| Author | Message | ||
| Mark & Michele (Busnut_pd4106)
Rating: N/A |
Had some work done on the brake and signal lights today and on the way back home she broke down, and I cant seem to get her running again. At this point I am sure the battery is dead. Thankfully we are within 10 miles from the house. The stick-shift has a tendancy to get stuck and I must shutdown the engine in order release the shifter-linkage in the rear to release the shifter. For some reason this 4106 does not like to start when hot, it needs 30 minutes or more to cool before she will start again. Needless to say I was impatient and drained the already half dead batteries. Guess I'll be shopping for two new batteries tomorrow. | ||
| Buswarrior (Buswarrior)
Rating: N/A |
Hello Mark. Get those ones charged up and then see how they do on a load tester. No need to spend money when you don't have to. One careless discharge won't kill good batteries. And get that linkage fixed! happy coaching! buswarrior | ||
| FAST FRED Rating: N/A |
"One careless discharge won't kill good batteries" If your coach has start batts , there probably not too dead. Most starts are made up of many thin plates , which get covered with tiny bubbles on starting attempts , cutting off the current. If you try again & again waiting 10 or 15 min for the plates to clear , yes , you CAN kill them. But most times there only down 20% -30% or so not a good depth of discharge for starts , but not usually death . It is very unusual for a warm diesel to not start easily. Is it turning over at a good speed? FAST FRED | ||
| don (Bottomacher)
Rating: N/A |
My experience with GM starters has been that they draw excessive current when hot, especially when they are on their way south. You might want to check your terminal connections to be sure they are clean and tight to avoid making that problem worse. I would also talk to the folks at Associated Fuel Systems on Moreland Avenue (exit 39 on I 285) about a starter rebuild. They're great people to know. Don (in Sharpsburg) | ||
| TVDAD
Rating: N/A |
Mark that particular coach has problems with the linkage under the shifter boot. you have to remove the boot and align it to the nuetral point. The emergency stop swith has a tendenacy to be loose and has to be reset from time to time. Finally as you know that coach sat for at least two to four years that trip to Ga probally released al the stuff that was growing in that tank, I would drain and clean the fuel tank to insure that there are no problems. TVDAD (TOM) | ||
| Mark & Michele (Busnut_pd4106)
Rating: N/A |
Thanks to all! Fred, the engine will make a slight growl, barely turning, a puff of smoke will come from the tail pipe. If I immediately retry she will just give a loud click. If I wait say 10 minutes she will make a stronger growl, but wont start. Don, someone else told me the same thing you mentioned about the starter and that it might be failing. If I try starting her from the engine compartment while looking at the starter I can actually see the starter move about 1/2 inch as it attempts to engage. I was advice to get this fixed or face even more problem. But what a tight squeeze getting to the starter. Whew!!! and all that grease  Tom, thanks for the tips, You certainly know this coach better than anyone else here. That linkage problem is about to drive me crazy, especially in traffic. We are really enjoying this old girl. The engine was well taken care of; the sound she makes is like music to the ear and she sounds so strong. We have already spent two nights under the metal tent. Two trips to no where! I am truly amazed at how much attention this old coach gets when she is on the road, all the waves, stares, and strange looks; even when she is broken down. Thanks again fellow busnuts for all the input. | ||
| Mark & Michele (Busnut_pd4106)
Rating: N/A |
I failed to mention that I got her started this morning and she is running just fine once more. | ||
| Charles Seaton Rating: N/A |
Have also experienced this problem with an 8V71. Most embrassing moment? I accidentally shut the bus of at a toll booth on the NJ Turnpike. Luckily, it started within five minutes. | ||
| gusc Rating: N/A |
The advice about cleaning all the battery terminals and connections including the starter is good. Same thing happened to me on my 4104. If you have the original primary fuel filter give it a good cleaning. | ||
| don (Bottomacher)
Rating: N/A |
