Help! Allison transmission control problem!

[Pete]

Michael.....Don't think for a second that you need to apologize to anyone for asking a question on this site. It is for all of us to use, so keep the questions coming! I for one (and there are many others) find your comments and questions refreshing and upbeat, something that is missing more and more these days.

[michaeldterry]

Michael.....Don't think for a second that you need to apologize to anyone for asking a question on this site. It is for all of us to use, so keep the questions coming! I for one (and there are many others) find your comments and questions refreshing and upbeat, something that is missing more and more these days.

Pete - thanks for your support and your kind comments! The generosity of the POG membership constantly amazes me.

[Ray Davis]

Ray - "where I got those numbers" was from Prevost's online technical manuals in the "Wheels, Hubs, & Tires" section. I wasn't saying that they were appropriate for my/our application - in fact, the reason I posted that info was to highlight the wide range of inflation/load numbers out there which add to the confusion of "what's right" for idiots like me!

Mike, thanks for the clarification. Only thing I can think of is that was for an empty shell. By the time the converter is done with it, it is a BUNCH heavier. Read, use and trust the tire charts and you will be fine. No single set of values is going to be always right for all of these coaches. No way ....

Ray

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

Michael, glad you have your tire pressure issue resolved.
How you got there is not as important as the arrival at the final destination.

POG should be a place for all that paid their fee to get their questions answered without contempt and ridicule.
Negative comments only hurt POG and make those that lurk in the background hesitate to post and/or feel uncomfortable about it when they do.

In this internet medium it is difficult at best to communicate technical information, questions and answers. Minute details left out or the way the question is asked or, or, or, or...... make the difference between a satisfactory or failed resolution. Often the answer comes by several in a dialog back and forth sorting out the details and getting the correct information. Then the correct answer comes. The whole dialog is important to get to that point. No one came here to be judged categorized or classified. POG is a place to learn in a fraternal atmosphere.

Good luck on your shifter endeavor and ask any question, you can always get the incorrect advice here for free.

JIM

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Ed et al........nobody pissed in my Corn Flakes. I want us to be safe. I may be bringing a pilot mentality to the table here but we must realize we are aiming 45,000 plus pounds of metal down the road and our training has to go beyond finding the key.

We are adults here and if a grump like me chastising us all is going to get someone's nose out of joint so be it.

These things we drive are not toys. They are complex, heavy, large missles and I want to know I share the highway with other owners who at least know and understand how to drive them safely. I think safety starts by knowing the tires are properly inflated, the braking system is functioning properly, and the lights all work. I don't think that is an unreasonable expectation. My safety and those of others on the road is not compromised if an owner does not understand the house systems, but if as a group we are struggling with how to determine the proper tire pressures then I wonder if the tires are even being checked, and if any other pre-trip checks are being made to insure the safety of all who share the same road.

Feel free to disagree. Just let me know who disagrees so I can be sure to stay some distance away while on the highway.

[Pete]

Michael, let us know how your transmission pad situation turns out, we are waiting to find out how you resolve it.

[stevet903]

Back to the original problem - try General Diesel - they rebuild the shifter units. Give them a call - they are very helpful and will help diagnose your issue.

http://www.gendieselect.com/index.html

Steve

[michaeldterry]

We took the left "console" apart this afternoon and removed the shift selector module to try and clean any contacts on the shift pads. Unfortunately, what I found is that the shift selector module is a sealed box without any way to access the inner workings, such as the backs of the shift selector pads. I unplugged the module, did my best to clean the contact pins that the harness plugs into, put it back together and crossed my fingers. The unit functioned (or didn't function, as it were) just as it has since the problem began. To wit - all the selector pads respond appropriately to a push of the finger except the "D" (drive) pad. Fortunately, the "D" pad can still be selected by using the blunt end of a writing pen to depress it. I guess that seals my fate. I've got a call into the W.W. Williams tech/mechanic to arrange to have the shift module replaced. I don't know what else to do and I'm loathe to depend on the "pen poke" work around as a long term solution. It would be just my luck to have that little trick stop working at a most inopportune time!

[Pete]

Michael, sorry to hear your efforts were fruitless. You are probably right in having them fix it and then you will be confident it will work as it should, and you can enjoy your coach.....good effort though!

[michaeldterry]

Michael, sorry to hear your efforts were fruitless. You are probably right in having them fix it and then you will be confident it will work as it should, and you can enjoy your coach.....good effort though!

Thanks for the kind words, Pete! With the shifter issue and the tire inflation debacle I created, I've been feeling pretty "stoopid" lately. I have half jokingly blamed a lot of my "comprehension issues" on my damaged brain (I really am brain damaged - that's no joke), but as Ron White (my favorite comedian) says, "You can't fix stupid." I've been driving intercity buses and bus conversions since 1980, but have never dealt with the sheer systemic and component level complexity that exists on my Prevost XLV. The old Eagle passenger coaches and entertainer conversions that I owned or drove were very simple in comparison to today's Prevost conversions - plus I always had a trusted local service facility to take care of any issues outside of my comfort zone (Bluebonnet RV and Bus Service - Rosenburg, TX). The owners, Phil & Cindy Howell, ran a fleet of Eagle entertainer coaches of their own and had a mechanic on staff, "Slick", who knew the Eagle buses like the back of his hand! They always kept my Eagles in tip-top shape and taught me tons about them along the way.

Unfortunately, I don't have that kind of relationship here in Georgia yet and with my disability/mobility issues - it keeps me from "digging in" hands-on with things that I would have tackled in a heartbeat in my prior life.

Now, I depend alot on the POG braintrust to point me in the right direction when questions/issues arise and I'm continually in awe of the collective knowledge and generosity here! I do listen to you guys, even when you "take me to task"!