Check Engine - Stop Engine Lights

[Richard Barnes]

After a 2300 mile trip from Atlanta to LA, my coach's check engine light came on about 5 miles from our destination. Within a mile of our destination the stop engine light came on. The engine seemed to be running fine at idle with no obvious problems (within my expertise - belts, leaks, coolant, oil, etc.). It did struggle to run when I tried to increase speed but at idle everything seemed fine. Any ideas before limping out to Mira Loma and Prevost? Thanks!

[lonesome george]

Richard, Did you see any information on the prodriver display? Mine will show codes that are active.
Any Detroit Diesel service center can check your ECM for recent codes, a good place to start.

[JIM KELLER]

Richard, Somewhere in this Forum is a post of " things that will shut you down " Low Coolant is the first thing that comes to my mind. I'm sure someone with more knowledge than me will be on here shortly to give you a hand.

[JIM KELLER]

Also the oil pressure sending unit on the head shut me down one time. Thought it was the unit on the bulkhead but turned out to be the one on the head. Are you on the side of the road or in an awkward location ? If so I will make a phone call for you.

[Richard Barnes]

Thanks Jim, no we are in our site in Long Beach, CA. It happened literally a half mile from our destination. Made it in but will have to get it straightened out before moving again. Thanks for the response!

[Coloradobus]

A loss of power could be plugged fuel filter. We had similar loss of power, having to nurse the throttle up hills and limped into Tucson several years ago. Plugged filters let coach run fine at idle and on fast idle, but try for more power up a hill, faltered and slow go,

[Kenneth Brewer]

You might also look at your Racor to see if you have water in the transparent fuel bowl. As George points out, check the engine code(s) on the ECM. Since the engine will idle, a fuel delivery problem at higher demand could be the indication of a water or filter or gel in the tank/lines problem. Keep us informed, whatever it was/is. Good luck.

[Jeff Bayley]

After a 2300 mile trip from Atlanta to LA, my coach's check engine light came on about 5 miles from our destination. Within a mile of our destination the stop engine light came on. The engine seemed to be running fine at idle with no obvious problems (within my expertise - belts, leaks, coolant, oil, etc.). It did struggle to run when I tried to increase speed but at idle everything seemed fine. Any ideas before limping out to Mira Loma and Prevost? Thanks!

From your original post above. I'm surprised no one mentioned the fact that the sensors can be set up (using Detroit Diesels laptop connected to the computer) to one of three things when they detect a failure. 1) Shut the engine down with no warning 2) Make the engine start fluttering to a stop. Sounds sort of like a jake brake. Still let's you run enough to get off the road. 3) Nothing. We should all check these when you can at Detroit because you never know how or if one of your settings could have gotten toggled to the "Nothing" option somehow along the way.

I think the coach will still idle if you have it on the #2 option and if you tried to accelerate it might start to flutter and loose power. I THINK what I wrote above is accurate. Corrections welcomed.

[gmcbuffalo]

Is it not possible to short pin A to Pin M and start the flashing sequence. I believe they are the right two pins one over the other? Or is this only a DECC II thing?
Greg

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Greg,

I don't know if the Series 60 (DDEC III and beyond) offers that as a method. That is what I used with my first bus. But how the codes are read by a specific bus is not as important as knowing how to read them because if you are broke down a long way from civilization getting the right kind of help will save some serious alternatives (like a tow job for a coolant sensor as an example).