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Home » Public Forums » GMCnet » Once step forward, two steps back! (Started one job, ended up working on two and completing neither.)
Once step forward, two steps back! [message #262331] Fri, 19 September 2014 16:07 Go to next message
thorndike is currently offline  thorndike   United States
Messages: 406
Registered: January 2011
Location: Conifer, Colorado
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Well I started changing my steering box today. I had a good talk with Dave Lenzi so I am confident in what needs to be done.

After I drained the fluid, I had no problems removing the steering shaft from the input shaft of the steering box so I thought "woo hoo, this is going to be easy." Until of course, I found out that the largest socket I owned was 1 1/4" and the nut on the Pitman shaft was larger than that. So off to the stores I went. No one had a socket the right size. Since I had to call a friend to borrow his tomorrow I had to stop working on the steering and tackle another job.

Earlier this summer I had to replace the fuel line to the Onan. One day, after taking a trip with the Tidewater Crabs, the Onan was running and then just stopped. So I took this opportunity to work on the Onan. What I discovered was that the new fuel line was a bit too long and had become pinched between the Onan and the back of the compartment. This was going to be easy! So I recut the fuel line, hooked it up and started the Onan instantly.

Then the problem arose.

I couldn't shut it off. I pressed the shut off button on the panel inside and there was nothing. No click, no hesitation in the Onan, no indication at all that I had pressed the shutoff button. I had to shut it off by moving the choke. I went underneath the coach and found a lose connection in the wire bundle that lead to the Onan, so I fixed it and confidently restarted the Onan. Nope. Still not able to shut it off. At least I fixed that bad connection.

I thought that the switch might be bad, so I removed the interior panel and started the Onan. Using some aligator clips I shorted the center and bottom connectors on the switch thinking that this should shut it off. Nothing.

This Onan does not have the original controls. It appears the panel has been replaced and can

be seen here: http://i.imgur.com/nxc5frM.jpg?1 http://i.imgur.com/nxc5frM.jpg?1

Before I waste time digging in the wrong direction, does anyone have any suggestions as to locating the problem? What is the proper pin-out of the shut-off switch?

Thanks,

Bob


Robert Peesel 1976 Royale 26' Side Dry Bath Conifer, Colorado
Re: Once step forward, two steps back! [message #262388 is a reply to message #262331] Sat, 20 September 2014 12:34 Go to previous messageGo to next message
wally is currently offline  wally   United States
Messages: 643
Registered: August 2004
Location: Omaha Nebraska
Karma: 5
Senior Member
thorndike wrote on Fri, 19 September 2014 16:07
Well I started changing my steering box today. I had a good talk with Dave Lenzi so I am confident in what needs to be done.

After I drained the fluid, I had no problems removing the steering shaft from the input shaft of the steering box so I thought "woo hoo, this is going to be easy." Until of course, I found out that the largest socket I owned was 1 1/4" and the nut on the Pitman shaft was larger than that. So off to the stores I went. No one had a socket the right size. Since I had to call a friend to borrow his tomorrow I had to stop working on the steering and tackle another job.

Earlier this summer I had to replace the fuel line to the Onan. One day, after taking a trip with the Tidewater Crabs, the Onan was running and then just stopped. So I took this opportunity to work on the Onan. What I discovered was that the new fuel line was a bit too long and had become pinched between the Onan and the back of the compartment. This was going to be easy! So I recut the fuel line, hooked it up and started the Onan instantly.

Then the problem arose.

I couldn't shut it off. I pressed the shut off button on the panel inside and there was nothing. No click, no hesitation in the Onan, no indication at all that I had pressed the shutoff button. I had to shut it off by moving the choke. I went underneath the coach and found a lose connection in the wire bundle that lead to the Onan, so I fixed it and confidently restarted the Onan. Nope. Still not able to shut it off. At least I fixed that bad connection.

I thought that the switch might be bad, so I removed the interior panel and started the Onan. Using some aligator clips I shorted the center and bottom connectors on the switch thinking that this should shut it off. Nothing.

