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Coach Won’t Start or Crank
We are luckily parked at home and not on the road but need to move the coach for construction on our property. I have read through many of the similar issues and troubleshooting here in the community and I am thankful for the resources here.
I will begin at the beginning! We used our coach in August for a 200 mile trip over 10 days with NO issues. Oct 21st we closed on our new home and the bus was dead, not even a click from the started when attempting to crank. I had our roadside assistance come by and jump me off with a 24v jump box and started right up…. EXCEPT it would only run about 30 seconds before shutting down and neither of the red or amber check engine lights ever went out from start to shutdown. After this process repeated 4 times, the coach ran fine and I drove it to our new home. Knowing it needed new batteries, I replaced them two weeks ago and the same issue as before, started right up, died after 25-30 seconds, same lights stayed on, (as a side note, fast idle was inop) also like before new batteries, this scenario played out 4-5 times then the bus ran fine with no warning lights.
So now needed to move the coach yesterday and it will only “click” I have checked connections at the equalizer and all batteries checked power at both master switches and the relays, rear start switch and toggle are not allowing only a click as well, and hammered the starter
I would appreciate any ideas at this point
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44 Replies
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John and Billie. Ive got a few questions for you
Is your coach two stroke or four
do you hear the usual clicks when you normally twist key to start, but not turn over, and tach needle cycles flipping back and forth
do exterior marker/headlights work
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When you turn the key to the “on” position, what does the volt meter for the chassis batteries say? It might be labeled “engine”.
Have you checked the voltages at the batteries with a volt meter?
Does your coach have a hard wired 24 volt battery charger that Liberty would have installed on the roof of the curb side engine bay?
I think you have an 8V92 engine. Please confirm.
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You should have a start solenoid in the upper outside panel below the drivers window that looks like the attached. Have you checked for voltage there? You can also use a jumper on this to supply power to start the coach while someone else turns the key. I have had to do this twice over the years until I could get a replacement.
Good luck and let us know what you find.
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8V92 yes. I do have the old 24v charger but I never use it at Jeff’s advice. The batteries are new and I have 24v at the equalizer and at the master cutoff switch.
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It is 2 stroke, and yes a I have all the usual clicks when switch is turned on and warning lights. I hadn’t thought about the tachometer pre-start sweep but I will go look at that
2000 Featherlite H3-45
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Leesburg, FL -
I do have voltage there I haven’t tried jumping across it I will try that today.
Since the coach was starting fine except shutting down after 30 seconds initially I keep thinking it must be a sensor which would have to be water or oil I suppose
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When my solenoid completely crapped out, it would run as long as I had the jumper wire in place and die when removed. You should be able to tell the same thing. To get to my next location I put the jumper into the nuts and it would start and run until we got a replacement.
More good luck!
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If you have 24 volts where you have it, batteries should be fully charged. You could also check each battery individually without unhooking them to confirm they are fully charged.
Again, you should have a chassis/engine voltmeter on the dash. With the key on, you should see 27 or 28 volts. Turn the key to engage the starter and the voltage should drop, but not to zero. If zero or close to it, something is wrong.
Two things could be wrong with new/newer batteries: (1) defective new battery (bad cell) which happened to my with 5 month old Interstates and that spoils the four battery pack (find and replace bad battery and you should be OK) or (2) lights left on or phantom draw pulled them down and they need to be charged.
If you still have the original 24 volt charger Liberty installed, pull it out and replace it with a Guest/Mariner smart charger with three charging stages.
The other advice you’re getting is solid in my opinion. Could be any of these things.
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Dick, I think he has plenty of juice..
Starter solenoid or starter. Starter hammering, I don’t understand that. Do you have 24volts at the starter?
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I would bet that it’s the solenoid. Mine acted up intermitently, for a while before it completely failed going down the road, in the middle lane, Very exciting. I jumped the big nuts on the solenoid and left it on until I shut down. I think that it is a 100 amp.
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Just got home and ran a jumper across the solenoid. Still just clicking, bus will not start. Also, battery voltages are good and battery meter on the dash shows good voltage.
When the key is turned on the speedometer and tach do cycle.
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A couple years ago my coach did the same. I had to replace the ignition switch. Started right up
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I am not sure I fully understand all that has been done, but a DDEC engine will shut down if it does not have oil pressure, high temps or low coolant.
The fact the check and stop engine lights will not go off (they have to be off before attempting to start) suggests to me the DDEC is getting a stop engine signal from one of the sensors. Low coolant perhaps?
If coolant level is OK, jumper across the terminals with a paper clip or something and try it. Ditto with oil pressure.
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I intend on jumpering the solenoid again this evening and some further checking.
Anyone have an easy idea on how to rule out the starter as bad? The bus is positioned and low where I cannot get under it.
I am also only 45 min from Jeff’s but the coach cannot be towed out of my property so I need to eliminate what I can and try to get it moving.
Once it is running, I assume I will have the 30 second shut-down issue again anyway which from some reading may be the coolant sensor; does anyone know how I can test it to see or bypass it?
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Thanks Jon I was just wondering if I could just jumper across the coolant sensor and I have not located the oil sensor yet.
BTW I have moved from that old neighborhood near you but only a mile down the road to 525 TG if you are ever up on the other end of TG
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