dickandlois

Look at the shocks and the mounting points for any indication of wear and traces of oil on the cylinders. Then have a OTR truck center check the torsion bar front suspension and the rest of the suspension while its in the shop. The air bags should be OK. Have the ride height checked also. The prior owner may have been heavy loaders.

The thing is unless the latches are broken that alone would not cure the problem. The plastic ones will ware faster and this fact would lessen the sealing ability because of the additional play. that being the case would not explain the doors poping open.The metal latches are the same physical size and it would be a job and cost that in the end may verywell not solve the problem. The only thing I can invision, is there has to be something out of spec. All of them acting the same way is just hard the get a grip on. I could under stand a number of them having a problen IF a side had been damaged at some point,,but even then that would reguire the entire length of one side. That would of been one big crunch. I think we need to look at this from a different point of view. Ok all the cargo doors pop open when on the road. The latch pins should extend out and be about even with the edge of the cargo. that is as far as you can extend then and still open the doors with out catching on something else. The catches should line up with center of the pins. An example--- IF the pin extends out 3/4in from it mounting and the latch is 1/2in. wide then there would be 1/8in. at the inside and 1/8in. on the outer end of the pin beyond the latch bracket. Granted this would be the perfect placement,but that never is going to happen in the real world. The more of the bracket the pin can extend under the better up to the point,where when you pull on the handel(s) to open the cargo door; they need to clear to alow it to open. Each pin has a spring that forces it outward and when you pull the handel you compress the spring thus clearing the latch bracket. There are two latches per door and one could have a bad spring,but the other side will force its pin outward and the other pin will be forced out with it. If your door have only one pin and the spring is broken. Then vibration will work the pin out from under the latching bracket and pop goes the door. The problem is that if the door is locked, then the handel if in the down / in the travel position and locked it should stay closed. I have no history of the coach and if a prior was like a gorilla, then all I can say all bets are off. I do need to keep my latches tight and the pins lubed,along with the lock cylinders to keep things working. Hope the thoughts help.

The Fact that All The cargo doors come open is a new one for me. I have had the sticker / catches loosen up and need to be retightened. Also had a spring in the latch or one of the plastic latches break, but even with one of the latches not functioning, the cargo doors have stayed closed. The clips that keep the doors centered in the opening have broken, this allows the door to move off center and a latch slip out of the catch and the door did not open. I can see where one or two of the doors could be affected while on a trip. This problem thread should be interesting to follow.

I copied over some information in regards to the vibration. The last item is what you described and will not really help, but might be worth making a copy for your records. ****. Ride Glossary of Terms and Diagnostics • Bounce - Bouncing may occur in the front of the coach, the rear or both. Drive the coach on a rough or uneven road surface to determine if this condition exists. • Delayed Steering Response - A slow gear ration will produce a slow steering response. This problem may also be caused by rear axle side-shift. Evidence of delayed steering response may be produces by small steering wheel adjustments at highway speeds. • Dog Tracking - This is where the rear wheels of the vehicle do not follow or line up with the front wheels. The coach appears to be moving forward in a crooked fashion. Drive on a straight road. Look in the side mirror. The distance between the front wheel and the highway line will be different than the distance between the rear wheel and the highway line. • Harsh Ride - The vehicle rides stiff. You can feel every crack, rut or bump in the road. This condition should be obvious to all passengers in the coach. • Noise - Noises can come in many forms: rattles, clunks, tinny sounds, solid noises, etc. Are those noises produced while driving over small bumps or large potholes? Take another person with you and try to duplicate that noise so you can determine where the problem exists and how it may be resolved. • Noise - Noises can come in many forms: rattles, clunks, tinny sounds, solid noises, etc. Are those noises produced while driving over small bumps or large potholes? Take another person with you and try to duplicate that noise so you can determine where the problem exists and how it may be resolved. • Porpoising - The coach will teeter-totter in a front to back movement. Go over a freeway overpass where the pavement rises suddenly or over a gradual dip. This test will demonstrate if this condition exists. • Pull - The coach drifts to the right or left when driving. The driver feels the steering wheel pulling to one side or the other. • Returnability - As a turn is made, does the vehicle naturally come back to center? As you make a gradual left or right turn and let go of the wheel, if the coach does not come back to center, then there is poor returnability. • Road Wander - With this condition, the coach "has a mind of its own". It wants to move left or right even if the driver is driving straight. The coach also wants to travel its own way after hitting ruts. Keep the steering wheel straight ahead and see where the coach goes. Hit a rut and determine how the coach reacts. • Rut Tracking - The coach follows the grooves worn in the road (created often by 18-wheelers) or where ridges are created when an asphalt surface meets a concrete road surface. The coach wants to continue in the direction of the ridge or groove and it is difficult to correct or change the path of the coach. Find a similar road surface indicated above and test the vehicle for this response. • Steering Play - This indicates the amount of free play in the steering wheel. When a driver moves the steering wheel to the left or right, there is little immediate response. Turn the steering wheel back and forth and determine if little reaction or turning is taking place. • Sway - The coach leans, sways or rocks in a side to side motion with a distinct feeling of top heaviness. This may be presented when doing quick lane changes, cornering or entering unlevel driveways. • Tail-Wagging the Dog - This is where the rear end of the coach tends to sway or slip to one side or the other. Making sudden lane changes or windy conditions often produce this problem. Small steering corrections may also produce tail-wagging the dog. • Vibration - There are two kinds of vibration: steady or pulsating. The key is determining the source of the vibration. Is the vibration or pulsations coming from the steering wheel? Through the floor? Specific to certain speeds? It is like solving a puzzle.

