Hello and Help!

[Meathead]

Hi all,
I haven’t even done my introduction yet but a problem popped up already.

I picked up my bus and drove it 1k miles home. All was good.
2001 Thomas Rear Engine
CAT 3126b
Allison 3060
182,344 miles


That was a week ago. Yesterday I started her up.
Idles great.
Air came up to pressure
Of course I had to run all over unlocking doors and checking hatches to stop the buzzing.
I hit the Drive button and started moving forward but the gas pedal acted like it wasn’t even connected. I can’t rev the motor in D or N or R for that matter. I can feel the trans shifting. I probably could drive around the block at idle speed. She moves in forward and reverse.

I haven’t worked on it yet. But I may have done something like hit the wrong button somewhere?

Thanks. I will send a pic on the dash from my cell.

[Meathead]

W high idle switch on.

[PNW_Steve]

Is it throwing any codes?

I would be looking at the throttle pedal and it's wiring/connections to the ECM.

The throttle is electronic.

The symptoms that you are having are very much like what I have seen on two other rigs that turned out to be a failed throttle sensor.

Good luck.

[Meathead]

Thanks. I went out and wiggled wires, followed wires, and checked fuses. I couldn’t find anything obvious.

What you say Steve makes perfect sense. I am going to take the TPS off and look at it. Then tomorrow when business are open again, I’ll call around and see how much a new part will cost. Or used? I’ll have plenty of time since we are bugging out for tropical storm Gordon. The bus will be fine where she is.

Thanks again, I’ll let you know what happens.
Dave

[Meathead]

Btw. What do I need in order to get codes from the ecu? And do you know where it is located?

[PNW_Steve]

Hey Meathead,

I have a Bluebird with a Cummins so your bus may be quite different. Thomas/CAT owners feel free to step in here.....

On mine there is a 9pin connector under the dash for connecting a j1939 code reader. Similar to the OBDII scanners for cars. Next to this connector is a switch. Holding that switch down while turning on the ignition causes codes to flash on a light on the dash. Or you can plug something like the Scanguage into the connector and read them.

[Meathead]

I ordered the part. I’m pretty sure that’s it. I guess in the long run I’m going to have to be able to retrieve the ecu codes. I’ll let you know how it goes. Thanks Again!

[Meathead]

For anyone else looking at this.
I found out how to get the codes out of my bus and other Thomas bus/engine combinations.

https://autobusthomas.com/wp-content...2013.01.23.pdf

[brokedown]

I got the Scangauge Diesel for my short bus. It can read and clear codes but is typically used as a dashboard to show values that aren't made available on your dashboard otherwise. I use mine to show my average trip MPG, turbo pressure, voltage, and water temperature. https://amzn.to/2Qa00Ni

[Meathead]

I will have to put that on my list!

[ShagNasty]

Thinking outside the box here but does it have a switch in the rear compartment to allow starting from the rear? And will it be possible to drive in that condition. I do not have a rear engine bus but you might possibly check that.

Dan

[EastCoastCB]

Good luck and keep us updated on your bus project.
Nice to see another Hunter fan on the forum!

[CaptSquid]

Originally Posted by ShagNasty

Thinking outside the box here but does it have a switch in the rear compartment to allow starting from the rear? And will it be possible to drive in that condition. I do not have a rear engine bus but you might possibly check that.

Dan

Yes, Virginia, we do have a rear start button. The ignition switch has to be in the ON position for this button to work. But, it DOES come in handy when you have to use ether.

[84chevyguyid]

Sounds like a dead pedal. Had an 03 IC bus that the pedal was going bad in it and if you just took the engine off idle it would quit working and you had to restart the bus to get it back. only did it on occasion but not a good thing to have the throttle die randomly on a school bus. Put a new pedal in and it fixed the problem for a few months then it started doing it again. Went over all connections, wiring, ecm, ect and didn't fix it. Ended up replacing the 6 month old pedal with a new one again and still working after two years. Hopefully the pedal will get you going again.

[Dead pirate]

I don't mean to be that guy, but my diesel won't get above idle when it's close to being out of fuel. It lets me know I'd better do something fast. Sorry. Just saying

[Meathead]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Good luck and keep us updated on your bus project.

Nice to see another Hunter fan on the forum!

Thanks! I timed my bus pick up in VA 2 weeks ago so that I could be at Lockn festival for two nights. The guys are still on the long strange trip.

[Meathead]

I ordered a new tps from eBay. It just got delivered today, and it works! [emoji16]Thanks for the help. I’m lucky this didn’t happen on my 1000 mile trip a week before. It was just parked in the street down from my house. Thanks for all the help.

I am in need of two tensioner pulleys. One is spring loaded. It is bouncing. I think that means the spring is ok, but the wheel has bad bearings. The other is a fixed wheel tensioner for the AC belt.

You cant see the spring pulley in the picture, but the AC pulley and belt are in the picture taken before it broke off. Belt of course gone too.

Question is, where do you guys go for these parts? I called my local dealer about the tps, and didn’t get a call back. I ordered a tps from a company I thought was in Miami, only to find out I was dealing with ppl in India. They emailed me in the middle of the night, didn’t answer in the daytime, etc. I freaked out and cancelled my credit card. Seems bus parts are way different than running down to Orielly’s.

Where do Y’all go for pulleys etc.?
Thx, Dave

[cadillackid]

the A/C... it wil be aftermarket.. carrier, trans/AIR, etc.. and the bracket kit likely came from Red Dot or Bracketry Systems.. if you can find out who put the A/C in theh you have a good chance at getting a new pulley easily.. make sure that you didnt spin a bearing on a compressor or lock one up.. most often when you toss an A/C belt its because one of the compressors went bad.. you shou;d be able to rotate the outer pulley easily and the inner hub will rotate separately and usually stiff but turnable.. if wither arent as they should be then you need a compressor and maybe not an idler..

-Christopher