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Old 10-19-2013, 12:15 PM   #1
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: alabama
Posts: 22
Year: 1994
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC 2000
Engine: 5.9
Our New Bus

We just brought home a bus, FINALLY! We drove it home from Kansas, with no problems and we love it. It's a 94 tc 2000 retired blood bus. Right now though we have a small problem. We tried to get the jacks to come on and all of a sudden we lost power to everything. Nothing comes on. Any ideas on where I should post on this to see if anyone may know the issue?

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Old 10-19-2013, 06:32 PM   #2
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Re: Our New Bus

If you've got no power to anything you may have blown a main fuse or melted a fusible link in the positive battery cable. If you have a voltmeter, first check the battery/s by touching your probes to the positive and negative posts. You should see something more than 10 volts (a fully charged battery will show 12.6 volts or so). If the batteries are good put one probe on the positive battery post and another on the frame. The meter should read battery voltage. If you get no voltage the fusible link is fried or a fuse is blown which would suggest you had a dead short somewhere in your wiring - most likely in the jack circuit.

At home in the driveway is a great place to find these problems.
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Old 10-19-2013, 08:59 PM   #3
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: alabama
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Year: 1994
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC 2000
Engine: 5.9
Re: Our New Bus

Isn't that the truth! We could have been stranded if we had tried to mess with the jacks earlier.. Two young kids and only a day to get that thing home, we are just happy it didn't happen on the road. Thanks for the tips
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Old 10-19-2013, 10:28 PM   #4
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Rated Cap: 19
Re: Our New Bus

Very cool bus! Looks like a good bit of work has already been done for you.

You'll likely have an add-on electrical system in addition to the stock bus wiring which may or may not be a total mess depending on who had their hands on it previously. A catastrophic failure like yours is almost certainly going to be close to the batteries or in an electrical panel somewhere. A fried fusible link may show up as a burned spot on one of the battery cables or the cable may look perfectly normal. If the batteries are OK (12.1 to 12.7 volts) test the battery cables for continuity. If one tests as open, there's your problem. Of course you'll still have to figure out what in the jack circuit caused the failure.

Look at it as an opportunity to get way too familiar with your electrical system.

A battery at 10 volts is pretty much dead - 12.1 volts is about as low as you'll want them to go and then only after some heavy cranking.
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Old 10-20-2013, 07:28 AM   #5
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: May 2012
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Engine: 5.9
Re: Our New Bus

Thanks! We are going to work on it for the next two days, we are excited about though!
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Old 10-20-2013, 05:16 PM   #6
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Year: 1994
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Chassis: TC 2000
Engine: 5.9
Re: Our New Bus

Worked on it all day and we can't find the problem. Replaced the solenoid at the jack motor, no changes. Not really sure what to look at next. Couldn't really find any main fuses, just small ones, anyone know where they would be? Checked those and they were fine. Starter is hot.
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Old 10-20-2013, 09:58 PM   #7
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Year: 1935
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Re: Our New Bus

Call the PO. He may have had the same problem and be able to give you a clue. Also, many vehicles of this sort have various safety interlocks--like door ajar drivers seat unoccupied, low oil, low brake air/fluid, no candy bars etc. Perhaps the mfg could help you there.
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Old 10-21-2013, 05:51 AM   #8
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Re: Our New Bus

good looking bus
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Old 10-21-2013, 08:10 AM   #9
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Re: Our New Bus

Quote:
Starter is hot
Starter should not be hot unless you just used it, even then it shouldn't be all that hot unless the engine didn't start right away. Are the batteries now dead? Does the starter work? Does the bus start and the jacks just not work? I assume you are talking about leveling jacks? If you unhook the jacks does everything work? Electrical is hard to trouble shoot over the "net" . We need more info. If you unhook the batteries at the starter solenoid does everything else now work? A Bluebird won't have any fuses unless added by the converter, just circuit auto reset breakers. As far as I know there are also no fusible links.
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Old 10-21-2013, 08:05 PM   #10
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: alabama
Posts: 22
Year: 1994
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC 2000
Engine: 5.9
Re: Our New Bus

Thanks for the advice, me and my wife stayed under it tracing wires all day and finally found a main power wire down on the frame near the front tire that had a burned loose , it fed the electrical panel that is under drivers window. This is after I repaired it and this is my electrical panel.
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Old 10-21-2013, 09:25 PM   #11
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Join Date: May 2010
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Chassis: Ford E-450 Cutaway Bus
Engine: 7.3L Powerstroke
Rated Cap: 19
Re: Our New Bus

So, is your electrical stuff working now? Inquiring minds want to know!

The warm starter sounds like a problem.

Make sure your connections are clean. The connection in your second pic looks like it could use a good going over. I use emery cloth to sand off any corrosion then coat all surfaces with dielectric grease (available at Home Depot/Lowes in the electrical dept). The grease keeps the connection from corroding again.
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Old 10-22-2013, 06:05 AM   #12
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: alabama
Posts: 22
Year: 1994
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC 2000
Engine: 5.9
Re: Our New Bus

Sorry, I should have explained better but when I said the starter was hot I meant it had power to it. Bus is back cranking and running and everything came back on and is working except the light in the stairwell. Haven't had time to check it out, I hope it's just a blown bulb. It was late, so I haven't tried the jacks yet.. kinda gun shy about it. I plan on going out there and giving it a try today. Thanks for all the info, I'm going to get that grease then and fix that up.
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Old 10-22-2013, 08:22 PM   #13
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Join Date: May 2010
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Coachwork: Eldorado Aerotech 24'
Chassis: Ford E-450 Cutaway Bus
Engine: 7.3L Powerstroke
Rated Cap: 19
Re: Our New Bus

OMG!!!! A light out in the stairwell?????? Sell it NOW!!

Seriously, I'm glad it was a (relatively) easy fix.

It might be a good idea to put a fuse in the jack circuit before trying it to avoid burning wires again. You're reminding me that I need to add a fuse or two to my battery banks.
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