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Old 09-04-2016, 02:42 PM   #1
Skoolie
 
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Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Portland, OR
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Year: 1988
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Chassis: Phantom Schoolbus
Engine: Detroit Diesel 6v92TA
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intermittent engine shutting down. Any suggestions?

Having intermittent engine trouble, anyone want to troubleshoot over FB? Or give me a call? All the garages around here are closed until Tuesday due to the holliday.

I've got a Gillig Phantom with a 6v92TA, with DDECII

Started back months ago, when I picked up the bus, drove it 500 miles and it did it once, then I had the bus serviced, and this is really the first big drive since then. Here's what it does:

While driving, the engine will just shut off. Acts like I turned the key off, but I still have power (the transmission gear selector still displays drive, I still have my gauges, etc). Doesn't seem to be related to hills, acceleration, deceleration, bumps. It happens anytime. Sometimes just stutters then keeps going, sometimes shuts off, and I have to pull over to get it restarted. Yesterday I went 10hrs without it doing it at all, then today it's happened a dozen times, sometimes just 2-15 min between occurrences, sometimes an hour or two.

Acts kinda like it's got a bad fuel filter, but I had all filters replaced when it was serviced. Also, doesn't seem logical that it could be the filter due to the fact that sometimes when this happens, it won't restart immediately. I kick it into neutral, coast to the side of the road, and stop. Then try to restart - it will ALWAYS crank, plenty of battery, but it won't catch. I turn the ignition off, or disconnect the battery and reconnect it (usually not necessary) and one of the times I turn the ignition off then on again, the check engine light & buzzer will come on (like it's supposed to, just for a second or two like a normal startup) and every time that happens, if I crank it, it starts up instantly.

Thought it might be the sensor for the coolant level malfunctioning, causing the engine to shut down. So I tried disconnecting it. The engine still starts, but after a moment the check engine light and buzzer comes on... which seems to me to mean that the sensor is functioning normally, and it's telling me there's something wrong (but doesn't shut down the engine). I hooked it back up, and the engine starts as normal again.

I'm guessing at this point my only option is to get it hooked up to a computer to check out my DDECII , but the shop here (I stopped in Rawlins WY, on my trip from Oregon to Indiana) isn't open until Tuesday.

Thought I'd see if ANYONE here has an idea of something else I could try?

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Old 09-04-2016, 04:11 PM   #2
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DD experts at BNO BBS - BNO's Bulletin Board System - Index

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Old 09-04-2016, 05:00 PM   #3
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Not sure about your bus, but the Volvo truck I had, it had an LCD display that could pull up various readings, including computer fault codes (not all of them, but at least most). I don't suppose your bus has this, does it?
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Old 09-04-2016, 05:10 PM   #4
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You've got a bad or corroded connection somewhere. Check DDEC connection, pull it apart and look for green stuff. BNO is a better place for that question. If it was fuel/filter related it would pretty much happen after the same amount of time each time.
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Old 09-04-2016, 05:36 PM   #5
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when you say corroded connection to the DDEC - should I just pull all the connectors out of the right side of the DDEC (it's a DDEC II) and check those? Or is there somewhere else I should be checking?

Also, someone on facebook mentioned that there might be a fuel cut off valve that is going bad? Does that seem like a possibility on this engine, and any way to test/check that?
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Old 09-04-2016, 05:49 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 2kool4skool View Post
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Just registered, haven't been approved yet.
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Old 09-04-2016, 06:06 PM   #7
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here's a video in case you're interested: https://vimeo.com/181424564

This is after the engine died and we rolled to a stop. Initially when I turned the key off then back to on (not start) I did not get my buzzer, but I got the flashing check-engine light. Then without me doing anything (which is sometimes the case) the buzzer came on it was ready to start. Usually I have to cycle the ignition several times, or disconnect the battery to get this to happen, but got lucky for this video. Then a few seconds later, it just dies (usually it's 10 min, or 2hrs later, but again, got lucky on this video). When I cycle the key, it's ready to start right away this time, but instead of starting I read the engine codes. 43 and 46 - which as best I can tell are low-coolant (it's not low, and I've tried wiring the two wire leads together to bypass it, and it doesn't change anything... is it just giving me a history of codes, or are these active codes?). If I disconnect one of the low-coolant sensor wires, the bus immediately buzzes and flashes the check engine light, so it seems like the sensor isn't the issue, despite this code. And the code 46 is low battery voltage, right? That's not the case either, the batteries are fine. But maybe it's an old code? The batteries were replaced about 10 months ago.
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Old 09-04-2016, 09:37 PM   #8
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Okay, update.

I replaced the 3 fuse holders and fuses that are in the engine bay, that are wired into the DDECII - I believe those provide power to the injectors?

Then took it for a test drive—went about 15 miles, and then started random stutters, like I was running out of fuel or had a bad fuel filter. But it didn't die like before. Did this 15-20 more times before I got to an exit (maybe 10 more miles) to turn around and head back. Never completely died, would just stutter. So that's different. Then on the way back, it continued to stutter for a mile or 2, then was fine the whole rest of the way back.

So maybe I have two issues here. Replacing all those fuses & holder SEEMS to have changed things. But I'm still getting the stutters (or at least I was until 22 miles ago).

All my filters were changed back in April, on my way bringing the bus home. I had 1 single time it stuttered and died on the 500ish mile drive up the coast, then dropped it off for full service where they changed the filters. I had a dozen more times on the way up to Portland, so seems like at that point it couldn't have been the filters, right? Or should I change them again?

Can I check the filters myself, without changing them? Or do I lose the prime if I pull them out? And how would I know if they need replaced?
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Old 08-08-2020, 08:58 PM   #9
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Hi Sammy,
My 2008 Thomas Freightliner school bus keeps cutting off while driving along with the check engine light coming on like yours did. What did you do to solve your problem? Can you please tell me what were the solutions? I actually get these buses shipped to Liberia for rent and there is no mechanic that does good diagnosis there. So, they all cannot diagnose the problem. I thought it was DFP filter being clogged or the EGR valve but, we disconnected the exhaust from the engine and it is still cutting off after running for fewer minutes. I actually thinking on buying some parts to throw on it but, I get not many clues of what the problems are. I plugged the computer to it and it read these codes : "SID 0155 COUNT 67 FMI=0 DATA VALID BUT ABOVE NORMAL OPERATIONAL RANGE-MOST SEVERE LEVEL
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Old 08-08-2020, 09:17 PM   #10
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what about tjhe air filter? air box? make sure no mouse nests or extra clogged air filter...
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