Starting Issue

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
7

73Pantera

New member
Joined
Dec 24, 2017
Posts
3
I'm a new member to this forum and I've discovered over the years that forums are a great place to seek help or give advice so I'm hoping you guys can lead me in the right direction.

I own a 30' 1992 Four Winds Class C Motorhome/RV. I haven't owned it long and it was running(not perfectly but running) yesterday my wife's boss asked if he could use it to park in his driveway so his visiting relatives could sleep in it during the Holidays. We said yes but we needed to clean it up.

I moved the RV to the front driveway so I would have room to clean it up. After cleaning the RV I tried to start it to drive it to the bosses house but it wouldn't start.

It sounded like it wanted to start but wouldn't stay running.(yes I have gas, put 1/2 tank of gas in yesterday) So I checked/cleaned the Distributor(everything looked ok). Next I checked the fuel filter(It's getting fuel into and out of the filter). When I try cranking it, it sounds like it's not getting fuel.

I tried putting starting fluid in the intake but no luck.

Before I go further I thought it best to ask the RV community for some assistance. During past projects forum communities have really helped me save time and speed up my knowledge about the item I was working on.

I appreciate any help/advice you can provide...

Thanks,
Bill
 
You tried starting fluid with no joy then you have a dead electronic module.  If I remember correctly Fords around then had a horrible time with them.  But before you go spending money, you need to check for spark.
 
It may be the electric fuel pump in the tank.  Put someone in the driver's seat, and go back to where the pump is.  While that someone has the ignition in START, tap on the tank or the metal pipe  -gently - that comes out of the pump.  If it starts, then it's probably the pump.  You can also tell by pulling the engine cover off and hooking up a fuel pressure gauge to the fuel intake line (there's a connection just for that) and going to start.  No pressure, it will be the electric fuel pump.
 
Since you tried starting fluid with no luck , as DONN said , check for spark. Easy way to do this is pull plug wire off spark plug stick a well insulated screw driver in plug wire and hold next to engine somewhere . Have some one turn engine over , you should see a blue arc. If not check to ensure you have spark coming directly from coil using same method , if no spark at coil,check to make sure you have 12 volts going to coil, if you have spark at coil,  pull distributor cap, and check rotor button and contacts on distributor for build up , corrosion and even water. If all looks good , it is probably ECM electronic control module. I am guessing on these instructions since no info is given on type of engine . BUT a motor is a motor , needs gas, air and spark. I am not a full fledged mechanic but i have built an engine or 4,  350 chevys. so i dont know when some electronics were added or what year. my instructions are just the basics. but a starting point.  ;D
 
Natetheskate said:
It may be the electric fuel pump in the tank.  Put someone in the driver's seat, and go back to where the pump is.  While that someone has the ignition in START, tap on the tank or the metal pipe  -gently - that comes out of the pump.  If it starts, then it's probably the pump.  You can also tell by pulling the engine cover off and hooking up a fuel pressure gauge to the fuel intake line (there's a connection just for that) and going to start.  No pressure, it will be the electric fuel pump.
Click to expand...

The OP said "Next I checked the fuel filter(It's getting fuel into and out of the filter)".  That rules out the pump I think. Unless it's not putting out enough pressure.
 
I believe that Ford had the dreaded fuel pump cutoff switch or commonly known as the collision switch to disable the fuel pump in case of an accident. The switch may have been bumped during cleaning. It has a reset button on it if you can locate it even though it sounds as though you may be getting fuel. I believe in 1992 the ignition module is on the side of the distributor which was problematic. The newer ones moved it to the core support to eliminate heat as a factor. Those are the two most common no-start problems.
 
I pulled the coil wire from the distributor and checked to see if I had spark - Yes spark is present...
 
Also experiencing a roof leak. Water is dripping down thru the air conditioner vent in the center of the ceiling.
I cleaned the roof then installed the self leveling rubberized roof coating. Also paid particular attention to the roof AC area as it has previously  leaked water into the RV.
I added silicone sealer to this area as well as the rubberized roof coating.
The next day it rained and it still leaked in the same place.
I checked out the roof mounted AC and water was sitting around the AC unit, like the AC unit was resting in a bowl but I thought I installed enough sealer to prevent leaks even though the AC is sitting in a small roof depression.
You can't tell there is a depression there except after a rain, there is a puddle surrounding the AC unit. Not deep but still a puddle.
The only way I found to prevent this is to park the RVs front tires on blocks thus raising the front end and helping the water to shed off the top and not pool up.

 
gwcowgill said:
If you are getting spark and you have compression then it sounds as though you may not be getting fuel.
Click to expand...

Sounds like he's getting spark from the coil.  The rotor inside the distributor could still be bad.  Pull a wire at a plug and make sure the spark is getting though the cap and rotor to the plugs.
He said it won't fire on starting fluid, so I'd still be looking for spark problems.
 
Four things make an internal combustion run, fuel, ignition, compression, timing.
 
Old_Crow said:
Sounds like he's getting spark from the coil.  The rotor inside the distributor could still be bad.  Pull a wire at a plug and make sure the spark is getting though the cap and rotor to the plugs.
He said it won't fire on starting fluid, so I'd still be looking for spark problems.
Click to expand...

I agree but neither of us has enough information to make an accurate diagnosis.
 
You should NOT use silicone sealant for this (or any) area.. All A/C units sit on a foam gasket made for this purpose,anything else will be problamatic..>>>Dan
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Members online

Total: 577 (members: 5, guests: 572)

Forum statistics

Threads
131,923
Posts
1,387,492
Members
137,673
Latest member
7199michael
Back
Top Bottom