dickandlois

Brett, Engine is a Cummins ISB. Regarding the pictures, I have some but, at my limit for attaching them to a thread at the time. Wrapping the pump is a good idea. Will have to look at the thing again to see how to attach them around the bottom area only. Might be a good use of some depends that where left over from a time they where needed. Rich.

Well, A new issue has presented its self. Upon returning home from our last outing it was time for the yearly oil and filter changes. When I crawled under the coach, a spot of oil was spotted and upon a closer look, oil was leaking from the air compressor casting, not the seal area(s). I say seal areas because the power steering pump is mounted and driven by the compressor. I did go ahead and change the oil and filters and have been keeping an eye on that leak. The leak is getting a little greater as I drilled into the web for a replacement and the other parts required to complete the job. Some of the parts appeared not to be the common over the counter items. LOL Now, it is tight in there, with the need to remove some water cooling hoses, air compressor governor and the power steering pump before attempting to remove the compressor. The big issue for me now is the best way to approach this one, do I attempt it at home with out the aid of a lift and outdoors with the first signs of winter or get it done at a service location I use for much of the involved work I no longer wish to attempt when the weather is on the cold side. My main concern is driving the distance required to the service center and hoping that the leak does not become catastrophic, with a large loss of oil and total pump failure. Resulting in no air pressure, loose of power steering and the need to have the coach towed. Kind of between the proverbial rock and a hard place at the time. Rich.

dorfboyzz, A welcome to FMCA also. Like Brett said, start at the ground !! the odds of the problem being the horns is very small. Bad solenoid winding, valve or just a fuse would be my first items to check, the steering wheel horn switch is also a possibility. No more trying to see if you can bounce, if you are like me things do not heal as fast anymore!!! Rich.

A sharp popping or snapping sound could be the coupling or shear pin breaking. Was the sound from a dual drive rail slide system? or a single drive rail system? Do you still have power to the drive motor ? Could you post the manufacture of you slide out system for the group. Rich.

Steve, Per Ray's post, Brett's thoughts and looking at the troubleshooting guide for the ISB. The issue could be low voltage to the fuel supply solenoid or that part of the rebuilt injector pump is bad / intermittent. Be sure the power and ground legs of the VP-44 power supply are in good order; inspect the lift pump, power relay and fuses for corrosion. Any connection issues at this connection or circuit could decrease the voltage going to the pump and that could cause the fuel supply valve to open intermittently. leading to a hard to start problem. Also could manifest itself as a loose of power, due to decreased fuel flow to the injector pump. One needs the wiring connection drawing for the power connection on the cable connector going to the VP-44 pump Rich.

Ray Good point !! Your thought is valid and I'm beginning to thing along the same lines. Having a bad pump installed is not what one wants. Kind of hopping there is a fault code stored for something else. Rich.

Steve, Thanks for the clarification. Do you have any codes in the ECM? You can read them manually using the check engine light, Idle speed and engine check switches. I'm beginning to wounder if you have a circuit problem, regarding power in the fuel supply circuit power the fuel shut off relay, ECM or wiring. Beginning to sound like an intermittent electrical issue. I will see if I can copy over information on testing that circuit if needed. Rich. ECM Error Codes that might be related to your problem. There are others, but these are the ones that stand out and because of your description some stand out more then others. Code 364-ECM to pump communication error. Code 365-Fuel pump voltage out of range Code 369-Fuel pump to engine synchronization Pulse not recognized Code 368-Fuel pump can not reach Commanded timing Code 373- Fuel pump,fuel shut off error. Code 375-ECM fuel calibration corrupted. Code 391-VP44 Relay coil supply circuit.

Sctucker, Welcome to FMCA! Rough running engine sounds like a fuel issue. There could be a leak in the fuel line between the lift pump and the fuel tank, allowing for a leak back of the fuel. You did not mention if your engine ECM set any fault codes. When they changed the VP-44 injector pump, some dirt could have gotten into the fuel lines running to the injectors. When did you have the valve lash checked last? When did you change the air filter and fuel filters last? What is the fuel pressure reading between the lift pump and the injector pump? Rich.

Drambo, Welcome to FMCA! You mentioned that you had the RV dealer install the circuit(s) needed to keep the battery charged. When you have the car connected to the coach, open the car hood and measure the battery voltage. Then start the coach, the battery voltage should read around 13 to 13.5 volts when measured across the positive and negative terminals, if not then the charging circuit the dealer installed id not working. Let the group know what you find and post your findings. Rich.

Makes for some interesting interaction and how things have changed in one generation and to what we and our grandchildren now consider camping or boondocking. In many ways equal to how things changed in my Grandparents life from the horse and buggy to a man on the moon. Sometimes its hard to grasp the reality of what is now the norm. Rich.

When one up grades to a multiple camera system, they do not always come with the needed accessories to make the side view cameras work when the turn signals are on. To make them work one needs to install additional relays and wiring. They can be switched manually in most cases, but its not the best idea to take ones eyes off the road an look for the switch each time. Rich.

Len, Brett, mentioned the ATS switch / Relay that transfers power from ether the generator or shore power. There is a possibility of a ATS failure, but you need to check and see if you have AC and DC power when on either shore or generator power. Some coaches have a manual (push button) switch(s) that control solenoids located near or in the entryway to disconnect the coach and chassis batteries from the circuit panels. Often the switches get bumped unknowingly and the circuit is disconnected. Others have rotary switches in or near the Coach and Chassis battery bays that disconnect the batteries. Should the chassis circuit be open, then you would not be able to start the coach or generator in many cases. Should the coach disconnect circuit be open then you would not have 12 volt power to any of the low voltage circuits. Should you have 12 volts when on shore power or when the generator is running, there has to be a 12 volt charger or source coming from somewhere. The switches can be named, Main and Aux., Chassis and Coach, Ship and shore; in some cases one manually selects where the 120 volt AC is being supplied. Rich.