If you can still get to it, access the starter through the removable panel in the rear seat platform. You can reach almost everything from there. Buy a couple cans of brake parts cleaner and hose everything down near the electrical connections. I needed a stubby 3/4" wrench to tighten one of my starter wire connections while I was broken down in Gawdawful, Alabama, on my first trip in my 4106; it cost me $20 and breakfast to borrow the wrench from one of the friendly local truck stop mechanics. I made damned sure I didn't leave anything behind so I never have to drive through that place again. DON'T FORGET TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY GROUND WIRE BEFORE YOU GO AFTER THE STARTER CONNECTIONS! Good luck. | ||
| Brian Brown (Blue_velvet)
Rating: N/A |
Mark, I too have had starter issues with my '06. The 12v starters draw a phenomenal amount of amps, so every connection to it must be pristine. Follow the BIG wire (4/0) from the back of the batt box. It goes up and over the two driver's side bellows and should end up on the bulkhead behind the engine (toward the front of the bus). There's a thru bolt there and a wire that feeds your panel. The thru bolt feeds the wire that goes to your starter solenoid. Remove all of these, sand on 'em, put some Vaseline back on and cinch 'em down good. If yours doesn't have a separate ground wire, make sure the places where grounds connect are cleaned with the same care. If it does have a big ground wire to the starter, clean it up at the connections the same way you do the + side. Some of the connections might be heating up and creating some resistance. David Clark was kind enough to email me one of the best procedures I've ever seen for a starter and/or solenoid R&R on an '06. If you need it, I'm sure he'll be happy to forward it to you. Let's hope you don't, though HTH, Brian Brown PD4106-1175 Longmont, CO USA | ||
| John Jewett (Jayjay)
Rating: N/A |
M&M, here's a trick to remember: open the old rest room service door on the right side and look in to the end of the starter. There is a flat aluminum screw on cover that covers the end of the Bendix shaft.(About 1 1/2 inches diameter) Use a large screwdriver and remove it, then you can use the same screwdriver to give a really strong push in on the shaft end. This will allow you to bypass the battery drain of the Bendix, and somtimes it is enough to make a difference in whether it will start or not. SAFETY WARNING: This allows the starter to turn whether the start button is pushed or not. Be sure it's in neutral before trying this. One more thing: check to see if you have a "Neutral Overrule" switch on your drivers control panel. If so, it may be giving you problems, as it will keep the starter from engaging if you have killed the engine while in gear. (i.e. "stalled" it in gear) While you are on your belly reaching down thru the access panel, grab a grease gun, and grease all of the zerk fittings on the bell cranks where the shift linkage comes through the firewall. (Three I think) It may solve part of your shifting problem. (It sure won't hurt will it?) Pump plenty through so that it "washes out" a lot of the old hard grease. That's all I can come up with that may help. Good Luck, and keep us posted as to how things work out. We like to know what worked and what didn't!!!! Cheers...JJ BTW My thoughts on old/weak/used/tired etc. batteries. They let you down this time, and will do it again soon. Too much hassle and a real safety concern if it won't start at a critical moment to keep them. Besides when you don't know why it won't start, new batteries eliminate one of the problem areas. ...'Nuff Said. | ||
| FAST FRED Rating: N/A |
This may hurt , but I would very CAREFULLY and LIGHTLY touch the connections after a start attempt. Esp where the batts ground to the coach in the batt compartment .(My guess as the bad point) It can be HOT enough to gife a BURN , but the ones that are hot are in desperate need of a good cleaning. FAST FRED | ||
| Joebus (Joebus)
Rating: N/A |
Use your heat sensing gun to check all connections | ||
| Mark & Michele (Busnut_pd4106)
Rating: N/A |
Found the problem. One of three bolts holding the starter is missing. Should be a simple fix. | ||
| Tom Caffrey (Pvcces)
Rating: N/A |
Mark, if it's the top one, that's kinda tight to get at. Ours has a 9/16" 12 point head and takes a manifold wrench to turn it. And the manifold has to be out of the way. The wrench was available at Sears for $17, IIRC. I've been told that a person can take the bolts out of the starter while sitting under the coach, but I haven't tried it. The other two bolts are much easier to reach. If you should move the manifold out of the way to get at the bolt, it is critical to make sure the manifold is setting flat all the way down on the gasket before tightening it's bolts. If it is cocked when you tighten the bolts, it is easy to crack the manifold. For what it's worth. Tom Caffrey PD4106-2576 Suncatcher Ketchikan, Alaska |