial gauge to have. I don't recall seeing it in the dash of any modern day motorhomes. I wonder if silver leaf or any of these other add on monitor systems have that reading available.

I do not find it available on "ScanGauge D" or "TripTek". However, years ago we had a 1991 Bluebird Wanderlodge that had a gauge that monitored the fuel pressure. It appeared to work off of a vacuum reading. The lower the gauge read the more plugged the fuel filters were.

We did have a problem with algae in the Bluebird once, we treated it with an algaecide and changed the filters about 5 times in 5000 miles and that did the trick. If memory serves correctly, I believe the book said to change fuel filters when the gauge read 5 or less. New filters would give us a 15 reading.

[pjc97009]

Horrible news. We had a complete engine shut down on a major Hwy about 5 years ago. We have a 2000 38' Monaco diesel pusher. It was our main onboard computer. Wasn't that expensive (abt $1500) but the time lost was over a week at Cummings dealer in OK City. At least they let us "live" there while we had to wait for diagnoses - provided water and 50 amp. As an aside, our 10 mi tow was over $850. Covered by AAA RV. Highly recommend Good luck!

[Buly]

I used to install vacuum indicator gauges on marine diesels in my younger years.
Now I have installed one on my DS 4369. Just by looking at it before heading out, I know if the fuel filter is starting to load up and it is time to change it.
Also saves me unnecessary filter changes.

[buntina]

Sounds like an injector.