Cummins engine problem

[10Tour]

Hello everyone, I'm a new member. I have camped in about every type camper made, I finally made it to my dream camper of a diesel pusher. Last year on a trip to the Keys we stopped to buy fuel on the turn pike I shut the unit off and filled up. When done I went to crank it back up and it would not turn over. Everything had power I checked every fuse, breaker, all cables, batteries were new and I tried to use the auxiliary start button nothing helped. everything else in the coach worked fine but when you turned the key nothing. I called roadside assistance and before I got off of the phone with them I tried the key one more time it started right up and no trouble the rest of the trip. Last month we left to go on a trip and about twenty minutes from our house we stopped at a grocery store, shut the coach off and were there about thirty minutes and when we stated to leave turned the key nothing. Again called roadside assistance and as he pulled up I tried the key it cranked and ran perfect the rest of the trip. The unit is a 2010 Winnebago tour with a 400 horse power Cummins in it. Service tech says if it not broken they cannot find what to fix says he would start with the starter, any Ideas?

[Mr_D]

Had pretty much the same problem with our '02 DSDP w/ISC 350. Finally got the starter replaced and no trouble after that. Cost was a lost camping weekend a $700 tow (paid for by Coach Net) and just over $1,000 for the new starter and install.

[10Tour]

Thank you for the information, I was planning on replacing it but wanted to do my home work first.

[palehorse89]

To bad it just don't stay broke so you can troubleshoot it, it will suck to spend a ton of money on a new starter and have this happen again........Could also be your ignition switch..........or a relay.
When this happens, can you hear any clicking sound at the starter?

[10Tour]

No not any sort of sound, last time it happen I got underneath the rear of the coach and had the wife turn the key and I could not hear anything.

[twinboat]

I wouldn't just change the starter.

The start switch ( key ), neutral safety switch, slave solenoid, jacks down lockout or starter solenoid could be bad or have dirty connections.

Locate all of the above and get a simple test light. When it don't start have someone hold the key and see where the power stops.

But that just me, I need to know, before I change anything.

[Rcdukes]

I had the same problem. Sometimes it would do nothing. Sometimes it would be ok. My problem was also the starter. That is my vote.


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[brobox]

I have seen ignition switches do the same thing.

[jondrew55]

This happened to me once when I was stuck for hours in a traffic jam. I hated to leave the engine idling so I shut it down. 10 min later when it came to move again, nothing. Would not crank, no noise at all. After panicking for a few minutes I finally realized I had put the parking brake on but shill had it in "D" instead of neutral.

Most likely this is not what happened to you but if it happens again, check your gear selection first to make sure you're in neutral.

While a bad starter is certainly a possibility I agree you should not just go the "swaptronics" route and replace an expensive component to see it it works. It could be ignition switch or neutral interlock

Hope that helps

[Old Scout]

The fact that it is intermittent makes it a bugger to diagnose. Most diesel pushers use a primary and secondary solenoids to activate the starter. The starter is wired hot, so a lead from the ignition switch trips the remote secondary which inturn, trips the primary located on the starter. Once a "fail to crank" occurs, I would use a volt meter to verify the secondary got the signal [current] from the ignition, then see if the secondary sends current to the primary on the starter.
PS--with any 12v issue, I start with checking and cleaning the battery cables and post connections--a bad connection might give you enough juice for lights, radio, etc but wont pull enough amps to crank over the engine.
PSS--if your rig is equipped with Vansco power/communication modules, you start getting into a whole new can of worms with whether the modules are communicating front to back.

[road dogs]

I have owned a couple of older cars with that same symptom, the brushes in the starter would hang up occasionally and I would have to bang on the starter to dislodge the stuck brushes and things would be OK for a while until I could replace the starter or fix the brushes. Carried a 2X2 wooden post with me that would easily reach the starter motor from topside.....

[YC1]

Time to take some pictures of your starter and wiring as well as any associated solenoids. Then get your voltmeter out and write the measurements down. Then have someone crank the thing while you take measurements. Write those down.

Now you have something to go on when it acts up again.

In any case, I would trace all the big wires that go to the starter and the frame. With batteries disconnected remove those wires and clean them up nice and shiny.

[MSHappyCampers]

Welcome to IRV2! We're sure glad you joined us!

Sorry I can't help with your problem! Keep her between the ditches!

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!

[10Tour]

Thank all of you for you helpful suggestions I really appreciate all of them. I have a lot of home work to do.