This Onan does not have the original controls. It appears the panel has been replaced and can

be seen here: http://i.imgur.com/nxc5frM.jpg?1 http://i.imgur.com/nxc5frM.jpg?1

Before I waste time digging in the wrong direction, does anyone have any suggestions as to locating the problem? What is the proper pin-out of the shut-off switch?

Thanks,

Bob

Duane Simmons "Mr. Onan" has this information linked Bdub's site
http://www.gmcws.org/Tech/dsimmons/onan/onan.html#stop-circuit-schematic
and Onan control board info
http://gmcws.org/Tech/dsimmons/onan/onan.html

HTH


Wally Anderson
Omaha NE
75 Glenbrook
Re: Once step forward, two steps back! [message #262530 is a reply to message #262388] Mon, 22 September 2014 11:16 Go to previous messageGo to next message
thorndike is currently offline  thorndike   United States
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Registered: January 2011
Location: Conifer, Colorado
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Thanks for the information. I will hopefully have a chance to decipher my problem this week.

BOb


Robert Peesel 1976 Royale 26' Side Dry Bath Conifer, Colorado
Re: Once step forward, two steps back! [message #262534 is a reply to message #262331] Mon, 22 September 2014 12:13 Go to previous messageGo to next message
mike miller   United States
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Registered: February 2004
Location: Hillsboro, Oregon
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thorndike wrote on Fri, 19 September 2014 14:07
...

Before I waste time digging in the wrong direction, does anyone have any suggestions as to locating the problem? What is the proper pin-out of the shut-off switch?


It looks like you do not have the normal control board.

A "normal" control board has two relays and a on-off-on momentary switch to start and stop the generator. (The "remote" switch inside the coach is an add-on convenience item.) As you are looking at diagrams, remember that your board may be different.

IIRC: both sides of the switch (and the remote switch inside the coach) provide grounds to the parts of the control board to start and stop. It might not be that hard to wire in a toggle switch to use right at the generator.


Mike Miller -- Hillsboro, OR -- on the Black list
(#2)`78 23' Birchaven Rear Bath -- (#3)`77 23' Birchaven Side Bath
More Sidekicks than GMC's and a late model Malibu called 'Boo' http://m000035.blogspot.com
Re: Once step forward, two steps back! [message #262636 is a reply to message #262534] Tue, 23 September 2014 14:07 Go to previous messageGo to next message
thorndike is currently offline  thorndike   United States
Messages: 406
Registered: January 2011
Location: Conifer, Colorado
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Senior Member
Thanks Mike,

Electrics are not my forte, so I expect I will be stumbling through until I find the solution. Since it was working before, I assume it is a bad connection somewhere along the line.

Bob


Robert Peesel 1976 Royale 26' Side Dry Bath Conifer, Colorado
Re: Once step forward, two steps back! [message #262674 is a reply to message #262331] Tue, 23 September 2014 19:24 Go to previous messageGo to next message
JohnL455 is currently offline  JohnL455   United States
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Registered: October 2006
Location: Woodstock, IL
Karma: 12
Senior Member
From what I can see it looks like the local rocker switch fell apart and that is what remains??? That board has been worked on or replaced as the relays are not stock. That breakway connector is nice but not weatherproof so that will corode and turn green over time if not allready which is often a problem. The remote switch in the coach is just paralleled on top of the gen rocker switch if that makes it easier to understand. 1 is ground, 2 is stop and 3 is start. So 1 goes to the center of the switch and 2 and 3 to the switchable contacts.

John Lebetski
Woodstock, IL
77 Eleganza II
Re: Once step forward, two steps back! [message #262798 is a reply to message #262674] Thu, 25 September 2014 12:57 Go to previous message
thorndike is currently offline  thorndike   United States
Messages: 406
Registered: January 2011
Location: Conifer, Colorado
Karma: 0
Senior Member
Thanks for the suggestions. I will pull that connector apart and see how it looks.


Robert Peesel 1976 Royale 26' Side Dry Bath Conifer, Colorado
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