As usual........

[Chaz]

I'm all packed, aired up (from the shop) and the damn thing won't start. Ohhhhhhhhhhh... I am sooooooooooooooooooo over this s**t!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Batteries were down, probably from doing electrical stuff, but she did turn over several times. Then I put each battery on high charge for a little while -several times - and even gave it either and she still won't hit. I'm trying a little longer charge on the batteries and will give it yet another try.

I love my bus and have wanted one for so long, but at this rate there is going to be a seperation soon and I'm not even married.......get my drift?!?!?!  (it's a 4108)

If I don't do anymore responding it "should" mean she finally started. If not, I'll be back with a "For Sale".

Can a bus "flood"?? Hell, I don't even know that. I was hoping I could learn as I go but it's finally getting to me.

Sorry for the rant guys, but I've about had it.
  Chaz

[JackConrad]

Chaz,
   One thing to remember, A diesel engine has to spin FAST to start. Anything less than a full charge on the batteries will cause hard or no starting.  Jack

[steve5B]

  Chaz,

  Saw one like yours on e-bay, with a new engine.  For what it cost (I think) to re-power yours it looks like a good buy!

Anyway, hope you get it started.  We got the high temps here today hope you got your AC working good.

  Have fun at the car show.

  Steve 5B .............

[Lin]

There are definitely times when I wonder why I want to pay so much to have problems.  We are at a campground now though, and as I look around at all the RV's here including some pushers, I think that my 5a is definitely the coolest.  There are even some things I sort of look forward to doing and save them for these trips to keep them interesting.  I must say though that starting problems and over heating problems are not the ones I like. 

I have not had start problems yet with this bus other than not having fuel (I still suspect that I was siphoned).  I did once have one with my other bus which turned out to be a crack in the fuel line letting it suck air.  I too do not know about flooding for sure, but believed it would happen with that bus.  It always started on the first twist of the key, but if you did not hold the idle up for about 10 seconds, it would stall and be hard to start.  I either had to let it crank out for a bit really fast, or just let it sit for a minute and hit it again.

One thing though, the more frustrating the problem, the better I feel when it's solved.

[Len Silva]

Chaz,

If it started and ran well recently, then chances are you don't have a big or expensive problem, just a PITA, all part of owning an old bus.

Number one is good strong batteries.

Number two is fuel to the rack.

Number three is no blockage of the air intake (like a tripped shutdown valve)

That's it! One, Two, Three, it will start.

Len

[jjrbus]

The high price of low living!!!!  My bus upsets me to no end and I have been very lucky with!!!!!  It is a constant with it a campgrounds er RV Resorts that I get compliments.
Then I see the problems they are having.  A man asked me to try to fix his roof leak the other day, The entire roof right down to the ceiling is rotten!!!!! He is putting it up for sale as a handy man special. Its only a 1997, 11 years old and I would not take it for free.
                                                                             Jim

[lloyd]

Chaz, a diesel engine can not flood, pumping the throttle does not affect a diesel like a carb on a gas engine. If it doesn't start after sitting awhile - couple of days- I would look at fuel draining back, loose line, loose filter?
Lloyd

[TomC]

Chaz- it also sounds to me like you might be loosing your prime.  My 8V-71 starts with 1 second of starter operation, when it is above 50 degrees.  If your's takes much longer, then it is probably either worn or as mentioned before a fuel problem.  If your engine is worn, try starting ether.  Good Luck, TomC

[jjrbus]

We have not heard from Chaz again, he must be on the road, hope he has laptop and aircard

[Len Silva]

Once you get it running, check the fuel return check valve. It can be disassembled and cleaned   pretty easily.

[Ncbob]

I found out the hard way this spring that we cannot let these things sit for months at a time and not charge the starting batteries....even if they've been disconnected. When we tried to leave FL on the date we chose the engine wouldn't turn over and the starter drive hung in the 'in' position.

I now make it a routine to put a charger on at least every 2 months prior to starting the engine just to air things up. Sometime this month I will take her out for about an hour or so just to make sure everything is OK.

Sure makes you angry when things don't go right and you don't have anyone to blame but yourself.

Bob

[Blacksheep]

What everyone needs to realize is these buses were run every day which kept the batteries up! Most of us have our buses sit idle so the batteries will go down quickly! Phamtom drains I guess but they are not like a car where they can sit and still start after a month or so without starting!
Best thing to invest in is a marine
"on-board" charging system. Plugs into a single 110 outlet, connects with 2 wires to the batteries, 1 black, 1 red! Tops the batteries off and floats! It will cut itself off when done. Draws very low current and when it's time to go, simply unplug it and start your bus EVERY time with mucho confidence! Had I known, that would have been the VERY first item bought! It would have saved me a LOT of aggravation and money on batteries!
Found mine NEW on ebay and it works great!
Ace

[Blacksheep]

Aftwer posting a friend called to ask about the charger I installed and wanted the information so instead of keeping it behind closed doors, I will post all the information here for everyone to share!
Yes it is an expensive piece BUT, it's well pays for itself in confidence!
Never again will I doubt the start-ability of my bus after it site for long periods!

