T444E not starting - Page 2

Rogue1bus · 03-30-2019, 08:17 PM

Got it running.

Replaced the start batteries, couldn’t get it running... or even to turn over.. I took apart and disconnected the house and solar thinking it was back feeding some way and messing up the start batteries, I do have an auto isolator relay but the fans that drained the all the batteries was on the chassis side. After all that I checked the bus tranny and it was in Drive!!! F$CK!!! So I got everything put back together and working. I feel pretty dumb considering both errors are 100% operator error...

I am wondering how bad I hurt my house batteries though.. two 235ah golf cart batteries wired in series.

Thanks for the replys!

roach711 · 03-30-2019, 09:37 PM

I hate that kind of learning experience!

Deep cycle batteries are made to stand up to deep discharges like that. Like cats, they only have so many "lives" (full discharges) but they'll tolerate many, many more of them than starting batteries will. Your golf cart batteries are probably fine unless they've been deep discharged a lot.

david.dgeorge07 · 03-30-2019, 10:36 PM

You said you have an auto isolator. If so, your house batts should be fine.

Don’t beat yourself up. It is easy to get worked up when things are going off the rails and miss the little things. At least nothing was busted.

cadillackid · 03-31-2019, 07:39 AM

yes!!! love to hear when you get things running!!.

I have an auto isolator on my house bats in my DEV bus.. I read back through and saw where you had 9.8 volts? that shouldnt hurt good deep cycle batteries.. im not sure what golf cart batteries are made of but i think most are deep cycle?

the one thing im wondering is why the isolator was connected to the house bats when the bus was turned off..

I have my isolator set up so when the engine is running the alternator can pump up my house bats, when the engine is off the isolator disconnects the house from starter. .. if i want to connect the 2 banks I can manually engage the isolator to do that..

so in my case if I left the lights on in my bus (starter bats)... the house bats wouldnt be dead.. if I ran the house bats down.. (my inverter shuts down at 10.25 volts).. then my starters wouldnt be dead..

since my auto isloator only connects at above 12.8 volts, just turning on my key wont connect the banks.. the bus has to be running and the alternator charging... that keeps dead house bats from drainong the starter bats quickly with just a key on. the auto isolator is triggered by the key being on AND the voltage being up.. OR the manual lighted switch on the dash being thrown.

-Christopher

Rogue1bus · 03-31-2019, 07:39 PM

Thanks for all the positive posts and vibes!

Luckily caught another problem today when I started the drive home, my bus voltage was only reading 11.8... wtf. Turns out my auto isolator won’t function if it can’t see voltage on both sides, house and starting. When I was trying to solve the starting issue I turned up my charger battery bank size to guesstimate the extra room in the starting batteries and attempt to charge them back up more quickly. In doing so I blew my in-line 300 amp fuse on my inverter/charger.

So my auto isolator stay off even with the bus running because it couldn’t see any bolts on one side. I had also wired the isolator wrong, it was between the alternator and all the batteries, which didn’t matter until today when the isolator stay off.

I reconnected all the batteries to the alternator. I have a manual switch on the starting batteries which I’ll use when camping... this way all the batteries can receive charging from shore power, solar, and alternator.

Another issue; My bus was really difficult to start Friday after sitting for over a month. I ended up having to use starting fluid to get it running. It started initially and run for maybe a second and died, then it would crank and crank but wouldn’t start. I had to spray starting fluid in the intake twice before it would start and stay running. Once it ran for a while no issues restarting it as long as it turns over. I had this happen before when I let the bus sit a few week but it still wasn’t this bad I just had to crank it a lot to get it going. I changed the fuel filter when in got it.. sounds like a fuel problem but it doesn’t make sense it only happens after sitting a few weeks.. any ideas?

david.dgeorge07 · 03-31-2019, 07:50 PM

Losing prime somehow? Is the crank slow? Diesels can crank what seems like fast enough, but it isn’t...

I used to use an auto isolator, but went back to a simple old 1/all/2/off four position rotary style. I like that I can always control where the load is coming from and going to.

Rogue1bus · 03-31-2019, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by david.dgeorge07

Losing prime somehow? Is the crank slow? Diesels can crank what seems like fast enough, but it isn’t...

I used to use an auto isolator, but went back to a simple old 1/all/2/off four position rotary style. I like that I can always control where the load is coming from and going to.

It cranks fast and strong, pretty sure it’s some sort of fuel thing. I did re-prime the this last time by opening the lever on the fuel filter, but it still needed starting fluid to actually fire up.

Native · 04-01-2019, 01:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rogue1bus

It cranks fast and strong, pretty sure it’s some sort of fuel thing. I did re-prime the this last time by opening the lever on the fuel filter, but it still needed starting fluid to actually fire up.

Did you pump the lever until it was difficult to pump any more?

cadillackid · 04-01-2019, 04:31 AM

Starting fluid in a 444e can cause damage. It also could be the HPOP draining off. The engine oil acts as hydraulic fluid to actuate the injectors, ic that goes empty it takes a lot of cranking to re fill it.

A very small leak will indeed let the fuel system lose prime. I don’t even think I have a hand primer, where is it on yours?
On my dt360 the hand primer itself became the source of my fuel drainbacks . I replaced the primer and things got much better, it had same issue, sit for long periods and lose prime.

Like others mentioned, the plunger will be hard to pump when the system is primed.

Rogue1bus · 04-01-2019, 04:53 AM

I think it’s all electric. When I changed the fuel filter just put in the new filter in turned the lever on the filter, then turn the key on till fuel streams out. Close lever and start...

cadillackid · 04-01-2019, 05:29 AM

wow!! my bus has a mechanical fuel pump on it still.. I knew the fords got the electric fuel pumps, didnt realize the 444E did.. electric pumps usually re-prime really quickly.

-Christiopher

Rovobay · 04-01-2019, 10:15 AM

glow plug relay? (first pic in thread) x2 for not using starting fluid in a diesel...

Rogue1bus · 04-01-2019, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rovobay

glow plug relay? (first pic in thread) x2 for not using starting fluid in a diesel...

But why would it only happen after sitting for a couple of weeks? Shouldn’t it exhibit consistent hard starting whenever it’s fully cooled?

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