Tank Odor

Well, as some of ya'll know I have had a problem with a tank odor inside the coach. It is also plainly noticeable from the plumbing bay.

With sage advice from my pals here on the board, we have chased down all kinds of stuff. Vacuum breakers, having the tanks pressure washed out (3 times) and all kinds of various troubleshooting.

Running out of options and time, I took it to Marathon Beaumont. The first time they nosed around and cleaned things out. They also found that there was a large opening from under the kitchen counters to the box in the bay that holds the fan & such for the mid ship cruise air, and sealed that up. It still smelled to me, so at my urging they pulled the gray tank out and checked it for leaks with no luck. They later also overfilled the black tank and looked for leaks with no success.

They did end up finding that there had been some leakage in the past from around the bung on top of the gray tank, so we all hoped that after tightening everything up it would be fine.

We checked back out and went to San Diego with the Z's and let everything air out, but alas no bueno.

Back to Marathon where it has been for a few weeks. They took all kinds of stuff apart inside and poked around. They found where a bottle of distilled H20 had leaked in a cabinet & such. I assured them that was not it, but thanked them for finding it.

I went back in person and talked with Johnny & Carlos, the two chaps that had been working on it. You could still smell the odor in the bay, and the argument was that they really didn't know where it came from. We talked about vents and traps and all kinds of everything.

My logic was that the smell was obviously coming from the bay and moving up. So no matter what, everything in the bay had to come out so we could get to the bottom of it.

We all agreed on this finally and I took off. After calling a few days later, they said they had run some chlorox through the fresh water tank and lines and they couldn't smell it any longer. I pointed out that being as there was no odor from the water gravity fill, and none from the tap water, that this was highly illogical.

They also found that my accumulator tank apparently had failed and there was black brackish water on the membrane side, so it got replaced too.

Apparently authorization from whomever was not forthcoming on pulling the tanks, as they already figured they had 40 hours in it from visit two.

I in my old age do my best to be a nice guy but was getting a little frustrated as in my mind I had paid good $$ for the experts to figure this out. So I turned up the fire ever so slightly. I ended up talking to Roger the Service Mgr and explained the situation all over again. Apparently he was not privy to the conversation I had with the guys in the shop.

On the way home I was talking to JW as we as well others had jawed this back and forth before. Jdub pointed out he thought it could be that honey had gotten into the wood down below and just be stanking everything out.

I thought that was a pregnant idea too, and called Marathon back and relayed that thought to the techs.

I also told them that when they had it all taken apart that I wanted to be notified and I intended to drive back out and inspect for myself.

They tore it all the way apart, all three tanks. The plywood below the black & grey wasn't exactly discolored, but it stunk to hi heaven as did the side plank on the passenger side.

Although the plywood is painted with silver paint, it was done after the tanks were put in, and the plywood is BARE UNTREATED PLYWOOD.

We agreed for them to fabricate a new sheet for the bottom & side of the black / gray, and to varnish it so it is sealed.

They are to also varnish the bottom plank under the fresh tank while they are at it.

I think this is problem solved!

http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/8...ontank1rl1.jpg

http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/8...ontank3bi6.jpg

http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/3...ontank2cm1.jpg

http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/9...ontank4cu3.jpg

Wow! I sure hope that that kills it. I hate to think what your Marathon bill is at the moment?

Boy -- that stinks. no pun intended.



I hope for the sake of your wallet and nose it is mission accomplished.

Hi Warren. They have green or blue plywood. If you can findit, use that.

Hope that does the trick Jeep, keep us posted.

Warren, I was wondering, do you know where the contaminants were coming from?

Your new wood could become contaminated again as well, even if you paint first.

"They tore it all the way apart, all three tanks. The plywood below the black & grey wasn't exactly discolored, but it stunk to hi heaven as did the side plank on the passenger side.

Although the plywood is painted with silver paint, it was done after the tanks were put in, and the plywood is BARE UNTREATED PLYWOOD.

We agreed for them to fabricate a new sheet for the bottom & side of the black / gray, and to varnish it so it is sealed.

They are to also varnish the bottom plank under the fresh tank while they are at it.

I think this is problem solved! "

Best I could figure is they said the first time they looked into it, that one of the connections on the top of the tank was just a tad loose, as they could see on top of the tank where there had been some leakage around the bung at some point, although not at that point. I am hoping that was it.

Jeepster,

You can reduce that tank order forever...no more red pork for Warren. Vegan...yup that's it, a good vegetarian and your problems are over, even if the thing still leaks! :D I'll give you Darryl Hanna's phone number for recipes plus, as an added benefit, she can fix you up with veggie diesel...I noticed you took copius notes at the seminar!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jello_jeep

Best I could figure is they said the first time they looked into it, that one of the connections on the top of the tank was just a tad loose, as they could see on top of the tank where there had been some leakage around the bung at some point, although not at that point. I am hoping that was it.

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I hope that was all it was/is. I am sure it will be nice to have everything like new again!
JIM

Believe it or no, I tried this vegatarian deal. I lasted almost 3 months! Won a few bets along the way too :)

Couldn't take it any longer though. Meat is a necessity!

