Please help us. We have a dinging under the dash on drivers side and have no idea what it is or how to find where it's actually coming from. We just purchased this new to us 2003 Foretravel U320 in May and have been having repairs made to it since we bought it.
A mobile mechanic was supposed to come out today to look at what's going on with the dinging, but he called just now and says he has Covid.
Any help will be appreciated. There are no certified mechanics near us and we are supposed to be fulltime this coming Wed. HELP PLEASE.
My phone number is 951-445-2215 and my husband Jan-Michael's is 951-315-0892.
My name is Shari
There is often an indication on the dash associated with the dinger. Antenna up, air low, etc. The sounder is connected to a number of things that can throw a fault.
If the coach isn't aired up, for example, the dinger will go off until you reach about 80-90 psi (I seem to recall) in both front and rear brake tanks. If that's the situation, just let the coach idle some more until the engine compressor has built up enough pressure in the tanks and it will go out. (you can also search the forum for "high idle" to tell you how to use the cruise control buttons on the Smart Wheel to raise your idle speed, but stay in the driver's seat if you do that and you'll need to bring it back down to put the coach in gear)
Can you describe when it occurs? Is the engine running or is the key simply in the "accessory" position.
It dinged all the way from AZ to CA after we had 2 new ACs installed at Premier Coach. We have checked everything and can't find a reason for it. We don't have an antenna, air in tires is ok, air bags are ok and slides are ok. The whole trip ot never stopped.
It only dings when the key is on and the motor is running
It's possible there was an antenna sensor on the roof (it's just a Hall switch and a magnet) that was left when a previous owner removed the OEM antenna (2003 came with an antenna) and they disturbed it when they did the air conditioners. That would put an "Ant Up" light on the dash.
Another possibility is the room-in slide room sensors being misaligned. Those are also Hall switches with magnets and are behind the valence/slide surround on the top of the LR slide. (I don't recall the location for the BR slide)
Are dash air pressures OK (not tires, the A&B tanks which are your brake tanks, also used for leveling)?
How's the dash voltage with the main engine running?
It only dings when the key is on and the motor is running
I'll have my husband check the switches. No lights on Dash indicate anything. We have checked the slides. The AC Dash went out right before we got home from AZ., but it was dinging before and after that
after you start the engine, and the air has built up,
is the green travel light on, on the hwh pad?
Do you have any manuals for your coach? If so, look at drawing B-2179. 12volt wiring diagram. Just above the tach and Speedo you can see all the items that are connected to that "dinger". Each one will light up when ignition is first turned then go off if nothing is amiss. With that dinger on, something will be lighted and that will be your problem. Most likely the ant. Up sensor.
Where is the Antenna Up Sensor on this MH?
If it's not on the roof where an antenna was at one time your guess is as good as mine.
Keith
AFAIK, FOT used a magnetic burglar alarm window switch as the antenna sensor on most coaches. Half was mounted on the antenna lifting arms, and half was screwed to the roof. The antenna was usually mounted near the front end of the coach roof.
Thank you everyone for your replies
My husband will go up on the roof tonight when it cools down and check it out. Hopefully we will find it.
Forgot to send the picture!
He went up on the roof and there are only two wires where the antenna was. They're not touching. If he ties them together will that maybe stop it or is that not a good idea?
Thank you Richard for the Schematics
Do you or anyone else on the forum have a video of how to remove the dash. This is the 2003 U320 4010 model
Before you dig into the dash, have you looked at some of the other questions/concerns mentioned?
You don't want to disconnect the sounder without finding the cause (particularly if it's air-related, meaning brakes or leveling, not air conditioning)
In the meantime you can turn the dinger volume lower on a 2003. Lift the dash in front of the driver, start the motor, and the dinger location will be obvious. Should have a volume control on it as I recall. If not, wrap a clotd around it. Temp soluition - find the cause.
Thank you. We are going to check all of the above suggestions before digging into the dash. I'll keep everyone posted.
You're all terrific and your advice and knowledge is much appreciated.
If you didn't have an antenna when you bought the coach and you drove to AZ without the alarm. Then I would guess the two wires were already in there current condition. Don't think they would be your problem. But with that said if you checked for voltage across the two wires and found none. I would say no harm in momentarily touching together to see if it stops the alarm. If it does. Great. I would be surprised if it did. If not your problem lies elsewhere.
EDIT....... OOOPS!
The wires should "NOT" be connected. I went back a couple of years to revisit a post that I made when I replaced my antenna switch.
It reads as follows:
I replaced mine last week, you should be able to just cut and cap the wires.
My warning didn't work but "part time" so I removed the magnetic "Guard" switch and it had corroded terminals. With the new switch and the antenna up the warning light will come on if the ignition is on. Lower the antenna and the magnet activates the switch and opens the contacts keeping indicator light out.
At least that was the way mine worked.
Out of curiosity. Have you tried cycling the DC power with the disconnect. My initial goto move whenever computers and relays are involved is reboot. It's a long shot in your case but it's just a push of a switch.
I have edited my above post.... sorry for any confusion :-[
Thank you Justin and RES777. I've let my husband know what both replies said. He is in it as I text. We got the dash off. He did, rather. I'll keep you all posted. So grateful for all of the helpful replies.
We found it and fixed it. Nothing appeared to be wrong.
One more question
Has anyone else had problems with the auto key fob battery not lasting?
So, what was the cause of the warning buzzer going off?
Yes, please post what you found so it will help others in the future (especially since you didn't get any dash warning lights).
Hopefully you didn't simply disconnect the sounder - it sounds for a reason, that being something you need to address. And if you disconnect it, you won't get warning when there may be a serious issue needing your attention.
Please take responses to this to the separate topic I created for it Dutchman56's key fob question (new topic pulled out of Dinging) (https://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=42955.0)
Open dash (figure this out) Put a piece of electric tape over small hole in piezo sounder that is making the dings. Some dings are not important, some are. Stopping sound will take care of the sound only but worth doing until you learn more about what causes dings.
We didn't find any reason for the dinging. We think it's related to the new ACs being installed, but not sure. We will get it checked out soon. No dash warnings or anything. Coach seems sound.
In Reply #24 you said "we found it and fixed it".
If you didn't find any reason for the dinging, then how did you fix it?
Sorry, I meant we took the dash off and stopped the dinging. We checked everything you all suggested we check and nothing was amiss. We are going to have it checked out when we get into AZ.
All air bags are fine, no warning lights on the dash, AC great, DC is fine, leveling was fine, tires fine, Aqua Hot checked out. It's a mystery, but we were able to stop the dinging for now so we don't go nuts listening to it on the way to AZ and VA. If the repair shop we take it to finds something I will be sure and post it to let everyone know. It didn't start dinging until we had the new sound system and back and side cameras and GPS System installed. Its a mystery.
Mine dinged for two days between MN and AR until I took the dash apart and added a switch so that I could silence it The Blue (gray) Box air pressure bits failed and caused it to ding constantly. I replaced the air pressure gauges with direct read mechanical ones (much better) and rewired so that turn signals make it ding even with the switch off. Dash Warnings still work and those can be wired into the dinger as well. Diode magic.
Find out why the dinger is going off before anything drastic.
Whenever something different happens after adding something always start there first to find the problem.
Now that you have found the "dinger" a piece of electric tape or duct tape over the face of the unit quietens it down to a reasonable volume, it's under the dash and easily accessed,play around with how much tape you want, just remember it needs to be heard over the engine and road noise.
Good luck with your new coach.