13 months and 15,000 miles ago when I first bought this U320, it did not take long for the Cummins to fire up after turning the key. I have put on new fuel filters in the last 6 months. The transparent bowl in back is clear and clean and has fuel flowing through. However, during the last 3 months, I've noticed that it takes longer and longer to fire up. A few days while boondocking in a church parking lot(my home church and I do have permission), I changed the oil and filter and then started it up. I ran it for 2 hours, then shut it down. I immediately decided to try to start it and see how quickly it would fire up. It turned over, but would not fire up. I ended up running the batteries down trying to start it. I have AAA RV Premier so I had a truck come and give me a jump start. It still would not start and I stopped trying after I smelled what what coming from the starter.
I am in Minnesota and the evenings this coming week will be getting down to 24-25 degreesF. I have gone under the coach and cleaned off the battery terminals. They are charging up fine with the single solar panel and the generator. I see 3 choices:
1. Try something myself. Don't know what else to do, especially if it is something electronic(cam position sensor?)
2. Call a mobile service? There is a Peterbilt dealership that sends out mobile techs with computer diagnostics. Can they find the problem at my motorhome as easy as at the shop? This would prevent having to tow the U320 4220.
3. Have it towed to a shop and repaired there? It gets it indoors and if parts are needed, can stay indoors. Local Cummins Service can look at it Monday, but it will be a $1,000 tow to get it there. AAA will cover only $500. Most other shops cannot get me in until Thursday or Friday(in 4-5 days).
I would save a $500 towing charge if the mobile service can fix the problem. How likely is a mobile service to get me back on the road, as compared to a shop? I realize mobile service is door to door pricing($170/hr plus $50 service call).
Anyone know a reliable shop in the northern suburbs of Minneapolis? Blaine Bros? Boyer Trucks? Cummins?
Anything I could try myself? Any suggestions? What would you do?
I have a service appointment in Nacogdoches on Nov. 9 for a Silver Leaf issue. I just need to get down there.
John,
It could be a failed fuel cut off solenoid or a bad connection on solenoid. It is hid kind of on over starter and below the air compressor.
Mike
How do I check that out?
I would start with the fuel system, possibly air leaking into the fuel lines.
I would also try the mobile mechanic, I would have the coach towed only as a last resort. If I did opt for a tow I would have it brought to a Cummins repair facility.
How are you planning to keep the plumbing protected in the below freezing conditions your in?
John,
It took me a few minutes to find this video he explains better than I can. He tells how to check voltage and how much voltage it takes to open the valve. Now there is some sales stuff that you can ignore.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBwZIyGdU1M
Mike
Lon, my AquaHot is working great, so is my PowerTech generator.
Mike, I was actually watching that exact clip on YouTube when I stopped to read a new reply: yours!!! Great stuff.
Maybe I will just go to Cummins Parts, get both the cam sensor and solenoid and put them in and try it again. Need to finish the video.....haha
There should be an electric fuel pump I would try that and look and see what the
fuel coming into the fuel bowl looks like. When my M11 wouldn't start it turned out
to be a worn out fuse holder, a cheap fix but could have been expensive to trouble
shoot. As John said it could be a fuel solenoid gone. Put a voltmeter on it and if it
reads your battery voltage it is probably shot. There should be voltage there, but there
will be some voltage drop and if too much voltage drop the solenoid is shot. Sorry I
can't remember the specs on that. Another thing that can fail is the cam positioner sensor
and that can be checked with a ohm meter. There is 2 sensors with in the one sensor. I
now have a spare that is half gone that I can use and for me it take only a few minutes
to change.
The question I have is, do you have electronic fuel injectors? If so, they operate on oil pressure as I recall. If not, forget I was here.
My question is: What do you have for batteries? That engine won't start without lots and lots of electricity.
If I understand correctly, the mobile service guy only wants $50 show up? That's a no brainer. Make the call. And a pot of coffee.
No suggestions on your no start issue. But I would ditch AAA and move over to coach-net. They cover all towing, not just the first $500.
So when I purchased our coach it was not running the tech came to the coach and he started it on electrical contact cleaner and it purred like a kitten till he stopped spraying had other problems. Failed ECM. Starting is dependent on rotational speed. Poor rotational speed will prevent starting. Low capacity batteries Also replaced speed sensor 1/2 of it was failed also
Scott
Would advise not to ever do that again,the starting fluid/cleaner washes all oil from the piston rings and cylinder walls and causes
premature wear,all he did was determine you were not getting fuel and there are other ways to do that.
And I quote "electrical cleaning fluid".
