someone with handheld in Murfreesboro,tn area

[trucktramp]

There's nothing to be nervous about running on straight ether.  When it starts the engine will continue to run as long as you keep pressing the squirt button.  Unfortunately, you don't get any lubrication from ether like you do from fuel.  Ether used like this is a common way to "reprime" a motor that has been run dry.

[norules]

If you have a DDEC-II  

here's a trouble shooting diagram - just use a 12 test light

for power and to see the injectors flash - clip the test lamp to a good ground and back-probe the connectors

to check the grounds circuits are good - clip the test lamp to a good 12 source and back-probe the ground pins



ooops - diagram corrected from first version 

[rv_safetyman]

I agree, that it sure sounds like a fuel issue. 

However, be sure to check that the DDEC is getting voltage.  If it is DDEC III, it will have two power supply terminals on the ECM.  Both will have fuses/breakers on them.  Also, the voltage can't be very much below 12 volts.

Jim

[Charley Davidson]

It's DDECII, Right now the batteries need charged before I can do anything, I ran them down when trying to get it started.

I've had this bus for 6 or 7 years with no real problems only left me stranded once before and that was the crank position censor. Ether was the only way to get it spinning fast enough to get it started then.

I'm hoping it's just a bad censor or a DDEC code shut down I'm gonna have Ken come check the codes next week, he doesn't have the connector for DDECII and I'm busy with some other projects that are more important at this time.

How does DDEC work when it shuts down an engine, is there a fatal code that won't let it start regardless what you do?

[robertglines1]

low water sensor has shut me down twice. Engine will crank but not start. Also there are low oil pressure sensor and low fuel pressure sensor that will shut you down.Easy to ck water tank it might have a drip leak somewhere in system. Also If DDEC doesn't have 12 volts to it it won't work. One bad battery in the correct position can cause this. Do have a flash code on the engine light on the dash?

[Charley Davidson]

Low water will let it start but not run on fast idle then shut down, I have a cold leak so this happens a lot, first thing I checked.

The dash light don't work as far as I know.

what my question was (meant) is what does DDEC do to shut off engine and keep it from starting?

[rv_safetyman]

Ron, are you saying that the check and stop engine lights don't work?  If that is the case, it sure makes troubleshooting a challenge.  If they worked, there should be a procedure to read the code via the ignition switch the the lights (not sure on DDEC II but on later DDECs that is the case).

The DDEC II data connector is not the standard data connector used on later DDEC versions (6 pin/9 pin) or other diesel engines.  It is a 12 pin connector and, as I recall, it is an OBD2 connector.  I would think that most folks with a ProLink might not have the correct connector.  If you line someone up, make sure they have the correct cable.

As far as shutting the engine off, they cut the injector control off.  You could not check that without a ProLink or DDEC software on a computer.

Jim

[Hard Headed Ken]

Did you get your bus started??

Ken

[Charley Davidson]

Haven't fooled with it other than charging batteries, been kinda busy trying to make money, got a job today so I'll have some extra money to spend on it getting it ready to sell. I'll call you when it gets a little warmer, it's never liked the cold too well.

[robertglines1]

Had a relay like the ford ones I think in top drivers side toward front that supplies power from Ignition to ddec ck that relay.

[JohnEd]

I liked PickPaul"s suggestion for the problem and solution.  That made perfect sense to me.  That may be a problem right there.   Sorry no body acknowledged you, Bud.

Thanks Pick.

About that either.  Long ago when I was a 26 year old Radar tech supervisor I got saddled with doing the monthly PMs on a D gen that was dropped off at our radar  tower.  I knew just as much about a D as you might expect a radar electronics tech to know.  ZIP!  I read the label on the side of the gen and followed the instructions.  It had no heaters and was not warmed prior to starting.  A block heater you say ?  At 5,500 ft it was a no start even in the summer.  It came with a case of either cans and the instructions on the side of the D said to squirt the stuff into the air intake till it started.  It did not say how long or if I should stop with one can.  I would spray that stuff into the intake air in front of the air filter for 5 seconds and then, while spraying, hit the start.  It always started on the third rev and idled like a D which is to say it sounded broke.  I ran it on the can of either till I ran out and sometimes it kept running and most often it needed two cans to stay lit.  I know I knew nothing and I had a hunch that either was dangerous and that my butt was hanging out but orders is orders.  In this incarnation I would have had that Tech Sergeant's stripes on a pole outside my teepee for all my loyal men to admire.  (Hildebrand, I hope you are listening)

So what was my alternative?  It would not stay running without the either.  Today I would call the "ground power" shop that generated all our site power and told them THEY have a problem or wrote it up NRTS (not repairable this station) and walked away.  That thing was 15 feet long and six or seven feet of it was yellow D.  On skids and 7 feet tall total.  If it won't run without either what do you do?

What kind of bus is this?  I remember long ago you talked about your WVO powered bus and you were rebuilding the engine after years of WVO.  As I recall the engine was tired when you first started using WVO and the conversion had nothing to do with the overhaul.  I think there was some talk about you taking pics of the engine internals to show the condition after 10's of K of miles.  Share those with us please.  I am very interested in that topic myself and I hope we can get more info out of you as time permits.

Thanks,

John

[Charley Davidson]

I remember long ago you talked about your WVO powered bus and you were rebuilding the engine after years of WVO.  As I recall the engine was tired when you first started using WVO and the conversion had nothing to do with the overhaul.  I think there was some talk about you taking pics of the engine internals to show the condition after 10's of K of miles.  Share those with us please.  I am very interested in that topic myself and I hope we can get more info out of you as time permits.

Thanks,

John

wrong bus & guy

[Nellie Wilson]

Charlie!

Gollee, haven't heard from you since Heck was a pup. How come you're through travelin'?

Hey, been through the same and turned out I was just sucking air (so what's new?). 'Course I don't have all your whistles & bells, but my old 8V-71 acted just the same. Wish I'd known about this board and gotten the same advice - would've saved me many nightmares and beacoup bucks.

Hey, don't sell that bus... it's just fine. You'll see  !

"I've had many horrible experiences in my life... ... and some of them actually happened " (Mark Twain, Will Rogers, W.C. Fields? Anyway, somebody famous...)


Shoot me a PM sometime?

Nellie

[JohnEd]

[/quote]

wrong bus & guy
[/quote]

Dang, there goes my record.  This was my first mistake ever.

Gett'n old.  I now think it was IllyaFish.  What ever happened to that guy?  He was a nice sort and had a band, if I remember.  Oh no.  I'm getting that feeling again.

I read more and more people say they are interested in WVO or BIO so I tyhopught that would be a good segway.  Anybody know how Illya's bus overhaul went?

Thanks for getting back to me with the correction Charley.


John

[Charley Davidson]

I thought he was selling that for scrap or just to pay the storage/tow bill