Not turning over, fix or tow?

EL

elliot_peas

Advanced Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2014
Posts
65
Location
Asheville NC
Y'all have been such a lifeline.

I have to move this thing in four days. Just had a guy out to help fill the coolant because I wasn't sure about the bleed valves, and it starts but doesn't turn over. Usually needs a little gas but that's not doing anything. He said some things about glow plugs, then said well it doesn't have glow plugs, then he just sort of left. Thought he was a diesel mechanic but ok.

My driver has been supposed to come look at it for a few weeks now. He's booked to drive it Saturday. Can't find anybody with a shop to come out and if I'm going to tow it somewhere I'll just tow it 8 miles to the new site.

Or sell it. Maybe I'll just freakin' sell it. Anybody want a 74 seater '95 Bluebird with a stripped interior, new insulation & subfloor?

I got my plates from Vermont the other day but I haven't been to the DMV yet to make sure NC thinks it's an RV. I do have AAA with RV coverage.

Advice sought: tow or fix? How to best use AAA at this point given questionable title designation?
 
elliot_peas said:
Y'all have been such a lifeline.

I have to move this thing in four days. Just had a guy out to help fill the coolant because I wasn't sure about the bleed valves, and it starts but doesn't turn over. Usually needs a little gas but that's not doing anything. He said some things about glow plugs, then said well it doesn't have glow plugs, then he just sort of left. Thought he was a diesel mechanic but ok.

My driver has been supposed to come look at it for a few weeks now. He's booked to drive it Saturday. Can't find anybody with a shop to come out and if I'm going to tow it somewhere I'll just tow it 8 miles to the new site.

Or sell it. Maybe I'll just freakin' sell it. Anybody want a 74 seater '95 Bluebird with a stripped interior, new insulation & subfloor?

I got my plates from Vermont the other day but I haven't been to the DMV yet to make sure NC thinks it's an RV. I do have AAA with RV coverage.

Advice sought: tow or fix? How to best use AAA at this point given questionable title designation?
Click to expand...

What engine do you have?
 
It starts but doesn't turn over?:confused:
If you have Vt. registration, N.C. has no say in it. Your insurance may though.
 
So is it turning over? Clogged fuel filters? Is it turning over slow or fast? Are the batteries good and are they fully charged?

All of those things can be what makes the difference.
 
david.dgeorge07 said:
So is it turning over? Clogged fuel filters? Is it turning over slow or fast? Are the batteries good and are they fully charged?

All of those things can be what makes the difference.
Click to expand...
Batteries are new as of a month ago and it's run a couple of times since I put them in. No idea about fuel filters. It makes the normal degree of initial noise, as far as I can tell from having just let it run without driving it, but does not then escalate to the second amount of noise. Depressing the gas pedal does not cause any change in noises.
 
Luckily diesels require two things, (newer require 3)

Fuel, Air, and Electric


You can check to see if the fuel pump is working, check to see if the air filter is clear, and check if there's current to the injectors if you have electronic injectors.

This is your opportunity to dive head first into your first skoolie adventure.

I knew NOTHING about diesel engines when I bought my bus a year ago. So don't fear. I'm now confident I could tear mine down and do a rebuild if I had to.
 
Last edited:
CMORGANSKOOL said:
Luckily diesels require two things, (newer require 3)

Fuel, Air, and Electric


You can check to see if the fuel pump is working, check to see if the air filter is clear, and check if there's current to the injectors if you have electronic injectors.

This is your opportunity to dive head first into your first skoolie adventure.

I knew NOTHING about diesel engines when I bought my bus a year ago. So don't fear. I'm now confident I could tear mine down and do a rebuild if I had to.
Click to expand...

Please keep telling me this is an adventure.
 
what work did you do on the bus since it was running last? I pulled the seats out of my bus and it wouldn't run after. I knew it had something to do with the work I just did. I was grinding the seat bolts off at the top and tapping them through the floor. there were 3 that didn't go through. I cut them flush and did flooring over them. I discovered when I was trying to hammer one down it cracked my fuel sender on top of the gas tank. it was a hairline crack but it caused the lift pump to suck air and no diesel was getting to the engine.
 
Crank is the term I think you're looking for. Crank is what the starter motor does to the engine until it either runs or the batteries die.

Starting is when the engine starts to burn fuel and you no longer have to hold the key over.

So lets start from the beginning. 1995 year bus with a cummins engine? Is it a 5.9 or 8.3? Did you do anything at all between now and the last time it ran?
 
The term came from back in the day when you stuck a crank handle in the front of the motor and cranked it till it "fired off" It cranks till it fires, or turn over till it starts.:thumb:


 
a friend of mine from the UK calls it "Swinging" till it fires.. said his grandfather had an old crank start car and he would "Swing" on the crank in cold weather the first few times to get it to start...
 
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