Bus starting problem SOLVED

[Danss]

Took to BusGroup garage in Slidell, La. Their service manager maintained a fleet of Prevost charter buses for a number of years and came highly recommended. Lucky to find place 22 miles from my home. Jon, you did say check that area but do to my limited knowledge about electrical stuff I gave up and went looking for help. Everything would be just find if we all lived about 20 miles from you!!! Thanks again, Dan

[Joe Cannarozzi]

Dan I have found a similar garage for stuff like OTR A/C. These are great finds.

What I have noticed is when they see me pull in with a motor home I get pushed to the back burner. After the house fleet (50+ Prevo) and a large group of other charters that are regular customers that rely on that garage. Often when those go down they need them repaired and rolling again, yesterday.

Worth the wait, as you say a large fleet and years of experience.

The guys up here are a bunch of Italians, it's always fun, untill ya gotta pay

[Jon Wehrenberg]

This kind of diagnosis relying on internet postings is very difficult. It is hard enough just communicating, but what this lacks when trying to solve all but the obvious problems are those subtle clues that we can get by being right there.

It is great your problem was a simple one. And even greater that it was fixed.

[MangoMike]

I had the same problem with that switch, except the failure was manually caused once by Jon, once by Truckman and once by JDUB.

mm

[Jon Wehrenberg]

It wasn't a switch failure....it was an adjustment.

[Jerry Winchester]

Look Taco Boy, I ain't never touched that switch on your coach. In fact, wasn't I the one who produced the photo of A1 with his prick tongs on that very switch in your coach?

If my coach fails to turn over when I hit the key and one of you A-holes is within a zip code of me, I go right out and check that dude out.

[Jeff Bayley]

It's always interesting to hear what solves the problem. When looking back at all the suggested advice, I''m wondering why the rear switch was not tested. Are we missing an opportunity here. Shouldn't there be a logical step by step method of problem solving an electrical problem? What did the mechanic do that all of us combined did not do or think of doing. Are we missing the boat on helping one another.

Gary- I know your not knocking the forum and just looking to improve but it made me think this. This forum on it's worse day is better than any shop on it's best day if you ask me. I tell other bus owners that I got my monies worth from joining on the very first post. The brain trust gathered together here is sooooo very helpful. I jump in on occasion and try to help if I can just because I feel like I need to try to give something back to the group instead of just asking for advise. After 4 years of ownership I still consider myself a green horn when it comes to these buses and tracing down problems.

On your switch problem, the old saying........."It's always in the last place you look". Dat's because the looking stops be-tause it gots' fixed.

[MangoMike]

Gary,

Just becasue you're the electrician in the group don't be so hard on yourself. After all it's the Christmas Season.

Joy to the World.

mm

JDUB, ok you're off the hook.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Gary,

I cannot speak for anybody else, but trying to trouble shoot problems via this medium is difficult. For example, we knew the bus started from the rear so the R4 relay and the starter solenoid were off the table for analysis.

Wire 84 comes from the key switch to the toggle switch, and if we were hanging around the coach we would have asked someone to try to start it while holding our meter to it. If we got juice there, but no start there isn't any among us that would not have put the OHM meter across the toggle switch terminals. We have disjointed conversations just because of the remoteness of us, our buses, and our computers. If we could be doing this analysis in real time I think we would have nailed it.

I hope I'm right because we need everybody to feel confident that if they are in trouble this is the place to turn to. Unless you are near a Prevost service center or a converter there are few folks out there offering service that have a clue about these coaches, and almost zero about the house.

[truk4u]

As Jon pointed out, it's tough enough trying to trouble shoot via the forum and when you mix in the various owners abilities or inabilities, I think the group as a whole does a great job. Maybe as time goes forward for at least the Prevost portion of our buses, we can come up with sort of a troubleshooting sheet for a given problem and possible remedies. This would be a good place to start, since Jon already outlined various steps for Dan to follow. Maybe a new button on the POG page for "Troubleshooting".

I will volunteer to help.