glen
Forum Replies Created
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As with some things, when it rains it pours. Dash control box arrived with includes 1)dash push button control box. 2) wiring extenders about 10 inches long. 3) heat sensor with about 12 inch extender with double spade plug in.
Prevost says this is just a plug and play retro kit. I like this so what could possibly go wrong. I notice the dash control box has the last two numbers different then mine. I pay some attention to this check the box number to the parts list, it’s same number but determine its retro stuff so they have changed the dash box to a new part number. Exam the other parts which according to the instructions say I must remount the temp sensor from the defroster box after removing the drivers dash cover. Drill a 1 inch hole in the air exchanger box on the pass side, route a 3/4 inch rubber tube from this hole across the dash and mount under the driver side dash. Drill holes to use furnished mounts for permanent placement. Under the drivers dash mount the new temp sensor in the furnished plastic holder along with hose end.
Problems; the air box mount is slightly to big and hits dash panel when closed.
I’am wondering why heat sensor is mounted under the dash now as the location is not exactly drawn the same as my under dash.
Heat sensor plug end has 2 spade terminals and the dash box has 4 female much smaller. This new sensor wiring is not going to be plug and play.
Call Jeff he locates the detailed instructions IS-00093, 5 pages for this retro change over step by step. Learn I must cut into the wiring harness to abandon wire 29H out of one plug in. It also fails to mention any thing about sensor plug in with 2 entirely different ends. I’am thinking this is where the 2 wire sensor connects into the harness.
I cannot find wire 29 H in the harness but do find wires 2941, 29H3,29H4.
Calling it a day I watch the KC Chiefs football game. Monday morning call Nashville Prevost and speak to Richard Jackson parts specialist. Give him bus serial number and we go through the order again. Spending about 1/2 hour checking. Close to his lunch hour he asks to call me back.
Richard said the same thing as Jeff….this sounds like a grounding problem. Richard also tells me these dash control boxes are known for causing strange things to happen with A/C -Heat systems in there operation, and has heard of the on-off blower motor which I’am trying to correct. He also asked if any dash lights come on when the blower starts ? No lights have flickered ever during blower run. Richard is fairly certain the dash box replacement will correct this blower problem. That was good to hear.
Phone rings, it’s Richard, “I think I’ve found your problem”. You have a retro kit for a small A/C system. What you need is a replacement for a large A/C system. Richard say’s it came to me at lunch that you told me you had OTR air.
Yes, and that kit is for a bus with only dash air bus. Give me the number on the parts bag, and give me the number on the customer order pick slip. They DO NOT match,
So bottom line the parts in the bag are wrong, the number on the bag is for a different A/C system and the parts picker DID NOT pull the right part number.
That folks is the tri – fecta of a parts screw up.
So RGN on the parts I have and the correct dash box shows available in Jacksonville and will be shipped today.
This repair is not finished….. but I want to thank Jeff for helping me and Richard Jackson at Prevost Nashville that started from the beginning checking bus number against part numbers.
AL
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I don’t have a Marathon, but if I’m remembering correctly from past experiences it has something to do with the heat pump. Not all the SMX’s are tied to a heat pump. Therefore the ones that aren’t will not illuminate without the dash button pressed. And in a Marathon it seems 3 of the 4 units have a heat pump, one does not, i.e. your auxiliary air.
Could be completely wrong on this but seems to ring a bell with me.
Chime in anyone if this is inaccurate.
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Thanks Bill!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you!
I look forward to meeting you and the crew in February…
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Russ,
Just goes to show you what I know. I thought on heaters not having an electronic control board, that both fresh water and engine loops where on the outside. But your first hand experience trumps here. The operation is still the same.
The newer heaters with electronic control boards have both coils inside of the tank. This has brought about the use of GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) boiler fluid so a leak in the fresh water coil can not hurt you.
Thank you for correcting my info.
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Tim …
If your coach is like mine and I bet it is…the chrome grill has an air filter/screen behind it. The grill is removed and the screen/filter will slide out…it is long and narrow. It has to be removed to vacuum.
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Steve,
The Webasto heat exchanger has a circulating pump to move coolant around the heating loop. There are numerous items to be heated by the loop such as fan coils for interior heating, fresh water heater and the engine for preheat. If you are sitting for a while and your coach has valves to isolate the engine, it would be more economical to close the coolant flow off to the engine until ready to preheat the engine and to travel down the road.
The Webasto heat exchanger heats engine coolant. The hot coolant coming in from the Webasto to the engine warms the oil and the block. The part of the Webasto heating loop that goes through the fresh water heater, heats the water there. A block heater, if installed, is a separate electric heating element inserted into a engine coolant passage. There would be a separate on/off switch inside for it just like for the Webasto.
With the Webasto turned on inside, and the coolant in the heat exhanger below the cut in temp of the control thermostat located on the top of the exchanger, the thermostat closes telling the control unit (brain box on the side of the burner) to start the burner. The burner runs till the control thermostat is satisfied when it opens telling the control unit to shut the burner down. Or it runs till the switch inside is turned off.
Hope this helps.
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thanks for the great advice Jon. I have read several articles in the archives and feel better prepared for making a basic inspection. Once purchased, My approach will be to care for the coach, and as items start failing, to repair them. It would be cost prohibitive for me to try to zero time a coach of this size. Of course when it comes to tires, I will replace those immediately if age/cracking is starting to occur. But slow air leaks, minor electrical system, etc. I will deal with over time. I just want to avoid a money pit, and get a reasonable return on my investment (small loss) when I move on to my next Prevost a few years down the road. My American Eagle has been wonderful, but really looking forward to moving on to stainless steel…Alain
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Made reservations at Venture Out (Lot #497) last week for early January 2016. My uncle (retired USN Lt. Cmdr) and aunt lived there back starting in the 1970’s when it first opened up. Haven’t been there for 25 years. Paying about $120 a night and we’re on the water. Not far from Key West.
Anyone stay there or have experience? I should have inquired before I committed myself. Will file a complete report once we’re there.
Dick
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Don’t really think you’d be happy at a large FMCA rally. Went to a Samboree at Daytona a couple of years ago…lasted 2hrs and headed out. Geo.
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I made it through both B’days just fine…don’t like doughnuts or cake. Can’t understand why I keep getting fatter. Oh, I know…don’t hike the Tenn. mountains like Tim and Cindy. I thought hike was a football term. Geo.
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They are audio and video. Depending on the webinar it will show diagrams such as in the suspension Webinar, or a complete video showing windshield replacement.
Even if you do not intend to do your own work, using the webinars to get a better understanding of the coach, the systems and the procedures for doing repairs they are invaluable.
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Thanks Truk,
I know we have reports of some NAPA stores not going along with the program. For what ever reason and this is a national program. We try hard but it’s very frustrating.
All NAPA company stores will honor your NAPA card and by the way, lots of you will be seeing new NAPA-AITA cards in the mail in the next few weeks.
AL
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Me thinks he catches a lot of stuff from a certain end of the dog. Geo.
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Yes, don’t worry about the charge amps, but instead use the shore cord size settings to keep from tripping the shore breakers. If 45 doesn’t stop it, go as low as 40 on each inverter. If you need to go lower than that, make the campground change the breaker. The household style breakers actually derate a fraction each time they trip so the more they trip, the less amps they will trip at the next time.
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Dan: still looking for more. I have a four seasons green house that has one about same size that slides out from bottom. Frame work is very close to original. Bob