The charger information I have is,

Name:  Quick Charge
Quick Charge Corp. 1032 S.W. 22nd st. Oklahoma City, Ok. 73109
800-658-2841

Specs:
24volt
25 amp
26 lbs
6" x 9" x 6.5"
used on fork lifts and other lifting equipment.
good for golf carts and other personal carriers
has easy to interpret LED indicator lights
plugs into standard 117v 6a ac
good for continuous industrial duty
has standard eylet connectors
100% copper transformer
vibration resistant: no moving parts

This unit is totally enclosed which means that it is resistant to weather, water, debris, and other harsh environments. This unit can even resist a pressure washer!
The unit is small and compact: it will fit slim scissor lifts and other applications where space is a factor. You can also mount this unit in any direction.

The LED light provides information such as the light is steady during charge mode and is dim/blinking when the unit is finished charging. No confusion or worry  with different light patterns!

Normal operation:
Connect charge leads directly to battery terminals.
Plug the charger into an AC outlet.
The LED on the charger will come on and light indicating charge current is flowing.

Gas and float: batteries are allowed to gas to a maximum of 2.55 volts per cell before dropping into indefinite float of 2.26 volts per cell. Very useful for deep cycle batteries that are NOT frequently used.
(the OBET chargers are equipped with a electronic timer. At the battery gassing threshold, 2.3 volts per cell) the timer will activate and run for three hours. During this time, the batteries are in a gassing or equalizing mode. (2.5-2.6 volts per cell max.) After three hours, the charger shuts off completely, indicated by the LED light going off.)

To discontinue charging, unplug the AC power cord. Plugging it back in will cause the charger to repeat the cycle.



This charger comes with a 3 year warranty from the original manufacturer!

I personally purchased my charger off ebay from: 

Moto batteries
1316 W. Adams Street
Jacksonville, Fl. 32204
904-483-3873

http://.motbatteries.com

purchase date 12/10/2007

$229.00  charger
    20.00   S&H
    16.03   tax
___________
$265.03   (worth every penny)

Other companies have the same charger but this is the cheapest I found on the net at THAT time! They also have these same chargers in a 12 volt configuration!

Hope this helps!
Ace

[Dallas]

I use a pair of WFCO 9855 converter chargers for my house and start battery systems. One I got from Slow Rider and one I got from eBay.

These converters feature 3 stage chargers and supply up to 55A as needed.

So far, both of them have worked well, even after a year or so, I have yet to have had to add water to either the house batteries or the start batteries.

Usually, everyday I drive around 1-15 miles with my bus, (we don't have a toad), my charging system  for my PD4103 is still the old Delco oil cooled 12V generator as installed from new with the carbon pile regulator. Obviously, at the distance I'm running, the batteries cannot get a full charge, and the house batteries aren't even in the mix, they aren't connected to the start batteries... yet.

I did try a couple of experiments not too long ago, I hooked a 120A ammeter from a IH truck into the start system, and left the lights and what blowers I have left on for 24 hours. When I unplugged the converter the meter went immediately to -75A which seemed a little high to me, but I left it as my wiring is at this time Carrol 4/0 welding cable, I didn't think that would hurt, or if it did, I could shut down quickly with no problem.
When I plugged the converter/charger back in, it immediately went to 14.4V @ 55A for about 30 minutes, after that it slowed down to 13.6V @ 55A for about 4 hours and then gradually dropped the charging rate to 4A. It then dropped to 13.3V @ 3A for the next 10 hours and gradually dropped the input from there.
(Caveat) These were 3 and 4 year old 8D start batteries I traded from another guy. I didn't expect them to last as long as they did.

My next test was with my house batteries, where I run the fridge, 2 computers, a printer, and all the house lights from an "ElCheapo" Inverter, along with a number of ventilation fans on the 12V side.
My batteries are Walmart Deep Cycle Marine, not to be confused with the "Marine/ Deep Cycle/Start" batteries that Wally is famous for. I at this time have 2 of them and they supply my needs for about 20 hours without recharge. They are suppose to be 120Ah, but seem to be much better that that. (could be a fluke).
Anyway, After depleting them for a total of 24 hours, the results were similar to the 8D's except it took longer for the second stage of charging.

Bottom line is, my start batteries as connected to the converter have kept a happy charge on them, and though, I am not a battery guru, I do have to point out that my last set of house batteries were group 31 truck batteries ( that I removed from some of my trucks when I lost the trucking company. Those lasted 8-9 years and I had to service them at least once a month.

If you can't afford an inverter that has the 3 stage charging on it, you might be as well off to use the converter option, either from WFCO http://www.wfcoelectronics.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=51&Itemid=78
Or another one that I know of, the Iota DLS series with the IQ4 smart charger function installed.

Good luck,

DF

[Chaz]

Monday morning, 1:30 AM


My dream has become my nightmare. I can't take it.


For Sale.


Good night.
  Chaz