Please help!!!

[Damien-SKO]

1997 international T444e Alright so I’m having a bit of a dilemma. I bought a school bus ready to convert it into a small rv type situation. I am a builder not a mechanic. So I gutted it the whole bus, all seats floors the dash the stopsign heaters everything. Because I just wanted to start fresh. While taking apart the dash I was removing wires that I traced back to everything I didn’t want( interior lights speakers etc.) but ended up getting rid of lots of wires. All the interior wires basically. The main wiring bundle was able to be unclipped and I tucked the rest up near the pedals. Now trying to start the bus again I’m not having any luck. I can turn the key into the on position and brake press and parking break lights come on, some beeping and a fairly loud buzzing coming from what I believe to be the master cylinder. When I press the break the buzzing slows down. But when I go to start it there’s just nothing. Engine won’t turn over or even try.

I drove it once when I bought it then drove it over an hour home and didn’t have any problems at all. Haven’t started it since cause I didn’t need to but now I’m now I’m moving and it’s gotta come with. My only other option would be to find or make a strong enough car dolly and tow that sucker. But if I could get it running it would be great. Any input would be great.

 

[DawgBüs]

First, welcome! Sorry you're having problems. Super common question here though. Probably related to the stop sign wiring or the chair lift (if it had one). Your going to have to go back through your connections. Something needs to be connected or grounded and it isn't. Hopefully someone can give you specifics but I'm sure this very problem has been solved here before.

EDIT: Could also be an emergency exit alarm wiring. I'd check those three sources; emergency exit switch/buzzer, stop sign wiring, chair lift.

For anyone else coming to this thread and considering building a bus into an RV/home/whatever: If you're unfamiliar with the wiring, shouldn't touch it at all or at least go in small sections and test all functions of your bus before proceeding further. That way if something gets messed up, you can find the source much easier. I only say this because I see this problem posted a lot.

 

[BarnYardCamp]

Fill in the member info/ bus info/ maybe someone has a wiring diagram that will help.
I absolutely hate electrical issues. When I thinned out the rats nest of wires in my bus, I started it a dozen times. No doubt that your issue is tied to the safety interlock stuff.
Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

Fill in the member info/ bus info/ maybe someone has a wiring diagram that will help.
I absolutely hate electrical issues. When I thinned out the rats nest of wires in my bus, I started it a dozen times. No doubt that your issue is tied to the safety interlock stuff.
Good luck and keep us posted.

plug yor harness back in if you still have it.
tell us what you have and then we go from there.

need make model engine tranny?
anything specific to what you have.
its hard to help with your problem until we know what we are working on.

 

[Damien-SKO]

It’s a 1997 international 3800 t444e. I tried to plug the harness back in but didn’t help as nothing is grounded but I don’t know what to ground. Like I said I’ve taken out the entire interior wiring harness. The entire console area that had like the lighting control, flashers, wipers, heating control. All of it is out down to where it can disconnect to where it goes into the dash. So like when you go on the outside driver side and open the small compartment to access the wiring you can just see right through. I don’t plan on driving this bus more than 15 miles. I feel like there’s got to be a way to bypass all that junk. Or a way to complete the circuits to allow the engine to run and the steering to work.
I wish there was a better way to upload a picture or video of what I’ve got going on.
I’m sure it does have to do with the emergency exits or the stop sign I took out but I wouldn’t have a single clue on how to re connect the wires as the whole harness is in a 5gal bucket

 

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

you have to have at least 5 post to share pictures.
that would definitely help decipher what you need to connect.
needs
power to the computer if equipped in and out.
ignition control module power in and out to start solenoid relay or straight to the start solenoid.
there are ways to do it but we need to know what you had to begin with and what you have deleted to guess at what needs to be done to get it going.
easier if its an all mechanical versus computer control

 

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

just saw the E on the 444e so definitely computer controlled and i wouldnt know how to help unless i was the one that took it apart.
but there are members here that can help with advice other than
why in the **** did you gut the wires and how did you think it was still going to run?
good luck

 

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

okay just talked to my ford mechanic son about your problem and your motor needs the computer to run period and the computer needs all the wires and grounds landed exactly where they belong.
they do make a conversion kit to convert to all mechanical at the cost of around 20,000$
so if you cant figure out the wiring then you cheapest option would be to have it towed the 15 miles.

 

[Damien-SKO]

just saw the E on the 444e so definitely computer controlled and i wouldnt know how to help unless i was the one that took it apart.
but there are members here that can help with advice other than
why in the **** did you gut the wires and how did you think it was still going to run?
good luck

Well you see I’ve never done this kinda thing before. I just figured removing all the electrical used on the interior circuits wasn’t going to affect the engines ability to run. I didn’t need any of the wires for the heaters and speakers and emergency door exits etc...
having never done anything like this I would think that you can just take it out. But from the looks of it I have a nice yard ornament now

 

[musigenesis]

Internationals usually have an interlock system that prevents the bus from starting if either of the barrel locks on the emergency exit doors (that's assuming you have two instead of one) is in the locked position. The idea is that they don't want the driver to start off with the bus when those doors can't be opened for emergency egress.

Those barrel locks go into a box with a switch that breaks a circuit when it's in the locked position. All you have to do here (hopefully) is locate the wire for this circuit coming from the front, and attach it (perhaps just with a screw into an already-drilled hole in a rib) to the bus frame. This will complete that circuit and allow your bus to start.

The wire for this circuit in my bus was yellow, so you should try all your yellow wires first and you might get lucky.

To anyone else reading this thread: ripping out all your wires like this is almost guaranteed to lead to difficult-to-solve problems like this. DON'T FREAKING DO IT!!!

 

[HamSkoolie]

If yo have power to the dash itself then try to pull the flash codes

 

[Salvador]

Hey there, sorry to see that you’re having lots of problems. But I was wondering if your bus came with an owners manual? It would usually have a wiring diagram on there or even somewhere on the bus? Maybe by the dash or anywhere where your fuses are? If you do find it then on the diagram you will find where each wire lands and which colour it is. Maybe you could reconnect these wires using the diagram?

 

[ewo1]

It’s a 1997 international 3800 t444e.

You didn't mention if it is an FE, RE or dog nose...
I posted detailed wiring diagrams from a service manual I was gifted when I got my bus.
My bus is a '99 AMtran RE and I have used this same wiring diagram for a '97 FE model too.

I feel pretty confident that the wiring should be the same for a dog nose.

check out this thread.


https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f49/amtran-re-electrical-diagrams-25055.html

Also, your emergency exit switches, wires. I believe that it they are grounded, bus will not start.
I disconnected all mine, cut them and capped them in place, bus starts AOK !