Love my Bus but...

[Blacksheep]

I have just about exhausted every bit of literature, charts, friends, time, and nerves on it trying to diagnose the run problem and although I worked popping corn today and made great money, it doesn't make up for the frustration I have gone thru since coming home and working on it until it was too dark to see. I even hooked up my pro-link as suggested and it told me no more than what I already knew. I even went back and put everything back to the way it was before I "fixed" the charging problem and it still doesn't run. If someone EVER tries to tell me that the new electronic buses are good, they better stand clear for a really good bashing! I wouldn't give you a nickle for ten of them ever again! If I could find me a good ole mechanical set-up in a good bus and deal a trade I just might be up for it! Susan would never go for it but she doesn't understand the frustration either!

I guess what I'm saying is, I'm about ready to go get some gas! This is pure BS and very frustrating! It's not like I won't take the damn thing to the shop and spend the money it takes to get it right. I can't get the ^$%#ing thing to run to get it there! How bad is that? I thought when I had the engine shut down intermittenly was bad but this crap beats everything I have seen yet  EVERYTHING I have checked and rechecked is good. Short of replacing EVERYTHING, i'd be better off trashing this piece of crap and starting all over again!

Yea I know, I'm just venting but damn it gets old!

Ace

[jjrbus]

 Well Ace I can relate and I feel for you. Can't help but would if I could.   HTH Jim

[Chopper Scott]

I've had those experiences before also, just not with a big bus!! Best of luck is about all I can offer except maybe walk away for a couple days and forget about it. I've called it a day on a problem only to return and the answer is right there. I just needed to refresh my outlook.

[Len Silva]

Don't blame you a bit, it's got to be frustrating.  Chances are that when you finally find the problem, it will turn out to be a $2.00 repair (after a $1000.00 worth of trouble shooting).  Hang in there, Buddy.

[JohnEd]

Ace,

Very sorry to hear that you are having a problem.  I went back and read all your previous posts and found two things.  One is that your battery bay slide seems to be involved in this problem a long while back and that you had the problem right after sliding the tray....something about pizza.  Boy Howdy, would I ever be redoing all the joints and couplings in that area and looking for the harness that was being rubbed or bent by the movement of the drawer.  Volts on the charge system are not going to be enuf with something as strange as this.  Get on your AC scale and see what is riding on the lines as electronics will respond to that "noise" but dc devices won't and a meter on DC ignores any AC regardless.  Second:  Changing your filter changed you symptom in that afterwards you got a small amt of throttle response.  So very strange and maybe not related....but still.  Your symptom is that of low fuel, right?  What could give you low fuel besides a slightly restrictive/clogged filter?  A really weak pump comes to my mind.  Is there any place you can get air after the filter where it would act like a low prime and not purge the air?

POPCORN??

Good luck with this Ace and I am sorry that I can't be of more help.  God knows I owe the board.

Is there anybody with your system that would simply disconnect their throttle sensor at the pedal and note the symptom?  Might be nice to put that one to bed once and for all.

\I would call LUKE for some long distance troubleshooting.  Failing that I would have a mobile mech visit and tell what the prob was and how to fix it or do it himself.  I know they are expensive but what choice?  A tow is out of the question.

John

[zubzub]

Dude sorry things suck right now.  My 92 van went stupid last year and for the first time in my life I had to take one of my vehicles to a garage for diagnosis I was not pleased.  I had driven  the damn thing in default mode for 2 months doing problem solving with the sensors etc ...finally I gave up and payed the specialist garage.  Fortunatly it's been good since then but I am terrified of engine management systems in newer (post 1980 engines).  OTOH once you learn this system chances are you will be happy it's just the learning curve is steeeep.  BTW Zen And THe Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance speaks to the frustration of fixing stuff and helpfully suggests to only go at it till the frustration begins to build then taking a break, a walk, a beer or whatever other activity allows you forget about it.  Best of luck, it's not rocket science, rockets are easier to work on.

[bobofthenorth]

I'm kinda busy the first part of next week but I could bring a case of Red Dog and some lawnchairs later in the week.  I don't know $#!% about DDEC systems but sometimes cold beer helps.  Mechanical things that aren't working can be really frustrating.  I have some experience in that regard.  Good luck - hang in there - it could be worse.  It could have happened at the gate to the fairgrounds and just think about all the free advice you would have had to deal with then.

[mikelutestanski]

Hello   Changeup...new pitch.
     I have been looking at mandolins found one but whats the best way to evaluate one to start with .?    What is reasonable to pay.?

