SOLVED! Broke down New Mexico

Scott & Heather · October 25, 2016, 02:20:39 PM

Hi all. We are just about 15 miles outside of Roswell broke down. Coach just died. Won't restart. Coolant ok, temp cool, oil level and pressure dandy. It's starving for fuel. Checked primary and secondary fuel filters (they are freshly replaced) and they are not full. So I have a clog in the pickup tube likely. Yesterday while filling the tank, I watched a piece of RTV fall into the tank when I put the nozzle in. The previous charter company must have used this black RTV seal between the fill cap housing and the tank itself. It should have been a gasket not RTV. Annoys me. I peeled carefully all of the remaining swollen RTV from around the housing but the piece that fell in likely is clogging my pickup tube. My tank is 3/4 full and I'm on the side of the road in the desert. Is there a magical way to unclog it roadside? I've taken the tank out before so if I have to have it towed to Roswell, if I can find a helpful shop, I'll pump the diesel out and pull the tank and see if I can remove the clog. Unless I'm missing something...could the clog occur further down towards the primary fuel filter?

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eagle19952 · October 25, 2016, 02:32:24 PM

i ran a few shops in my day...RTV silicone was goop non grata....as in we don't use it here

... were i you i would put a tee in my fuel supply line with a shutoff valve up stream... and a blow nozzle to clear it. as often as required....
infact i would initially try my lungs to clear the line...
then i would pray that the sillycone disolved/deteriorated before i got to a safe place to repair it...
curiously i would also determine if it floats....were you "low" on fuel...?

eagle19952 · October 25, 2016, 02:34:14 PM

nag-dabbit...double posted...and no one to blame

luvrbus · October 25, 2016, 02:41:42 PM

Most "Cs" have a lift pump at fuel tank to supply the gear pump check and see if you have one it may just be a blown fuse

Scott & Heather · October 25, 2016, 03:10:01 PM

Don, that's going to be one of my first things to do is to blow air backwards into the tank. Cliff how can I determine this for sure? I'm pretty sure I don't have one because I've pulled the tank and polished it before. And there was nothing there just the two wires going to the fuel sending unit for the level

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Scott & Heather · October 25, 2016, 03:10:36 PM

I'm on my way into Roz well to pick up a garden sprayer to re-prime. If I can get it to run off of a gas can then I know I have a clog upstream somewhere or my gear pump died which I doubt.

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Scott & Heather · October 25, 2016, 03:12:18 PM

Also no my tank is three-quarter full it is not low.

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luvrbus · October 25, 2016, 03:24:40 PM

Buy a electric pump and 4 or 5 ft hose by pass the tube in the tank that will get you guys to a safe place it will run off a electric pump supplying the gear pump

Scott & Heather · October 25, 2016, 03:28:08 PM

Cliff where do I put the pick up for that hose stick it inside the tank? Sorry maybe I'm not thinking this through

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Lee Bradley · October 25, 2016, 03:32:51 PM

Scott can you get to the top of the tank where the fuel line comes out? If so disconnect the line there and see if you blow back into the tank. Does your bus have an electric pump in line?

luvrbus · October 25, 2016, 03:35:19 PM

Just put the hose in at the filler neck and take the line loose at the tank hook it together.You do know aliens live around Roswell

just kidding trying to keep u upbeat

chessie4905 · October 25, 2016, 03:56:35 PM

Did you refill filters and try it again? I wouldn't think one piece of silicone would clog pickup. Maybe you got some dirty fuel that immediately plugged filters. I'd try the fuel can and a short piece of hose at the engine first after other checks.

luvrbus · October 25, 2016, 04:10:55 PM

He could have gotten a heavy shot of the Bio fuel,that crap is the pits

Scott & Heather · October 25, 2016, 04:11:49 PM

Update. As of 5:07 Roswell time, I attempted repriming by putting a pressurized garden sprayer hose with diesel in the sprayer tank at the primary and secondary filters. No start. Tried and tried. Battery is on charger recovering now. So, I checked all the ECM fuses in the battery bay. Here's what they read (none of the fuses are blown and I did reseat all of them really well to rule out corroded connection issues).:
From the bottom up:
Bottom fuse:

Next fuse up:

Next one up:

Top fuse:

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Scott & Heather · October 25, 2016, 04:18:35 PM

As soon as it gets dark I think I'm going to head into town I don't want no alien seeing me on the side of the road LOL

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