| [GMCnet] Return from GMCES Dillard (Pt.1) [message #92066] |
Thu, 15 July 2010 19:16  |
Ken Henderson
Messages: 8726
Registered: March 2004
Location: Americus, GA
Karma:
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guess I should tell about our return trip from GMCES Dillard last Sunday:
We departed there with John & Linda Richardson in trail for the
250 mile ride home. The Cad500 was running good, as it had on the trip up,
though at 225*F to 235*F. I don't think the junkyard fan clutch is working
-- I never heard it come on, nor did she ask "what's that noise", and it was
pretty quiet in the cockpit (to me).
John reported that his Avion was also running good, and he was having no
trouble keeping up with me on the hills (I was towing, he wasn't). That is
for about the first 100 miles. Then he announced on the handheld FRS he
loaned me: "I just lost all power". Sure 'nuff, when I looked in the
mirror, he was getting slower & slower. I stopped with him about 100 yards
behind me on the shoulder of the road.
It didn't take TOO long for us two "electronic types" to figure out that his
chassis battery was down to 0.57 VDC and that his alternator was putting out
only 12.25 VDC when tied to the house battery. His boost switch is wired to
operate from the chassis battery, so we had to jump across the relay. With
that, he made it to Americus without further trouble.
I pulled into our driveway and left the engine running to cool down while I
disconnected the toad. Before I got back into the GMC, the engine died --
and would not start! Knowing the Main tank was about empty, I switched to
Aux -- STILL no starteee. Couldn't hear that noisy high pressure fuel pump
running either. Must have burned itself out running dry...? A dry finger
from beneath the injectors seemed to lead credence to that hypothesis. Oh,
well, the shore power cord will reach and we can get cars in & out past it,
so leave it here.
John's alternator came from Advance Auto. He called Pensacola to check on
the Lifetime Warranty and was told that the computer said he'd bought two
alternators -- and returned both of them. He denies the returns, but
whatareya gonna do? Since we have a good 50 year experienced carb/ignition
man here, we took it there. "If I worked dawn to dark for the next 3 months
I wouldn't catch up -- NO "emergency" repairs..."
Rather than see him get another chain store rebuild, I gave John the removed
455's alternator, rebuilt 3-4 years ago by "NO emergency", using HD diodes
after I burned out two lower rated sets. He'll rebuild John's for
replacement -- eventually." Since I put a CS-130D on the Cad500, I'm in no
rush.
After installing the alternator on his coach, John and I returned to my GMC.
All of the EFI-related circuits are powered from a 10A CB under the hood.
The ECM itself is further protected by a 5A fuse, and there are dedicated
fuses for each injector and the high pressure fuel pump. When I added the
Vehicle Speed Sensor (VSS) for the EFI, I powered it and the required
divide-by-two circuit from that CB, with all of the connections on a
terminal strip at the left rear of the engine hatch opening.
With all the skill and cunning we could muster, we finally figured out that
the clicking noise every time I turned the ignition was coming from the CB.
The suitably distorted paper clip, which John used to short the CB while I
turned on the ignition again, IMMEDIATELY burned his fingers. Hmmmm...maybe
there's a short somewhere???
We finally figured out, just before supper time, that the insulated terminal
lug for the VSS power was shorting to the aluminum hatch rim. Dumb, shoddy,
work by Bodiddly (me, I'm afraid). So we knocked off for supper, hoping the
ground fault would disappear overnight.
More to follow: I've exceeded the posting size limit.
Ken H.
Americus, GA
'76 X-Birchaven
www.gmcwipersetc.com
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Ken Henderson
Americus, GA
www.gmcwipersetc.com
Large Wiring Diagrams
76 X-Birchaven
76 X-Palm Beach
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