Mobile Home Warning Light

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mudshark

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 15, 2014
Posts
503
Hi All
We finally did it! We left Massachusetts on our tour of the country!
Wouldn't you know it, as soon as we crossed the New York border I had a dash warning come on. "Service Engine Soon" lit up. I pulled over on a busy interstate and pulled out the chassis manual. It said something is amiss in the emissions system but that it does not have to be towed. Just our luck! Finally after 4 years of planning this happens. I could not stop as we had reservations in northern Pennsylvania.

This is a 2000 Fleetwood Bounder with the Triton V-10 engine with only 47000 miles on the clock. Anyone have any ideas of where to start looking??
Thanks
Jim

 
Hey MS.
Does it say "service engine soon" I don't think it's a check engine light. On my car when that lights up it's the oil change counter mileage , means change oil soon. I hope that is the case with yours.
 
Thanks Willandgisellarv
es, it was that way on my 2012 Toyota RAV4. I don't think that is the case here. I had the oil changed in the spring by a local outfit that does a lot of trucks and RV's.
 
I'm pretty sure that Ford uses the verbiage "Service Engine Soon" synonymously with other automakers' "Check Engine".  Basically, the on-board computer is telling you that it is detecting an anomaly with one or more of its sensor readings.  It could be something that you can drive forever without worrying about, but it could be something that could cause a more expensive problem down the road.  If, for example, the problem is that the engine is running too rich and dumping fuel out of the exhaust you run the risk of damaging the catalytic converter(s) which can be kind of spendy to replace at a regular muffler shop let alone a shop with a lift large enough to accommodate your rig!  If the light starts flashing, the computer has detected something that it thinks is a very serious problem and I would bring the rig to a safe stop as quickly as you can and shut it down.

At a bare minimum, you should probably find out why the light is illuminated and make a decision based on that information.  The good news there is that, by regulation, you're going to have a very standard OBD-II diagnostic port under the dash within 36 inches of the steering column.  Pretty much any standard automotive scanner will be able to read those codes and many parts stores will perform the code read for you without charge.  You can also purchase an OBD-II code reader very inexpensively from Harbor Freight, Walmart, Target, K-Mart, Sears, or whatever FLAPS you can come across.  There is also a chance that you might be able to get the codes to appear in the odometer by turning off the vehicle and holding down the trip reset switch while starting the vehicle.  Release the trip reset button once the engine is started and then cycle through the display with the trip reset button.  If it comes up and gives you data after displaying "dtc" or "dtc pXXXX", you're getting the "P" codes that you can look up.  I'm not 100% sure if that will work on your setup, but I believe that some Fords of that era would give that data.

Once you've got that code (or codes), you can determine if it's a problem that needs immediate attention or if it's something you can live with and not do any damage.
 
Thank you Wae
That is good info to know. I will buy a code reader. May come in handy down the road...pun intended!

Hi nvrver
I thought about that as well. I can't do that here as we are leaving in the morning for the Gettysburg area. We will be there for over a week. I will try it there.
Thanks Guys!
 
Very few have both CHECK and SERVICE.

With Gassers it's fairly easy, with Diesels a bit tougher but  on modern engines. YOu have ON BOARD Diagnostics (OBD II in your case) I've had both OBD 1 and 2 (ii) depending on the car I drive.

You can for around 20-30 bucks get a cheap scanner that will read the codes or for aroudn 30 bucks and perhaps a bit more install an app called TORQUE on your Smart phone. I really like Torque.  And an OBD-II to BLuetooth adapter on your vehicle (Plugs in under the dash, no tools needed but you may wish to "lock" in in with something like a rubber band or a releasable zip tie depending on how the connector is mounted IF it is mounted)

Once you connect (Blue tooth) the phone to the OBD-II torque if invoked will read AND translate the  codes and... CLEAR THEM if they are durable codes (The kind that stick around from start to start)  I have that on my motor home.  Need a 2nd adapter for the puppy.
 
Thanks John
Not sure where I am going from this point. The bus has been parked here for 3 days but we are moving on tomorrow morning. What are the chances it will go away when we fire up tomorrow?
 
With Fords, it's been my understanding that if you have a steady, yellow, "check engine" or "service engine" light then the most likely culprit is an emissions sensor which often has little or no impact on drivability. OTOH if you have a flashing yellow light or, worst of all, a red one, then you have a far worse situation.
 
As they said above could be gas cap. Go to your gas cap and smell around it if you smell gas check and see if it is tight could be as easy as a loose cap or bad cap. Could also be a o2 sensor or cracked evap hose.
 
Without knowing what code it's setting, any diagnosis is pure guess work. Our 2001 V-10 started setting a P0114 code last winter, which translates to an intake air temperature sensor issue. It would set shortly after starting the engine, but once I cleared it, it would stay off until the next cold start. One possibility was a clogged air filter, but that was quickly eliminated by swapping in a spare. That left the most likely suspect a faulty temperature sensor in the mass air flow sensor. On our V-10, the MAF sensor is installed in the air filter housing, making changing it a pretty simple process. And the part was readily available on Amazon or at many parts stores. Since it wasn't affecting performance, I elected to order the part from Amazon for delivery to our next stop, and it took about 20 minutes to change it. Problem solved...
 
Thanks Guys
We are leaving this morning but I will be getting a code reader at the next stop.
I will let you know what I get for a code.
 
When you know what the code is, and there may be more than one, then here is a good lookup site for decoding it along with possible fixes:

https://repairpal.com/obd-II-code-chart
 
Per the 2000 Ford chassis manual, the Service Engine Soon light will stay on for three ignition cycles even if the problem has gone away, so don't expect immediate change.

Since it is an emissions control related fault, it could be anything from poor quality fuel to a failing engine sensor. In most cases it is not an urgent problem - you will know if it becomes one because engine performance will deteriorate noticeably.  If fuel economy and performance remains ok, this is a problem you can deal with when you have the time. It does need attention "soon", however. Not just "maybe some day...".
 
Thanks Guys!
We just traveled 175 miles to this campsite and performance and mileage were what you could expect from a 10 1/2 ton monster. I didn't notice any drop off in performance and we are towing a Jeep Wrangler. There is an auto parts store 14 minutes away. Depending on what codes I pull up I am thinking about disconnecting the chassis battery, reconnecting and seeing if the alarm come back on.
 
mudshark said:
Thanks Guys!
We just traveled 175 miles to this campsite and performance and mileage were what you could expect from a 10 1/2 ton monster. I didn't notice any drop off in performance and we are towing a Jeep Wrangler. There is an auto parts store 14 minutes away. Depending on what codes I pull up I am thinking about disconnecting the chassis battery, reconnecting and seeing if the alarm come back on.

Depending on the scanner you use, you may be able to clear the SES light just by pushing a couple of buttons.
 
Our 1999 Ford Aerbus motorhome had a service engine light that was caused by a small hole in a hose that sat on top of the engine.  It was easily replaced after the dog house was removed.  The cost including the hose was about $150.  In addition to the light there was a hard shift from 1st to 2nd before we replaced the hose.  The engine had about 80,000 miles at the time.  As RV Wizard mentioned, the light would go out after three ignition cycles.   
 
OK, I have a code reader. Where is the connector for the OBD II?
I looked under the dash and I don't see anything. Looking under the hood, there is nothing.
The chassis manual give no location.
Thanks
 
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