Rodent appears to have eaten wiring to transmission

[lv2rescue]

Hi everyone,
I have a 97 102D3. It appears that some sort of critter has made access above the transmission into a plenum space at the front of the engine compartment through some spray foam and has located and disabled to wiring that controls the electronic world transmission. I have no display on the shift control in the drivers area and the transmission will not go into gear. The coach starts and runs ok. I guess I should have started looking when the retarder stopped working several weeks ago.
Anyone have any ideas as to how to approach this situation? I cannot get the bus on a trailer and hauled out because of the tight roadway accessing my property and a tunnel that is too small. So any repairs will have to happen on site. I cannot even reach the area of entry without a 5 ft stick. Anyone ever rigged a remote transmission control AT the transmission itself to get a coach moved? Any other work arounds? I figure this little guy has done a pretty good number on things. Thanks in advance

[Astro]

Although I dont know of your specific bus, I had a similar situation in my MC5 with an auto transmission. In my case the cable was sheared by propeller shaft. I removed the cable and spliced the wires then rerouted it to a safer route. Before I repaired it, I shifted it to drive manually under bus after starting and then it shifted fine on its own until I shut it off. In your case, if you can't remove cable and repair onsite, I suggest you start it, shift into gear (someone on brake) and drive it to repair facility. Or you can always get another cable and route it externally, bypassing original cable. You would probably need a longer cable in that case.

[luvrbus]

I am sure someone knows how to do that with the transmission in the bus,because they do it on a test stand after a rebuild without the bus.Sorry I have no idea how you would make it work.The old theory if you have power and a ground is not always the case on a WTEC as they switch some wires back to ground and you get it wrong that will cost you a ECM

good luck 

[lv2rescue]

Thanks Astro, this is an electronic transmission, so no cables, all fly by wire. Thanks luvrbus, that is what I am contemplating. Figure I better hire an Allison person to make sure I don't energize the wrong pin on the connector to avoid frying the computer with a misplaced wire.

[blue_goose]

Been there, bought the Tshirt not fun.  Your bus has a tube that goes from the engine compartment to the rear bay.  There is foam in both ends of the tube that you will need to remove to get a new wire through. Unplug the round plug at the transmission and the plug in the back bay that it is connected to.  With a ohm meter or test light may be better with a 6volt battery check each wire to find the one that is open.  You will need a manual to find the pin location.  If you need a manual I can send you a copy.
Jack

[buswarrior]

Have you no access through the floor inside at the back?

Careful, methodical work with the schematics will set you free!!!

Is coach pointing out? Only a single gear engagement and the open road is available?

Re-purposing the wires that are not chewed might give you that??

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[Dave5Cs]

Don't know about your Bus but my MCI has the tunnel also and the side panels and the bottom come off it pretty easily all the way back and can get to anything inside it. Might have to move some plumbing out of the way but well worth it.

Another idea would be to get a regular tow truck to come out or a truck with a buddy bumper. Pull the drive shaft or axles and have them push it through the property and tunnel while you steer until you can get it tow to where you need it

[Paul]

Did you check the wiring from transmission to the rear J Box.  It may not be in the tunnel.
Unplug the wire at rear J box and transmission, Check and clean pins and check for continuity in the wire.
MCI buses have trouble with ground wires on all ground bars in J boxes front and rear J box. They were maid of aluminum and have trouble with electrolysis. I removed all wires in front and rear J box on grounds and studs and cleaned them. This did not fix the on and off starter problem.  Then at rally I talk with a fellow busnut and opened rear start J box and a wire end broke off removing the cover. Repaired (replaced) the wire end and the bus started. This did not fix the trouble for good but when in the rear start J box I found one more ground bar. After cleaned these wires and ground bar all has worked fine.

Some one posted  if you cannot find the electric problem it is in the grounds.

Just some thought
Paul

[B_K]

lv2rescue what part of the country are you from?
I know several good Allison techs in different parts of the country.
  BK 

[Slug]

Your lucky in the States only rats, the Kangaroo's make a bigger mess and try to eat the tyres as well
Nah just messing with ya
Rats the same world over don't know why they love Wiring Looms, costly and anoying 
James
From you guessed it  "Down-under"

[Oonrahnjay]

...  Rats the same world over don't know why they love Wiring Looms, costly and anoying 
James
From you guessed it  "Down-under"

    Hey, James.  Welcome to the forum.  Part of the "why" is that some bright spark some years ago figured out that making the plastic material for the insulation from soy bean oil rather than petroleum was cheaper (it also has other advantages, it's more flexible and resistant to stretching but $$$ was the big thing).  Also, some animals have teeth that continue to grow all their lives and they need to find tough but spongy things to chew on to keep their teeth from growing to long.
    Whatever makes 'em do it, I wish they'd quit!