I will attest personally however, that the odoriferous nature of the effluent is not favorably changed by vegetarianism.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by flyu2there

Jeepster,

You can reduce that tank order forever...no more red pork for Warren. Vegan...yup that's it, a good vegetarian and your problems are over, even if the thing still leaks! :D I'll give you Darryl Hanna's phone number for recipes plus, as an added benefit, she can fix you up with veggie diesel...I noticed you took copius notes at the seminar!!

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Well I picked up the bus at Marathon on Friday. Smells great! You can smell the varnish & paint from the new bay enclosure, but I can sure live with that!

108 hours at Marathon all totaled. We settled for less than half of that. I came up more than I would have as I had them do other things along the way and was trying to be a good chap.

They ended pulling the bottom sheet out of the enclosure as well, and found that underneath it there was more crud & mold or whatever as previously discussed. I am REALLY happy to be done with this never ending chapter of things fixed that were on my list from purchase time.

When I left, didn't seem like the dash air was making cold, went to fire off the generator as I was rolling down the road, and it wouldn't fire either. Hit the auto gen switch and got no indicator light from it when depressed, so figured they must have flipped the service switch down in the gen bay. On my next stop I checked it and that was the problemo.

While out, stopped by a car audio place and got the head chingon out to take a look and discuss tearing out all the old in dash stuff and updating, and running a sat & nav antenna up to the roof etc.

Today I ran down to the storage place and tried to figure out the dash air. I turned it on, and noted that the clutch didn't appear to be engaging, just the pulley spinning away.

After consulting people smarter than I, I checked for power at the compressor and found none. Ran down the breaker and have power on both sides. Cycled it just to check and it works fine. Replaced the relay still no juice. Went up front & pulled the dash out and got the loom off the switch and shorted the two pins together just in case the switch was no bueno.. Still no juice. Checked for power on the line in/out of the switch, sure enough there is 24VDC present.

After consulting people smarter than I, (Truk, Jdub) I reckon that Marathon must have disrupted the wire from the switch on the dash, to the relay as that is all that is left that would make sense? Other people that are smarter than I are welcome to chime in!

I guess it is back to Beaumont next week. Us fat guys like dash air ;)

My dash air quit. I found the clutch would no engage. Of course i checked all the circuits. After several hours I found the problem was no freon. The low pressure switch has to have at least 5 PSI to close. Added freon and now it cools.

Hi Warren. Did you test the voltage at the compressor for the relay switch leg?

Larry, would the lack of freon cause the voltage at the compressor relay to be zero?, or would the compressor just not come on if it was low??

Gary D,, Hi.. Voltage at compressor = 0

Jeep,

Think Larry is correct.....it sounds like you need some 134A, go look in the site glass if nothing else. Wonder if the lines run anywhere thru where your construction project may have been. :cool:

Like Larry said you may need freon. A quick check is have someone throw a set of guages on the system but you need to know what gas you have in your system (R12 or 134a) you can tell by the size of the fittings if its not a retrofitted system. Or if possile I believe that you can jump the low pressure switch. If you don't need freon than you have an electrical problem. Its amazing what a little shot of freon will do. I've found that these systems have so much hose to travel from compressor to the dash that losing some of the charge over time is normal.

Warren
The low pressure switch completes the circuit to ground so if there is no freon the clutch will not engage. I found that using a test light that was grounded and testing the A/C relay lug on the left side as you are looking at the relay the clutch engaged. The system must have at least five pounds of pressure even with the engine not running to complete the clutch circuit.

I am testing voltage by removing the two conductor lead that couples about 10" away from the compressor.

I would assume that if all is working right, when the ignition key is on, and the AC switch is on, there should be voltage there, no?

The low pressure switch would be further downline in the compressor?

Warren
It seems you are on the right path. The low pressure switch does complete the ground from the A/C relay. In the rear electric box there is a 15 second relay. I bypassed the relay to check the circuits. You can down load a wiring diagram from Prevost Car site. It is page #12. It seems the way all this works the power to the clutch comes from the CB in the rear electric box. (Don't remember the number). When the relay closes it completes the circuit to the clutch. The dash switch controls the relay. My problem was driving me nuts until I purchased a do-it-your-self freon kit that had a single pressure gauge. I found no pressure. In looking at the wiring diagram I decided to use my test light with the clip grounded and putting the probe into the left side plug of the A/C relay. I heard the clutch engage. With the clutch engaged I started the engine and added 5 cans of freon. Once there was pressure in the system I removed the test light and all worked as new. If this is not clear call me. My number is on Dale's map.

Warren,
Glad to hear that you may have solved the problem.

We have been having a similar foul smell in our coach. It started after we dined at Casa del Holm on the Cuban beans that you spent all day cooking.

We are at Kerrville TX. tonight parked next to Kevin E. and his lovely family. What a nice place.

Thanks Larry, Rick, Flyster & others...

Bypassing the lp swtich did send power to the compressor clutch.

Turns out the freon is gone, and the pump is covered in oil and basically shot.

So I am getting a new pump & dryer/filter and obviously refilled etc.

Did anyone ever warn me what an expensive hobby this is ;)

For Kevin's sake, I hope the frijoles cubanos have worn off :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mikedee

Warren,
Glad to hear that you may have solved the problem.

We have been having a similar foul smell in our coach. It started after we dined at Casa del Holm on the Cuban beans that you spent all day cooking.

We are at Kerrville TX. tonight parked next to Kevin E. and his lovely family. What a nice place.

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