[Don]

Thanks Tom. I will certainly change out the relay and then test again the fan with the AC.

[Don]

Jack….is there a posing somewhere hereabouts on the correct procedure for a Cruise Air Servicing? I don’t see me getting to Johnny at AAP anytime soon,but sure would like to get a good going over on my 3 units

[Don]

This may be a good post for PUP.

[Don]

Not trying to be a smart ass, but how would one expect a Detroit service center to know how to cut off power on a coach when the owner is not even sure how to do it? There is no way that the service center would know where and how to do it on all of the variations that are out there today from all the different converters….

[Don]

You must be a young kid. During our first few years of ownership we bought many tanks of #2 at $.69 or thereabouts.

[Don]

Thanks for your response Jon.

I have a couple more queries.

Please forgive the complexity of this first one-

In your PDI article you mentioned having the coach computers read by a code reader. My concern is with the possibility that fault code(s) will not get picked up by the code reader because the seller of the coach had any persistant fault codes erased from the coaches computer.

For example, a fault triggering a Check Engine Light (CEL) in a car can easily be erased by an OBD II reader thus turning off the CEL. If the engine trouble is not fixed the fault will again illuminate the CEL, but ONLY after the car has been driven through a “cycle” of various driving conditions. Unfortunatally, this cycle can require the car to be driven many miles before the CEL comes back on. This can mask any potential engine trouble from a prospective buyer of the car in this example.

I would not want to buy a coach and then 100 miles down the road get a CEL.

Question 1: Is there a way to protect the buyer of a used coach from the above example?

Second-

I have never riden in a Prevost and have no idea of what a good or bad coach would feel and sound like when the transmission shifts, engine revs up, Jake Brake in activated, when going over rough road, etc.

Question 2: Is it possible to hire someone to test drive a Prevost and help me with the PDI, and if so how would I go about finding someone?

Thanks again for your help.

Glenn

[Don]

I certainly will tomorrow after I am a few miles down the road. Although I am not saying I would not stop here in the future. They did change the breaker even if the lady at the desk isn’t eligible for any customer service awards. Like I said, I might have been the 10th person in there “complaining about the power” as she put it. Everybody else has been kind and personable.

The park was also relatively easy to get into and that is important to me. Had I been driving only the bus or the bus with a toad it would have been not problem at all. Seeing as how I am pulling a 24 ft. trailer I expect it to be a little tighter and it was. I let my wife drive and I was outside guiding her.

The spots I am in is plenty long and with room to spare and the exit will be easy from here. So my experience has not all been negative.

DKO

[Don]

Nice but tight!

[Don]

I must quit trying to live out these forum threads in real life. I read this one the other day and wouldn’t you know the very next place I go….

I stopped in a RV park that is “Big Rig Friendly” today and the 50 amp breaker started tripping not long after at about 35 amps. As I was going outside to go to the office a bigger breaker up the line kicked and everybody came outside. That gave me an opportunity to tell the management that the breaker in my spot was not holding.

When I asked permission to either plug into an adjacent site or check the wiring and breaker at my site I was told very abruptly that she would refund my money and I could leave. I told her that I did not wish to leave. I would rather have the electricity that was included in my camping fee. I also told her, very nicely mind you, that she was welcome to come inside and watch the voltage and see for herself that we were not overloading. She was not happy but I might have been the 10th person to ask the same question.

She did send a man down who took the breaker from the adjacent site and put it in mine. Then he put a NEW breaker in the adjacent site which is empty. I just stood there scratching my head and smiling. Lol

It is holding so far but the sun is down and I and not pulling many amps now. We are planning to stay tomorrow too so I will see how it holds in the heat. Of course if it kicks in the night I may take her up on that refund…

DKO

[Don]

The bus looks awesome, and welcome to the PC site .

I have a feeling you can get right into this Prevost bus thing. We also take shots at each other when one let’s there guard down. You probably already figured that out.

But on a serious note you will never meet a better bunch of bus drivers then what show up here. We answer lots of questions and every once in a while get one right.

Every body helps each other. It’s a great group.

Oh, I didn’t sit under a A/C today……OK…. I’ll come clean… how about in a swimming pool

AL

[Don]

Karl,

There are numerous fluids that need checking in the engine area. Obviously coolant is one of them and it is the gray tank, top left and should have a sight glass. On the opposite side at the top is a plastic (on your coach, steel on earlier models) tank that is an oil reservoir. It has a valve near the bottom that you can open if your coach needs oil between changes. To check oil you have the dipstick.

To the left of the engine is a second dipstick. That is for the transmission and it is where you add transmission fluid if needed. The best way to verify your transmission fluid level is to use the keypad you use for putting the coach in gear. With the coach at operating temperature press the two arrow keys simultaneously and the display will start a countdown. When it has counted down it will indicate if the transmission fluid level is OK or if it is high or low, and by how many quarts. The dipstick is difficult to read to get an accurate reading.

Also somewhere in the engine area, likely to the right of the engine, accessible from the rear doors or the RH side door will be the power steering fluid reservoir. It is a black cylindrical device with a low cone shaped top. It will have a dipstick you access by unthreading the cap.

From your aviation days your pre-trip inspection should likely include a check of coolant level, oil level and belts and tire pressures. Oil level at the dipstick, not the reservoir. Periodic checks of the transmission fluid and power steering fluid should also be made. Since transmission fluid is checked when hot I usually do a check when sitting in a level spot in a rest area or at the end of a day’s driving. If it is too hot to do a check it will flash a code (79 I think) so just wait a while and do the check.

[Don]

I was outside at 5:30 this morning preparing to change the eight 4D batteries in the BoggsMobile. I turned all the power off at 6:05 and climbed in and set to work. At 11:20 I turned all the power back on and nothing has exploded yet…

I had about 2 hours in prep work the other day removing panels, brackets, hold downs and gathering and taping tools. I worked 5 hours and 15 minutes today and I had two young men that worked a total of 30 minutes each helping me man handle the batteries. That is a total of about 8 hours and 15 minutes and I have about one hour tomorrow to button everything back up. It was 96 degrees at noon so I decided I would finish in the cool of the morning.

When these were replaced by professionals in 2002 the previous owners were billed for nine hours. I will be right there at nine and I am certainly NOT a professional. Before I started looking at this job closely I thought they might have padded their hours just a tad but I understand all the effort and time a lot better now.

Vantare certainly did not do me any favors in the way these are installed but this coach has a mid door so that made it pretty difficult to do any better. I can not see any other place for eight batterries.

I could not have done this without the help I have found here. You all are a God send and I mean that. Thank you very, very much.

Here are some pictures….

[Don]

It is the new compounding compound. You are polishing with real fine mineral crystals. Smooths, removes oxidation and polishes out swirl marks. It is an abrasive polishing material and thus removes finish.

[Don]

http://www.autogeek.net/detailing-clay-bar.html

[Don]

Thank you Jon, 1999 Marathon Le Mirage XLV 45 from private seller.

Jim