Community Forums

Ruediger · 05-15-2021, 03:00 AM

Hello forum,

I have a 2001 P32 rv/ Condor and realised the following: Autopark and park brake lamps illuminated. Crawled below the vehicle and found out, the autopark leaking. And lost all oil. Refilled - the same. The autopark started working but you hear the it leaking immediately. I moved forward to a parking lot, slowly and letting the brake cooling down every 5 miles. But due to the cirumstances, I was moving around 40 miles. Now I´m locked.

I have right now two major questions: Did the 40 miles driving killing the autopark system finally? The second question: Can I disassemble the autopark for finding the correct truck service? Challenge right here: I´m in France. I already mailed oldusedbear as the mentioned specialist.

Finally: The reservoir looks good. So look the tubes. So, like many others: Most possibly the pump/ actuator. Is a self-repair with new sealings possible?

Appreciate any tip. Ruediger

LETMGROW · 05-15-2021, 04:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruediger

Hello forum,

I have a 2001 P32 rv/ Condor and realised the following: Autopark and park brake lamps illuminated. Crawled below the vehicle and found out, the autopark leaking. And lost all oil. Refilled - the same. The autopark started working but you hear the it leaking immediately. I moved forward to a parking lot, slowly and letting the brake cooling down every 5 miles. But due to the cirumstances, I was moving around 40 miles. Now I´m locked.

I have right now two major questions: Did the 40 miles driving killing the autopark system finally? The second question: Can I disassemble the autopark for finding the correct truck service? Challenge right here: I´m in France. I already mailed oldusedbear as the mentioned specialist.

Finally: The reservoir looks good. So look the tubes. So, like many others: Most possibly the pump/ actuator. Is a self-repair with new sealings possible?

Appreciate any tip. Ruediger

You may just have a leak from the light switch which is down under the coach. If you have lost most of the fluid the actuator will not operate to release the park brake. You may have to remove a metal heat shield to see or access the light switch.
P>S> Due to age and health "Old Used Bear" is no longer responding to E-Mails.

Ruediger · 05-15-2021, 05:04 AM

after refilling almost immediately. Pumping out. Because I was sitting in the coach I were not able to see where it comes from. Will check again. After removing the light switch, the parking brake then is released?

Thanks for your advice. The metal shiield already removed. I checked already the tubes. But thats not the problem as it lookalike.

LETMGROW · 05-15-2021, 05:31 AM

You will need to clean the area around where the leak appears to be. Then enlist a helper to start the engine and put the shift selector in reverse or drive for a few seconds while you are under the coach so you can see where the leak is actually coming from. It won't take long to tell.
Be sure your helper is holding the foot pedal for the brakes firmly when putting the selector in gear. The parking brake is likely to release while doing this test.
I would also suggest wearing safety glasses in case you get in the line of spray of the fluid leak. (This could be messy)
The fluid tank will have to be refilled before doing this test.
The required fluid is standard "Dexron" automatic transmission fluid.

FYI: I had a light switch blow out the plastic side once and cause a leak. The switch will need to be replaced if this is the case.
I'm not sure what your parts availability is over there but I can supply you with part numbers if you need them.

LETMGROW · 05-15-2021, 05:36 AM

There is another conversation going right now in the Workhorse chassis forum.
https://www.irv2.com/forums/f22/auto...it-535097.html
I have the switch part numbers listed on there.

Ruediger · 05-15-2021, 09:28 AM

Thanks. I´ll prepare as described. And come back with all details.

LETMGROW · 05-15-2021, 10:00 AM

You might try cleaning everything up then starting the engine and put the shift lever in drive or reverse for only a couple seconds then shutting everything off. Crawl under the coach and see if you can tell where the leak is coming from. If you can tell it might save some trouble and keep your clothes cleaner.

n2zon · 05-15-2021, 04:45 PM

Mechanically disconnect it. Make *sure* the manual parking brake actuation works. Drive home.

On the Winnie this happened twice. It took 7,206 turns to disconnect the cable (I am exaggerating for effect), but once it was disconnected the parking brake was no longer applied. The second time this happened, I fixed the system and then left the cable disconnected...enough was enough.

Ruediger · 05-16-2021, 12:10 AM

My second parking option the yellow plug next to the steering wheel. Does this apply in a different way? To the rear axle? Means, i would have a second option avoiding the rv moving when i have to disconnect?

Anyway, today i refill and crawl below seeing if i can identify the leak.

As always right here, great advice and usefuls docs. I'll make myself learning in all details. 'Rotten green switch', never heard before.

LETMGROW · 05-16-2021, 02:11 AM

The yellow knob does exactly the same thing your shift selector does. It operates the same system so if there is a problem in the system it still won't operate. The yellow knob is an override in case the shift selector switch fails. I have never used my yellow knob switch.
The "Rotten Green Switch" is the pressure switch on the Auto Park pump. "Rotten Green Switch" is simply a nickname for the switch because it has been so troublesome over the years. If you look at the switch you will see the plastic housing where the wiring plugs in is green. There is one catch here though. There is a substitute switch which has a brown housing available. It works exactly the same way as the green switch and is just as troublesome.

Ruediger · 05-16-2021, 02:22 AM

Tested in the morning. And pulled a tissue around. Green, black and pump. Happy hearing the pump working. After driving it dry for a while. The tissue for the green stayed dry, the one for the black went dexron-red. Replaced it two times cause i want to avoid overseeing a leaking pump. Its the black one. While pumping my autopark dahsboard light started flickering.

Ruediger · 05-16-2021, 02:26 AM

... Read your final mail more carefully. The switch i thought is indeed green/ plastic housing. The other one, the damaged one with with a black housing. I'll check the cable colour later today. I better order both switches to be on the safe side. You say, despite colour differences, they are the same?

LETMGROW · 05-16-2021, 05:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruediger

... Read your final mail more carefully. The switch i thought is indeed green/ plastic housing. The other one, the damaged one with with a black housing. I'll check the cable colour later today. I better order both switches to be on the safe side. You say, despite colour differences, they are the same?

No, no. The switches are NOT the same. The plastic on the pump switch could be either green or brown. The switch underneath the coach has a gray plastic housing.
If you installed the wrong switch in either position the wiring connector would not plug in to the switch.
Pump switch: Green 15961566 Can use brown 15034355
Light switch: Gray 10218778
These are GM / Workhorse original part numbers.
I am not familiar at all with a 'black' switch. Perhaps the switch has been changed somewhere along the way and the incorrect switch was used in place of the correct one.
What are you referring to as 'Cable color'?

Ruediger · 05-16-2021, 07:10 AM

Misunderstood the colour info. Its all about the housing colour. Not the cable. I have green and black. I recently bought the RV, so more then likely that the previous owner took a different type in terms of colour.

What I also understood is, changing them regularly and having always a spare part at hand. How often do you replace them or will you wait until the leaking occurs?