9 replies to this topic

[willisclarke]

I just purchased a 1998 Bounder 28T (42,000mi), and took it on its 2nd trip (only 150 mi one way). The coach ran beautifully the first time, again on the 1st leg the second time. Coming home today, traveling down Hiway 80 from Truckee, CA, the engine quit while going 50 mph. I was able to pullover, and I checked for the belt, overheating, etc. Everything seemed Okay, so after about 5 minutes, I stared the engine and drove the remaining 40 miles home.

This route has long, steep downgrades, so I was shifting back and forth from drive to 2nd gear trying to aid in braking. When the motor quit, I was shifting, and heard a growl before it stopped. Could this shifting cause the engine to overheat and quit (the gauge did not show it if it is working correctly)? I was worried about overheating the brakes, so I don't know another way to slow down the coach. Or, could this be a precursor to something major?

Any comments welcome.

Willis

[wolfe10]

Willis,

Please tell us what engine/transmission/chassis you have.

Did anything else quit working when the engine quit (such as dash HVAC fan)?

Downshifting is a good way to safely descend a grade. And that should lower, not raise engine temperatures-- no load higher RPM so fan and water pump are spinning faster.

[willisclarke]

There is so little info on this MH when I purchased it, I only know it is a Chevy chassis, a 454 Chevy engine, and the transmission I am not sure. The gear shift shows : P(circled) R N D (circled) D 2 1.

Everything seemed to work OK. I was shifting from Drive to 2nd, there was a brief "growl," and the engine quit. Although the steering was a bit stiff, I was able to steer off the side of a very busy highway okay.

The extremely brief Owner's Manual keeps referring to the Chassis Manual, which I do not have. Sorry I cannot furnish any better information at this time, this is all very new to me.

Willis

[vtbigdog]

I am assuming there is a OBDII diagnostic connector under your dashboard. If so, you can drive to an AutoZone or Advance Auto Parts place and have them see if any codes are appearing...there may have been a flashing "Check Engine" light that appeared during the event but you did not notice it. If there are no codes, I would suspect a fuel delivery problem.

How many road miles were put on in the last three months prior to this trip? Since you are the new owner you may not know, but if it sat around with gas in the tank and little use, the tank and fuel injection system may have varnished. There are products you can buy to add to your gas to clean the injectors but you should change the fuel filter first.

[DickandLois]

I need to ponder the growl sound. Could you expand on if you where downshifted when the engine quit. The transmission fluid is pumped by the engine turning pump(s) in the transmission and with the loose of pressure due to engine shutdown the pressure loose could have made for a lubrication issue. Did you place the transmission in neutral while pulling over to the side of the road?

When you have something like this happen, ones mind gets loaded with what is going on and how do I make a safe stop.
You are not alone about not placing the coach in neutral under this situation.

The engine quitting item that comes to mind is vapor lock. This is a fuel injected engine and they are less prone to vapor lock because the fuel is under pressure.

Have you changed the fuel filters? The fuel pump pressure could be lower then required, but you do not mention any problems while climbing grades.
Big dog mentioned reading the OBD codes to see if there is something stored in the ECM and is a good starting point.
A complete check of the fuel delivery system would be a good starting point if there is no information stored in the ECM.

You mentioned lacking information regarding the coach an this link might help to get some information.
http://fleetwoodrv.c...nualsByYear.asp

Rich.

[willisclarke]

Thanks for your comments,

I may never know what caused the shut down (maybe the way I was shifting), but MH seems to be running OK so I won't panic just yet. The growl was brief and occurred just as I was shifting from Drive to 2nd, and the motor quit. I did not shift to neutral, but steered the MH over to the side quickly while still in gear. I don't think it vapor locked; it should have done so while climbing, but ran well uphill. It would appear that a fuel delivery problem took place, for whatever reason.

I have had a number of surprises since I picked this MH up in Los Angeles and drove it home to Sacramento. My biggest concern is the brakes which I need to find a shop to inspect; they felt quite hot once I got home.

The number of reliable repair shops in the Sacramento area has grossly dwindled, and I am trying to learn where to take the unit for inspections. I spend most of my fishing time in the lakes north of Truckee, CA, and the return home is all downhill (drop from 7200 ft to 400 ft in about 50 mi), which is really tough on brakes (and constantly shifting).

[wolfe10]

I spend most of my fishing time in the lakes north of Truckee, CA, and the return home is all downhill (drop from 7200 ft to 400 ft in about 50 mi), which is really tough on brakes (and constantly shifting).

Only safe way to descend any grade in a heavy vehicle is to use the gears/engine, NOT service brakes to hold your speed in EQUILIBRIUM. That is a speed at which your transmission/engine keep you at a speed where you are neither speeding up nor slowing down. If you find you are accelerating, use the service brakes (brake pedal) enough to slow down and shift to a lower gear.

Also, with hydraulic brakes, change brake fluid every 2-3 years AND on most, clean and lube the caliper pin slides.

[DickandLois]

The other possibility is the ignition module in the distributor. They do fail and heat is there enemy. They can be working fine and fail.

Had it happen on a trip years ago,when we slowed down at a toll both, running fine before that and it just died. A new module and off we went.

A spare module in the coach might be in order. They do not cost much and it can save a lot of time trying to finding the proper one in some parts of the country.

Rich.

[willisclarke]

Thank you Wolfe, good advice. At what speed can you downshift into 1st gear without maybe damaging the transmission? I am spoiled, since before this Bounder I towed a 23 ft Aljo with my Toyota Tundra. The Tundra has that 6 gear thumb ratchet shifting which is a joy for breaking. Another issue on this Bounder is that I cannot see what gear I am in very well, as the indicator is dull red on a green background. I need to find a way to get at the indicator post and paint white so it is obvious what gear I am in (searching over top of the steering wheel while traveling is dangerous).

[dave111451]

Check at what speed the transmission up-shifts at under almost full throttle and downshift below this speed.