The Arcadia Trip

[ArtGill]

Arcadia was great.  I got several good ideas and was able to put faces with names.  But the trip to and from was interesting and that is what this post is about.  On the trip to Arcadia we found a bump on the sidewall of one of our drive tires while fueling.  With the help of Coach Net we had a new recap and back on the road in three hours.  The spare that I had traded the coach AC for was the wrong size.

I wanted to get through Jax, Fl during the night so I put off a rest until after Jax.  When we tried to stop at the rest stops we found all them full to overflowing.  Plan B was a Cracker Barrel, which we found in Daytona Beach.  We parked about 3am and started our naps.  About an hour later the police were knocking.  I though we were going to be asked to move, but no, they wanted to know if we had heard gun shots.  They took my ID and said not to worry.  We resumed our naps to be awaken by sirens in an hour.  Outside our windows was six or seven police cars not more than 100 feet away.  They were putting on vest and getting rifles and shotgun out of their trunks.  Shortly a helicopter started to circle.  This went on for about an hour.  We watched behind our tinted windows, but they paid us no mind.  Later we got up for breakfast but the crime lab van was there and the front had yellow tape.  They haven't even let the employees in, so no breakfast. 

The rest of the trip to Arcadia was uneventful.

The trip home that was planned for 14 hours began Monday morning as we headed out East on 70.  After a fuel stop at the intersection of 27 we began to lose power.  Classic fuel filter problems.  We limped to Okeechobee and found an open Advanced Auto store, but they didn't stock the filters we needed but could have them the next morning.  They got the primary filter, which I changed in their parking lot and then drove to the NAPA store to get some more filters.  We still had a power problem, so I changed the secondary filter.  Still a problem and I changed both filters and then lost the prime.  So, another call to Coach Net and six hours later the wrecker arrive and delivered us to Florida DD in Ft. Pierce.  But it was too late for them to start work.  The next morning after a night in a motel, when we arrived at DD they had the coach running but told me that two injectors were bad.  They had to be ordered and would arrive on Thursday.  When we returned on Thursday the coach still ran slugest. We looked at the air filter; boast pressure, muffler, boast pressure sensor and THEN the readout showed that the same two injectors were bad.  This led to the discovery of a lose plug on the DDEC.  A few tiewraps, a large bill and we were on our way to arrive home on Friday.

So, check your plugs.  Our plugs were missing their keepers.  Also, when you have more than one symptom, check your computer.  See you next year.

Art  NJT Eagle 20

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Ouch Art,

Sorry to hear about the large bill..

Thanks for the heads up on the connectors. Did you have any internet access? We could have helped you on the board.

Or even a contact who could have posted for you. We have lots of members in FL who would have been glad to help you!

Nick-

[ArtGill]

Thanks Nick,

     We only had internet at the motel at night.  Each night we were confident that the problem had been identified and parts ordered.  And each day another down.

Art

[NJT5047]

Art,
Sorry to hear of your problems.   If you didn't have a "Check Engine Light" light up in the dash, your CEL is not working.   Both Check Engine and Check Transmission should light up for 3 seconds anytime the ignition is turned on.
DD dealer should have downloaded the codes from your DDEC unit before doing any parts replacement.   Very unlikely two side by side DDEC injectors  would have failed at the same time.   Anytime you have a bank with more than one cylinder not running, there's a high probability of wring problems.   The injector wiring failure would have set two codes, one for each injector circuit. 
Does your DDEC II have a "mode" switch and code lights mounted someplace....?  Maybe near the ATEC ECM?   Sorry but I'm not familiar with Eagles...even with the MCI wiring.   You may see two switches next to two idiot lights.  The red light is the DDEC, and the green light is for the ATEC.   May be worth a look in the rear LH bay....that's where they are on MCIs spec'd for NJT.
I keep a DDEC 1 dx manual in the bus...let me know if you need codes ID'd.   Most of the codes are the same for both I and II.  Systems are quite a bit different.   
Coachinfo.com sells DDEC II diagnostic manuals.    The DDEC is not part of the bus wiring, so won't matter the manufacturer of coach.   The bus wiring does interface with the DDEC by controlling on and off relay, fast idle brakes sense, and cruise control.     
Good luck, JR





 

[ArtGill]

JR,

The Check Engine, Check Trans, and stop engine lights all work upon turning on the switch.  My code switch is beside the lights.  There just wasn't any codes.  The mechanic was also surprised there were no codes.  I believe the system is working.  I also don't leave home without my DDEC II manual.  The only explanination that I can come up with is the connections were not completely open, just high resistive.  I'm just glad to be home until next year.

Art

[Green-Hornet]

I suppose the only real bright side is you have new filters all around and won't have to worry about them for a while
Glad you surrvived yer stay in Fort Pierce!

[NJT5047]

The Check Engine, Check Trans, and stop engine lights all work upon turning on the switch. My code switch is beside the lights. There just wasn't any codes. The mechanic was also surprised there were no codes. I believe the system is working. I also don't leave home without my DDEC II manual. The only explanination that I can come up with is the connections were not completely open, just high resistive. I'm just glad to be home until next year.

That's scary!  There is a time parameter before a fault is declared a fault...?? I have no clue as to how long an injector lead would have to be open before it set a code.  Only a few seconds I would guess....? 
Sounds like you're on top of things though! 
BTW, what do you mean "next year"??  You gotta get that bus out and USE it...exercise you know...   
Cheers, JR