Just trying to ease your frustration with a changeup..    good luck 
    Regards and happy bussin   mike

[Lin]

A friend of mine once commented as he observed weekend mechanics at work in a suburban neighborhood, "When your car is running, all is right with the world."  That goes double for buses and the reverse is 4 times as true.  Sometimes things are working so well, it seems that nothing can go wrong.  On the other hand, when you've had 2 problems in a row, it seems that nothing will ever go right, and that the machine is so complex that I had to be an absolute idiot to buy it.  Well, neither is totally true (except for maybe the idiot part in my case).  You will solve the problem.  It may be exotic or just a "duh", but soon you will be driving down the road, everything humming, and thinking all is right with the world and nothing can go wrong.

Re: Mandolins- If it was made by Stradivarius, it's probably okay.

[bubbaqgal]

If someone EVER tries to tell me that the new electronic buses are good, they better stand clear for a really good bashing! I wouldn't give you a nickle for ten of them ever again! If I could find me a good ole mechanical set-up in a good bus and deal a trade I just might be up for it!

Ace, Superpickle told me I should put a match to mine and burn it but....... if your fuel tank is full (mine is) and you give me $500 cash I'll trade you my bus for yours.  

[Blacksheep]

OK gonna give it a rest tonight and MAYBE go at it again tomorrow but then again, it will be Sunday won't it? Ah geez, nothing ever goes right!
Anyway, I went out to dinner tonight with another bus nut and well the topic over the table was you guessed it. How to start a fire and not get caught! Nah, just kidding but it was about this POC bus I own!
During our conversation over all the noise making kids that were around us we re-traced every thing I have done since our trip home. I mean everything down to each and every detail including the noises it made while running, what little running it has done! That lead me to yet another possible culprit. A solenoid that I had replaced about 2-3 years ago. It all started back when the trans wouldn't shift correctly. It was shifting irradic as in up, down, up, down during acceleration. When I took it in, the mechanic knew right away what would cause it to do this and he changed this solenoid. He said it was activated by air and also electronic. HMM, 2 things I have had problems with recently. Well one for sure! Anyway, the other night when I changed the fuel filters, and the bus started, idled, ran and accelerated, I thought all was good until the next morning! The problem continued!

Now on my recent trip home the bus had a low voltage problem and showed some irratic shifting just like it did before the solenoid replacement. I related this to be from the actual low voltage I was having but now it has me thinking that the problem I have now with it NOT accelerating could be this solenoid. The mechanic did tell me back then that this solenoid is activated by the throttle response and then tells the transmission when to shift according to your speed, or something similar to that. I'm thinking maybe, just maybe, the low voltage could have did damage to this solenoid because again the other night when it DID run, it would make a noise under acceleration like metal tapping that my friend Niles heard but to me it sounded more like air spitting. 5-6 spits and then go away all as the pedal was being depressed. It sounded as though it was coming from the top front section of the motor and if I remember correctly, that is where he changed this solenoid!

Now exactly sure what I am looking for or where or even what it looks like but maybe this could be something to look at when and IF I find it!

Oh and for all the trade offers? Thanks but Susan said I would have to go first! 

BK, if this test doesn't help or pan out, I may give your guy a call!

RJ, thanks but I'm a Corona man

Cat, Uhh............. NO THANKS!

Mike, I have a really nice Kentucky mandolin (KM700) that some local pros would die for that you can have for a mere 750 bucks! Case included!  The BG fest is not in the cards at this time for obvious reasons!

Ace

[bubbaqgal]

Ace, you just ain't no fun!   

[blue_goose]

Ace,
It only takes a few wires to make it run.  To much for here, but if you give me a call I will be glad to try and help you get it going.  Unless you have a bad ecm we can make it run.
Jack

[Blacksheep]

Ahhh it's Sunday! What a Great day it is! Foggy but the sun is trying to shine thru!

Do I want to mess with this POC?

I'll decide when I return from my walk! Gotta get my 3 miles in first to clear the mind!

Jack... thanks and although I may give you a call, I'm trying really hard to figure this out on my own. You guys that help won't be around when I'm on the road and I have to learn as much as I can while I can! Thank goodness it's doing what it's doing in the driveway! If I can't figure out where this solenoid is that was replaced, You may get a call! When is a good time to call? I hate to be a bother as I know how busy you guys stay!

Ace

[cody]

Mandolins by stratavarios, nope, violins sure but not mandolins,  Ace get ahold of lou stiver, he'll fix you up with a good one, he's a good guy and an old friend, just google for his website.