Electrical suggestions to check before I call Bill and Luke...

[Zippymoe]

61 GM 4106 - 8v71

I use the bus mainly for tailgating during the football season. Been running fine since August aside from a tire blowout outside of Columbus, Ohio until this past weekend. Everything has been running fine and since we were so close to home I left my toolbox at home. Of course, we had a problem. Bus wouldn't start. Minimal tools. Fried a wire that shouldn't have been there to begin with. Coachnet hates me.

So I had it towed back to my shop. Here's what I found (FYI - I'm smart enough to admit I don't have a clue and dumb enough to think I do) - Got some side electrical issues fixed (i think) but narrowed my main one.

After removing and cleaning cables from the batteries to the posts I used the power probe and found the ground connection had voltage (12.7). Also figured out that the rest of the chassis/engine had voltage (12.7). Eliminated the positive wires at the battery connection and found the wire going towards the rear to be the problem. Followed that wire to a junction (rear of the diff) which 2 other wires came off of. Eliminated one wire as it ended up going to nothing (seriously, not connected to anything) and found the problem with the wire going to the starter. With the wire from the starter removed from the junction, the wire shows grounded on the power probe. The starter has another wire going to the ALT/Generator (I'll call it the alternator). Tested as grounded on the output post while attached. Removed the wire from the starter and the output post tested neutral.

Called it a night at that but the initial thinking is ether one of the two wires is shorted or the starter or starter solenoid. First guess is the starter solenoid.

Thoughts??? Suggestions to check before we call??? 

[rv_safetyman]

Zippymoe, I am a little lost here and, like you, not an expert.

First, I think we need to know the symptom.  Does the engine not turn over at all, or does it turn slowly?  Can you hear the solenoid click?  Have you tried "hot wiring" the power to the solenoid activation terminal?  Have you tried running cables from each battery terminal (+ -) directly to the starter (eliminating any possibility of bad connections or a bad cable?

Just checking voltage under a no load condition will not reveal a bad ground or connection.  You will need to have someone try to start the engine and check the voltage at the starter.  If it is about the same as the battery voltage, it would point to the solenoid.  If it drops, then you have a problem in the wiring. 

If it is a problem with the wiring, you might be able to use an infrared temperature gun to look for a hot connection.

Just some random thoughts.

Jim

[JWallin]

Make sure it isn't in gear.