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Topic: Check engine light (Read 1038 times) previous topic - next topic

Check engine light

Yesterday while leaving Laughlin Nevada turned onto the highway got about 1 mile and the check engine light and a ding from my little friend started. Spotted a good place to pull off and started to check all gauges on dash and Bluefire. All within normal ranges. Coach still running. Turned off key Got out and checked water, oil, trans levels. All ok. Got back in and started coach light off, no ding. pulled back onto highway. About 1/2 mile light came back on with ding saw I could turn left onto Needles Hwy as getting into left turn lane the ding got quicker and the coach DIED. Nice dead in the middle of the hwy. Recycled the key and it restarted, no light, turned left and found another pull out, safer spot. Spent a few minuets checking trans fluid level on key pad, checked ok. My Bluefire showed a code L fault. What is that? Now I'm stumped and feeling anxious. I'm basically in the middle of nowhere broke down with my DW. So I thought one more try, fired up the coach and continued on Needles Hwy for about 2 miles, no light. turned around and headed back towards home, Boulder City. CEL never came back on and coach ran great the rest of the way home. Talk about feeling naked, not sure where to start. Any ideas? Thanks, Jim.    2002 U295 ISL 400   
Jim and Dona
2002 U295 36'
Lily, blue healer. Our fury person
Manx mid travel Ecotec turbo
2022 Bronco badlands Sasquatch
Trail 90 and 110cc

Re: Check engine light

Reply #2 –
Jim, I had a CEL that would come and go, I had the engine diagnosed at NMS and there code reader would not pull a stored code it would only pull active codes and this was a professional grade code reader, my son is a certified diesel mechanic on Cat, Cummins, Mack, He suggested to have it checked out by someone with a Cummins program and sent a mobile mechanic buddy over with a laptop to read the stored trouble code.

The problem was the Throttle Position Sensor on the throttle pedal, the engine PCM didn't know where idle was or off idle position was and would cause a high engine idle condition to 800 RPM's or would have no throttle response, the engine died once and was hard to start during that one instance, it died on the side of the road when stopped lucky for me.. It would reset by cycling the key as you described and would operate normally for several hours then act up again. If you can't get your code reader to see the stored code I would suggest to take it to a Cummins shop or have a mobile Mechanic with a Cummins laptop program come pull the code. My coach is a 2003-295 with the ISL 400 also. I know it can be frustrating when you have a code reader and you can't see what's wrong! And scary when these big beast's die on you when driving... Good Luck Mike
Mike & Donna Mariana + Angel & Rusty
2003 U295 3620
Build# 6118
2021 Jeep Wrangler 392

Re: Check engine light

Reply #4 –
I would get a code reader or have the codes pulled. I had a low coolant code, coolant was fine so bypassed the sensor. Still through a CEL. Ended up the ground for that sensor was loose.
Dave & Danette
2005 Foretravel U270, 3620 PBLW, Build #6331
2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee
2017 Can-Am Maverick X3 RR
2016 Polaris Turbo RZR
Motorcade #17839

Re: Check engine light

Reply #5 –
Thank all of you for your suggestions, I will start to rule out all of them.
Jim and Dona
2002 U295 36'
Lily, blue healer. Our fury person
Manx mid travel Ecotec turbo
2022 Bronco badlands Sasquatch
Trail 90 and 110cc

Re: Check engine light

Reply #6 –
WS6-Keith took the time to contact Mark at Bluefire about this issue, the Bluefire after a few days emailed me some codes it had recorded. Non of the code numbers are listed anywhere. Baffled both DSD Scott and I. Mark suggested reading info in the start up guide on connecting to the J1708 diagnostic port. Erratic data, incomplete data, phantom fault reporting, actual engine or other ECM faults. The last one is the most serious as it can cause your vehicle to STOP. It goes on to say the check engine light may go out if you unplug the adapter. The guide has a list of settings to try to fix. So at this point I'll have to wait until it occurs again. I have disconnected both battery banks for storage assuming this has cleared all codes from ECM if any legit ones. I will update what I find on next trip. Thanks, Jim. 
Jim and Dona
2002 U295 36'
Lily, blue healer. Our fury person
Manx mid travel Ecotec turbo
2022 Bronco badlands Sasquatch
Trail 90 and 110cc

Re: Check engine light

Reply #7 –
By the way, I did buy a code reader to carry along. Makes me feel a little warmer and fuzzier.
Jim and Dona
2002 U295 36'
Lily, blue healer. Our fury person
Manx mid travel Ecotec turbo
2022 Bronco badlands Sasquatch
Trail 90 and 110cc

Re: Check engine light

Reply #8 –
Quote from: fourdayoff –
By the way, I did buy a code reader to carry along. Makes me feel a little warmer and fuzzier.

Can you share source and part number for the code reader?
Doug Camp
Spring, Texas
2004 U320, BN-6249, Motorcader-17608

Re: Check engine light

Reply #9 –
Heading up that grade out of Laughlin is not where you want to have a problem. Fortunately you were able to make the turn on Needles Hwy. Still not a good place to have a coach die on you but more options. Glad you made it to Boulder City.
I would think the 1st part of that grade had something to do with the CEL.
1993 U225 Build #: 4285
500 Watts Solar
Honda CRV AWD
Former 1981 Foretravel Travco
Retired, Full Time Off Grid Snowbird

Re: Check engine light

Reply #10 –

Doug, this is the one I bought. There are many to choose from. DSD also bought another brand.
 
      Amazon.com: iCarsoft HD V3.0 Heavy Duty Diesel Truck Diagnostic Scanner Tool...

I had another chance to use it when leaving Laughlin again got about a mile up that same hwy CEL came on again and coach died, luckily close enough to a turn out. Code reader showed power supply. When the Chinese knockoff starter stayed engaged it had fried my battery disconnect switch, bypassed and on our way again. So nice to have the code reader, it paid for itself right there. 

Dacota Slim, Yes that climb is a killer. The second time it died there I thought that hwy just does not like us.    Jim. 

As an Amazon Associate Foretravel Owners' Forum earns from qualifying purchases.
Jim and Dona
2002 U295 36'
Lily, blue healer. Our fury person
Manx mid travel Ecotec turbo
2022 Bronco badlands Sasquatch
Trail 90 and 110cc

Re: Check engine light

Reply #11 –
I have had the engine wouldn't start and had sensors go and the Silverleaf told me what
the problem was.
Peter and Frieda Morin
1999 36ft. U320 Foretravel
Build # 5436
1998 Suzuki Sidekick Sport

Re: Check engine light

Reply #12 –
Amazon.com: ANCEL HD601 Full System Heavy Duty Truck Scan Tool, HDOBD Diesel...
Loaned to my son so I have no feedback yet
As an Amazon Associate Foretravel Owners' Forum earns from qualifying purchases.

Re: Check engine light

Reply #13 –
Thanks Scott you just cost me $160.00 at least it was through the link.

Chuck
1999 40 ft. U-320 wtfe build 5563 Chuck & Lynda's "Rollin' Inn"  2030 watts solar
prev. mh's 71 GMC 5 yrs. 73 Pace Setter 1 yr. 78 Vogue 5 yrs 81 FTX 40ft all electric 18 yrs. 1996 Monaco Signature 3 yrs.
2014 Grand Cherokee Overland
Dream as if you will live forever. Live as if you will die today.  James Dean

Re: Check engine light

Reply #14 –
Cman,

If you haven't figured it out seems like Scott has a way of helping others spend their money.  Yep I have fell into his trap in the past.

Mike
Pamela & Mike 97 U 320

"It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters."