I have a 1985 Regal, Chevy chassis. The valve that switches from the rear main tank to the front auxillary tank isn't working. The switch on the dash changes the fuel guage reading, but won't changover the valve. Any Ideas?

Mike

Have you checked fuses? There should be a swing down fuse panel just above the chevrolet fuse panel above the driver;s knee.

Assuming you have the Pollak valve common to many MHs, it has one terminal and a ground. In one switch position, the valve is powered and one tank gets connected to the engine. In the other switch position, the valve is not powered and the other tank is connected to the engine.

SO.........in one switch position, your test light or meter should show power to the valve. Be sure there is a good ground and a clean tight connection. If there is no power to the valve in either position, check the switch. If power comes in to the switch but doesn't go to the valve in one position, the switch is bad. If there is no power coming in to the switch, follow the wire and check the breaker. If there is power to the valve in one position but you can not select tanks, the valve could be bad. Can you feel or hear a "clunk" when the switch is moved? Test it by blowing in test hoses in both positions. If it works, check for bad hoses. A hose can be clogged, pinched or have tiny pinholes, allowing the engine pump to suck air instead of fuel. Or the tank pick up filter could be clogged.

[This message has been edited by bill h (edited August 29, 2003).]

Don't know about the testing, but I can provide a tale of what happens when you run a tank completely empty. It was a test to see just how far she would go. I assumed that I would get some warning (sputtering or such) and could switch over without losing power. The actual sequence was that the engine died with about 2-seconds warning and would not re-start. I pulled to the shoulder and it tried the restart then noticed the accelerator pedal was "stuck". The cruise control did not release when the engine ran out of fuel and when the starter finally managed to fire the engine, it reved to about 4000RPM before the cruise released (I had switched it to off, but it must have required a vacuum to operate).

Bummer Ron,

I ran out of gas on the highway once and then engine stopped but I flipped the switch and it started right back up. Thank God....

A dual tank coach should have an electric fuel pump. Both the pump and the valve should be mounted as close to the tanks as possible. When the carb runs dry, filling it up again can be a problem with only a mechanical pump. A low pressure switch between the fuel pump and the carburetor can be useful to warn when the tank is empty but the carb is not(yet). Running a tank dry is actually a good idea, as it gets rid of the crud that accumulates in a tank. Without doing that, the crud just builds and builds, and can later cause a problem. This is more important with RVs than cars, as RVs sit a lot and more crud formes. My Barth has a drain port on the tank. I pull the plug once a year or something.

[This message has been edited by bill h (edited September 02, 2003).]