series 60 won't start

[merle&louise]

Has anyone had difficulty starting their series 60?

When I turn the key nothing happens; I turn the ignition key back to the stop position and try to start it again. Samething happens - nothing. After 3 or 4 tries it will start.

Any ideas on what it could be?

[tdelorme]

Hummm...I've never heard of that happening in a PREVOST. Must be something that Newell did.

[VegasDogMan]

Tuga:

Just a guess.... Possibly a bad relay connecting Ignition Switch to DDEC Computer.

Sounds like no power getting to engine control system.

Good Luck.

[Kevin Erion]

I think the Newell knows the owner was driving a Prevost, now it's not happy! Just remind it that you are very loyal.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Tuga....you need a wiring diagram from Newell. Follow the circuit from the key switch to the starter solenoid and check each component individually.

I think it is safe to make a generalization however. When you say nothing happens do you mean literally nothing? No click, no sound, nothing? If that is the case the first thing I would check is to see if you have a relay that is energized when you turn the key, and that in turn closes the circuit to power the starter solenoid. If that is how your start circuit is set up I would verify you are getting power from the key switch to the relay coil 100% of the time.

If not, check the key switch. Do you have a rear start switch like we have? If so verify that will work every time. If it does check the switch that closes the circuit to make the key switch work. If not, and the relay coil gets power every time the key is turn to the start position check for continuity across the contacts supplying power to the starter solenoid. You just need to follow the power. You need power on the hot side of the key switch. You need power from that to the rear, then to the starter solenoid, etc. As soon as you find where power stops you found the problem.

If there is good continuity you can focus on the starter solenoid, but if that was the problem it is highly likely you would have heard it click.

There are a host of other potential problems, but they do not meet your description of the problem. A neutral position switch prevents starting with the coach in gear. If that is faulty nothing happens when you try to start, but you will rule that out if you get power to the starter solenoid relay.

Your DDEC could be a factor, but on our coaches I do not see DDEC preventing the starter from engaging.

The true strating point however is a wiring diagram that shows all the components in the circuit from the power supply to the key switch to the relays to the starter solenoid to the rear start switch (if equipped).

Good luck.

[merle&louise]

Jon,

When I try to start it, I can't hear anything at all. Dead silence.

When I had the coach at Birdland Coach services Mike Weil tried to start it from the engine compartment. It wouldn't start because the ignition switch was not in the on position up front (that is how Newell wires it). Then when we tried to start it from the driver's seat it still wouldn't start. He found that start switch in the engine compartment was bad due to age and he changed it. That is when I started having the problem that exists now. Maybe the switch that he changed is faulty! I'll check the relay tomorrow to see if it is getting voltage.

Thanks for the help. I'll post the outcome.

[Orren Zook]

Tuga, you might check the starter solenoid too

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Check the switch that selects front start or rear start. That sounds like it may be it.

Orren, if he hears nothing it is likely he isn't even getting power to the starter solenoid. If the starter solenoid had a bad coil it would never start because it would not pull the contacts together, and if the contacts were burned he would hear them closing. After opening and closing them a few times he would get some power to the starter and he would be OK, but since he hears nothing I think his problem is upstream from the starter solenoid.

[dalej]

Tuga a few few year back, I stopped for fuel and when I went to pull ahead the engine wouldn't start. I had this happen a few more times over the next 6 months or so. What I found is the relay right next to the driver in the electrial panel was going bad. I found it by turning the key on and off see which one energized, had Jan do the key while I found the relay that made the noise. Then turned on/off to see if I could land on a time when it didn't work and checked for voltage, didn't have any, so had to change the relay. It solved my problem. Hope this helps.

[Orren Zook]

I went back and reread Tuga's post Jon, a defective relay does sound most likely