William ! The Tack signal comes from the Engine ECM. The TCM and ECM are interconnected ( sharing information). My first thought, since you did not mention any check engine light, is cabling and connections to and from the modules. You have been setting for some time. there is the possibility the some little critter has or is chewing on the cable harness somewhere. The other thought, is some oxidation on a connector at the ECM / TCM. My first checks would be the area of the ECM as this is the starting point of the tack signal. The Crank sensor signal should be present at the ECM because the engine is starting OK. There is a double headed sensor in the trans. that sends signals to the speedometer and cruse circuits only. Not a tack signal>>> What Engine does you coach have? I have some information on the circuits for the Cummins Engine ECM. ****.

Many of the posts have covered the first level of items that could cause your problem. Rapid Acceleration not only involves the accelerator pump, but opens up the primary and secondary’s. You also mentioned the issue also happens when climbing. My thought(s) are. 1.. The engine is running rich due to dirt in the carburetor, secondary linkage miss adjusted ( as mentioned) 2. There could be one or more vacuum leaks; they mess up the fuel to air mixture. 3. Spark plugs (As mentioned along with the plug wires) 4. Distributor Cap and rotor. 5. Engine timing off. You did not mention the number of miles on the engine, so it’s hard to say if the problem is internal. I did drive a Class A, 454 powered coach over 125,000 miles and it was traded for an AD unit. The only real issue with it was the valve lifters got noisy due to low oil pressure when idling. I do not like noise of any kind, so the oil pump was replaced with an 80psi.HD unit. That is another story for another day. ****

Do you have power to the microwave? Like, is the clock running? Want to make sure that you do not have a loose connection somewhere before replacing. Now there is a unit that others have installed that is very similar in size and function. The biggest problem-- I have to fine the information somewhere in the index on the hard drive, in one of the folders. ****.

The small filter is in the carburetor body, It is easy to strip the threads in the aluminum casting (Do not over tighten). There is a small plastic seal between the filter nut and the casting to prevent fuel leaks. Should be changed with filter! it is hard to see unless you are looking for it. The larger cylindrical metal filter is the in line fuel filter. AC part # 509. The large cartridge filter (AC # 147) is in the fuel line, mounted near the inline electric fuel pump that keeps positive pressure on the input to the mechanical fuel pump mounted on the lower right corner of the block. Passenger side. This helps to prevent vapor lock when the engine is running hot. Not all chassis have this pump if you have one. The Manufacture was (is) Carter. Wish I could remember the number. Pictures of the fuel filters used on P-32 Chassis with a Quadarjet Carb. 1980’s ...

Here are pictures of the radiator, CAC and the stack assembly. Pictures #1 and 2 -- radiator Picture #3 -- CAC Pictures 4 and 5 -- engine Picture 6 -- stack Freightliner recommendations On chassis equipped with a rear radiator, it is very important that the radiator and charge air cooler be inspected at regular intervals. Cummins® recommends inspecting the charge air cooler every 7,500 miles. This is because air and dust blown through the radiator and charge air cooler can build up and reduce the airflow through the cooling system. This is considered part of normal maintenance. From the engine side of the radiator, use a flashlight to look into the fan shroud at the face of the charge air cooler. If there is any dirt buildup, this should be cleaned using a water hose and a mild solvent. If this is not done, the system can become clogged and can result in engine overheating. I hope these pictures will help others understand the importance of keeping the area clean. The side-mount systems do not get dirty as quickly, but they still need to be cleaned.