Do not ever use ether except for cold weather starting requirements within the manufactures recommendations
To further clarify, most modern diesels have an INTAKE MANIFOLD HEATER. IT GETS RED HOT.
Hit it with ether and you can cause an EXPLOSION.
So my coach came equipped with ether injection for cold weather starting. Metered amount too be sure.
I have never used it and probably never will.
If you have a Cummins, you should make sure the injection point is on the engine side of the hot screen. I've always used ether if a COLD engine would not fire up. Both indirect and direct injection diesels. All have lots of miles with no ill effect. My Detroit powered bus even had a little spring loaded flip up cap to shoot the ether in.
I've also seen large propane fired burners pointed in the intake to get some diesels started.
The problems arise when someone changes fuel filters on a warm engine and when it won't start, they spray ether in the intake.
Pierce
Electrical cleaning fluid is just as bad as ether,wipes all the oil away.
I have been using ether to start diesels in the winter time for years. As Pierce said
Detroit's have a spring loaded flip up cap to put ether in. If a diesel has glow plugs
or a intake manifold heater, NO ETHER. If the engines had pup motors no ether.
Once when it was -30 I used Acelatyne from my cutting torch to start a gas engine.
Think were talking about 2 different scenarios,one is using ether in the cold and the other to troubleshoot a no fuel problem,now the poster has to find out why no fuel.
I would suggest, especially if you're going to have a mechanic on the job, replacing the starter with a new generation one. Since the existing starter overheated, it's most likely toast. The new starters spin better, draw less current. Make absolutely sure you have batteries in top condition. Make sure your battery connections are pristine on all ends. I assume you have a purge pump on the fuel system, run that extensively before trying to start.
Went through this on my sister's 320, it's always taken more rotations than I thought necessary to start and finally refused to fire. Fresh batteries, full purge cycles of prime pump, started on first bump. These items will most likely be necessary at some time, go ahead and get them out of the way before throwing parts at it.
Amazon.com: Remy 8200308 Starter : Automotive (https://www.amazon.com/Remy-8200308-Starter/dp/B005K24TSW/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=Delco+Remy+8200308&qid=1636554415&sr=8-4)
$325 but 10 day shipping
Scott
Well, I finally got my problem resolved. Thank you ALL for your responses and suggestions. I really appreciate this forum and how helpful people are. This is how it played out.
I was in a church parking lot in Minnesota and the nights were getting down to 24-25 degrees F. I was so grateful for the AquaHot system I have. I had just finished the annual maint. on the AquaHot so I knew I could trust it. (I made a deal with a young, local mobile RV repair guy who had worked for a large RV repair shop and was now on his own. He wanted to become an authorized AH repair guy and I wanted to save money. We agreed he would donate his time just so he could get the experience. He was great, and I always love 'free.' I already had the parts needed.)
After talking to Mike and listening to the YouTube video posted above, I went to the local Cummins dealer and bought the fuel solenoid and the cam position sensor. (Parts I never ended up using, but have them on board for any possible future problem.)
I decided to replace my engine batteries there on the parking lot because:
-It was turning over so slowly. I got a great deal on some 1,000 CCA Excide batteries. Foretravel had put in the same batteries 15 months ago, except they were 925 CCA. I know batteries are supposed to last 3-5 years, but during the last 7 months, I had to travel and be away from the U320 for over a month at a time. I realize the boost switch should be put on 1x/week to keep the engine batteries charged, I knew I had not done that, and felt they were probably weak. On my coach, the batteries are located behind the driver's side tag axle and inboard a few feet, on a tray and difficult to access. i tested the end battery, but did not trust the reading because a battery may test OK by itself and with a load, but you only really know if you take the caps off and test each individual cell with a hydrometer. I called my mobile RV repair guy and he helped me.
We cleaned all the connections, made sure they were tight and then went to start the engine. It was just as slow turning over! The batteries were NOT the problem.
I had to wait until Thursday, Nov.4 for a tow to Blaine Bros. in Blaine, MN. They went to work on it and found out the starter was bad.
They installed a new starter. It started almost instantly. I had never heard the starter turn over so quickly and the diesel fire up so quickly.
As I look back over the last year, I realize the starter gradually took a longer and longer time to fire up the diesel. I had wondered if this was due to cold weather, low batteries or something else like the fuel solenoid. Now I realize it was the starter and possibly low batteries.
Again, thank you everyone who gave input and helped out. I appreciate this forum because I am someone who is not so skilled mechanically, yet desires to do whatever repairs I can do myself. You are awesome people who contribute your time so willingly.