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My 91 Beaver Coach Problems
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Yeah, understand totally. Mine has been trouble free on the drivetrain part until a couple trips ago and that’s when the oil issue started. Still runs like a clock with no problems, maybe the calm before the storm. These old coaches with pistionrings and rubber seals and o rings getting old guess you can expect it.
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depends? sorry couldn’t resist…Sudden start of blow by–excessive moisture/oil(slobber) in air box pushing oil out drains. would start from top down. leaking past turbo oil rings–blower seals—then piston rings =each one getting more expensive as you go..those drains were designed to be open below 700 or 900 rpm to drain excess moisture/oil out of air box. Then close and keep higher pressure in air box available to cylinders. Would think this would = lot of smoke. The air box drains can be installed upside down. HJ please let us know outcome so all can learn. I learn something new every day. Bob
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Doesn’t smoke. If you hit it hard to take off a instant puff of black then clear. If airbox check valves where installed upside down wouldn’t they just seal off? Gonna head out to barn in a little and check the ones I replaced. I installed them the same way they came off from factory. . This motor has never been worked on other than oil changes.
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Harry: How old are your batteries? I had four brand new Interstate chassis batteries installed when we bought our coach in May 2014. In October 2014 I couldn’t start the coach. Screwed around trying to charge the batteries. Still no start. Finally pulled all four, took them to Interstate distributor in Milwaukee. Explained problem. They told me I had other problems. Batteries were fine (without looking at them). I told them, “I want you to charge them for 24 hours and then load test them.” The key is “load test”.
They did as I requested. The result was a five month old battery with a bad cell. They replaced it for free.
While you wait for the glorious return of your rebuilt starter, consider pulling the chassis batteries, charging them, and then load testing them. I wrote a lengthy post covering how to remove and replace the chassis batteries fairly safely, search for it.
If you determine your chassis batteries are more than five years old, retire them with dignity. They served the previous owner well. Use your PC NAPA didcount card to buy new ones.
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Here is a picture of what the solenoid looked like when we opened the panel above the engine.
Dick, The owner told me the batteries are two years old.
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Harry do you have the wiring schematic inside that panel we are looking at? I have all the original corresponding literature on mine when you open the door.. If you need it will take a pic tomorrow. That solenoid looks toasted for sure..
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Yes sir I do and thank you, It’s on the inside of the door, I’m frankly surprised that this information exhists thrughout the coach on plastic cards pasted here and there!
Harry
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That solenoid is what sends power to the starter solenoid. During your inspection was it discolored like that or did that happen when you tried to start the coach?
It looks like it got burned up internally and the heat generated was substantial. That would not be the cause of your starter not working, but it definitely will not allow the coach to start if it is not working. Those things were readily available at NAPA stores because they were used on so many of the older cars and light trucks. I think the coil is 24 volt so you might want to get some and carry spares of both 12 and 24 volt because there are a number of them on your coach.
Judging by the heat damage it would suggest to me to check the rest of the start or ignition circuit. You don’t need a starter, but you do need a tester to verify continuity and power at various points.
Those solenoids were not extremely reliable and on my first coach I had a number of them fail. Prevost would hand out replacements at rallies for free because they were less reliable than they should have been, but I never saw a failure like that.
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Hi Jon, I don’t remember what it looked like when the past owner showed me inside the cabinet. But I think I’d remember if it was that black!Harry
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Harry,
When I look at the photo I see what I think is evidence of some substantial heat generated from the solenoid. The bottom of the solenoid seems to have had less heat so it remains the silver color, but the top looks charred and maybe that is heat discoloration on the steel. What is very alarming to me is the enclosure also shows signs of heat or soot covering so something very bad was happening with the solenoid.
It is certain the solenoid was damaged. When is the question.
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Harry,
Previous owners and used car sales people typically will do a lot of “Puffing” about any question you may have. Your problem may be putting too much stock into the “Puffing” you have been given. I as others hope the repair on your starter and replacement of the solinoid solve your problem. I don’t think the problem tha toasted the solinoid will be solved by the rebuild of the starter.
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I did not notice it the first or second time I looked, but is that a charred heavy duty circuit breaker at the right of the solenoid and if so is its normally red push button blackened, charred or melted?
Maybe the solenoid was not the cause of the heat, but a very hot electrical arc in the area of the solenoid or CB?
That bus should have the batteries disconnected until a detailed inspection in the electrical box and the ignition and starting circuit is completed by someone that knows these coaches. This is not a case of fixing the bus so it will start, I think this is a case of seeking a problem that might have caused this so it does not happen again. Then repairing it, hooking up the batteries and then starting it.
The starter has nothing to do with the damage I am beginning to see when I look at the entire photo. Look at what appears to be a red or pinkish discoloration which could be heat shifting the gray painted finish color.
As an afterthought I am beginning to wonder if whatever this leads to could be associated with the loss of power and the check engine light. I don’t believe in coincidences, but do believe in cause and effect.
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How far are you from a Prevost service center? Never used Him but Jeff’s place sounds like an even better place to run down that problem if you get the puppy running.
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Here are pictures I took on the same day as the first one I posted. If there is something else you want to see let me know and I’ll go down to the coach and take them. They should be back tomorrow to put the starter back in. I do not remember seeing other melted wires or a smell of any kind. Also, the coach engine hardly turned over so power from the ignition to the starter/relay was very brief.
Harry
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Does the drawing on door tell you what the solinoid goes to and thing above to right? Is your coach a 1991 built Prevost or is that the conversion year?
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