Len, I have been reading and rereading your post. You did mention that you had lights and refrigerator light when the generator was running and on shore power no lights. Correct? I'm wondering if that is the case if you switched the shore power / Generator switch and its in the generator position and not the shore power position. You also changed out the batteries, Correct? If that is the case did you get one of the battery parallel or series jumpers on a wrong terminal? That could be causing the problem also. When you get to the coach check the wiring and measure across the points that should read 12 volts. Rich.

So Glad you are both OK ! just now finished reading. From you post is sounds like you will be able to continue on to your appointment and then find time to get items repaired. Rich

Rein, Been looking around my files and did not find a listing by volume or weight of freon. The most common method used on this side of the pond is with a set of pressure manifolds. I'm not on top of my conversions from PSI and KP., but the common pressure on the low side of the systems is 28 to 30 psi in English. That is the point where the compressor will run continuously with out cycling on and off. The trick you need to use some times is to turn off the system and let the pressure equalize, then continue to add freon until the proper pressure is reached on the low side of the system. DO Not charge above 32 PSI. above this level can cause part failure!!!! (220.64KPa.) Think I got it right ! Remember to run a vacuum test on the system before charging and that the proper level of esters are in the system before charging!!!! If the system has been running fine up until just recently and there is still a charge close to the required level on the low side, you might only need to top off the system to get it working. ALSO ! a set of badly celebrated gauges can cause problem of an over or under charged system !!!!! Rich.

Hi Len, Welcome to FMCA! The 12 volt system batteries should charge off the Engine Alternator directly or through a battery isolator, even if you do not have a Charger / Inverter. Brett mentioned measuring the voltage across your coach batteries with a meter. What kind of reading do you get across the coach and chassis batteries with and without the engine running? The voltage at the refrigerator control board needs to be above 10.5 to 11volts for the refrigerator to run on LP or AC. Could you post the make and model of your refrigerator for the group? Rich.

Thanks Tom !! Good information, but is one really boondocking when plugged into the power grid? Rich.

I had to look at the oil requirements when you mentioned 15-40 grade and it is OK for the unit. Regarding the oil filter, the manual lists part number 122-0836 for your unit. Was the proper filer used ? Part number 122-0800 is listed for a number of the generators. You mentioned smelling fuel, so that should not be an issue unless there is an open fuel line. With no hits or misses, it sure sounds like ignition issue, the only thing I question is an oil filter issue ??? But if that part number is correct, that leaves ignition or that open fuel line I mentioned. Do you read any codes from the System? What year is your coach? Rich.

Hi Steve, Welcome to FMCA. There are no real set rules. The main item is knowing your coach and how it handles is different conditions. Basically, every coach will handle differently depending on how one loads them, the condition and type of tires and wind direction. Cross winds are the pits, while wind coming head on kills MPG, but are drivable. Wind from behind adds to MPG. When the red flags are out, just stay put. I have been to close to a wall cloud once or twice and found cover. Also been inside the coach when it listed a little more them we would like. Always parked the the awning side down wind. Strong winds can and will peel then off the coach under the right conditions. In over 175,000 miles it has only happen 3 or 4 time where we felt, what I would call very nerves conditions. You need to adjust your speed in most cases, when it comes to snow, sleet and ice; one needs to get off the road !!!! The surface area of the coach, the total lack of traction and very little wind can push the coach off the road !!!!! So just find a place to pull off, keep the slides in and weather out the storm. In some cases you maybe the only coffee shop and canteen for miles. One can see the best and the worst in people. Just go with the flow and enjoy the fact that you have a house on wheels. Rich.

spudsmeister, Welcome to FMCA!! The AC/ DC requirement limits the number of suppliers. That removes what I would consider the more highly rated manufactures. Do you have a reason for the DC capability ? Many of the 22in. LED units will run on small inverters. you might look into this unit, although its not from a main stream manufacturer. Axess TV1701-22 22-Inch 1080p Digital HDTV, LED AC / DC TV Full HD with HDMI and USB Rich.

Blaine, From the pictures you posted, it looks like the clear coat has deteriorated. It is a little hard to tell for sure, but the best way to get the glossy look back might be to clean and prep the surface for a new gel coat. Then replacing the pin striping would bring her back to a good as new state. Rich.

What fault code(s) do you get: 3,4,5,6 or 7? I do not see one that fits your description in the operators manual I have. Do the storage pods move in and out with the slide sidewall? How much weight do you have in the pods if they move? and what is the weight limit of the system, if its covered in the owners manual? Rich.

enagemmd, Your thought might fit into the Towing thread monitored by the GM engineer: http://community.fmca.com/topic/4305-gm-needs-your-feedback-on-dinghy-towing-4-wheels-down/ He is collecting information on how RV's tow there toads. Rich.

Hi Bill, and Welcome to the FMCA Forum!! Just wondering what a your present altitude is ? There is a setting on the carburetor to lean out the mixture if needed. The setting is often set for sea level operation ! Rich.

Petenancy, Welcome to FMCA. Are you asking because the slide will remain out, with the coach parked for an extended stay or are you looking for a solution if you might be where the slide would be out in a snowstorm over night while on the road? Rich.