How many miles on the Engine? When where the fuel filters changed last? Does the check engine light stay on after you shut down the engine and turn on the ignition again? You could have picked up some bad fuel,if it started after a fill up. A number of issues could be causing the problem,need more information and then more able to address to your problem. 35 plus years driving Coaches, only a 2 year member of FMCA. Currently driving an AD unit.

A little more info. If you have 2003 or newer ISC Engine. The 237 Code for the engine with a HPCR Fuel system. 237 External Speed Command Input (Multiple Unit Synchronization - Data Erratic, Intermittent, or Incorrect Not a thing pops up for the 313 Code. ****.

When you set up your Silver Leaf screen,did you set a Battery Level Window? I have had the Check Engine come on when the Alternator voltage goes higher then 14.4 volts and lower then 12.8 volts. The other problem I still have is after the coach sits as little as 30 min. or sometimes it takes a few day the check engine light comes on, and as soon as I put it in gear and move like 10ft. it goes out. The ECM is looking for the Transmission pulse for the speedometer and cruise circuits. Silver Leaf will log false codes at times due to noise in the 12 volt power, due to a bad ground (When the Alternator was replaced did all the connections get tightened properly) and any ground points for the 12 volt systems must be clean and tight. Loose connections at screw terminals can happen, just traveling down the road over time. Did you try to read the trouble codes directly from the ECM using the fault code read back switches and the Check Engine Light? Under the dash, locate the Check Engine Sw. and the Idle Increase Sw. Generally around the steering wheel column. To Read engine codes on the Freightliner Chassis: (The code must be active. i.e. Still showing as a Check Engine or other fault) 1. Shut the engine off. 2. Hold the Engine Check switch down. Located down by the steering column. 3. Turn the ignition key to on. Both the Check Engine (yellow) and the Stop Engine (red) will come on momentary. If no fault is active, both lights will come on and stay on. 4. The Fault Code will flash in the following sequence. First, the Check Engine (Yellow) lamp will flash. Then the Stop Engine light will flash the error number's in sequence. There will be a short one or two second pause between each number. When the number has finished flashing, (in red), a yellow light will appear again. The three digit code will repeat twice in the same sequence. The lights flash each fault code out two times before advancing to the next code. To skip to the next fault code sooner, or back to the previous code, touch the switch labeled Idle Increase/Decrease . This is a center off rocker switch located next to the Engine Check switch. If only one fault is active, the same fault will flash again. Hope this helps.

The other Possibility is a loose connection in a junction box located some where. They should be pictured in your electrical drawings. The junction box might be exposed to the elements and the connections have corroded. The fact that the lights are connected to a working circuit eliminates a loose screw at the fuse box. Things due loosen up driving down the road. Hope these thoughts helps.

There are fuel filters in the Carberator ( 454 =s a large guadrajet) at the front of the carb. and an inline filter, generally located just forward of the rear axle. If your coach is like my old 87, it may have two fuel filters in the very last pod area on the curb side. One pre auxiliary fuel in the fuel line to help prevent vapor lock and one post pump. This gave me a total of 4 fuel filters. There maybe some foreign material in the fuel tank that has fouled the filter(s). New in 2010 to FMCA. Driving a Class C, A and AD sense 1973. They just got bigger over the years !!! **** ---F415802

Hi Altergrigo,**** Here. I owned a 1987 Gas Bounder and still have all the Chassis Wiring diagrams,my scanner is out of order at the time and I have not converted the files to a PDF format. I currently have a 2000 Diesel Bounder and have been doing most of the work myself for years. Might be able to help and you can join The Bounder.org Group at Yahoo and there are about 480 bounder owners at the sight. ****. To late smart!! should have made a copy of the 87 Owners Manual.

A check of the Off Road Magazine sights might get you some good information. They have to balance the tires somehow, a neighbor had a mud truck with 48in. tires and he used golf balls to balance them. I use the weight balancing powder in my 22.5's and it has worked well,takes special valve stems to keep the powder from fowling the valve seal. However ! I still have one stick open from time to time when airing up the tires,I just add some more air and just one more shot usually clears the valve. Just a little water on the valve stem is all ways a good way to check for slow leaks,no bubbles is always a good sign that things are air tight. ****.